#OnePieceRarePairWeek2025

[nehswritesstuffs]

One Piece Rare Pair Week 2025 - Part 6 of 7

Someone said it was Rare Pair Week so you know that I, a mod in a Discord server dedicated to exactly that, was on it.

1065 words; I tried really hard to avoid reusing characters in a single edition of these prompts but sorry not sorry I got the brainrot and you all are getting Law twice (thrice if you’re also keeping up w/the Pride version of these; ch. 1055 was Date Night for these two you can’t change my mind; I missed LawBin Day on 6/6 so here is penance

Day One [FFN]/[AO3] - Day Two [FFN]/[AO3] - Day Three [FFN]/[AO3] - Day Four [FFN]/[AO3] - Part Five [FFN]/[AO3] - Part Six [FFN]/[AO3]

Day Six: Secrets | Confessions - LawRobin [1065 words; T+]

It was late as Law and Robin were down in the secret chamber underneath Wano, studying its Road Poneglyph. The pair were going over papers compiled of notes that they had made with Sukiyaki’s help—the elderly man had already come back twice with more paper and ink, as well as a snack for them all. He was now sleeping in the kokeshi doll room, having decided it was better to sleep while guarding the chamber’s entrance than to sleep when a sneak-attack would be too late to stop.

“This is honestly incredible,” Law said. He was standing as he looked at a few pages of translations in his hands, hat and coat draped on the hilt of his sword as it leaned against a mossy railing. A pair of reading glasses sat perched on his nose while he read in the low light. “…and you’ve just… known this…?”

“Not this specific information, but how to interpret it, yes,” Robin replied. She was knelt down at the corner of the Poneglyph, finishing off another rubbing as her Devil Fruit helped her hold the giant sheet together with a multitude of hands. “This is what got me my bounty as a child.”

“I believe it.” He compared the notes to a piece of paper that another one of her arms passed him. “The only reason we’re not dead because of this is because we’re in Wano.”

“We’re in Wano and the imperial family has taken a liking to us.”

“That too,” he admitted. Law sat on a stool that Sukiyaki had brought down, his right leg bouncing on the ball of his foot as he continued comparing the pieces. “How many other people know this?”

“Not many,” she admitted. “I can imagine there are little pockets of people here and there who learned from Ohara’s example and don’t advertise their knowledge, so aside from Sukiyaki, myself, and now you… it wouldn’t surprise me if there’s a few hundred people who know this in secret pockets all over the globe—a thousand at-most. Almost everyone I’ve encountered who lives near a Poneglyph are completely ignorant of their secrets.”

“…and let me guess: it’s ‘almost’ because of our current benefactors?”

“Perceptive.” Robin glanced over at Law and smirked at the intensity in which he was studying. It reminded her of a few times she caught him pouring over books with Chopper, both medical professionals glad there was finally someone else to commiserate with. “You pick things up quickly.”

“I have to, given field work is a tricky thing,” he admitted. “There’s not a lot of leeway for researching how to piece together bodies while also managing a gut wound, malnutrition, and intense fatigue… and that’s just one example.”

“Mmm; so you need to catch on quickly and be able to do a variety of things or else your patients will die.”

“Right. I’m not in a clinic somewhere, picking and choosing patients based on how well their issues mesh with my specialization. I’m just impressed you learned how to read this as a child.”

“You learned medical terminology as a child.”

“That’s different.” His face grew hot with blush—she had him there. “Jargon is one thing, being multilingual is another, but this is a dead language… a dead writing system… it’s impressive.”

“Then don’t sell yourself short,” she replied. Robin stood and brushed the dirt from her kimono, watching as her extra hands folded the rubbing paper and dissipated. “A challenge is a challenge.”

“This is a challenge to the world.”

“It’s a challenge to Marie Geoise.” Law looked up to see that Robin was now standing directly in front of him. She ran a hand through his hair, starting from the front and moving back, then down and back until she was cupping his jaw. “This is not idle information—are you willing to stand against them with me?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“My crew burned their flag for me and it was treated as more than just a piece of charred cloth. Meanwhile, they don’t know what goes on within Wano. You can still back out and deny any plausible connection to this… you can still say it was only me.”

“Now why would I do that?” he posed. “They know I’ve spent this kind of time with you and I’d get a boost to my bounty from their jealously alone.”

“Good to hear you say that.” She sat down on his lap, causing his leg to stop bouncing as it held her weight. He went to take off his glasses and she stopped him, threading their fingers together as her other arm rested along his shoulders. “You look good like this.”

“N-No I don’t,” he stuttered. He rested the hand still holding papers against her back as he worked his other hand free, shakily taking off the eyeglasses before looking her directly in the eyes. “I’m nothing compared to you.”

“Sure you are.” Robin leaned down and pressed her lips against Law’s, lingering as she broke the kiss. “Do you need to be taught that as well?”

“You already said I’m a good student.” His voice cracked slightly as he tried to quickly think ahead to how he thought this night might go, the front of his jeans feeling tighter with each possibility. The corner of his mouth twisted up in a smirk, daring her as he decided it was worth the risk to shoot his shot. “I’m ready for the final exam.”

“I don’t know about that,” she hummed before kissing him again. “I think you need some more practice… remedial by the looks of it.”

“Good thing I’ve never gotten a low mark in my life.” Law passed the papers and eyeglasses to extra pairs of Robin’s hands, which freed up his own to reach up and cradle her face before pulling her into another kiss, this one warming them both from the inside out. He felt her fingers grip his shoulder, thread through his hair, hold him from falling off the stool, feel his arms and legs and chest. She moved to straddle his lap and he moaned; damn it felt good, making out while he was hard and she was warm and it made their heads spin.

For all they cared, their benefactor could keep sleeping in the kokeshi doll room—they had better things to do for the time being.

[nehswritesstuffs]

One Piece Rare Pair Week 2025 - Pride Edition - Part 7 of 7

Someone said it was Rare Pair Week so you know that I, a mod in a Discord server dedicated to exactly that, was on it.

916 words; I don’t often write teens in relationships now that my teen years are well behind me, but when I saw this one listed in the announcement post it intrigued me bc it has the potential to be very adorable; I have been so far behind I literally wrote this all today T_T

Part One [FFN]/[AO3] - Part Two [FFN]/[AO3] - Part Three [FFN]/[AO3] - Part Four [FFN]/[AO3] - Part Five [FFN]/[AO3] - Part Six [FFN]/[AO3] - Part Seven [FFN]/[AO3]

Day Seven: Freedom | Free Day - RebeccaShirahoshi [916 words; G]

“Meet me in the West Courtyard while the meeting’s going on! We’ll be able to hang out more there!”

