#one piece reader

The duo immediately break out into laughter, not only at your response but your clear embarrassment.

“I mean, I think everyone can tell.” Hip pipes up before downing her second shot of whatever flavour of poison she chose. You can tell by her grimace that it's not tasty in the slightest.

“Also, Haikei and Bubblegum were talking about it earlier. Apparently there's a bet - oof!” Emma's cut off as Hip slams a rough elbow into her counterpart's stomach.

You narrow your eyes in suspicion at the action. Raising your glass to your lips, you bite out with a wary tone, “That wasn't a strange thing to do at all.”

The two share a look before Hip finally admits with a groan, “The entire ship knows and there's a bet going on to see when you'll actually tell him yourself.”

Your mouth drops open in shock and embarrassment as a squawk of utter horror escapes your throat. “You lie!” You hiss back, your tone almost begging. You groan and cover your face when they both shake their heads with matching solemn expressions.

“Oh god, ooohhhh god, okay, that's… awesome,” you turn to the bartop and place your hands palm down on it to stabilize yourself as you think over worst-case scenarios first. “I mean, who even is everyone?”

“Literally everyone,” they voiced at the same time with a deadpan tone.

You give another groan before throwing the bartender three fingers up, signaling for some shots because damn, if you didn't need one before, you sure did now.

“I’m telling you, he doesn't let just anyone sit beside him, like you do nearly every night,” Hip pipes up, laying a comforting hand on your back and giving a soft rub.

“And he doesn't let anyone help him in the kitchen other than you! I mean, I'd be shocked if he didn't like you back.”

You give an anxious chuckle before shaking your head slightly with a small sigh. “I'm sure he likes me but I don't … I don't think it's the way I like him.”

Three shot glasses filled with a clear liquid slide in front of you and you're quick to snatch one up, downing it in one go and placing it back down with a double tap on the bartop. Hip and Emma share another glance before Emma pipes up as she grabs one of the shots.

“Come on dude, you know how ridiculous you sound right now?”

You roll your eyes and retort back, “No, actually I don't, because this wasn't something I thought would realistically happen.”

You turn and cross your arms, leaning your mid-back against the bartop as you look out at your fellow Kid Pirates having a blast. “It's… hard to explain.”

A rock song starts playing over the small Den Den behind the bar and the crew shouts in excitement, seeming to know this song by heart. You can't help but grin as Reck, Haikei and Bubblegum dance and shout along; even Heat and Wire mouthing along with smirks in the back corner catches your eye. You take a mental snapshot to draw in your sketchbook later as a momento.

“Dude… you belong here.”

You immediately frown with a side-eye to Hip and a slightly snarky, “The fuck's that supposed to mean?”

She frowns in return and roughly punches you in the upper arm. The feeling stings slightly but you're unmoved as you raise an eyebrow and ask, “Was that necessary?”

She huffs and bites back, “You've been with us almost a year, and you still get this look on your face when we're out like this.” You bitterly look down at your feet, not expecting to be cornered like this. “This… sadness, like you're expecting us to just dump you somewhere and leave you behind.”

“Who's getting left behind?”

All three of you jump in surprise at the sudden questioning voice. Your head snaps up as you take in Killer, head tilted slightly with an empty beer mug in his hand. You feel your face and neck burn in embarrassment as you quickly shout out, “Nobody!”

You can almost feel how Killer's eye narrows behind his mask as he hums, “That sounded super convincing.”

You looked to the side, puffing your cheeks out with a grumble, causing the two girls to giggle and whisper to each other. You and Killer ignored them as he stepped closer, standing next to you and tapping his wooden mug against the bartop for a refill.

You vaguely notice as Hip and Emma take a few steps back before fully retreating towards the others with a wave towards you. You give a simple nod in return, more focused on how close Killer was to you, your arms just brushing and sending fire over your flesh.

“You're not being stupid, are you?” Killer quips, tilting sideways over you slightly, chuckling to himself as you snap your head to the other side with that same expression, grumbling again.

“Mm, sounds like a yes to me.”

“No,” you sass back with a huff. “... you're being stupid…”

Killer gives a faux chuff, pinching your side and grinning behind his mask at your indignant squawk and glare as he teases, “Insulting your favourite Commander? That'll get you the early morning watch for a week straight.”

Your jaw drops in ass-crack-of-dawn horror. “You wouldn't dare.”

Killer throws his head back and laughs loudly, knowing that was going to be your answer. He picks up his refill and sticks in his trusty-dusty reusable straw you found him a few months ago before taking a long sip. He then scolds lightly,

“Depends, are you going to apologize properly?”

You give a low tsk, narrowing your eyes at him as you decide to risk it all and slowly ask, “What's your definition of ‘properly'?”

You feel a shift in the air as he takes a moment before leaning over you, his mask directly in your face as he breathes, “Come back to the ship with me and I can teach you.”

Your eyes widen and your face blooms in reds, a soft “oh,” escaping as you take in his meaning. His free hand gently reaches up, his fingers nudging your chin with his thumb brushing your bottom lip oh so tenderly.

“... you should let me teach you,” he petitions softly, the want dripping off his words and drowning you in desire. Your brain short-circuits and reboots as you pathetically submit to him.

“Please teach me,” you finally breathe out. There's a shared moment of elation before Killer slams his mug down on the bar and immediately picks you up, throwing you over his shoulder with an almost too rough hold against your ass and the backs of your thighs.

“God, finally!” Someone from the back shouts, and suddenly there's a chorus of different cheers and boo's, the negative sounds clearly from those who now had to pay up.

Killer walks out and only takes a few steps before stopping and letting you down, though his hands on your hips remain in a slightly possessive hold.

“That seemed uncomfortable, can I carry you normally?”

You grin at his request and nod, your hands resting on his forearms with a soft, reassuring touch. He leans down slightly, the forehead of his mask meeting yours as he chuckles, “You seriously don't know what you do to me, do you?”

You glance up into his mask as best you can with a cheeky smile. “I think I'm starting to see…”

Killer gives a low, pleased hum at that, slowly leaning back. “You'll know soon.”

He then moves back enough to scoop an arm under your legs and holds you to his chest bridal style. You give a big grin at the dorky feeling in your chest and lay a hand on his pec as he begins the quick trek to the ship.

The second his boots meet the deck of the Victoria, he sets you down again and picks up your hand in his to lead you downstairs. You two walk past Boogie and Jaguar who share a look before Boogie gives a laugh and slaps Jaguar playfully on the arm a few times. “Pay up, Jag! I told ya!”

Your face turns tomato red at hearing that, though the squeeze that Killer gives your hand brings you back to him. “Did you know about the bet?” Killer casually asks as he takes you through the doors that lead upstairs to where the Commanders’ rooms were.

“Ah… not ‘til Hip and Emma spilled the beans literally seconds before you came over.”

Killer chuckles and gives a little shake of his head. “I'm actually impressed, those two did great keeping quiet until now.”

You repeated those words in your head a few times as he opened the door to his bedroom and ushered you in, closing the heavy door behind you.

“Wait, does that mean they knew the whole time?” You demanded lightly, an almost crazed huff of laughter leaving you. You opened your mouth to say something else, only to click it shut as your eyes took in the cozy and quaint room that belonged to your masked crush.

“Ah… I suppose I gotta fess up now.”

Your eyes moved from the very comfy looking, large mattress to a surprisingly shy looking Killer, hands resting on his hips as he clearly looks out the window above his bed.

“... Killer?” You ask slowly, confused though your heart raced a million miles a minute.

He gives a slight “tsk,” before admitting with drooping shoulders in an attempt at showing defeat. “I ah, I started the bet.”

The silence that fell over you deafened you, a roar in your ears like the worst tinnitus you'd ever experienced as his words echoed over and over.

“You.” Was all you could muster.

“... yes.”

After a few moments, you decided to take this with a grain of salt and joke, “So uh, how much money did we make?”

Killer's head snaps to you in shock, clearly surprised at the question. “How… much?”

You give a small, incredulous shake of your head with a grin and laughed, “Clearly you've made some pretty beri off of this, so you're obviously going to share with me! How much beri did we make?”

Killer stands stunned for a few seconds before he gives a barking laugh, offering the honest numbers. “Enough for us to have a few fancy dates before the logpose resets in two days, if you're up for it.”

You hum in delight, your hands clasped behind your back as you rocked back and forth from heel to toe. After a few moments of calm silence, you teasingly asked,

“So, you bet that I would… what, admit to you that I have a crush on you or something?”

Killer shakes his head, finally moving towards you again and gently reaches around to collect your hands in his own. “No. I bet that you would just be honest with me and tell me what I already knew.”

He gave a slight shrug and half-joked, “The others were the ones to make it seem like I wasn't aware of how you felt.”

Your face bloomed in reds again, your head spinning from how fast things seemed to move. “Oh god, you knew? For how long?”

Killer could see the confusion buzz behind your eyes and immediately began trying to soothe you, his hands moving to slowly caress your waist and hips as he mentions lightly, “Honestly, a pretty damn long time. I didn't believe it for the first while,” he hums a soft chuckle, teasing you with a truthful, “It was actually Wire that told me to ‘open my damn eyes and see what was right in front of me’. Kind of embarrassing to hear from him.”

Something changes in Killer's tone as he then sighs, kneeling down with his hands heavy on your hips as he looks up at you. You give a shaky laugh, shaking your head slightly as you begin to beg him to stand back up. He cuts you off as he begins,

“Lovebug, I can't give you the world.” You become still at his words, eyes burning as you stare into the painted ceramic. “I can't always surprise you, or buy you all the fancy shit you deserve. I can't always give you my time, or attention, but what I can give you is just… me.”

You tilt your head slightly as you croak softly, “Killer, I-”

“Lovebug, please.”

Your hands hold his helmet lovingly with a slight purse to your lips, patient in waiting for him to continue.

“I… you know, love isn't something the world ever taught us. The love we know, is the love I show for Kid, for this crew… but the love I have for you is… it's so fucking different.” He leans into your touch, as if your flesh could pierce through the ceramic and touch his own. “You came along and showed me that the love you hear about in fuckin’ fairy tales can be real, then you turned around and gave it to me, of all people.”

You gave a small laugh at that, murmuring a gentle, "You're ridiculous,” your tone soft and adoring as you give his right ‘cheek’ a soft pat.

“You showed this whole crew that sometimes being genuine and kind can be badass and punk as fuck; I can’t help but respect and adore the fuck out of you.”

Your usual gracious grin slides over your face, beaming at the praise. “Thank you, Kil.”

Killer shakes his head. “No, thank you, lovebug. You have brought a joy into my existence that I didn't think was possible for someone like me.”

You grin and lean down enough to press a kiss to the mask, right where you thought his lips laid. “Everyone deserves love, Killer. Even you,” you kiss him again. “Especially you.”

Killer finally rises to his feet and pulls you to him, arms around you like the safest blanket you'd ever been wrapped in. “... does this mean I still have to apologize?” You tease, hiding your grin in his chest as his hold tightens slightly and he replies lowly,

“Of course it does.”

The next few moments are a blur.

Rough hands undo thick jeans and shove them down before they meet your shoulders, giving them a quick squeeze before you understand the motions. You grin and kneel before Killer, hands and nails teasing up his thick thighs as you take in the monster that he hid in his pants every day.

“Goddamn, Kil,” you breathe, impressed and almost terrified of the sheer girth and width of his cock. It jumps in your face at the praise as Killer gives a slightly embarrassed chuckle.

You grin and collect him in one hand before leaning forward and giving his underside a long, wet lick. A moan rumbles in his chest as his head falls back, breathing already ragged as one of his hands rests on your head. “J-just like that, bug…”

Killer could only be impressed with how you were such a fast learner, his eyes nearly rolling back as you finally took him into your mouth.

While some shook their heads or rolled their eyes at your bubbly and kind nature, customers took note, and you were always tipped nicely at the end of your day.

While collecting your next tray of drinks from the bartender, you noticed a man sitting by himself down by the end of the bar, large and imposing with an air of importance lingering around him the same way his cigar smoke did. The gold hook that sat where his right hand should glinted in the casino lights, almost blinding you if you looked too long. You raised an eyebrow at the new bartender who shook his head with a frown, leaning over to murmur down at you, “I ain't servin’ him, he looks like he'd kill me if I even breathed in his direction wrong.”

You glance over at your table and notice they're deeply immersed in their game so you took the chance and walked behind the bar, placing the sweetest smile you could muster on your face as you made your way to the larger man. “My apologies for the wait honey, can I grab you a drink?”

You're able to take him in better now, the scar across his face only making him more attractive in your mind. He looks you up and down with golden amber eyes, mirth playing in his gaze with a raised eyebrow as he drawls out, “whiskey, neat.”

His voice sends a shivering ripple over your skin though you're quick to serve him, trying not to let his stare turn you into a pile of mush. You place his glass in front of him, happy with the way he looks impressed as he picks it up and takes a sip. “You gave me the high shelf?” He asks, his tone low as he watches to see if you squirm.

“I did.” You reply with another smile, tilting your head slightly as you add, “On me, for making you wait. My apologies again, you shouldn't have had to wait as long as you did.”

The man hums in agreement but says nothing else about it, though he adds with a small smirk, “You have my thanks.” You simply nod once before giving him a small wave and turn to walk from behind the bar.

You gave the bartender a glaring look that read ‘see how hard that was?’ before snatching the tray off the bar and taking the drinks to the furthest blackjack table, ignoring the way the hooked man continued to watch you. The four men sitting there cheered as you placed down the drinks. One man, dressed in a blue velvet suit, took the chance to place his hand on your ass with a smirk as he immediately downed his liquor in celebration.