That was what the large mermaid had said two hours prior, after their meeting with Miss Vivi and Mister Koby had gone sour thanks to a Celestial Dragon being a sorry excuse for a person. Thanks to that, she had borrowed some clothes from her aunt, swapping out her dress for a frilly, billowy blouse and tight trousers so that she could more easily hold the borrowed sword at her waist. She was worried that it killed their meeting, that the Ryugyu princes would not let their sister out of their sight for more than a second, and that the Reverie would end without them seeing one another again. After a chance to make a real friend… was it ruined…?

Then, poking her head out from around the corner, was Shirahoshi. Wait… was she hiding in a shark?! The teen watched as her friend’s pet wobbled its way over to her side, vomiting the larger princess out with a shudder.

“Thank you, Megalo!” Shirahoshi grinned. The shark whimpered and laid down in the grass as Rebecca ran up to them. “Sorry I’m late, Rebecca! I had a hard time getting around my brothers.”

“Oh, the poor thing,” Rebecca frowned as she pet Megalo. “Couldn’t your brothers come with you?”

“I tried, but they didn’t want to; brothers are mean like that sometimes.”

“Are they?” Rebecca tilted her head curiously. “I don’t have a brother, or a sister.”

“That’s okay—they’re over-protective and don’t let me do anything. Now that I can leave my room they still follow me around everywhere!” Tears formed in her eyes—was this for real…?

“Now that you’re out of your room…?”

“Yeah… some creepy guy was trying to get to me, but he’s just not my type, so they didn’t have to worry, but they did.”

Not… her… type…? Rebecca wondered if she really thought that would have solved the problem. There was movement over by the courtyard entrance and she palmed the hilt of her sword, tensing. Shirahoshi noticed and went quiet, waiting for whatever it was to pass.

“Sorry—it’s a habit,” Rebecca explained. “I used to fight in a gladiator arena and I was ready in case it was that moron coming back.”

“Oh no, it’s okay! I think my father and brothers will be glad I was with someone who was armed anyhow.” Shirahoshi petted Megalo, the shark still whimpering in pain. “Are those more comfortable clothes, then?”

“When I have a sword, yeah,” Rebecca replied, “but I’d prefer the dress I was wearing before. It’s prettier.”

“I think you look pretty like that,” Shirahoshi said. Two seconds after it was said, she covered her mouth with her hands, her face going bright red. “Oh! I’m sorry!”

“What do you have to be sorry about?” Rebecca wondered. She would admit to herself later on, when they were on the ship back to Dressrosa, that her face had felt hot then, but not now. It was too embarrassing to admit now.

“I dunno…” It looked like Shirahoshi was going to cry again. “I… uh… don’t really interact with other people… let alone other girls…”

“It’s okay! I didn’t really get along with a lot of other girls either. It was a lot of old men in the arena.”

“Yeah… almost all the people I talked to for a long time was just guys. They were nice, but it was still lonely.”

“I know what you mean.” Rebecca frowned as she remembered how nice some of the other gladiators were, yet at the same time they kept her at arm’s length because… well… a lot of reasons. It made her sad to think about it, but at the same time, giving them hope was part of what had kept her going. “I’m just glad that we can be normal for a change.”

“…that we can be free, like Luffy,” Shirahoshi agreed. That got Rebecca to catch herself smiling.

“Yeah… free like Luffy.” She then saw a small group of young men who were approaching them, causing her to rest her hand on the sword pommel and glare at them. They retreated and she giggled to herself. “I have to admit: this is fun.”

“Oh!” Shirahoshi gasped. “Would you like to go see the gardens with me?! I love looking at all the trees you can find on the surface! There’s so many here!”

“Sure,” Rebecca agreed. “It’s just some trees…”

“…but we don’t have things like that on Fishman Island!” Shirahoshi exclaimed as they began to wander towards the gardens. “There’s no trees—not unless it’s the Eve Tree—and our forests are large beds of kelp!”

“Kelp…?” Rebecca tried not to laugh. “I didn’t think there was enough kelp to grow like that.”

“I can show you if you make a visit to Fishman Island someday! It’s a lot of fun, but not as fun as it is on the surface!”

“If you say so.” It was funny watching the mermaid react to everything around her, but Rebecca guessed it made sense. There were also probably no birds on the ocean floor, and the animals were more than likely a lot different. They finally got to the gardens and Shirahoshi marveled over a tree that was smaller than her, not even registering the looks she was getting from passersby.

If this was freedom, then they both would take it.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

A/N: Now that I have explored this ship, they are definitely femme4slightly-less-femme to me and I don’t mind.

If you've stuck with me this far, thanks for reading! You can find more fics at @oprarepairweek, as well as at their AO3 collection! Unrelated to this event, feel free to also check out the AO3 collection for the OP Rare Pear Discord Server!

[nehswritesstuffs]

One Piece Rare Pair Week 2025 - Pride Edition - Part 4 of 7

Someone said it was Rare Pair Week so you know that I, a mod in a Discord server dedicated to exactly that, was on it.

1091 words; takes place while on the way from Punk Hazard to Dressrosa; might do something more with this concept later; rated T for innuendo and language

Part One [FFN]/[AO3] - Part Two [FFN]/[AO3] - Part Three [FFN]/[AO3] - Part Four [FFN]/[AO3]

Day Four: AU | Roleswap - LawSanji [1091 words; T]

The blond’s incredulous laugh almost echoed throughout the otherwise-silent galley, everyone but him and one of their guests awkwardly silent. Well, their captain was still eating, but aside from him it was so quiet that one of Brook’s farts could sound like a trumpet.

“You think you can do a better job than me at cooking?!” Sanji cackled. “Now that I’d like to see!”

“It’s not my fault you’ve got the ratios all wrong,” Law grumbled, trying to play it cool. “You’ve got the palate of a smoker—something has to be off.”

“You are saying you’re better at my job! Ungrateful freeloader…!”

“Not ungrateful; I simply know better.”

“Then if you think you can do so well, be my guest.” Sanji gestured towards the kitchen and Law raised his eyebrows—interesting.

“Uh… Sanji-kun, are you really going to let Traffy cook?” Nami grimaced.

“It’s a stain on his pride as a man,” Franky explained. He shoved more food into his mouth in an effort to keep it from Luffy. “If he doesn’t call Traffy’s bluff, then everything will be super-tense!”

“If Traffy’s allowed to cook, then can I cook too?” Luffy wondered. Nami and Usopp both hit the back of his head from either side; no.

“Fine—you want it to be like that? I’ll bite.” Law stood and made sure his sword was resting firmly against the table and his hat sitting on his chair before heading towards the sink to wash his hands.

“No Devil Fruit,” Sanji stipulated. “Make it with your own skills.”

“Mmhmm—you just want to watch me work with my hands,” Law quipped as he scrubbed under his fingernails. Zoro and Kin’emon both choked on their drinks. “I’ll even do it without ashing in the batter.”