“Ah, you make a great lucky charm, pretty girl! You should stick around me, I'll make you richer than you could imagine.”

Your trained smile slides over your lips as you casually and gently turn him down, politely moving a step to the side so his hand falls from your body. “Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to be considered a lucky charm for any of the guests, it would cause a major disruption,” you tried to joke, giving him your brightest smile as you added, “congrats, though! That's a very exciting win for you. Can I grab you gentlemen anything else before I check my other tables?”

There's a chilling silence that falls over the men until the one that grabbed you earlier spoke again, spite dancing on his tongue as he snaps, “Well, unless you're going to change your mind and join me for dinner…” The man on his left smacks his arm, frowning at him as he murmurs, “Stop it Jay, you're gonna get us kicked out.”

Still holding your professionalism tight to your chest, you tilt your head slightly with your smile wavering as you ask again, “Is there anything else-”

You're cut off as the blue velvet clad man reaches out and grips around one of your wrists, tightly enough that you suck in a shocked breath as you drop the serving tray. Your smile falls from your face as you bite out, “Let go.”

Jay's hand only tightened, his face bright red and clearly irritated with you shooting him down in front of his friends. He sneers at you, wrenching you closer to him and ignoring your small sound of pain as he seethes, “I spend a lot of beri here. So much, in fact, that I think you don't have a right to deny me a single thing, little girl. If I want you to sit on my lap and laugh at my jokes, that is exactly what you're going to do.”

You glance up at the burly man suddenly standing behind Jay, his arms crossed with an unimpressed expression of his own etched across his face. With a shaved head and a massive tattoo on his chest, you immediately knew this was Mr. 1, one of the closest people to your boss and boy, did he look pissed.

“Unhand our employee.”

Jay freezes, fear slowly rising over his face as he slowly turns to the towering man behind him. He flashes Mr. 1 an embarrassed grin, chuckling weakly as he finally releases you, even going so far as to apologize with a wavering voice. “My apologies, ma'am, I see the error of my ways now. I won't bother you again.”

Mr. 1 is uninterested with the apology though, only demanding from the velvet clad man, “Tip her for her troubles.”

Jay gives a low tsk, huffing to himself with a mumbled, “o-oh of course,” as he digs into his suit jacket and pulls out a wad of beri. He flicks through it but Mr. 1 simply places a heavy hand on his shoulder and raises his unibrow on one side as if challenging him.

Jay clenches his teeth in irritation, sliding a fake smile over his lips as he nearly slaps the entire wad into your slightly sweaty palm. “Thank you for your fantastic service.” He nearly sneers, contempt mingled in his words though you pay it no mind.

“Thank you for your gracious tip, sir! I hope you have the night you deserve.” You then give Mr. 1 a small nod with a thankful smile before you turn and head towards the staff room near the back of the casino off to the side. You ignore the pointed stare the scarred man at the bar gives you as you briskly walk past, blinking back angry tears as you whip open a door that reads Employee's Only and slam it shut. Luckily, it's loud enough on the casino floor that no one pays any mind.

Once inside, you pace back and forth after throwing the bundle of cash into your tiny locker, making sure it was locked tight before letting your mind go over the last few moments. In a sudden fit of rightly placed rage, you kick a chair across the room with a shout, your breathing heavy as you try to manage your wild emotions.

“Girl, what the fuck is going on in here?!”

You jump as the other door in the room that leads to a washroom/makeup room opens and Leah, your fellow bottle girl peeks her head out, face half painted in high end makeup as she readies herself for her own shift. Confusion and worry etched across her face as she takes you in, not used to seeing you so worked up.

Angry tears well in your eyes and you look to the ceiling, wiping gently at your waterline as to not smudge your own intricately done makeup before you croak out pathetically, “I just wish some of these men would take no for a fucking answer.”

Leah gives you an understanding look before motioning for you to join her so she could keep getting ready.

You hop up on an empty counter as she slides onto a plush stool and turns back to one of the massive mirrors. She lines her other eye with black eyeliner and glances at you in the mirror, watching as you slowly swing your feet back and forth as if you were a small child being reprimanded.

“Sweetie, you've been here long enough to know that, unfortunately, this is just the way things go sometimes. Did someone at least come and collect you?”

You absent-mindedly rubbed at your now bruising wrist and gave a small nod as you murmured, “Mr. 1 came over and got the guest to let go of me.”

Leah whipped around at that, shock on her face as she slowly asked, “Mr. 1? Are you sure? Like, the Big Boss's right hand guy? Mr big and burly and no nonsense? He came to your rescue?!”

You nod, tilting your head slightly as you ask, “I mean, he's always out on the floor keeping an eye on things, I'm not surprised he did his job to make sure I was alright.”

Leah spins in her chair, an incredulous look on her face as she tries to explain, “Do you remember about a month ago, when I had that blow out with that high roller at the furthest poker table?”

You nod again, unsure of where she was going with her story. “Of course I do, that was fucked up! Why do you ask?”

She huffs slightly, rolling her eyes as she turns back to the mirror, patting her cheeks with a light peachy blush as she almost bitterly bites out, “Yeah, well, our darling Mr. 1 was watching from the bar, having a conversation with one of the bartenders, and decided it wasn't worth his time to come over and say something. That's why Jini had to step in.”

You vividly remember the poker dealer stepping in and nearly taking the guests head off, only to be brought to the back and came back to the floor with a black eye. While Leah was given the rest of the week off to recuperate from the ordeal, Jini had decided to quit and left without even so much as a goodbye.

You looked down at your intertwined hands in your lap as you then remembered reading about his dead body ending up on the casino steps a few days later. The thought of ever quitting left your mind that day, knowing you forever belonged to Rain Dinners and your boss. Sir Crocodile was a cunning and incredibly intelligent man, so it was no wonder he wouldn't let anyone with information about him or his casino be let out into the world.

“So riddle me this, girlfriend.”

You raise an eyebrow at Leah as she stares you down from the mirror, an almost accusatory look in her eyes as she tightly demands, “What makes you so goddamn special that Mr. 1 of all people decided to step in and help you out? Hmm?”

Guilt riddled your entire body at her words, even as you gave a slight shrug, trying not to let the hurt from her tone affect you. “I… I don't know.”

Leah simply watches you, her lips pursed into a tight line until she finally sighs, loud and slightly annoyed as she goes back to adding a bit more blush. “Well, whatever you did, you better keep it up. Remember, if you're not an asset-”

“You're a liability.” You finish quietly, hating how your stomach flipped and churned at the thought of your own body ending up bloodied and brutalized on the steps of the casino.

There's a heavy knock on the change room door that causes both of you to jump. After a few moments, you hop off the counter and go to the door, opening it slightly and looking up to see none other than Mr. 1 standing there, his usual blank scowl on his face as he demands, “You need to come with me.”

A chill runs up your spine at his tone, worry seeping into your bones as you give a slow nod. “A-alright…”

You look back at Leah who gives you a strong nod of her own, as if giving you the strength to walk out the door. Mr. 1 then glances over your head, an easy feat, and notices who's sitting at the mirrors. “Leah, you've got 32 minutes. Hurry up and hit the floor.”

She rolls her eyes and mutters under her breath, “Yeah, yeah, you got it.”

She gives you another pointed stare before going back to finishing her makeup, pretending not to be curious as to why you were being pulled away.

As Mr. 1 leads you out of the back room and takes you to a set of golden doors, which slide open to reveal an elevator of all things. Mr. 1 steps in and motions for you to do the same, which you do with a silent sigh through your nose. The doors slide shut almost immediately and the elevator starts moving, going up and up for what feels like forever until a small bell dings and the doors slide open once more.

You're led into a massive office space, one side covered in one sided glass windows that look out to the casino floor, and the other what looked like a giant aquarium. You felt curiosity and slight confusion at seeing the empty glass, simply deciding to pay it no mind as Mr. 1 leads you further in.

He stops you just in front of a large oak desk, covered in stacks of paper, a personal den den mushi, a pen with an inkwell, multiple cigars with a gold lighter, and a-

Your brain freezes as you take in the drink on the desk. You notice the glass as the ones used only in the bar, and the top shelf whiskey that sits in the glass, as if mocking you, even as the scent of familiar cigar smoke fills your senses.

“Welcome.”

That voice.

Another chill runs down your spine as the chair at the desk suddenly turns, and a glint from the golden hook attached to the man sitting in the chair catches you off guard.

“You seem surprised.”

Your eyes flicker to those amber ones from earlier, sending a warm wave of something through your body as you slowly reply, “I suppose I am a little surprised.”

A smirk comes over the man's face as he puffs out a large plume of smoke. “I don't think I need to introduce myself,” he begins, though he tilts his head in an offer as he adds, “and neither do you, Y/N.”

You blink a few times, clearly shocked that he knew your name though you agree with a small smile, “I suppose not, Sir Crocodile.”

Crocodile gives a pleased hum, that smirk still etched into his lips as he takes a sip from his glass. “I'm… appreciative of you for stopping what you were doing to serve me, and so kindly as well. I'm pleased to know my guests are in incredibly capable hands.”

You give him another smile, equally pleased that he was happy with your skills. “Thank you, sir. I try my very best to make sure our guests leave happy enough to return at another time.”

Crocodile sits back in his chair, his large hands holding his glass and cigar in his ringed fingers expertly, gently swirling the whiskey as he asks, “Are you happy working for me, Y/N?”

You give him a small nod, answering genuinely, “I truly do. I must be one of a billion people who actually enjoy customer service. I find that if I'm able to change even just one guests day, then I go home feeling like I've done my job right.”

There's a low hum from your boss as he looks from you to Mr. 1, who gives a nod and goes back towards the elevator. You turn to watch but Crocodile pulls you from your curiosity with a simple, “Come here.”

You turn back to him and take the few steps around the desk, standing a mere foot away from him, much closer than you'd been when he was sitting at the bar. He gently places his glass and cigar down before holding his hand out to you, palm up as he asks lowly, “Do you trust me, Y/N?”

In a burst of courage, you teasingly ask, “Should I?”

He raises an eyebrow at your cheekiness, huffing a small chuckle as his hand moves closer to your body. When it lands on your waist, his thumb presses over your hip bone covered by your pencil skirt, almost lovingly as he admits, “Yes, you should.”

He pulls you a little closer, still taller than you even sitting in his chair. You glance from his thick neck to his face, your head tilting back slightly to look up at him as he continues, “I ask one last time… do you trust me?”

You take a near silent breath before you admit yourself, “Yes, sir. I trust you.”

He gives a wolfish grin before letting you go to pick up his den den receiver, barking into it. “Send that pathetic whelp in.”

A few moments later, Mr. 1 returns from the elevator with someone in tow, carried by two men dressed in black suits. You almost gasp as you take in the battered form of Jay, the blue velvet dressed guest from earlier; blood leaking from a busted eyesocket, teeth missing from his bloodied mouth, multiple broken fingers and sobbing like a newborn baby.

The two men in black throw him to the marble flooring carelessly, everyone in the room ignoring the way he yelps like a wounded animal.

You watch with wide eyes as he slowly peels himself from the floor and looks up, fear and regret on his face until he notices you. Immediate rage overtakes the fear as he hoarsely snarks out, “You bitch. You couldn't handle the heat so you went and tattled to your boss? Pathetic.”

You sneer at him, your own anger taking over though you remain silent, even as Crocodile rests his hand on your waist once more.

“You've come to my casino quite often, haven't you?”

Jay huffs angrily, spitting blood onto the flooring without a care as he bites out, “Obviously. Almost five hundred thousand beri, to be exact.”

Crocodile grins wickedly at that. “Is that so?”

His hook slams into a paper on his desk, the tip stabbing into the paper and lifting it off the desk. He then holds it out to you, which you take with gentle hands. Crocodile notices the lack of fear as he brandishes his hook at you, another pleased hum rumbling in his chest before he asks you, “Read that out for me, sweetheart.”

Warmth covers you like honey at the petname, your cheeks tinted pink as you clear your throat and read out,

“Jay Miton. Age 39. Entered the casino May 18th, 189 days ago. Has spent a total of-”

You stop as a small grin comes over your face, unable to keep the snicker from escaping as you nearly laugh out, “Has spent a total of two hundred and eighty six beri.”

Crocodile laughs loudly as Jay's face burns dark red, embarrassed to the nth degree as he shouts, “Th-that's wrong! You're lying!”

Unable to stay quiet at that, you finally snap, “There's no reason for him to lie! You're just a sad, broke, balding little man who has no use in this life! The only liar I see in this room is you. At your big boy age, how are you not embarrassed?”

The silence that followed was deafening. Even with the noise canceling windows, you could faintly hear cheering and talking from the casino floor with how quiet it got.

Then, thunderous laughter from Crocodile echoed in the room. His hand patted your side as he barked out, “Right she is! How are you not embarrassed to not only be proved as a liar but also as a useless carcass?”

Jay looks close to tears again, not used to having his ego so wounded by not only a man like Crocodile, but also by you, a seemingly simple bottle girl. He gives no response, which causes Mr. 1 to roughly kick him in the stomach. “Sir Crocodile has asked you a question, you will answer.”

In defiance, Jay spits on Mr. 1's shoes, glaring up at the much bigger man as he seethes out, “Eat shit, unibrow.”

There's a sudden rumble from the not so empty aquarium and you almost jump as a ginormous bananawani swims up to the glass. Your mouth drops open in shock, taking in the massive jaw and burning red eyes as they seem to glare at the bloodied man on the floor.