“Ha, ha; I’m watching you.” Sanji then leaned against the wall and folded his arms across his chest, indeed watching the other man as he began to move around in his kitchen.

“Oooh, does this mean more of these delightful things?!” Momonosuke gasped, mouth full of pancake. “It is like what makes dorayaki, but different!”

“This is going to be even more different,” Law claimed. He got out Sanji’s takoyaki pan and set it atop the stove with enough force to make the cook twitch. “This one is going to actually be good.”

“Watch my shit or you’re replacing it, Traffy,” Sanji warned.

“Are we having breakfast takoyaki?!” Luffy gasped in delight. He went to stand, only for Nami to tug on his ear to bring him back down to his seat.

“I’m making real pancakes; now sit down,” Law scowled. The non-Luffy people at the table all exchanged nervous glances, knowing that there was a chance this would not end well.

Flour, eggs, milk, yeast in one bowl, and soon Law was not only using the takoyaki pan to make miniature pancakes that were puffy and light, but he was also making larger thin ones without yeast in a regular pan, flipping them with the aid of a lid that seemed to appear from nowhere. He would slide the pancake done-side down onto the lid, then flipped pan and lid together to get the other side of the pancake going. Eventually, he had a large pile of both kinds of pancakes, bringing them both to the table once the small ones were dusted in powdered sugar and the large ones were sliced into quarters.

“These,” he said, “are pancakes.” The people at the table all took some, surprised at how good they were.

“Oh wow, this is good,” Usopp marveled as he ate one of the slices. “Raisins…?”

“Some are plain, some have raisins, some have apples,” Law replied. Sanji glared at him and he could feel it boring into his back. “Okay, so I cheated a little as a surprise, but the cooking part is genuine.”

“Can Traffy help make breakfast while we’re on the way to Dressrosa?!” Luffy asked. “Sanji, he can help you, right?!”

“Yes, please!” Momonosuke chimed in, mouth stuffed with one of the tiny pancakes. “These are most delicious!”

“Give me some of those,” Sanji grunted. He grabbed a plate and took some from both stacks of Law’s creations. Law leaned against the counter with his arms crossed as Sanji popped one of the miniature ones that came from the takoyaki pan into his mouth, the entire thing going at once.

Oh… there was something about the fluffy dough that made him stop mid-chew and consider what he was eating. Sanji thought about the cooks he grew up around—not Patty and Carne, but the ones from even earlier, who let him sneak into the kitchens and even taught him some basics—and the things they brought from their homes. The recipes… the techniques… the traditions; he quietly ate one of the slices of the larger pancake and knew it was the same kind that used to sit in a stack on one of the counters, waiting for a hungry, busy staff member to walk by and grab a couple slices to hurriedly stuff into their mouth on the go.

There was no way it wasn’t the same. How in the hell was it the same?!

“…and…?” Sanji looked up and saw that Law was staring at him, mouth twitched up in the barest of smugness. Everyone else was looking at him too, but it was only the Warlord who was silently daring him.

“They’re… pretty good,” he lied. They were excellent. “Family recipe?”

“Close as I can manage, anyhow.” Law shrugged and Sanji wanted to smack the surgeon across the mouth. “Surprised you didn’t know.”

Law looked anything but surprised.

“Are you implying something, Trafalgar?”

“If you want.”

“Alright, I’m out,” Zoro said as he abruptly stood. His leaving the galley prompted others to flee with him, taking their food along. Soon, it was only Sanji and Law in the galley, the latter still satisfied from the reaction he was getting out of the former.

“I haven’t tasted pancakes like this in a long time,” Sanji admitted.

“I haven’t heard someone pronounce my name like that in a long time,” Law replied. “Think you could do it again?”

“Help with cleanup and then we’ll talk.”

“Fair.” Law opened a Room and all the dishes began to collect near the sink, making Sanji scoff.

“Good food, now this? You trying to seduce me?”

“Roronoa seems to think so.”

“I didn’t ask about him.”

Law simply shrugged and rolled up his sleeves; he was going to have to figure that out for himself.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

A/N: Listen, I am the asshole who would use a takoyaki pan to make poffertjes and a poffertje pan to make takoyaki. I also need to figure out pannenkoeken like I grew up with because crepes are good but they’re just not the same, you know?

[nehswritesstuffs]

One Piece Rare Pair Week 2025 - Part 2 of 7

Someone said it was Rare Pair Week so you know that I, a mod in a Discord server dedicated to exactly that, was on it.

1148 words; this is the high-quality-low-numbers-content craft artisan ship I am currently molding into shape like a crazed custom furniture maker with an Age of Sail obsession so sorry not sorry you’re all gonna have to deal with it; has some DofViola and DofLaw as well, both of which are bad-touch and one-sided on the Dof end; technically an AU (where Law tackled Dressrosa on his own) but I can run w/the concept of an AU in a lot of things so no worries; might I develop this more later? Dunno, but this is out now; DARK AS HELL, GROSS AS HELL, DO NOT ENGAGE IF YOU GET SQUICKED OUT EASILY, THIS HAS BEEN YOUR WARNING, NOTHING FLUFFY OR CUTE IS IN HERE

Day One [FFN]/[AO3] - Day Two [FFN]/[AO3]

Day Two: Scars | Sacrifice - LawViola [1148 words; M; DARK]

Acrid notes of flesh and bone still burned at the back of Viola’s nose as she silently moved through the corridors of the castle, headed towards what was once her father’s room. Some victory party—ten years of her life was gone for nothing. Her entire family was now dead, Dressrosa was in a smoldering ruin, they were surrounded by friend and foe alike in a tight blockade, and all while the bastard who made it happen lived and breathed.

At least… at least her part was still secret, her position undiscovered. She could bank on a single shot after this, one last chance to quell her rage, and it was now. Rounding the corner, she saw that Baby 5 was the one standing watch—perfect.

“There you are,” Viola smiled, putting on her mask. “I’ve been looking for you.” The younger woman perked up.

“What is it?”

“I need you to take this message to the Happou Navy.” She held out a letter. “Make sure that you watch the commander read it.”

“…but what about…?”

“I’ll take care of the duties here—we need a young woman with a certain sort of charm to approach them. Now go, quickly, or they’ll likely send another volley before this letter can broker the peace.”

“Yes! Right away!” Baby 5 took the letter and bolted, running down the corridor so she could complete her new mission. Instead of sitting in the chair, Viola went inside the bedroom, closing the door behind her with a soft click.

Ah, the inner sanctum. It was lavishly decorated, with large chaise lounges big enough to comfortably fit the Warlord and his Executives, draped in luxurious fabrics and glittering in the low lamplight. Doflamingo sat on one of said couches, barely conscious as he clutched a bottle of...something or other. It was not the only thing he’d had based on the detritus scattered about, either.