“Perfect timing.” Crocodile purrs, gently pulling you down to sit on his lap, pulling you from your surprised stupor. The curved tip of his hook meets your chin as he turns your head to look up at him as he asks, “Do you want me to feed him, or do you, sweetheart?”

Your eyes widen, blinking a few times as your mind takes in his words, and you find yourself so enamored by his gaze that you don't realize the words coming out of your own mouth.

“I want to.”

A pleased grin comes over Crocodile's face as his hook turns your face back towards the man cowering on the floor.

“N-no, please, I- we can f-figure something out-”

Crocodile gives Mr. 1 a look, causing the latter to swiftly kick Jay in the stomach, hard enough to cause him to roughly cough out a disturbing amount of blood. He was clearly bleeding internally, and his outsides were about to match the wrecked insides.

“N-no, no!”

You slowly removed yourself from Crocodile as one of the men dressed in black taps on a small strip of brick beside the aquarium, revealing a small, black button that he then motions for you to press.

Jay continues to weep from the floor, his hands just brushing over your ankles and calves, smearing his blood all over your sheer tights and black stilettos. His begging pleas go in one ear and out the other as Mr. 1 kicks Jay to a certain pattern in the middle of the tiled floor.

“Say your prayers, worm.” Crocodile drawls out with a slow, wicked smirk, taking a long drag from his cigar before slowly letting the smoke billow out. He kept his eyes on you the entire time, your body burning to the point where you'd felt lit aflame. You felt like prey under Crocodile's dark gaze, and strangely enough, it excited you.

Jay croaked out a pleading “p-please woman, d-don't do this…” with a reaching hand, the limb shaking and mutedly dripping his life essence. You felt no pity for him, no empathy, no remorse for being the one to end his existence. You absent-mindedly rubbed at your bruising wrist, where Jay had gripped you tight enough that his disgrace showed itself, knowing deep down that he deserved to perish.

“Pl-please-”

“Still think I'm a lucky charm?” You taunt lightly, raising an eyebrow with a slightly empty smile coming over your lips. “Care to wager that?”

There's nothing but choked sobbing and hyperventilating from the broken man on the floor, his begging turned into weeping slurring that turns into a shriek as you finally reach to the side and hit the button. The floor under Jay opens up like a gaping maw, swallowing him whole and you watch from your peripheral as it spits him into the aquarium.

You turn to watch properly as the water immediately starts tinting pink from the non-stop bleeding. After a few moments, the Bananawani slowly slinks up behind the panicking man and chomps down on him, splitting his body in half as the massive head gives one, quick and vicious rip to the side, sending the legs into the clear glass display. Your eyes widen at the horrific view, your stomach churning as the legs get munched on a couple seconds later.

There, then gone.

“Well done, sweetheart.” Crocodile's sultry voice suddenly came from behind you, causing you to jump and bump your back into his broad chest and stomach. A large plume of smoke floated beside your face and enveloped you in the dense, oaky scent. You didn't notice how Crocodile sent out Mr. 1 and the two men in black, leaving you both in his office, alone and unsuspecting.

A warm hand covers your stomach and pulls your back directly into his chest, moving up and slowly covering over your breast until it rests heavily over your throat, causing your head to tilt back. You stare up at Crocodile with a slightly confused though expectant look, hoping he would say or do something to show that he wanted from you as much as you wanted from him.

You got your answer almost immediately, Crocodile's face coming closer to your own until his mouth covered over yours, claiming your lips with a near demanding kiss as his hook takes the place his hand holds around your throat. His hand begins to roam your chest again, giving a tit a rough squeeze that pulls a needy sound from your chest. You could almost feel the pride oozing off Crocodile at that.

When he finally pulls away, you try to catch your breath with soft, unsteady gasps. His hook digs in a little harder, piercing your skin and causing you to wince slightly which gives Crocodile a chuckle. “What a fragile pet you are. Must I be cautious with handling you, Y/N?”

You give a weak chuckle of your own as you confess with an airy tone, "I'm not made of glass, Sir.”

That same wicked grin returns and you idly wonder what you've just set yourself up for. Then, before you could even think your next though, you end up face down on his desk, papers flying as Crocodile lifts your skirt and rips at your panty hose and undies.

Crocodile hums deeply at seeing your already slick core, his ringed fingers gliding over your entrance and clit with expert movements, declaring with a firm tone and a heavy sigh, “How stupid to think he deserved this lucky charm.”

“Whoa… she's pretty…”

Penguin sighs, rubbing at his face with a short reply of, “Dude, you think every girl we come across is pretty.”

There's a shout of indignation from the redhead as he bites back, “That's cause Shachi loves all the ladies! But I'm serious Peng, actually look at her.”

Both hatted men peek back into the infirmary where you lay, battered and bruised, but alive. With your forehead wrapped in white bandages, along with your right hand and your left thigh, their Captain continued looking you over, clipboard in hand as he marked on the page with his gaze continuing down your battered form.

“You can come in as long as you're polite. If your bedside manners suck, I'll Shambles both of you into the stomach of the nearest Sea King.”

Both crewmen jumped at the chance, sneaking in as if they were robbers trying to steal from a house, until their Captain sighs loudly and demands, “Stop being stupid.” Their antics make you chuckle, though the action causes you to wince. “And you, stop moving. You just woke up from a very lengthy nap and I don't need you passing out mid breath.”

Your still shaky vision tries to take in the two strangers, unable to properly notice much, other than their hats. You blink a few times before thinking to yourself, 'my luck, surrounded by goddamn weirdos…’ They both give a small wave, grins on their faces as the one with the Orca hatted pipes up, “Yo, name's Shachi! This is Penguin. How're you feeling, lady?”

You squint a bit, enough to focus a bit more on the two, as well as your current physician, eyes no longer blurry and burning. Unable to hide how your eyes widen for a moment in shock before you accept your fate with a sigh, you half-jokingly replied,

“I mean, considering I was almost Sea King chow and my supposed saviors are the Heart Pirates, I’d say I’m feeling just peachy. Never better, in fact.”

Shachi and his penguin friend snicker at that, only for Shachi to pretend to double over as the tattooed man (Trafalgar mcfreakin’ Law, you gotta be kidding me!) leaned over and roughly slapped the clipboard into his stomach.

“Ah, so you’ve heard of my crew,” Law starts, pulling on a new pair of blue surgeon gloves before turning back to you. “Then this makes things easy.”

He holds out his hand, summoning a room. You immediately flinch, though you keep your eyes on him as your hands go up to protect your face. Law smirks slightly, nodding to Shachi who begins scribbling on the back of the only page on the clipboard. “Boxing, or some form of self-protective training of some sort, though perhaps lacking in proper techniques.”

He motions for you to hop off the table, his eyes watching your form as you achingly do so, wary in how he seems to take the way your muscle and bone cooperate under your skin. It was like you were a bare skeleton before him, and it unnerved you to the core.

“Yes, boxing. Self-taught.” you somehow croak out, remembering to keep your peripheral on the other two men in the room. They don't seem interested in joining Law in his little tango with you though, only standing beside each other almost nonchalantly, as if it were like any other day on their ship.

Wait.

This was a ship, right?

Your brain froze for a moment as you looked for a window, eyes darting around a little frantically. You immediately notice how dark it is and before you could even utter the words, Law speaks up with a slight chuckle.

“We’re 300 feet under the waves, miss. There’s no outside to go to.”

You waved him off, shaking your head slightly as you asked, slightly panicked, “Under the waves? We’re in a submarine?”

Law bristles at that, his response curt and slightly irritated as he challenges, “You’ve heard of myself and my crew, but not of my ship?”

You frown when Shachi gives a low whistle and interjects with a mumbled, “Ooh, awkward…”

“I… don’t change the subject. We’re really in a submarine?”

Law shakes his head with an unimpressed sigh, plainly responding back, “Yes, we are in a submarine. Why? Are you claustrophobic?”

You gave a slightly over-exaggerated grimace and shrugged before half laughing out, “We're about to find out!”

All three men fell silent in shock, watching you with wide eyes until you clapped your hands together once, a grin on your lips as you exclaimed, “I think we're good!”

There was a shared sigh of relief until Law finally stepped forward, arms crossed as he stalked around you with a light comment of, “You can remain here until we reach the next island. We'll drop you off when we restock.”

You sighed through your nose, giving a slight nod though he didn't see it with his back turned, taking the clipboard back from Shachi.

“Any allergies I need to know about?”

You cleared your throat as you sat back up on the infirmary bed, making yourself comfortable with legs crossed. “Mushrooms, but that's it.” Law rose an eyebrow at you over his shoulder before noting it down.

“Lucky for you, mushrooms aren't enjoyed on this ship. Dinner is in a few hours, do you need anything until then?”

You pursed your lips to the side as you thought for a moment, only coming up with, “Did you find a backpack with me?”

Law motioned to the desk off to the side. “It's under there, it won't open unfortunately so you may have to cut into it.”

There was a certain tone in his voice that you'd heard many times before, and you hid your sly smile by biting down on the corner of your bottom lip. “Mm, that is unfortunate…”

You waited until they all left, Shachi and Peng giving you a similar wave goodbye this time. When you could no longer hear footfall, you slowly got up and gave a heavy stretch. You groaned and hissed at the tugging in your side, feeling the stitches through the bandages with tender fingers. “Damn… that wreck really did a number on me.”

You frown to yourself as memories begin replaying in your head, an annoyed sigh leaving you as you finally meandered your way over to the desk and bent down just enough to grab your knapsack from the chair. You made your way back to the bed and hugged slightly, irritated at being wiped out already.

As you made yourself comfortable again, you popped open the latch lock on the front of the bag and opened the flap, undoing the ties that kept your bag shut. You looked in and sighed happily at seeing absolutely nothing, as if you were staring into a black hole. Just as it should be.

While you reached into the bag to search for your travel journal, you hadn't heard the infirmary door reopen, nor the soft footsteps that followed in after. As a familiar voice suddenly spoke behind you, you froze, your arm completely inside the bag, nearly to your shoulder.

“I'm surprised you could get your bag open.”

You slowly glanced over your shoulder and took in a nosey Law, who was currently peeking over your shoulder to try and see into your bag.

“... I didn't think such a small bag would be so deep.”

You immediately snatch your arm from your bag and snag the two ties shut, though you're unable to get the flap down before Law rips the bag from your fingers. “Oi!” You bark, trying to be quick and snatch it back but your injuries stop you, pulling an agonized groan from your lips as the ache in your side and head turn into a heavy thumping.

He gives you a pointed stare and tries to undo the ties, only to find it feels like they were welded shut. His look turns irritated as he tries again, his fingertips burning as the velvet rope seems to bite at his skin.

“Explain.” He demands, continuing to try and tug at the ropes.

“You wouldn't believe me even if I told you,” you gave in response, giving a slight shrug halfway through. “No one ever does.”

He finally gives up with a huff, throwing the ten pound bag back into your lap. “Try me,” he bites back, arms crossed as his hip leans on the side of the bed.

You hum for a moment before admitting the truth, uncaring if he actually believed you or not.

“A genie gave it to me, and one of the conditions I wished for was that only I could open the bag.”

The dead stare Law gave you made you want to curl up into a ball and straight up die. “Do I look fucking stupid to you?” he drawls out, clearly unimpressed with your answer. You shrugged again, teasing him lightly with a, “I told you.”

“Wait, you got your knapsack from a genie?! Now, this story I gotta hear!”

Law groans and throws an irritated look over your shoulder at Shachi, who was peeking over your own shoulder the same way Law just had. You jumped this time, surprised, not expecting him to be standing there and unconsciously blushed at the sudden contact. Shachi only grinned wider at seeing that, lowering his shades enough to give you a peek at amber eyes with a wink before raising them back up.

“What's wrong, pretty? Sea King got your tongue?”

Your frown was filled with second hand embarrassment, grimacing slightly as you denied, “Mm, no. No, no, you can stand over there, thanks.” You pointed to the space beside his Captain before admitting again as he moved, “And yes, I was granted a wish from a genie and now I have this bag. It's essentially a black hole, and I've filled it with things over the last seven years so I can pull out literally anything and everything you could think of.”

You opened the ties and stuck your arm back in before you said outloud, “Man, it would be super helpful if I could find a bottle of whisky right now- oh wait, wow, would you look at that?” You pulled out a 17 year aged bottle, label crisp and unopened, handing it to Law who slowly took it with shocked hands.

“... this isn't logical,” he murmurs, looking at the bottle before Shachi snatches it out of his hands. “Whoa! This thing would be worth almost a hundred thousand beri! Are you rich or something?”

You looked down into your bag before reaching in again and pulled out a medium sized, black sidebag. Law's eyes narrowed in confusion at watching the larger back get pulled out of the smaller one with no issues, but remained silent. You opened it and shoved inside were rolls and stacks of beris, which you quickly hid by zipping it shut and shoved back into the knapsack before answering lowly, “...No.”

Law crossed his arms while Shachi placed the bottle onto your bed. “What else you got in there?” Shachi then asks, almost wanting to lean forward and peek in for himself.

You shrugged and replied, “What do you want to see?”

Law cut Shachi off before he could even reply, demanding, “I want to know the whole story of how you got this bag, and no trickery.”

You grinned and chuckled, "It's a pretty long story…”

Law pushed the bottle aside and sat up on your bed, crossing his leg over the other with a curt, “I have all the time in the world.” He then looked at Shachi and gives a deadpan, “You, on the other hand, have duties to finish. You're dismissed.”