“Violet, babe, I was hoping you’d come to me,” he said, voice thick from drink. She had only seen him like this a few times—he was truly plastered. “Who’s at the door?”

“Baby 5; she will take good care of the watch while we… have fun.”

“Where is Law? Where is my Heart?”

Chains clinked softly and Viola knew it was simply the man in-question responding. She glanced to the side and confirmed her suspicion—there he was, chained to the headboard of the four-poster bed, just barely visible around a drawn curtain.

“Be a good boy and finish your drink while I prepare him for you,” she said sweetly. He did, laying lengthwise on the couch as she went to the far side of the room and the occupant of the bed. Trafalgar Law’s appearance in Dressrosa was the reason Doflamingo claimed for squelching her family’s final claimants to the throne and throwing the nation into a final thrust of chaos. The Birdcage now poised around the island was their finest defense, only crossable by those deemed closest to the Mad King; Trafalgar had lost, and Doflamingo had been reaping the benefits. Viola sat down on the edge of the mattress at looked at him—his pale skin was slick with sweat and he had been reduced to just a strip of cloth that had been tied around his waist. “Ready?”

Trafalgar whispered something, his voice barely audible. She leaned in and listened to him repeat, “Where’s Baby 5?”

“I gave her a letter to deliver to Chinjao—if it works, they’ll take her in.”

“The others…?”

“Passed out or in-town.” She pressed their lips together and shuddered at how cold he already was. “How long do you have?”

“Best guess? Less than a day. If I don’t get either a medic or my ability back soon…” He wheezed as his breath pained him. “Let’s go down swinging.”

“Let’s.”

At that, Viola helped Trafalgar sit up, careful not to jostle his infected arm. A wave of nausea swept over her as her hand brushed against the seastone stud pierced into his back—the person they got to sew his arm back on and embed the security measure probably only glanced at good hygiene practices at-best, as it was all weeping horridly with sickness. Doflamingo was facing the opposite wall, giving Trafalgar room to leave a clandestine kiss on the back of Viola’s jaw before they both stood, her supporting him as they went over to the King.

“Mmm… there you are,” Doflamingo purred once he saw Trafalgar. He grabbed the younger man and pulled him onto his lap. “Kiss him for me.”

Obeying, Viola did so, turning Trafalgar’s head so that she could slip her tongue past his lips, silently promising something more if they survived the night. Their eyes met as they parted, lingering longingly.

“Doffy,” she said, losing herself in Trafalgar’s golden eyes, “how about if we start with a little bit of choking to get you in the mood?”

“You know always just what gets me up,” he mumbled. He went to hold one of her hands, only for her to put his back on Trafalgar’s thigh.

“Don’t you want his long fingers on your windpipe?” she asked. Doflamingo nodded, too drunk to piece it together, and tilted his head back.

“Give it to me,” he ordered. Trafalgar swallowed hard and leaned forward, putting his hands on Doflamingo’s neck. He massaged his larynx, alternating between pressure and simple touch; the moans he was pulling out of the older man hid the sound of Viola unsheathing the knife from her leg holster, keeping it out of sight until the last moment.

Then, Viola struck, dragging the blade across Doflamingo’s throat, slicing his carotid arteries and jugular veins as she bisected his voicebox. Trafalgar held their abuser’s chin in place, summoning up the last remaining strength he had to struggle as Doflamingo attempted to undo the assassination, only to find that his strings were not connecting flesh and sinew like it should—a seastone alloy!

Donquixote Doflamingo drowned in an ocean of his own blood.

Viola watched as the life left her abuser’s face and everything felt heavy. She won—he was dead—and all it took was ten years and her family’s lives… movement caught the corner of her vision and she looked to see Trafalgar had passed out and slumped over, falling onto the floor. Taking a handkerchief from her pocket, she turned him over and took the seastone stud out of his back, careful to touch neither the piercing nor the infection around it. He shuddered back to consciousness soon as it no longer was in contact with his skin, coughing up blood that splattered on her dress and the Alabastian rug.

“We did it,” she murmured, cradling him in her arms. He reached up and touched her face, pulling her into a weak kiss before whispering against her lips:

“Long live the Queen.”

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

A/N: Judith Slaying Holofernes by Artemisia Gentileschi (the one from the Galleria degli Uffizi) is one of my favorite paintings, especially when coupled with the version of her Judith and Her Maidservant pieces that hangs in the Detroit Institute of Arts. Excellent pieces, would recommend.

[nehswritesstuffs]

One Piece Rare Pair Week 2025 - Pride Edition - Part 3 of 7

Someone said it was Rare Pair Week so you know that I, a mod in a Discord server dedicated to exactly that, was on it.

993 words; these two are cute together you can’t convince me otherwise; contains some description of Kiku’s arm wound but it’s not too graphic

Part One [FFN]/[AO3] - Part Two [FFN]/[AO3] - Part Three [FFN]/[AO3]

Day Three: Hurt | Comfort - ZoroKiku [993 words; T]

The joyous chaos of the festival was muffled and distant, reminding the pair that they would soon be missed. It did not matter, however, as there were more important things on their mind… such as a damp, smelly bandage that had accidentally gotten wet after a run-in with a bucket of water while taking in the varied stalls on their way to eat.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to get Chopper?” Zoro asked as he unwrapped the damp bandage. Kiku simply looked away and shook her head.

“This one does not want to bother your physician, as he has already done much for the Akazaya and Wano,” she replied. A soft whimper escaped her as he peeled the bloodied bandage from what remained of her arm—it clearly hurt. “It would impose so.”

“Nah… he wouldn’t mind. It’s Chopper.” Zoro tried not to frown as he worked at cleaning off the scab that cracked with the bandage’s removal. “Looks like you’ve been avoiding him.”

“A samurai knows when to see a physician.”

“As someone who keeps trying to shove off his treatment: that’s a bad idea.” He lifted her arm stump so he could see it better and shrugged. “I won’t tattle, but you should still see him before we go or else he’ll be mad at you.”

“If he does not know, how would he be cross?”

“Beats me; all I know is that he knows.”

Zoro then began to disinfect the wound with the borrowed kit, working silently as he did. Kiku blushed as she felt his fingers against her skin, holding her arm gentler than she would have thought possible. She had seen him in battle and knew what he was capable of; to imagine a man with a reputation amongst the foreigners as a demon on the battlefield with a touch so gentle, and that she was truly fortunate to see the gentler side.

“Are these also the hands of a physician?” she wondered. He looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

“Huh? No—that’s Chopper. Nami and Sanji patched me up before that.”

“…and before them?”

“I did—wasn’t very good at it.” He found an antiseptic and began to put it on the scab. “My buddies I ran with at the time were worse. You’d like them, I think.”

“How so?”

“They were pretty dumb—dumber than me.” Kiku giggled and Zoro scowled. “I mean it—the guys I hung out with before Luffy would have died without me a couple times.”

“Where might they be?”

“Oh, uh…” Zoro had to think about it. “The East Blue, pretty sure. At Nami’s hometown last I heard. They liked it there.”

“The East Blue sounds like a fascinating place.”

“It really wasn’t,” Zoro replied. He then began wrapping the bandages around the end of her arm. “It wasn’t bad… just… kinda meh.”

“It would be interesting paying homage to the resting place of the great blacksmith, Shimotsuki Kozaburo, and the dojo where he made his home. The fact you were raised there is incredible.”

“Even that’s nothing much; didn’t think the old man was anything special until I came here.”

“This one grew up with elders speaking of his craftsmanship—he had no peer while he breathed.”

“I guess, although it’s crazy to think about.” He tied off the bandage and patted it. “Okay, done.”

“Thank you,” Kiku replied softly. She then blushed even harder at the realization that in order for Zoro to have taken care of her, she had to slide her arm out of her kimono, leaving much of herself bare to him. Panicking, she turned before setting herself to rights.

“What’s wrong with you?” Zoro wondered, scratching his head. “Nothin’ I haven’t seen before.”

Oh… that cut her, deep. Nothing he hadn’t seen before…? She did not register the fact she had sighed dejectedly until he was placing his hand on her shoulder.

“One of my swords used to be owned by the most killed student the dojo has ever seen,” he said. She watched as his other hand went towards the swords they had laid on the tatami before changing the bandage, resting on the white-hilted masterpiece. “She was my biggest rival and best friend. We’d do secret training together, thinking we were slick, only for her to get chewed out by her old man because we were both practicing shirtless.”

“Maybe… she had the heart of a man…?”

“Nah,” Zoro chuckled. “She just hated being limited by her family’s views on what a girl could do… what a girl could be; sometimes I even half-believed them.”

“That does not sound like the spirit of Wano.” Kiku thought for a moment. “Mayhaps that is why he and his cohorts risked leaving?”

“I don’t know. Could just be that Oden guy was just who you needed.”

“Possibly.” She watched as he grabbed the bottle of sake he’d been drinking from before everything and took a swig. “This one does not think we have had this long of a conversation since meeting.”

“I know what else we could do if you don’t want to talk,” he replied. The grin that crept across his face made her blush furiously.

“No! This one couldn’t!” She covered her mouth with her hand and looked away in embarrassment, causing him to laugh.

“Relax—I won’t do anything that’ll make Kin’emon want to defend your honor,” he said. “Not unless you want to.”

“We should get back to the festival,” Kiku mumbled. She stood and bowed, not admitting that yes, she wanted that very much, but also knew her place as a samurai of Wano. “Thank you for cleaning my wound, as this one is not used to doing things with one hand yet.”

“It’s fine,” Zoro replied, getting up from his seat. “This thing’s running low anyhow; want to get some more?” He gave the sake container a shake; nearly empty.

That was good. They could do that.

[nehswritesstuffs]

One Piece Rare Pair Week 2025 - Pride Edition - Part 1 of 7

Someone said it was Rare Pair Week so you know that I, a mod in a Discord server dedicated to exactly that, was on it.

832 words; I love Yamato bc he is such a himbo it’s delightful; this is one of the cutest and fluffiest pieces I’ve done in a bit; if anyone is here to argue about Yamabro’s pronouns they will get jettisoned into space okay thanks

[FFN]/[AO3]

Day One: Stargazing | Rain - YamatoHiyori [832 words; G]

It was after twilight as Yamato found himself spreading a blanket out on the grass, Hiyori holding a picnic basket and lantern next to him. He wondered why they were there as they slipped out of their geta and sat down.

“Isn’t it a bit late for a picnic?” he asked. Hiyori put the lantern down on the blanket and gave him a soft smile.

“Not entirely,” she replied, a light chuckle on her lips that put him at-ease. “There are wonders to be had at night as well as the daytime.”

“People from the Flower Capitol sure like to do things different,” he shrugged. Yamato leaned back, looking up at the stars. “I don’t think I’ve had a picnic this late before.”

“Not even to see fireworks?”

“Ha—you know who my dad is—fireworks weren’t exactly when I was having fun.”

“I see.” Hiyori began to occupy herself with the contents of the basket, pulling out a pair of cups and the thermal flask gifted by one of their foreign allies before their departure. Once the tea was poured, she laid out the bentos before taking one for herself and beginning to eat it. “Well, then let me warn you: while you are Wano’s guardian deity, my brother and I shall expect you conduct yourself accordingly. You are truly of Wano now, and her people enjoy dates under the stars.”

“D-date?!” Yamato panicked, sitting straight up. “I… uh…!”

“What did you think this was?” she asked, a sly smile tugging at her lips.

“I dunno; I’ve never done this before.” He opened his bento and saw the carefully-filled compartments filled with tasty things that made his mouth water. “I didn’t know you could cook.”

“I learned during my time in hiding; the ability to make one’s own food is invaluable when it comes to both blending in and avoiding poisons.”

“Oh… never thought about it like that; thanks for the meal.” Yamato ate some of the food and it sent a shiver up his spine—it was so yummy! “I don’t know if I ever stole stuff this good when I lived on Onigashima!”

“I know the feeling.”

Feeling even more out-of-place than before, Yamato picked at his tempura. He was really awkward, wasn’t he? Kaido had tried to set him up with people since he was eighteen, but between him trying to run away and how boring or weird they were, nothing stuck. He would have never considered them dates, and yet now… he was on a date! Oh, he was on a date and they were having homemade bento under the stars… he was stupid for not piecing it together beforehand! Stupid, stupid, stupid…! He went to reach for his tea, only for Hiyori to place her hand on his so that they both held the cup. She took advantage of the fact it froze him and leaned forward, pressing a light, chaste kiss to his cheek.

“Oh! Uh… you are bold, Hiyori-san.” He took his tea and drank some, leaning back out of her reach. “Isn’t this awkward?”

“Now why would it be awkward?”

“I dunno… maybe that I’m Kozuki Oden…? You know… your father…?”

“You might have inherited my father’s will, but you are not him, and that is a good thing.”

“…but, I want to become like Oden some day!”

“I’m sure you will, but do remember that Oden was made to boil; like any good dish, it needs to be prepped as well.”

“Huh…?” Yamato blinked. “What do you mean…?”

“Oden is comprised of many things to make the dish,” Hiyori explained. She smirked as he gaped at her, unsure where the metaphor was going. “That was my father’s secret: he wasn’t Oden because of anything he did, but was only truly Oden when he filled his life with kind and loyal friends, like a chef making oden out of the finest master stock and ingredients.”

“I already have amazing friends—how could I possibly improve on that?”