You give a mocking, “Ooouuu, you got dismissed!” to which Law shoots you an unimpressed glare, silencing any further jokes from you or Shachi, who wore a wide grin at your teasing.

“See ya later, pretty! Maybe you can sit beside me at dinner, eh?”

You roll your eyes though your cheeks give you away, dusted a soft pink that Shachi eats up like a midnight snack. He waves goodbye, for real this time, before leaving the infirmary and letting the door shut behind him.

“Now… you were saying?” Drawled Law, clearly preparing himself for your wild and probably untrue story.

You made yourself comfortable, throwing him a little smirk as you started, “Well, it happened just over 7 years ago…”

About an hour had passed since you’d told the Heart Pirate captain the truth behind your knapsack, baffling the poor man into a silent stupour. You simply sit with your hands resting in your lap, humming a tune under your breath as Law looks over all your trinkets and items pulled from your bag.

“I’m sorry, I'm still finding this hard to follow. This is so beyond logical, and quite frankly, impossible by all standards.”

You simply shrug, unable to find the words to comfort his minor mental break. “It’s the truth.” you eventually murmur, knowing he still found it difficult to wrap his head around.

“I’m not going to find it easier to believe, no matter how many times you keep repeating that.” He bites back, holding a small coin in his hand and rolling it between his fingers. You notice it’s a commemorative coin you’d found in one of your many raids on Marine grounds.

“You can keep that,” you offer, noticing his attachment to the piece of metal.

He looks from the coin to you, eyes searching yours as he asks, “Truly?”

You nod and explain, “I’m not much of a coin collector, I prefer semi-precious stones over anything.” You reach back into your bag and pull out a small, dark purple velvet coin purse, throwing it up once in your hand before gently tossing it beside him. “I actually have a few like that, I was gonna sell them eventually to make a few extra Beri in case I needed it, but…” You motion to how he holds it like it's already precious to him. “It seems I was holding onto them for you, instead. Please, keep them.”

Before he could respond, you quickly add half-jokingly, “Payment for saving my life or whatever.”

Law huffs out a soft chuckle before picking up the coin purse, testing its weight in one of his tattooed hands. After a moment, he looks back at you and asks, “How would you like to help me become King of the Pirates?"

When dinnertime rolls around, now dressed in a matching eggshell white boiler suit with the Heart Pirate crest, you easily make your way to the small mess-hall thanks to an excited Shachi and Penguin, both men talking your ear off and asking the most random questions.

“What’s your favourite type of potato?”

“Do you like card games?”

“Your hair colour is so cool, is it natural?”

“Are you single?”

“Oh hey, can I borrow some beri?”

“You’re gonna sit beside ME, right?”

“Nuh-uh! She’s sitting beside me, asshole!”

Your laugh pulls them from a physical altercation, both of them looking at you with burning embarrassment as you joke, “Are you guys always this fuckin’ nosey?”

Shachi and Penguin playfully shove each other away from you before agreeing at the same time, “Only at first!” Shachi throws an arm around your shoulders, pulling you to him as he adds, “The more you tell us, the less questions we need to ask! Duh.” He jokingly and gently pinches your cheek, laughing when you push him off and punch him in the arm.

“Hey, is that the new girl?!”

You jump at the sudden new voice that comes from just behind you. You turn and see a beautiful woman in the same suit, curly dark brown hair held back by a bandana and a just as excited look on her face. “I was so happy to hear the Captain found another woman for the crew!” She grasps your hands in a familiar way, kind and warm as she adds, “My name’s Ikkaku! I’m so excited to meet you!”

You grin in response, holding onto her hands just as kindly as you offer your name with a friendly, “It’s so nice to meet you too!” She then slings her arm through yours, pulling you away from Shachi and Penguin who immediately call out, “Oi! Not fair!”

“Ignore them, girl. They always cling to the new people like slugs and trust me, you don’t need that kind of negativity in your life.” You laughed at Ikkaku’s words, clearly hearing the teasing tone and genuine care in her voice. “They’re just a little overwhelming.” You agree softly, to which Ikkaku hums a, “Oh, absolutely.”

When you finally turn the long hallway and enter the mess-hall, you’re greeted with what you assumed was the rest of the crew, if not a good chunk of them. You were most surprised by the large, white bear mink who gave the same response as Ikkaku, immediately coming over and gushing out, “Oh, you’re awake! I’m so glad you’re okay!”

You clung a little tighter to Ikkaku as you gave the mink a shaky grin in response, clearly a little shook by being nearly cornered by the bear. “Um, thank you!”

The mink held out a large paw for you to shake, offering a happy, “I’m Bepo!” You gave Ikkaku a little look and she nodded with a gentle smile, letting you go and you took Bepo’s paw in both of your hands, giving it a small shake as you give your own name. “Nice to meet you Bepo! I’ve never met a mink before!”

Bepo is cut off by another few crewmates abandoning their plates to come say hi, to which you’re luckily saved by the booming voice of your now-Captain entering the mess-hall. “Everyone will have their chance to speak with our new crewmate, please give them some space and get back to your dinners.” You turn to Law standing behind you, leaning over slightly to make sure you were okay before backing off with a gentle pat on your shoulder, giving him two thumbs up with a shaky, “Thanks boss.”

Ikkaku collects you on your left, gently moving you towards the open-concept kitchen area where food is set up in a mini buffet style. “Grab what you want and find a seat! Don’t feel pressured, I promise no one will take it personal if you don't sit with them.”

“Uh, don’t speak for me, Ikkaku, because I will absolutely take it personal if Miss. Pretty doesn’t sit beside me,” Shachi pipes up behind you, both hands on your shoulders as he adds with a joking pout, “Like she promised!”

You laugh and shake your head, looking at him over your shoulder with a jab of your elbow into his stomach, though not hard enough to actually hurt. “I did not agree to a single thing you said earlier.” Shachi pretends to huff at your blow, one of his hands covering over where you’d hit him with a pout, “Now that’s just cruel, pretty.”

Ikkaku groans, picking up an extra empty plate and handing it to you as she gives Shachi a tired look. “Come on dude, let her sit where she wants.” She then teased, “Who knows, maybe she’d rather sit beside the garbage can than sit with you!”

Shachi pretends to sob at the insult, looking at you with clear puppy dog eyes behind his shades as he begs you, “Please tell me she's joking!”

You laugh and begin piling some food onto your plate - fried rice with what looked like pan seared whitefish and some glazed veggies - before raising an eyebrow at Shachi with a deadpan, “Why would I willingly lie to you?”

Ikkaku and Penguin burst out laughing, nearly doubling over as Shachi crossed his arms, cheeks puffed out. “So rude,” he whines before grabbing a plate and follows suit, piling food on and immediately following behind you before snatching up the empty seat beside you the second you slide into one of the two seater benches. Ikkaku and Penguin sit on the other bench across from you, your plates filling nearly the entire table.

“Hey, so you never answered us earlier, I really do want to know what type of potato you enjoy the most,” Shachi starts before spooning some food into his mouth. You take a few bites of your own and give a pleased hum at the taste before you answer, “Honestly, I love a potato every way you can think of. Boil ‘em, mash' em, stick ‘em in a stew… all the good things, ya know?”

Penguin gives a little cheer before holding his hand out to Shachi with a teasing, “Beri please!”

You and Ikkaku watch Shachi huff in annoyance and reach into his left pocket, pulling out a handful of beri and handing them to Penguin before Ikkaku slowly questions, “Should I even ask what the hell that was about?”

“Shachi is bad at making bets with me, that’s what that was about.”

You blink a few times before joking, “I’ll remember that, ya know, for blackmail reasons.”

Shachi groans out a fake sob, leaning his hatted head on your shoulder with a sad, “Why do you continue to bully me, pretty?”

You reach up and pat his hat, ignoring the way his body stiffens slightly at the contact as you comment lightly, “I don’t know, you just seem so easy to bully.”

Shachi goes to reply when he’s kicked in the shin under the table, pulling a bite of pain from his lips as he glared at Penguin, who simply shook his head. “Don’t be weird, Shach.” He warns before taking a bite. Shachi sighs through his nose but remains quiet, turning to his own food as you and Ikkaku exchange a curious glance.

The remainder of dinner flies by, the two boys continuing to ask random questions the entire time until Law comes up behind Penguin and Ikkaku, his arms crossed as he interrupts, “Sorry to cut you off but Ikkaku, are you willing to take our newest member down to the boiler room and show her how things work? She’s strong, so I think keeping her with you would be a smart decision.”

You purse your lips a bit at his words, knowing he wasn’t aware of how strong you really were but you accepted them either way as you look to Ikkaku with a hopeful expression. She nods and swallows her bite before agreeing with him. “Sounds good to me, Cap!”

Law then adds to you, “Your things have been placed in Ikkaku’s room for the time being, in case you need them. You’ll find me in my office if you have any questions.”

You gave him a genuine smile and nodded, clearly happy with the outcome of your day. “Thank you so much, Captain.” He gives a small, polite smile in return before turning and walking out of the mess-hall.

“I’m surprised Cap decided to have dinner with us, usually he eats in his office.” Ikkaku comments as she finishes off her plate. You take your last bite and place your cutlery on your own plate as you guess, “He probably has a lot of work to do, I assume being a captain can be incredibly busy.”

Shachi hums, his forearms crossed comfortably on the table as he offers, “I don’t know, I think it was because of you, pretty.” You give Shachi a confused and skeptical look which he begins explaining, “He’s just as curious about you as we are, but he’s more subtle about it. He waits until either someone else asks or you offer the information freely.” He shrugs and adds, “You think we’re weird? Wait til you see Cap in one of his moods.”

Ikkaku and Penguin agree, nodding slightly as they immediately begin thinking of certain circumstances. “You’ll know right away. He’s honestly due for a break sometime soon, so you may see it sooner rather than later.”

You chuckle, shaking your head slightly as you think back to the coins a few hours ago, and his reaction to them. “I’ll be sure to keep my eyes peeled.”

After placing your dinnerware in the kitchen sink, Ikkaku took you to the second level, which could only be accessed by a single, 32 step spiral staircase. She took you around both of the large, steaming boilers, making sure you made notes as she showed you each part that needed to be looked after and every gauge that needed to be checked every three hours.

“I know it’s a lot of info all at once, but I promise once you get into the routines and understand what all needs to be done, it’ll be second nature to you.” You nodded as you made a few extra notes, wiping the sweat from your forehead as you huffed out, “Goddamn toasty down here, that’s for sure…”

Ikkaku laughs and goes over to the single desk off to the side by a mantinence closet, opening the first drawer on the left and hands you a black and yellow patterned bandana. “This is a huge help until your body gets used to it. I promise you won't be sweating this much in a few months.”

You tie it over your forehead with the knot in the middle, giving Ikkaku a wide grin and a thumbs up before you both move on.

By the time you realize it's getting late by how frequently you begin yawning, you finally ask a just as sleepy Ikkaku, “So where am I sleeping?”

She turns to you and laughs a little, playfully punching you in the shoulder as she replies, “With me, obviously! I have a double bed in my room so I hope you're okay with a snuggle buddy.”

You laugh with a nod, rubbing at your eyes with another yawn as you accept. “I have no issues with that.”

“You could always bunk with me, if you wanted!”

Both you and Ikkaku groan at the same time at the intrusive voice, slowly turning to a giddy Shachi carrying three beer bottles. He hands one to each of you and holds it out for a cheers. “To our new crewmate!”

You roll your eyes and tap the neck of your bottle against his and Ikkaku's before taking a long sip. You give a please hum at the taste - cheap, truly decent beer always tasted best when you were sweating your ass off.

“I was serious, by the way. You could bunk with me if you ever get sick of Ikkaku's snoring.”

You gawking at Ikkaku for a second who simply punches Shachi in the shoulder, ignoring the way Shachi laughs as you ask, “You fuckin’ snore?! And when were you going to mention this, hm?”

Ikkaku gave a sheepish giggle, rubbing the back of her head as she offered pathetically, “Um, never? I was hoping you'd fall asleep before me and would never find out.”

You bark out a laugh at that, shaking your head slightly as you give a little shrug, accepting your fate. “Yeah, sounds about right.” You look at Shachi and agree with him jokingly, "Don't be surprised if you find me next to you one night, then.”

Shachi grins before taking another sip, throwing an arm around your shoulder again as he drawls, “Sigh, one night is all it takes, pretty. Then you'll be sleeping with me every night, complaining that I'm taking all the blankets and begging me for bedtime kisses.”

You and Ikkaku laugh at that, your cheeks tinted a dusty pink as you murmur behind the bottle, “Oh, what do you know…”

Once your beer was finished, you handed Shachi the empty, who took it with a comment of “Oi, I don't want this-” and you made your way back towards the staircase upstairs. “I'm heading to the showers before bed, can you show me where our room is?”

Shachi almost shouts, “YEAH, I CAN-” only to be cut off as Ikkaku pinches both of his cheeks and pulls, hard. “Leave her alone, you frickin’ weirdo! At least give the girl the day to get used to everything first!”

You snicker, hiding another blush behind your hand as you watch Ikkaku and Shachi bicker like long lost siblings. It fills your heart with a warmth that you hadn't felt in a long time, causing you to smile gently as they finally follow behind you and make their way up the stairs with you. When you and Ikkaku reach her (now yours, too) room, she waves off Shachi who pats you on the head a few times before almost skipping away with the empty beer bottles. You pursed your lips together with a little sigh as you think to yourself, ‘he really is a little weirdo, isn't he.’