“Let’s just call it a woman’s intuition.” She kissed him again, this time pressing their lips together. Yamato’s face flushed deep in blush—oh, it made his stomach flutter—and he tried to act cool, only to fail miserably and freeze up again as he mentally processed it. “Great things are in your future; I can feel it.”

“Y-Yeah…?”

“Of course.” Hiyori turned her face up towards the sky, taking in the stars above them. “Only someone great can inherit my father’s will, and my brother is not yet ready for it. That leaves only you, Yamato, and you have done an excellent job thus far.”

“I, uh, guess so…” Yamato looked up to see what Hiyori did and saw the heavens stretched out above them, stars scattered amongst the cosmic dust that stretched from one horizon to the next. “Maybe this was a good idea.”

“No maybe about it,” she smirked. Hiyori opened her bento and began to eat; it was a picnic, after all.

[nehswritesstuffs]

One Piece Rare Pair Week 2025 - Part 7 of 7

Someone said it was Rare Pair Week so you know that I, a mod in a Discord server dedicated to exactly that, was on it.

865 words; I was gonna do Mhiawk/Perona for this one, but I couldn’t come up with anything that wasn’t, you know, insanely explicit, and then I was reminded of this ship that I’ve also been feeling feelings about for over two decades like ViviKhoza; I love Skypiea and I can’t wait until it’s relevant again which is going to be SOON oh man I can taste it

Part One [FFN]/[AO3] - Part Two [FFN]/[AO3] - Part Three [FFN]/[AO3] - Part Four [FFN]/[AO3] - Part Five [FFN]/[AO3] - Part Six [FFN]/[AO3] - Part Seven [FFN]/[AO3]

Part Seven: Freedom | Free Day - WyperConis [865 words; G]

It was normal for young women from the tribe to be at the training grounds when the God’s Guards were breaking for lunch. It was sort of a holdover from when they would meet them on after war games, when they would bring boxed lunches they made in order to help a brother or friend or to initiate courting. Laki had been visiting Kamakiri in this manner for a few weeks now, with Wyper content to be left alone to find his own food…

…that was, until a boxed lunch was shoved in his face anyhow.

He glanced up at the person offering the lunch and kept his face steady. It was the Angel Island woman—Conis, if he remembered correctly—who seemed to be giving him a curious look. She held the lunch for him to take, which he did not.

“Aren’t you hungry?” she wondered.

“I can get my own food,” he replied. He glanced over at Kamakiri for a moment, to instead get a glare from Laki. “How do you know I don’t have something coming?”

“Aisa told me,” she said. Oh, the little brat… “You lead the God’s Guard—that’s a lot of work. You need to eat.”

“I’m fine.”

“Take it,” Laki warned. “It’s my box—you can drop it off with me on your way home.”

Without a word, Wyper took the lunch and opened it. Inside was mashed pumpkin, some root vegetables that the Angel Islanders grew, and some fritters he knew was filled with poultry and spices. He stared at it for a moment before looking up at her, recognizing the hesitation on her face.

“Thanks,” he grunted. She squeaked in reply and joined Laki as the other women began to head back to town, Conis’s blonde hair bright amongst them. “…the fuck was that about…?”

“I dunno,” Kamakiri shrugged. “At least it’s food.”

“I guess.” Wyper took a bite of a fritter and nodded—not bad at all.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

“Don’t you have other things to do?” Wyper huffed. It was the following day and Conis was back with another boxed lunch—this time it was wild rice and more poultry and some cornbread. The suspicious woman was sitting next to him with her own—identical—lunch.

“Am I not allowed to have lunch with you?” she wondered. He tried to seem aloof about it, though it came off as more embarrassed than anything.

“You’re an Angel Islander.”

“…and…?”

“You’re the only one.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“It’s just odd, is all.” He stuffed some food in his mouth to prevent her from asking him another question, hoping it would be enough.

“I thought it was odd that no one brought you anything,” she mentioned. She paused, stabbing some poultry with her fork. “I asked Laki, and she let me come along; she said you don’t tend to eat a lot.”

Damn it… “I would think the other Angel Islanders would talk.”

“…about…?”

“This.”

“…oh.” She ate. “We live with you now instead of against you. It makes sense to join in.”

“Does it?”

“Some of your people now live in cloud houses. It makes sense to join the lunch party.”

“No…? It really doesn’t.”

They kept eating in silence.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

It was now an entire week since she last brought him lunch. Things had been very much the same for about a month, with her bringing him and unwanted lunch and him eating it because, well, what else was he going to do, but then all of a sudden she stopped. She didn’t even send a lunch with Laki, which would have made sense, but still… something was wrong, and it wasn’t the squelching of his hungry stomach.

“I wonder what’s keeping her,” Braham mumbled as he heard Wyper’s stomach growl. “Did you upset her?”

“She kept assaulting me with food she couldn’t’ve made,” Wyper snapped. “It was weird.”

“I don’t know…” Kamakiri shrugged. “Lads, I think someone’s in denial.”

“Even if he is, his stomach knows how good he had it!”

“Cut it out,” Wyper scowled. He caught some movement out the corner of his eye—it was the young women of the tribe, without Conis’s blonde hair amongst them. “Guess it’s lunch time.”

With that, his friends all went towards the ones bringing them their lunch, the group happy to see their friends and relatives as well as their food. He turned to go back into the training yard and almost bumped directly into Conis, who was holding two lunches.

“Sorry I haven’t been around,” she said. “My dad wasn’t feeling good and I had to mind the house for him.” She held out one of the lunches, a smile on her face. “Truce?”

Wyper took the meal and allowed himself the barest of smiles; at least it wasn’t anything he said. “More food Laki helped you cook?”

“I made it,” she claimed. He opened the lunch and saw corn tortillas, pumpkin spread, spiced meat, and some chopped up veg waiting for him. “How’s it look?”

“Uh… good. Thank you.”

“I’m glad; now let’s eat!”

…and if Wyper was being honest with himself—which, hey, he might have been—it wasn’t half bad.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

A/N: If you've stuck with me this far, thanks for reading! You can find more fics at @oprarepairweek, as well as at their AO3 collection! Unrelated to this event, feel free to also check out the AO3 collection for the OP Rare Pear Discord Server!

[nehswritesstuffs]

One Piece Rare Pair Week 2025 - Part 4 of 7

Someone said it was Rare Pair Week so you know that I, a mod in a Discord server dedicated to exactly that, was on it.