Ikkaku leads you into the room and you're happy to see she actually had a proper double bed, giving enough space that you should both sleep peacefully in case it got hot at nighttime. You opened your bag sitting on the bed and reached in, pulling out a shower bag, holding all your haircare and body products, a towel, shower flip-flops, a brush and a small hairdryer. She taps on the hairdryer and comments, “You won't need that, unless you want to dry your hair in here. There's two wall dryers mounted in the showers if you want to use those instead!”

You thank her and reach into your backpack again, pulling out a small suitcase with all your clothes. Ikkaku watches with wide eyes as the larger suitcase comes out of the small knapsack with ease and asks, “How the fuck did you do that?”

You purse your lips to the side before replying offhandedly, “A genie gave me my knapsack so it's essentially like a black hole. I can put anything and everything into it and it'll never get full.”

She blinks a few times before exclaiming, “Holy shit! That's cool as hell!”

You mimic her blinking before asking softly, “You… believe me?”

She nods and furrows her brows in accusation as she retorts, “Well, duh. It's not like you have a reason to lie to me.”

You give her a slow, small smile, truly grateful to not have a repeat of your Captain's mini outburst. “Thank you. The Big Man did not believe me at first, so I'm thankful I don't have to try and make you believe me.”

Ikkaku hums, sitting on the bed as she unzips her suit and pulls the arms down with a happy sigh, enjoying the cool breeze from the AC vents above. “Yeah, that doesn't surprise me. He's not one to think that a black hole backpack would make any sense.”

You kneel down and open your suitcase, pulling out tie-dye sleep shorts and a black spaghetti strap tank top before closing it and sliding it under the bed to keep it out of the way. “But you-?”

She laughs and slides the suit off entirely, leaving her in undies and a wife beater. “Yeah girl, I mean, living on the Grand Line and with everything I've seen in my life… hell, that's the least crazy thing I've heard all week! I'm not going to sit there and find reasons to poke holes in your story.”

You sat back on your feet and smiled again, your heart feeling light and happy at her response. “I'm so lucky,” you murmured, shaking your head with a wave when Ikkaku gives you a confused look. “I just… never would I have thought that getting caught in a storm and having my dingy wrecked would have me end up on a pirate ship, let alone joining said crew and gaining new friends.”

“Family,” she corrected, kicking her foot out at you and gently tapping the back of your arm, understanding what you were getting at. “We're family now. You'll never be alone again.”

Your fingers absent-mindedly fiddled with the straps of your shower caddy, unable to show Ikkaku your true appreciation without wanting to burst into tears, so you simply agreed with a soft, “Ah… yes, right.”

She kicks you again and laughs lightly. “Come on, stinky. I'll show you where the showers are.”

Your brows furrow at her teasing, frowning at her as you tease back, “Eh?! Stinky?!” Your hand snaps out and snatches her foot, giving the bottom a little tickle with your finger before she yanks it out of your hold with a loud laugh. “I think the stinky one here is you, kickin’ me with your fuckin’ feet!”

You both turn into bundles of laughter, the sound echoing off the metal walls and filling the ship with a bright, shimmering vibration that uplifts the entire vessel. You hoped to yourself that things would still feel this way, no matter how long you remained on the Polar Tang.

- ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ ᴍᴏɴᴛʜꜱ ʟᴀᴛᴇʀ -

The sound of your combat boots hitting the rocky ground echoed in your ears, joining the uneven roar of your heart rushing blood through your veins. Taking a right turn, you go down an empty alley and give a soft, “Aw, damn it…” as you meet a dead end.

“Heh, you made a big mistake, girlie.”

You slowly turn and groan to yourself as you're suddenly cornered by the three marines you were trying so desperately to get away from.

“Did I? I couldn't tell,” you snark back, only to yelp as one of them fires a warning shot down by your left foot. You take a step back, hands up as you give a shaky laugh. “What? Not a fan of comedy?”

Two guns and a sword are lifted towards you and right as you're ready to fight back, you hear, “Hey pretty, get down!”

You immediately duck and two shots fire off, just grazing over your scalp as two of the marines are cut down, hitting the ground dead. The third struggles for a moment against the assailants before hitting the ground, blood seeping from his stomach as he passes out. You slowly look up and see Shachi and Penguin standing there, clearly out of breath from chasing after you all.

“You okay?!” Shachi asks, clearly worried as he makes his way to you. He sheaths his own sword before gathering your face in his hands, turning your head this way and that as you breathe out, “Yes, I'm okay, Shachi I'm okay!”

“Come on guys, we gotta get back to the Tang! If you think the Captain was joking about leaving our asses behind, you're sorely mistaken!” Penguin barks out, already antsy to get running again.

Shachi snatches your hand and pulls you along, all of you running as fast as you can towards the shore where the Tang hummed to life, desperate to head under.

“Come on!” Law irritably shouts from the front of the ship, arms crossed and clearly unimpressed with your three. “You're almost an hour late! We gotta go!”

Your legs feel like jello at this point and your lungs feel like they're about to explode but you keep up, only stopping and collapsing the second you hit the wooden deck.

Your breaths come out in wheezes, having to close your eyes as you beg whatever God was up above to not throw up on the deck. “Did you at least grab what we were looking for?” Scolds Law, and you give a shaky thumbs up, which he hums in approval at before walking back into the ship. “Good. Meet me in my office once you gather yourself.”

You give a warbled response, unable to formulate any real words at the moment. You feel the Tang begin to move, the breeze a delight on your sweaty body, glad you'd had the bright idea to go incognito to the island in dark jeans and a black crop top. You feel sudden warmth on your right side and could tell someone had kneeled down beside you, immediately guessing it was Shachi or Penguin.

“You sure you're okay, pretty?” You feel a gentle hand run over the back of your head and you nod, turning your face to the side to look up at Shachi who still stared down at you with the same worry he had earlier. You weakly reach out and pat his knee, giving him a breathless smile as you wheeze out, “Never better, in fact.”

He gives a half grin in response, pressing his fingertips into your scalp as a small massage. You could feel the worry in his touch, the way his fingers gently card through your messy hair and tuck a few strands behind one of your pierced ears. “Ugh, get a room.” Penguin pretends to gag before making his way into the ship, letting the heavy metal door shut behind him.

You and Shachi laugh, letting him help you sit up and you're thankful in how he lets you rest against him. In a moment of weakness, he wraps an arm around your shoulder like he always does, though this time he presses a long kiss to your temple. You freeze in his grasp, feeling his erratic heartbeat against the back of your arm and shoulder blade. “You really scared m- us. You scared us real good, pretty.”

You half-turn to look up at Shachi, a dark blush taking over your face as he continues, “You shouldn't have gotten separated from Peng and I… I'm so sorry. I'd never forgive myself if you got hurt because of my stupidity.”

You shook your head slightly, turning your body so you were facing Shachi better and gently held his cheek in a warm palm as you admitted, “It's my fault, Shachi. I should have been more careful, it's not your fault-”

He cuts you off, holding your hand to his cheek as he almost whines, “But it is! I shouldn't have let those stupid marines get the best of me-”

You roll your eyes and lean forward, giving him a quick kiss to his other cheek to shut him up, which immediately works. You pull back to see him wearing a matching blush, glasses slightly askew as he gawks at you. “Agree to disagree, hm?” You offer gently, letting your fingers intertwine with his as you pull them down from his cheek. He pulls them to his heart and tugs you close, his lips finding yours like they were meant to touch. You sucked in a surprised gasp through your nose, eyes widening for a moment before they slid shut, kissing him back as both your minds filled with only one thought.

‘Finally!’

When he pulled away, he leaned his forehead against yours, ignoring how his hat bunched up on his head as he murmured, “Was - was that okay?” You could taste the desperation in his voice, every word clinging onto hope that you would feel the same.

You smiled lovingly, giving a small nod as you whispered, “Yeah. Yeah, it was.”

Shachi chuckled and kissed you again, his other hand moving to the back of your head to deepen the kiss. You clung to his suit with a small sound, wanting more but instead you hesitantly pulled away, breathlessly getting out, “W-we gotta get in, the ship's gonna go under soon-”

Shachi gives an over exaggerated sigh as he pulls away, knowing you were right. “Well… we can just… continue this later, then.” The tip of his nose brushes against yours before he lets you go enough to stand. He holds out his hand, pulling you off the deck and brushing your shirt and pants off before motioning for you to head in. You sling your bag over your shoulder and make your way to the door, Shachi following behind as the last warning bell rings over the speakers. “Perfect timing,” He jokes, his heart racing as you give a sheepish chuckle, cheeks burning once again.

You knocked on Law's office door and waited until he called you in, peeking in with a small wave and letting the door stay open a crack after you made your way in. As you sat in the chair across from his desk, you pulled your bag off your back and pulled out a stack of files, happily placing it on Law's desk with a beaming smile. “Just as requested, Captain! If I may ask, why did you want files on Donquixote Doflamingo? That guy's bad news all around.”

Law picks up the files and flips through them, frowning to himself at seeing a few files blacked out. “You may not ask,” he counters, tossing the blacked out pages onto his desk in a pile of matching ones. You frowned slightly as you tried to pry, “But-”

He cuts you off with a final, “No questions. Thank you for gathering these, but please.” He glances up at you before going back to the files. “No questions. You're dismissed.”

You sigh softly and nod, gathering your knapsack and slinging one strap over your shoulder before leaving his office. “Close the door behind you, if you could.” You gently tug the door shut and sigh again, curious as to what your Captain could want with information about the head Donquixote. You went to walk back towards your shared room with Ikkaku when two separate arms are thrown over your shoulders and you’re crushed between two bodies.

“Oi!”

You’re pulled along by the two, sighing heavily and rolling your eyes as you realize it’s Shachi and Penguin. “What’s up?”

They stay silent until you all reach their bedroom door, which Shachi opens and lets you walk in first. You notice its a decently sized room, nearly fully divided in half by two different aesthetics. Two beds with two separate dressers, two desks with chairs and a shared closet filled the space, surprising you slightly at how different the two best friends were. A large, black shag carpet laid smack dab in the middle of the room, covering almost all the cold metal flooring. “Cool room, guys.” You commented lightly, impressed with how neat they kept it. You’d seen some brutal rooms in your life and for two dudes, Shachi and Penguin kept themselves decently clean.

“The Captain does room inspections randomly so we gotta be on our toes.”

You raise an eyebrow at Shachi’s words as he closes the door and invites you to sit on the carpet. “Does he?” You questioned, knowing that he hadn’t looked into you and Ikkaku’s room in the time you’d been on the ship. “I mean, if you guys are slobs then I’d understand why-”

Penguin bursts out laughing, joining you both on the carpet after grabbing a full paper bag from one of his desk drawers. He dumps everything out the second he sits, to which you happily notice its candy - a rare treat living on the seas. You pick up a sucker, bright red with little black dots and the second you put it in your mouth, you cheer silently with a little shimmy. When you notice them looking at you with confused smirks, you show them the sucker before putting it back in your mouth. “Watermelon sucker, it’s the absolute best candy ever.”

Shachi pretends to gag with a frown before snatching up two caramel squares. “Hell nah, caramels are where it's at! Especially when they’ve got the chocolate in the middle.” He kisses his fingertips with an accented, “Delicioso.”

You both pause suddenly as Penguin picks up a few small, black diamonds, and you ask with a grimace, “Is that fucking licorice?”

Penguin gives a wide grin, snickering as he throws all three pieces into his mouth. “Salted black licorice to be exact.”

You shake your head with a few wide-eyed blinks, disgusted and horrified that he’d eat three of them at the same time. “Oh, so you’re a psychopath, okay, great, good to know.” Shachi cackles as you then ask, “Do you have no tastebuds or something?”

Penguin pouts slightly, crossing his arms in defiance as he claims, “I do! I just love the salty goodness-”

“You are never allowed to put those two words together to describe licorice ever again.”

“But they ARE salty and good!”

“Right to jail, Penguin!”

“Licorice is good, you’re just a big baby!”

“You’ll be hearing from my lawyer, grandpa.”

Shachi has fallen over laughing so hard at this point, and Penguin can’t help but crack a small grin, shaking his head before he jokingly sighs out, “Gee, I see why you like her so much, Shach.”

Your mouth falls open into a small ‘o’ as Shachi nearly leaps sitting back up, reaching over and punching Penguin in the arm hard enough for the other to shout back, “Dude!”

Penguin then bites out, “Man, just tell her! You literally kissed like 2 hours ago, so why are you acting all embarrassed now?”

“Y-you?! You saw that?!” You squeaked out and Shachi at least had the decency to look guilty as Penguin laughed out, “No, he told me the second he got back to our room, while you were in Cap’s office.”

Your cheeks burned as you looked to Shachi in surprise, who only sat in embarrassed silence, twiddling his thumbs in his lap as Penguin continued his tirade. “He gushed about it, honestly! And that’s actually the whole reason why we’ve gathered here today.”

You and Shachi share a loud “Eh?!” as you gawk at Penguin in surprise.

“You two aren’t leaving this room until you decide to get together!” You both blush and stammer, speaking over each other as Penguin continues, “You guys are the only ones on this damn ship that doesn’t see it! I’m sick of seeing you guys give each other lovey-dovey eyes and pretend that you don’t deserve each other.”

You look away, overwhelmed and anxious. You didn’t think your shared looks were that noticeable, always trying to take care to look but not for long enough that someone would think twice about it. Penguin was just too observant, you supposed.

“Look, you guys clearly like each other, and considering you didn’t slap him after he kissed you, I don't know, I think that says a lot, honestly.” You could hear the joking tone in Penguins voice, even as he continued, “And if you ever need a third-”

“Okay, okay dude we get it!” Shachi finally cuts him off, his cheeks just as dark as he then reaches out and takes your hand in his. Sitting there across from him, with a sucker sticking out of your mouth, eyes wide and hopeful, Shachi had to take a moment to memorize you just like this. “I uh… you, you know, pretty, I just… you and me, I…”

You laugh, shaking your head slightly as you look down at your held hands, giving his a little squeeze as you look back at him with a, “Yeah, I get it. And I um, I feel the same. If you even care,” You joke at the end, giving him a little smile that he matches tenfold.

Penguin cheers, throwing his hands up before he finally stands and stretches, a pleased expression on his face as he beams, “Well, my work here is done!” You both watch him give his shoulders a little shimmy before he gives you guys two thumbs up and points them at hos chest. “This guy is officially outta here! Don’t forget to keep the door locked, kiddies!”

Before you could say anything else, Penguin bent down and scooped up most of the candy back into the paper bag, leaving a few more pieces for you both to share and took his leave, shutting the door behind him with a cheeky giggle. There was a beat of silence until Shachi shot up and quickly locked the door, turning to you with a sheepish grin. “Ya know um, just, just in case, yeah?”

You give him a laugh in return, sitting up on your knees as you agree, “Ah, yes, of course… just in case.”

Shachi gives a huff of a chuckle, hand falling from the doorknob. He stands awkwardly for a moment before he takes a tentative step, looking at you over his shades with a purposeful gaze. You gave him a small smile in return, words failing on your tongue but it's like he reads your mind, motioning for you to join him on his bed. You pick up the candy and shuffle over, climbing in and sitting against the wall comfortably. You gently toss the candy down before glancing up, noticing there were a few trinkets sitting on a small shelf just under the window, which you smile slightly at seeing a few you recognise.

“You know we uh, we don't have to do anything, if you're not comfortable.” Shachi suddenly pipes up from his spot beside you, crosslegged and picking up another caramel square, picking off the plastic wrap and popping it in his mouth. You look at him with a shrug and quietly reply, “We um, we actually could… if you wanted to?”

He watches as you, mesmerized, as you bite off the last sliver of sucker from the wooden stick, placing it on top of his discarded plastic wrap, crunching on the remnants of the sugary goodness before he answers, “I would like that.”

You shyly watch as he shoves the garbage and other treats off to the side and moves closer, almost hovering over you as his hand cups your cheek, his thumb brushing over your soft skin as if committing every inch of you to his memory.

“You know… there was a song I heard a few times…” he murmurs, leaning forward just enough that his lips brushed against yours. “It was in French, but the loose translation was, ‘I would tattoo the image of you onto the backs of my eyelids so I could see you even in an eternal sleep.’ Every time I look at you, it makes me think of that song.” He then goes quiet for a second, his entire face tomato red as he admits, “I don't know why I said that.”

You gush happily up at him, surprised and appreciative of his compliment as you cooed, “That's the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me.” Shachi only looks cheeky, giving a little giggle as he kisses you again, pulling you close until you push him back and sit on his lap.

“Oooh, now this… this I could get used to,” he half-jokes, his hands on your hips as you slowly unzip his boiler suit. You can already feel how hard he is, his fat tip pressing against your clothed core, sending ripples of pleasure over your skin. He playful snaps his sharp teeth at you, letting you shimmy his arms and torso out of the suit, leaving him half naked and covered in goosebumps.

“Well, now you gotta match!” He teases, his hands slowly sliding up and under your shirt until his fingers curl around the fabric and tug it off, throwing it to the carpet haphazardly. He oogles your breasts, still caged in a plain black bra with a simple lace on the fringe, almost drooling at the sight so close to his face. He then gives a lecherous chuckle and leans forward, letting his face settle between your breasts, moaning into your flesh, “Yeaaah, this is the high life.”

You can't help but laugh, letting one hand roam over his naked back while the other sneaks under his hat and your fingers scratch at his scalp. You feel him melt under your touch, giving another shameless moan as his hands fondled your sides and moved to cup your ass with gripping fingers. He presses your hips down, and you grind against him, pulling a small gasp from your lips.

In a flash, he's flipped you onto your back, hovering over you with his hips still between your legs. His hands slowly pull your pants down and off your legs. “God, you're gorgeous,” he breathes, taking in the sight of your body beneath him. He kicks the rest of the boiler suit off and shoves it onto the floor with your clothes. His fingers go to take your bra off but doesn't find a clasp on the back, which you laugh at and flick at the small twist clasp between your tits. “Just pull - yeah, there you go.” The bra pops open and Shachi swears he could have cum then and there at how your breasts spill from the cups.

“Never seen a pair of tits before, Shach?” You tease with a sly smirk, only to have it wiped from your face as your eyes roll back at the sudden pleasure of him sucking a nipple into your mouth. His hand fiddles with the other one, bringing it to a stiff peak that he rolls in his fingers like a fidget toy. After a moment, his lips leave your tit with a loud POP, pleased with the hickey he'd left on your skin.

“Never ones as beautiful and perfect as yours.” He looks at you over his shades, his eyes filled with a needy spark that sends shivers over your flesh. “It's like you were made for me, pretty.”

You blush deep at his words, not used to the adoration and devotion falling from his lips like a prayer. You then gasp softly as his one hand gently tugs at the band of your panties, silently asking if he could go further with you. You replied by lifting your hips up, letting his hand curl around the seam and shimmy them down.

He let go of a breath he didn't know he was holding as your legs gently fell open, your whole body burning under his stare as you looked to the side. Soft fingers tilted your chin back towards him, your gaze meeting uncovered amber eyes as he tossed his shades onto his suit. “Don’t look away, pretty,” he practically begs, bringing your own hands to the band of his boxer shorts, letting your fingers slide under it and giving a few soft tugs until his cock sprang free.

Your mouth fell open slightly in shock. Thick, cut and groomed, his cock twitched as your eyes flickered from it back to his face, unable to formulate any real words. He was certainly the largest you'd seen, let alone would try to take, but pure need and desperation took over any anxious worries you might have had. You then gasp softly as warm fingers slide over your soaked entrance, teasing over your labia and gathering your slick until his middle and ring finger slide into your core.

He's slow and testing with his touch, bringing his fingers all the way out, right to the tip of his finger before gliding them back in, curling up just enough to make you see stars and feel like you would gush over his hand. When he's satisfied, Shachi brings his fingers to his face and locks eyes with you as he licks your essence off his digits, another pleased groan leaving him at the taste.

“Yeah…” he decides, grinning and caging over your body as his tip teases over your core the same way his fingers just had. “You were definitely made for me.” Your legs lock around his waist and he takes no time to dip his tip into you, relishing in the way you gasp his name and try to rock your hips into his.

“Shh, a little patience, pretty. I don't want to hurt you.” You could've cried at how tender he was being and how the ache to be filled sent your brain into overdrive. You whined, attempting the same thing, only to bite back a hiss as he slid his cock in another inch, the stretch hurting in such a good way. “Please Shachi,” you begged, your hands linking behind his neck with your fingers tangling in his hair and giving a little tug. “I need you, please Shachi please-”

Your words cut off with a sharp “Oh!” as he snaps his hips roughly into you, forcing his cock all the way in and sending sparks of white over your vision at the sudden intrusion. You breathe through it, screwing your eyes shut with brows furrowed, focusing on the way Shachi praises you. “So good pretty, you feel so fucking good,” he shoves his face into the side of your neck and bites down, hard enough to mark you skin with his sharp teeth but you don’t feel it through the aching stretch below. His tongue laps over the small wound, moaning into your skin, “Tell me when to move pretty, it's all you babe.”

Your hips twitch slightly, testing the slowly dissipating ache and you moan at how your cunt sucks him in. “N-now, Shachi please, please-” Your eyes roll back as he immediately starts moving, huffing into your skin at how your warmth twitches and throbs around his cock.

“So good pretty, so good-” he nearly sobs, pressing messy kisses to your breasts, throat and face until he captures your lips and his tongue fights yours for space. You couldn't think, you couldn't breathe, completely and utterly surrounded by nothing but him and him alone, and you found you wouldn't want to be anywhere but here.

He hits a spot inside you that makes you cry out, your toes curling as you feel the spark of your orgasm slowly build. “Yeah, there, please please!” He devours your words with his lips, moaning into your mouth as he picks up speed, knowing he would crash over the edge soon, too.

A few rough thrusts with a thumb teasing over your clit had you sobbing his name, clinging to him like he'd disappear if he stopped, your slick gushing out of your cunt like a waterfall until he roughly pulls out and fists himself over your groomed mound. With a gasp of your name, he cums, hard; thick globs of white covering your cunt and stomach, some streaks even reaching up to your tits as he huffs and pants over you.

It takes a few, long minutes for either of you to come back to your senses, covered in each other's slick to the point you both knew you'd need a shower now. With a chuckle, Shachi playfully asks, “Now I don't know about you, but how do you feel like a shower, a snack and then a nap?”

You can't help but laugh in agreement, nodding happily as you reply, "That honestly sounds like a dream come true, but you just want to keep seeing me naked, don't you?”

You laugh again as he enthusiastically nods, reaching over and cautiously grabbing his discarded boxers to wipe his cum off your body. You grimace at the feeling but it disappears as Shachi leans down to kiss you again, and again, and again. When he pulls away, you swore you could feel the love radiating off him as if he were the sun shining its warm rays onto your skin.

“Pretty, I love you.” He admits, low and genuine as he gently rubs the tip of his nose against yours. “I didn't think I would love anyone like this, but damn… am I ever lucky that I get to love you for the rest of my life.”

Your eyes tear up a bit as you mimic him, the tip of your nose warm and gentle against his as you murmur back, “I love you, Shachi. I'm so lucky you chose me.”

He smiles warmly down at you, giving you a handful of butterfly kisses as he whispers, “I think I'd love you in every universe.” He softly moves some hair from your face behind your ear, taking in how absolutely beautiful you looked like this. “No matter where, no matter when, I would and will always find you.”

You push some of his own hair from his eyes, ignoring the few stray tears that slip from your own as you murmur, “Always.” He kisses you again before pulling you up, holding you tightly to his body with you in his lap once again.

He goes to say something when both your stomachs rumble, pulling laughter from you both as Shachi decides to say instead, “Guess we gotta get a move on, your tummy shark sounded hungry as hell, babe.”

You jokingly pinch his side and he jumps with a squeak, knowing you'd tickle him at the first chance if you wanted. “Don’t be a bully, acting as if your tummy shark wasn't just singing a damn symphony-”

“Hey! I'm a growing boy, what can I say?”

You both jokingly bicker as you redress, getting yourself together enough to head to the showers and heading out of the room side by side. You hum happily as he grabs your hand, swinging it back and forth like a giddy kid. “Do you want to shower together or do you want to shower while I made us something to eat?” He asks, stopping in front of the showers and turning to you.

“Actually, do you mind making us something to snack on? I'll be quick and can take our food back to the room while you shower?” You offer to which he agrees with a quick kiss to your forehead. “Sounds like a great plan, pretty. I'll be right back, enjoy your shower.”

After scrubbing yourself clean and changing into your sleepwear, thankful for yourself for keeping your shower caddy under the sink along with an extra pair of pajamas, you quickly dried your hair as much as you could before giving up and leaving the showers.

“Hope you're hungry, pretty!”

You jump slightly at the sudden voice, turning to see Shachi standing there with a wide grin and a plate covered with goodies. A few sandwiches, some crackers and a bag of chips in his other hand, he was definitely ready to munch down.

“I'll shower quickly and we can throw a film onto Peng's projector snail when we get back to the room, if you want? He's got some good choices!”

You take the snacks and nod with a returned smile, excited to spend the rest of the night relaxing and enjoying time with him. “I'll meet you there, you take your time, Shach.” He happily leans over to kiss you a few times again before slinking into the showers with a tune humming on his lips.

The second you're back in their room, you're setting up the snacks on his bed, including the other treats from Penguin and set up the projector snail with the movie that was currently ready to play, deciding not to fiddle with Penguins things. Once everything was ready, you made yourself cozy under his fuzzy blanket with a content sigh.

You then laugh to yourself as you notice Shachi's blanket had a picture of an orca jumping out of the water. “How fitting,” you joke quietly before turning to the door as it opens.

“Aww, my pretty all comfy cozy waiting for me,” Shachi gushes before closing the door and practically jumping onto the bed on his side with a loving grin on his lips. “Life really couldn't get any better.”

You pretended to act like you were thinking, pointer finger tapping your chin a few times as you joked, “Hmm, I don't know, I think it could get a bit better…”

Shachi looks confused for a moment before you laugh and pull him towards you, motioning for him to slide behind you on the bed so you could sit between his legs. You lean back and he circles his arms around your waist, his chin resting on your head as he sighs lovingly. “You're right, pretty. This absolutely makes it better.”

He sets up the movie with the small remote and settles with you, letting you move to reach for the plate of snacks and handing him one of the sandwiches. As the film starts, you snuggle back a little more into his arms, humming softly as he presses a kiss to the top of your head.

Sailing at the break of dawn, you bask in the sounds of the peaceful sea and the rhythmic waves that lap at the side of your boat. It had been a week since you’d seen Sanji– having to stay on the mainland to help your uncle out with the market. He’d slipped on deck, spraining an ankle during one of the stormy trips you made a few days ago, and you had to take care of most of the fishing trips with the crew, as well as heading to the markets afterward to sell your catch.