1035 words; these two are the same age do not take this from me; I operate under the delusion that Robin and Luffy are paternal half-siblings until Oda says otherwise no I will never get out of this chair; takes place both in ch. 1066 and the timeskip; I very much did not proofread this one so apologies if anything’s especially bad

Day One [FFN]/[AO3] - Day Two [FFN]/[AO3] - Day Three [FFN]/[AO3] - Day Four [FFN]/[AO3]

Day Four: AU | Roleswap - DragonOlvia [1035 words; T]

Dragon stood next to Vegapunk, watching as the New Giant Pirates took care of the books from the library. He scowled as the other man’s brain went miles a minute; there was much more than an acquaintanceship with Clover that had brought him here, and he was not going to let the scientist know. Then again, would he even understand such a bond between people? That scientific mind probably couldn’t care less…

Suddenly, Dragon caught movement out the corner of his eye. There wasn’t supposed to be anything alive on Ohara except them and the giants—he palmed his gun and shifted, readying to fire. If the only thing protecting the smartest brain in the world, even if it was an opportunistic one, was him then at least he would go down swinging.

Whatever it was in the rubble moved and Dragon did as well, drawing his gun and getting between Vegapunk and the stranger. He almost fired, the only thing that kept him from doing so being a sobering realization wash over him that… oh seas… he recognized her…

“Olvia…?”

She collapsed in the dirt, which brought both men to rush to her side. She had extensive burns and her clothes were ragged—somehow, she had clung to life against the odds.

“I’ll get the medkit from my ship,” Vegapunk said before running off. Dragon put his cape on the ground and laid Olvia atop it, bunching up one end to keep her head elevated. She tried to say something and he stopped her.

“Shh… it’ll be okay,” he promised. “I’ll get you out of here and we can go somewhere safe.”

“…but Robin…” she whispered. “Where’s Robin…? Did Saul get her out…?”

“Robin…?” Dragon’s heart skipped a beat. “Robin was here?!”

“We need to find her—she’s a scholar now. She’s in danger.”

“Clover, you bastard,” he cursed. “He promised she wouldn’t…!”

“She’s our daughter; do you think she’d lack curiosity?” Olvia saw Vegapunk returning with the medkit as she began to float out of consciousness. “Find her… please…”

“You’ll make it,” Dragon replied, his voice cracking. “You have to make it…!”

“Who is she?” Vegapunk wondered as he came within earshot. He knelt down in the dirt on the other side of Olvia and opened the medkit, bringing out some funny-looking things Dragon knew was the direct result of the scientist’s recent research. “Is she one of the scholars?”

Dragon hesitated for a moment before saying, “She’s one of Clover’s proteges—if she dies, then the legacy he built is gone.”

“Then let’s get her out of danger before moving her back to the ship. He injected her with something that made her groan. “How do you know her?”

What a loaded question; Dragon trusted Vegapunk little and his employers less with such information. He couldn’t tell him that she was the father of his child—that news of her supposed death had nearly broken him—that he was going to ramp up his activities thanks to the Olvia-shaped hole there had been in his heart when he landed that morning. It was now just Ohara that was going to fuel him… Ohara and the pain he felt thinking she was not there.

“Worked with her as a favor to Old Man Clover.” It wasn’t entirely a lie, but it left out plenty of information. Vegapunk made a noise in the affirmative as he found another device in his kit and began to run it over Olvia’s vital organs, checking how severe the damage was. Dragon didn’t care if he didn’t believe him—all he wanted was for her to live. “So what do you think?”

“I think,” Vegapunk said, “that I can work with this.”

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Years passed and the Revolutionary Army operated exactly how it aimed—building up funds as it struck fear in the hearts and consciousnesses of the ruling classes worldwide. Everyone knew of the three generals, mobilizing the ragtag group of angry dissidents into an organized machine. They found territory, they amassed military might, they greased the wheels of rebellion, all while there was talk of a secret fourth person—a man behind the men, if one would—someone that no one else had seen and even fewer dared to talk about. Who was calling the shots in Baltigo? What purpose did the three generals have if they weren’t the ones in charge? Why were they being pulled by some mysterious force, hidden from the world in clandestine whispers and unconfirmed theories?

Meanwhile, they never, ever stopped searching.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

“We’ve been looking for you for a long time,” Dragon said grimly. Robin nodded, considering her answer as they walked through the corridors of the headquarters in Baltigo.

“Can you blame me? I was a child on the run. It taught me to trust no one.”

“No, I don’t blame you; only myself for taking so long to get to you,” he replied. “I have been searching for you since this group was founded. It has been my priority to get you back.”

“‘Back’…?” She raised an eyebrow. “That implies we’ve met.”

“We did, a long time ago,” he admitted. They stopped walking outside a specific door, his expression becoming one of embarrassment. Hmm… the Supreme Leader of the Revolutionary Army? Embarrassed? “There is someone here I think you should meet.”

“…and who might that be?”

He hesitated. “My wife.”

Opening the door, Dragon ushered Robin into an office much like many of the others that lined the corridor in the cold, uninviting building. A woman with short-cropped silver hair and extensive burns covering her face and body sat at a desk, using a cane to stand soon as she saw her company. She hobbled over to Robin, meeting her halfway across the room, her eyes watery and in a state of shock.

“Robin…?” she whispered, touching the newcomer’s face. The younger woman looked into her eyes and began to tear up.

“Mom…?” All the older woman needed to do was smile and Robin latched onto her in a hug, not wanting to let go. They both cried, with Dragon standing there awkwardly until Olvia reached for his hand, pulling him into the hug.

They were finally together.

[nehswritesstuffs]

One Piece Rare Pair Week 2025 - Part 3 of 7

Someone said it was Rare Pair Week so you know that I, a mod in a Discord server dedicated to exactly that, was on it.

614 words; I just want Sanji’s real parents to be together okay? Okay; up to the reader as to whether this is a modern AU or a Sora runs w/the kids AU or what’s going on because I left it ambiguous on purpose

Day One [FFN]/[AO3] - Day Two [FFN]/[AO3] - Day Three [FFN]/[AO3]

Day Three: Hurt | Comfort - SoraZeff [614 words, T]

It was late as Zeff trudged into the bedroom, feeling the day’s work hanging off him as he finally saw his bed and the woman sleeping in it. Since their arrangement began, Sora would go to bed early and rise early with the kids, while Zeff would go to bed late and wake up… less early than he usually did. Sure, he was used to getting on with minimal sleep, but he was actually getting a full seven hours in these days compared to the usual four or five, only possible because she got things moving in the morning in his stead.

After a quick shower in the attached bathroom, Zeff did his best to not fall into bed and disturb the other occupant. He was still warm from the water, yet Sora was warmer after being nestled under the bedding for so long. She hummed happily as he reached around and draped an arm over her, keeping her close to his chest as he made the quick trip to Dreamland…

…or he would have if Sora hadn’t started wiggling about in her sleep. Almost as soon as he begun to relax she began to grunt softly as she moved around, tossing and turning fitfully.

“Hey, Sora… what’s wrong?” he asked. She did not answer him, her mumbling just getting louder. “Sora…?”

“Mmm… no…”

“No? No what?”

“No… Judge… you won’t…! No!”