Safe to say, you’d done both arm and leg day for the past week, lugging the heavy nets of fish to the marketplace and having to take up boat maintenance for that entire time. You’d been more exhausted after returning home, nearly passing out the moment your head hit the pillow. Which also means you haven’t written to Sanji as often as you would’ve liked.

The last letter you’d gotten from him spoke about some stuck-up Lieutenant he had to deal with, as well as the addition of a chore boy who caused some sort of damage to the Baratie. A hole in the ceiling, you recall.

How? You have no idea, but you apparently missed out on some juicy drama, for better or for worse.

At the end of the week, the fishing crew had insisted you take the day off to go to the Baratie. Well, not exactly, but you’d rather ignore the way they’d worded it—“Leave it to us for today! You go see lover-boy out at the Baratie!”

Of course, all you could do was frown and avert your gaze, feeling warmth flood across your cheeks as the guys all encouraged you to go. They’re all good men that you’ve known for nearly a decade and longer, but of course it’s embarrassing for you, having these middle-aged, mostly married men cheer you on for your own love-life. You have no doubt they’re protective of you like their own daughter, but they’re all fans of Sanji and his cooking, granting him their approval, unbeknownst to him.

So here you are, sailing towards the floating restaurant on your own, personal boat, Wave Wonder. She’s much smaller than Tide Caller, but she’s all yours, once a fixer-upper project you and your uncle took up together after getting it for a decent price from the marina in town. You can get to the Baratie on her without much trouble, and she still sails well despite her older touch.

Yet as you sail closer to the Baratie, your breath hitches once your eyes lay over the destruction across the entire deck. While the body of the ship seems mostly unharmed, the smooth wooden panels that lined the surrounding deck are splintered and raised–cracked like the ground as if an earthquake had shaken through it all.

A panicked urgency pushes you to hurry and dock, hopping off the boat and carefully making your way to the entrance, slamming the lopsided doors open, only to be met with complete silence.

Your heart stops. Not a single customer or chef or waiter is on the floor, a sight that you’ve never seen in all your years. You quickly make your way into the kitchen, the tiniest bit of relief filling you as you hear the telltale clink and clank of pots and pans and the roar of the stove fire as you near, and you open the door.

All the cooks are busy across the kitchen, but they all look towards you, brightening up and greeting you heartily. But you notice immediately that they all adorn a bandage or two, whether it’s across their arms or plastered on their face. 

“Lil fisher is here!” Patty bellows loudly, and everyone greets you heartily, not at all sharing the sense of doom that you’d felt just moments ago.

“What… What happened?” you barely manage to ask, more taken aback by their jolly mood as they pat you on the shoulder and usher you close. “Are you guys alright?”

“We’re right as rain!” Carne laughs, and as the others chime in, a familiar tapping sound of a peg-leg approaches from behind, and you whip around to meet Zeff’s calm smile.

“Nothin’ to worry about,” he gruffs, reaching out to mess up your hair. “Just had to deal with some pirates these past few days. Lil chef is fine, he’s resting in his room if you wanna go see him.”

“I’m glad you guys are alright,” you let out a sigh, letting the tension release from your shoulders. “I’ll go check on Sanji, then.”

“Get him and chore-boy down here!” one of the chefs calls out. “We got lunch ready!”

“Chore boy?” you echo in confusion, but Zeff pats your shoulder, ushering you to head upstairs before you can ask any more questions.

As always, you head up the stairway to the quarters upstairs, finding Sanji’s door and knocking on it gently. “Door’s open!”

And to your surprise, he’s not the only one in his room. 

“Honeycomb?” Sanji is quick to get to his feet from where he was seated on the windowsill, and on his bed is another boy, maybe just a few years younger than you. 

“Honey?” The boy echoes excitedly, but you don’t hear it as you close the distance between you and Sanji, hurrying to reach up to his cheeks. 

“Oh, Sanji,” you breathe out, brushing your thumb against the bandage plastered right beneath his eye. “Are you ok? What happened while I was gone?”

“My sweet honeycomb,” he sighs out, cupping your hand with his own, and you pray he doesn’t feel your heart pound against your chest. “I’m fine, promise. We had to protect the Baratie from pirates, but it worked out in the end. With some help from—“

“I’m Monkey D. Luffy!” the boy greets you loudly, fixing the straw hat on top of his head as he beams at you brightly. “And I’m going to be King of the Pirates!”

You offer him a smile back, stepping away from Sanji to greet the boy still seated on the bed. “Thank you for keeping Sanji and everyone safe, Luffy.”

You introduce yourself, and Luffy laughs, a bright sound that makes you chuckle with him. “So? Are you a chef, too?”

“Oh, I’m not,” you answer with a shake of your head. “I’m an angler. I catch fish and supply the Baratie with all their seafood with my uncle.”

“A fisherman!” Luffy exclaims in awe. “Are you good at it?”

“I’d like to say I am,” you answer amusedly, unable to fight back his infectious smile. “I’ve done it for a long time now.”

Luffy considers your words with a hum, before he says, “Well, why don’t you join my crew, too?”

“Too?” you repeat curiously, before it clicks in your head, looking over to Sanji who is shaking his head. “Wait, your crew?”

“We’re not going to become pirates and join your crew,” Sanji states with a sigh, heading outside to lean against the deck railing. “Luffy, I told you my answer already, stop asking.”

“You? Become a pirate?” you say in disbelief, before you chuckle quietly. The last thing you’d expect for prim and proper Sanji is to become a pirate. Sure, he works alongside former pirates, but you can’t imagine himself to become one himself.

“Exactly,” Sanji answers. “And I can’t possibly leave any of them when they’re such a mess. Who knows what would happen to this damn restaurant if I did.”

Luffy pouts. “But we can go find your Blue All together!”

“The All Blue,” Sanji corrects him, and you feel your breath hitch. “And sure, but like I told you, I can’t just leave.”

“What about you?” Luffy asks, redirecting his attention to you. “Would you join my crew?”

“I can’t just become a pirate either,” you quickly say, putting your hands up as you’re put on the spot. “Sorry, Luffy. It’s not in the cards for me.”

Despite your refusals to join, he doesn’t seem that fazed, merely appearing more determined as he nods.

“Alright,” he acquieses, and before you can speak up to finally mention about lunch downstairs, something shoots out from Luffy, and you yelp at the fact that his arm stretches across the entire room, latching onto Sanji’s neck like a snake wrapped around its enemy.

“Your hand… says otherwise!” Sanji chokes out, and you’re still way too shell-shocked to even process what you’re seeing, Luffy elongated limb, stretched at least ten feet, and just inches away from your own face.

That’ll be an interesting story for you to hear over lunchtime.

By the time Luffy lets go of Sanji at the promise of food and meat, the three of you make your way downstairs. The chatter of chefs and clinking of silverware greet you upon opening the door, and as you watch Luffy bound inside with unrestrained eagerness, you reach out to Sanji, catching his sleeve between your fingers and pulling him back.

”Do… Do you really not want to go with him?” you ask. “What if it’s true? It’s… it’s your chance to go find the All Blue.”

Sanji’s gaze softens with a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. He knows it full well, too. 

“Just like I told him, I can’t just leave Zeff and Baratie,” he shakes his head. “And I couldn’t possibly leave when you’d still be here. How could I just pursue our dream without you, honeycomb?”

Your heart drops at the realization of it, recognizing that you’re part of the blame. The promise made when you two were children are the shackles that keep him at the Baratie, where he fights tooth and nail to cook alongside the chefs and trying desperately to show the world something new. He must see the gears turning in your head, grasping your shoulders with gentle hands, as he forced you to face him.

“You’re not stopping me from my dreams,” he reassures you, his tone gentle. “It’s our dream. I want to go find it with you, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Our dream. He says it so easily, as if it’s blatantly obvious, like pointing to the sky and calling it blue. 

Our dream, he says, knowing you’ve made your decision from an insanely sudden question. But what if you secretly want to go, too?

With another smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes, he turns to head inside the restaurant, and you have no choice but to follow behind, watching as he makes his way to Luffy’s side. Said boy is currently skipping from table to table, in awe at the spread of foods that the cooks are all plating and handing off to one another.

“Where do we sit?” Luffy asks excitedly, head on a swivel as he looks left and right, licking his lips in anticipation.  

“Sit on the floor,” one of the cooks gruffs. But he turns his head to look past them, calling your name. “We got a seat for you right over here, though!” 

You share a look with Sanji, then Luffy, but you don’t make a move, frozen in place. Something's not right, and your stomach churns at their sudden coldness. 

“Honeycomb,” Sanji whispers to your side, and you frown at him, about to protest until he shakes his head. “It’s fine. Luffy and I will sit over there.”

You muster a nod, making your way towards Patty as he slides the seat back for you to sit, handing you a plate of food and a bowl of soup. He sits back down, and you watch from the corner of your eye as he clenches his hands together and he lets out a deep breath. It’s when you realize a nervous tension blankets the rest of the chefs, all glancing nervously at him as he sighs once more, before he reaches for his spoon to take a sip of the soup.

You do the same, and just as you taste the warm flavors of Sanji’s cooking, you nearly choke as Patty slams both of his hands on the table, rattling the plates and silverware as he growls in anger. “Who the hell prepared the soup this morning!?”

Sanji. Your brain supplies, because you’d know his food from the others in an instant. The way his flavors meshed and danced along your tongue, a distinct taste and scent that you can easily differentiate from the other chefs. There’s always a few differences when the others prepare it—a little too salty, a little too spicy, and in Patty’s case, a little too garlicky. But Sanji’s was always perfect.

Which is why you’re rendered speechless as Patty spits out his soup, nearly gagging as he curses. “You call this food? How can I eat this damn soup when it tastes like garbage!?”

In shock, you watch as Sanji stands, anger radiating from him in waves, growing stronger and stronger as the other chefs begin to speak up, slamming their spoons on the table and turning to Sanji in disgust. 

That can’t be right. It just can’t be. You know how much the cooks love Sanji. Despite their gruff exterior and tough love attitudes, they’ve always cared for the boy as he grew up over the years. They taught him everything he needed to become such a talented cook, and not a day goes by when they aren’t of him.

And that’s when you realize in an instant—it’s on purpose. 

It has to be. 

But why, why would they make him upset and try to drive him away—

Your eyes widen at the obvious answer.

They’re trying to make him leave.

They must have been aware of Luffy’s invitation for him to join his crew. And just as you had believed, perhaps they knew too, that it’d be best for him to leave the Baratie in search of his dreams, to grow even more as a chef. The tension simmers, even as Zeff sternly reminds Patty not to waste a drop of soup, and everyone watches with bated breath as the old man finishes the last of his own bowl.

You hold your breath as he stands, and your heart drops just as he throws the bowl to the floor, shattering it into pieces on the floor. 

“You damn geezer…” Sanji grits out, the last of his restraint gone, shattered like that damn bowl. In his rage, he quickly closes distance, grabbing onto the front of the old man’s uniform, staring at the man in vivid anger. “How is this soup different from yours? Tell me!”

“Don’t flatter yourself!”

And for the first time in your life, you watch as Zeff raises a fist, striking Sanji across the cheek. It’s hard enough to knock the boy down to the floor, and he's just as stunned, raising a hand to where he’d been hit, jaw dropped in disbelief. The other chefs don’t try to hide their shock—murmurs shaking through the entire crew. It's the first time Zeff had ever used his hands for violence; the very same hands that had taught Sanji everything since he was so young.

“It’ll be a billion years before you can give me a lecture on cooking, you little brat!” Zeff spits out, glaring down at the fallen boy. “I’m a man who has cooked on the seas all around the world.”

Silence covers the entire floor, and as Sanji gets to his feet, he clicks his tongue before turning on his heel, running out the door. Distantly, you hear him yell and curse, and you watch Zeff as he turns away from the window, closing his eyes.

“Zeff…” you murmur quietly, but you make no move to intervene. Because what he’d done is right. It’s for the better, for Sanji’s sake.

And it’s something that you can’t seem to do. All because you selfishly want him by your side.

(But what if you went with Luffy? Even if it meant treading the unknown and leaving behind everything you’ve known? If you were by Sanji’s side…)

“Say, kid,” Zeff starts, huffing as he sits down on a nearby chair. “You said you wanted a cook for your ship, right?”

Luffy nods, eating the soup using the ladle and pulling it from his mouth with a pop.

“This isn’t a favor or anything, but would you take the little brat with you to the Grand Line?” Zeff asks, staring straight at Luffy. “The Grand Line… it’s his dream.”

And then, Zeff looks at you. “I know it’s yours, too. And I can’t force you to go either, but it’d be good for the two of you to go see the world and find it together.”

It.

The All Blue.

You purse your lips together, a war of emotions raging in you. It’s all so sudden, with barely any time to consider. Leaving your home, your uncle and your fishing crew and Zeff and the Baratie, just to sail the great wide seas full of uncertainty?

It sounds too much like a risk to take, regardless of how much you want it.

But it doesn’t matter, since—

“No,” Luffy says suddenly, breaking your mental conflict in a mere instant, right before he gulps down another helping of potatoes. After seeing how much he wanted you and Sanji to join, you wonder why he suddenly seemed to change his mind, and Zeff makes a noise of disbelief, loudly echoed by the other chefs listening.

“He wants to keep working here,” Luffy explains simply, before he looks at you. “And you want to stay here, too. I won't force either of you, even though I really want you guys to join.”

You remain quiet, meeting Luffy’s gaze head-on as Zeff hums.

“So you’re saying you cannot agree to it unless the two agree themselves…” Zeff murmurs to himself. “I know you’ve made up your mind to stay, and that damn brat is an idiot he’ll never say it outright.”

“I doubt he can make a decision,” Patty jokes from beside him. “He’s too sentimental, that boy.”

As the other chefs laugh and joke, returning to enjoying Sanji’s soup, you turn to Luffy, letting the chatter drown out your own voice. You eye the open window, before lowering your head closer towards the young boy who looks to you curiously.

You’d made a decision, but…

“Luffy,” you say quietly, steadily. “Will you truly help us find the All Blue? Will you be a Captain worthy to become the King of the Pirates?”

Luffy, without a beat of hesitance, nods firmly. “I will!”

And even in your eyes, you can tell he means it. Honest to god and with absolute certainty, he believes in it like it’s one of the very truths of the world. You don't break your gaze from him, and he doesn’t falter, either.

Impulse is not familiar to you as to others. The idea of jumping into things has never appealed to you, and with a trade like yours, you’ve always learned to be cautious, to calculate the tide and the seas and to set off when it’s right and do the things as you’ve done. A routine has always led your life, a monotonous routine, brightened up by the few times you could see Sanji.

But becoming a pirate would go against all of that. You’d explore new places and fight with enemies of all kinds, you’d grow stronger and wiser and learn an infinite amount on seas you’ve never treaded on before. And the chance of finding the All Blue would grow bigger and bigger as you sailed.

Considering Luffy’s kind heart, you’d join a crew who would do good. Even if the label of ‘pirate’ is slapped onto your name, you know without a doubt that Luffy would never resort to meaningless violence and plundering. He would lead a crew that would continue to help those in need, a crew that would change the world for the better.

And you have the opportunity to join him at this very moment— the chance to change your life forever, and hopefully, by Sanji’s side.

With a deep sigh, you calm your rattled nerves, you calm your racing heart, you calm all the worries and anxieties and the “what-if’s” that pop into your head.

And you gently hold onto what you desire the most.

“Then, I’ll go with you.” It takes a bit for you to say it, for your voice to stop trembling and your resolve to power through. You mean every word.  “If it means Sanji will go, I will. I hope that’s alright with you, Captain.”

Luffy smiles, and it’s near blinding. The smile of your new captain, the smile of a boy who will become the King of the Pirates.

The smile of a boy who will help you and Sanji find your dreams of the All Blue.

Sanji buries his head into his hands, pulling his knees closer to his chest. The unlit cigarette between his lips trembles as he chokes back a sob, listening to the chef’s loud clamor, and listening to you. 

“Captain.”

For him, you’d drop everything and become a goddamn pirate. 

For him, you’d leave home to sail the ocean in search of the All Blue.

All for him. For pathetic, pitiful, lying, Black Leg Sanji.

He doesn’t deserve it by any means. 

Yet all he can do is bask in the love you hold for him, wondering what he’d done to deserve your kindness.

The cooks begin to clamor about, cleaning up their lunch and taking the dirty dishes back to the kitchen. One of them finally closes the windows, and you sigh, wondering if Sanji had heard your decision, or if he’d still been away, taking out his anger on the rubble of the deck farther away.

Either way, he still hasn’t returned, and you’re still somewhat reeling over the fact that you’d made the decision, one that you have no idea how you’ll bring up to your uncle later. 

“I’m glad you’re going to come with us,” Luffy laughs, a shi-shi-shi that you have no doubt you’ll get used to. “And that means the two of you won’t be sad!”

“Sad?”

“Yeah!” Finally, he finishes the last of his meal (and the leftovers of at least six other chefs that he’d somehow grabbed), plates left squeaky clean as he rubs his belly in satisfaction. “He would’ve been sad to leave you if you didn’t go,  and then you would’ve been sad if he went, since you love—“

You slap a hand over his mouth in panic, ignoring the way he struggles against you. “Since what!?”

He says it again, and though it’s muffled completely by your hand, you know exactly what he says against your palm. 

Since you love him.

“Oh, no, no,” you quickly deny, your heart beating faster in your chest as you grow more flustered by the second. “No. He and I? We’re just…”

You hate to say it. Close friends, best friends, childhood friends. It leaves a bitter taste in your mouth, when you know he’s more than that, and you want more than that with him. 

Since you love him.

And hell, it’s true. But Sanji can’t know—not when he doesn’t feel the same. Not when he kneels before other women, lavishes them in sweet words and worships them like goddesses. Not when he’ll never treat you the same like them.

“We’ve known each other since we were kids,” you respond instead. “And I want him to chase after his dream and be happy.”

Luffy blinks, and you take his sudden silence as a sign to pull your hand away. It hovers near him, just in case he says something out of line, or even worse; loudly.

“If you say so,” he answers simply to your relief. “But what about you?”

“Huh?”

“What about your dream?” Luffy asks. “You want to find the All Blue, too. But is there something more?”

“A dream…” you repeat slowly, and you feel your resolve harden. “Yes… You’re right, but…”

And for the first time in your life, you share your secret with the boy you’d just met, putting your faith into his power, his smile, and he grins.

“Good!” Luffy declares. “Then that settles it!”

“Yeah,” you breathe out, the weight off your chest. “Thank you, Luffy.”

Lunch ends with the plates nearly licked clean (courtesy of Luffy and his neverending appetite) and the cooks all chattering loudly once more, headed back into the kitchen to prepare for the evening dinner rush.

It’s also time for you to head home, too, mind scrambling for solace as you consider the words you’d told Luffy.

Your new captain.

Sanji had returned to your side just as you’d prepared to head out. Quietly, you’d let Luffy know that you’d have to head back home before you could leave with him. The boy had no complaints as long as you came back as soon as possible, and while you couldn’t quite promise him when you’d return, you let him know you could reach Sanji via snail or Doval.

As you make your way across the splintered deck with Sanji, you find yourself staring at his back, thoughts heavy and lingering on your mind. You can only think about Sanji’s words from earlier, how he can’t leave Zeff, or you, for that matter. And it’s not like you don’t understand his intentions—you share the sentiment full well with your uncle. 

But despite that, you also know it’s his dream, the one he’s been wanting since he was so young. 

“What’s wrong?” Sanji asks, peering down at you as you shake your head.

“What do you think of Luffy?” you ask, and Sanji seems a bit surprised by your sudden question, eyebrows hiking up before he hums in thought.

“Think he’s a good kid,” he answers vaguely. “Why?”

Perhaps he didn’t hear you earlier, you think to yourself, eyeing him as he faces away from you, taking out a cigarette from his pocket and lighting it with practiced ease. “Just considering his offer again. Maybe… Maybe it’d be good for you. For us.”

Sanji sighs out a puff of smoke. You don’t see his eyes. “He has a foolish dream. Becoming the King of Pirates?”

A beaming smile as bright as the sun, a heart of gold brimming with kindness.

“I don't think it’s foolish,” you whisper. “Not when we dream of something just as great.”

Not when you dream of him, just out of reach from your very fingertips.

He remains quiet, back turned to you as you approach him, footsteps tapping against the wood, the same sound you’d grown up listening to. And gently, you wrap your arms around his middle, pressing against his back and leaning your head against his shoulder blades. He flinches, a soft jolt of surprise that you feel against his frame, but he makes no move to step away. 

“Sanji,” you call his name softly. “Let’s go find the All Blue, together.”

His breath hitches, and you wonder what thoughts run through his mind as he stays completely still in your hold. And then, he moves ever so slightly, and you loosen your grasp, letting him turn around to face you, before he hugs you tight into his chest, one arm around your shoulders, his hand resting against the back of your head. The scent of smoke fills your nose, mixed in with everything that’s Sanji; a melody of citrus and the sea and a hint of musk underneath it all.

“You make it hard to say no, you know,” Sanji murmurs into your hair. “Because I’d follow you anywhere.”

It’s not an answer. It’s not something you expect him to say. Yet somehow, it makes you feel as if you’re on cloud nine. There’s a fog of guilt and pity and anxiety and worry, but there’s also a glimmer of hope as you squeeze your arms tighter around him, to which he responds similarly.

After what feels like eternity, you finally force yourself to let go, letting your touch linger, as his hands do. “I want you to go. Not just because of me, but because you want to.”

“I know, honeycomb. And I do,” he admits softly, brushing a strand of hair behind your ear. A pained smile barely reaches his lips. “I do. I just…”

He trails off, the words dying in his throat as he gazes down at you, and you offer him a reassuring smile in return. “I know. But think about it?”

He musters up a smile and a nod—a promise, and you finally tear yourself away from his gaze, preparing to set off back home. As it is, you can only wait for him to make up his mind, and you can only assume that Luffy will head out in the next few coming days, leaving you with too little time to prepare yourself. But surprisingly, you feel resolved with your fate, keeping it locked and unshaken even as you turn away from a conflicted Sanji. Like always, you go to undo the mooring line from the dock before hopping into your boat and making sure everything’s good to go. Sanji watches, and just as the engine revs to life, you raise a hand to wave, and he waves back, the trail of his cigarette smoke wafting between his fingers at the movement. 

As you turn the boat around to set sail towards home, you have no doubt he’s still watching you—just as he always does, until you’re barely a speck visible against the neverending blue. Whether out of habit or out of caution, he’d always wait and watch you sail away, up until the very last moment he can see you, before he finally heads inside himself.

But soon, if you were to live a pirate life with Sanji, you wouldn’t need to separate from him again, you wouldn’t need to say farewell every night, waiting days before the next time you’d see him. 

As you sail back, mind distracted by everything, you barely catch in the corner of your eye, something swimming incredibly fast in the opposite direction you’re headed. Something like a muffled scream reaches your ears, but it passes you in an instant, the sound growing more and more distant as it continues to zoom along.

The white and black pattern reminded you of a panshark, but you had no idea what it was holding in its mouth, and you’re pretty sure they didn’t normally scream.

Oh well. Perhaps it was on the hunt for some prey or trying to find a mate. It's the time of the year, after all. But besides that, you had bigger fish to fry, and you let the waves comfort you as you head home.

The next morning as you prepare breakfast for you and your uncle, you nervously wonder how to strike up the conversation regarding your decision. After returning home the previous night, he’d already fallen asleep on the couch, snoring to the late night show on the television snail. Quiet as a mouse, you’d snuck into your room, letting your decision simmer and keep you up late into the night, burning the midnight oil as you began to pack up a few necessities and try to figure out how you’d break the news to him before the sun rises.

But now it’s well into morning, and you have no idea how to bring it up as he reads the paper, grumbling about pirates causing trouble across the East Blue again. 

Before you can finally speak up, a peck at the window makes you bite your tongue, and both you and your uncle turn to see Doval sitting outside, perched upon the sill and waiting to be let in. You hurry to open it so he can hop inside with a satisfied hoot.

“He’s back pretty early,” your uncle comments around his mug of coffee, and you agree, until you realize a note is sticking out of his satchel, and you quickly reach for it. “Hm? Did Sanji write to you?”

You vaguely hear him, instead focused on the words inked on the paper.

My honeycomb,

By the time you get this from Doval, I’m enroute to Cocoyashi Island to go save our navigator from Arlong. Luffy believes she is not evil, and I believe so, too. There was no way she could be on their side, not when she looked so lonely when I saw her.

And afterwards… I convinced Luffy to head to Landel, to pick you up. 

I know I said I could never leave. I owe Zeff my life, I owe so much to the Baratie and all of those damn cooks. But there’s so much out in the world, the Grand Line and everything beyond it. I want to find our dream. 

Let’s go find the All Blue, you and me, together.

Yours,

Sanji

Sanji had made his choice.

It’s becoming true, it’s real. You’re going to set off into the unknown waters, adorning the name of a pirate at sea. Surprisingly, you feel rather calm for such a realization—almost numb—until you realize your uncle is still waiting for an answer. “Yeah, yeah. He just wrote to me about some stuff that happened. You know, with that chore boy and whatnot.”

Your captain, you correct yourself in your mind. Oh, how the tables have turned.

He hums, before turning back to the paper, cutting his waffles on the side as he takes big bites at a time. A nervous breath quietly escapes you—he’s not suspicious of you, good.

Your eyes trail over Sanji’s words one more time, just to make sure. The All Blue, the life of piracy, the sea, and the world well beyond your home. Just how will you break the news to your uncle, unaware of everything that’s happened in the past few days? How will you tell him that you’ll set out from home to the vast ocean in a matter of days, to become an enemy of the Marines and a criminal to many?

And of course, it comes to you in a sudden thought—one that pops into your head like a fish snagged on a hook.

Golden-Scaled Tilapia.

They're a species of fish highly raved about by anglers and cooks alike, with valuable scales that glimmer like gold and rich meat that are worth every berry of its high price. Traditionally, it’s cooked over flames with slices of pineapple stuffed into deep cuts along their bodies, with a sprig of rosemary and lavender in its mouth, said to signify protection out at sea. It’s a meal you’ve grown familiar with, enjoying it when some members of your crew who had departed to other islands and across the world, to even fellow fisherman across the island who have moved on. Without fail, they’d follow this longtime tradition of fishermen and sailors as a heartfelt farewell.

Pirates, you clarify in your head, but it’s almost the same. But it’d be perfect and proper, before you set out to the seas, across the East Blue and to the waters far beyond it.

You hurry to pull out your fishing journal and unfold your map across your desk, checking for where they should be during this season. They’re not the most common around these parts, but it’s not impossible to catch, especially when there should be some close by…

When you find your notes regarding said fish, you check the map, tracing the coordinates with your finger before you find it.

Organ Islands. Just a few miles eastward, and they should be plentiful due to their current migration season.