Suddenly, Sora woke up, her eyes snapping all the way open as she sat upright while gasping for air. She felt her face—normal—and stared ahead of her, breathing heavily until she flinched at Zeff’s touch. Seeing it was only him, she squeaked as she laid back down in his open arms, allowing him to hug her and rub her back as she tried not to cry against his chest. They laid like that for a while, soaking in each other’s company.

“Do you wanna talk about it?” he eventually asked. She shook her head, hiccuping instead of actually replying. He exhaled heavily—she never talked about it. “Sora… you’ll have to talk about it at some point.”

“You know where I came from,” she muttered.

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean you never have to say it again.” He kissed the top of her head. “If I ever get a hold of that ex of yours, I’m not only going to rip him a couple new assholes, but I’ll do it with the kids’ help.”

“Not that I don’t appreciate it, but you don’t know him like I do,” she warned. Her whole body shivered and she tried to burrow in closer; the only way to feel safe. “He’s a monster.”

“Then it’s a good thing I know how to take care of things that go bump in the night,” he replied. “Now go back to sleep; I’ve got you.”

She did, slowly relaxing in his arms while he tried to not get angry at a man he never wanted to meet. Once she was asleep, he allowed himself to drift off again as well, knowing at least that his words weren’t hollow—he was definitely ready to kick that sorry excuse for a man to hell and back, then torture him by making the bastard watch as Zeff treated his wife right while all the sprouts called him “Dad”. Was he a bit excessive sometimes? Sure, but he’d rather err on the side of caution than hurt the woman in his arms.

Maybe one day he’d get the chance to knock the socks off the asshole. Until then, he was more than willing to have Sora cuddle into him until she knew she was in good hands even when asleep.

[nehswritesstuffs]

One Piece Rare Pair Week 2025 - Pride Edition - Part 2 of 7

Someone said it was Rare Pair Week so you know that I, a mod in a Discord server dedicated to exactly that, was on it.

870 words; despite being in a demographic prime for being dress-coded in school, I knew from his introduction that Paulie has a point because they don’t have OSHA regulations at Galley La, just his disaster-bi ass yelling at everyone; contains minor, barely-there blood/bloodplay, the PG-13 use of the word fuck, and description of a workplace accident that puts this at a T+

Part One [FFN]/[AO3] - Part Two [FFN]/[AO3]

Day Two: Scars | Sacrifice - PaulieLucci [870 words; T+]

Bert was dead; three years of working at the shipyard and it claimed his life, slipping and getting trapped underneath a keel as a ship was being slid down to the docks. There wasn’t much left to gather; the most lasting impact was going to be a cleaned-out locker and a tirade on workplace and clothing safety, and it made Paulie’s blood boil.

“I told him time and again to get different boots for the floor,” he grumbled into his beer. It was late as he and the other Dock 1 foremen were at Blueno’s Bar, mostly trying to numb the horror of Bert’s screams and second-guessing their own decisions. “I should have sent him home.”

“It’s not your fault he wore fashion boots,” Kaku reminded him. “Pert near all of us told him at least twice. Even Lucci.”

“We all did,” Hattori hooted from Lucci’s shoulder. “He was stubborn.”

“…and it cost him more than it cost us,” Kaku said. He seemed to be taking it a lot better than Paulie, but it probably had something to do with that old-man-style composure of his. “Can’t let things like this go to your head if you did all the correct things beforehand.”

“Yeah, he didn’t really get to Dock 1 because he listened well!” Tilestone shouted. “Sucks we lost his talent, but it was him in the end how lost it for us!”

“I guess you’re right,” Paulie grumbled. He downed the back half of his beer in one go and put the mug down with a little too much force. “I’ll see you all tomorrow.”

“Be careful out there; today did a rough one on your head, and we don’t need to find you tomorrow morning passed out outside your apartment,” Kaku warned.

“Okay Mom, for fuck’s sake.” Paulie hefted himself from the table and gave Blueno a wave on his way out—time to sleep this off. He staggered only slightly, but it was still enough for him to find he was off-balance enough to accidentally hit his hip on the end of a bridge’s railing as he made his familiar way home.

How in the hell was everyone else so calm? Used to the idea of someone being there one minute and under a hull the next? His coworkers weren’t callous by any means, nor was he naive enough to think that it was completely out the realm of possibility, but it actually happening? Losing a coworker like that… it was worse than a nightmare, and just because he was a foreman did not mean he wasn’t allowed to be shaken like the rest of the men.

Eventually, Paulie heard a familiar cadence of footsteps behind him and he felt able to breathe a sigh of relief. He went to the mouth of an alleyway and turned, seeing Lucci slowly approaching. The bird had flown off somewhere—it always did—and it was all the better as the other man stepped into the alleyway and crowded him against the wall, one hand planted next to his head while the other one took the cigar from his mouth.

“It’s not fair,” Paulie said, knowing he wouldn’t get a response. “Asshole move to leave that shit to us—should’ve known.”

Lucci let out a low grunt and leaned in, kissing Paulie so that he would shut up. He tasted like high-shelf brandy and malt vinegar chips, the same ones the rest of the table split to soak up their drinks. Paulie had not, and moaned into Lucci’s mouth, savoring the other man’s flavor. His hands untucked the other man’s tank top and roamed over the chiseled, powerful body that was trapping him in the latest round of them taking their frustrations out on the other. He felt the scar tissue on Lucci’s back as a thigh rubbed up against his crotch—hnnggg…

“I wish you’d tell me about these,” he said, knowing full-well he’d not get an answer. “Were they from where you apprenticed? Earlier?” Lucci only moved his mouth to Paulie’s neck, nipping at and licking the day’s stubble as he ground their clothed dicks together. “Say something…”

Except, Lucci didn’t respond. He never communicated directly with words—spoken or written—and instead used his hands to feel up Paulie like he was his latest prey… prey that melted in his grasp as the blond let the frustrations of the day melt away in the other man’s arms. It was a coarse, rough feeling as they kissed and rutted against one another, frustrated beyond reason or logic. Cuspids raked against his throat and it barely even occurred to Paulie how large and sharp they truly were, not even after skin broke and Lucci’s tongue lapped at the barest trickle of blood. His head spun—everything was disorientating…

…because that’s what he needed: to not think. He didn’t want to think. Letting off steam was not an intellectual pursuit. All it needed to be was physical, and who better than someone who did not speak, let alone share his secrets. A hand began palming him through his jeans and it made Paulie moan—all the better.

It was not built to last, but then again… what things truly were?

[nehswritesstuffs]

One Piece Rare Pair Week 2025 - Pride Edition - Part 6 of 7

Someone said it was Rare Pair Week so you know that I, a mod in a Discord server dedicated to exactly that, was on it.

649 words; takes place in some nebulous canon divergence AU where Reiju runs from Germa as an adult shortly after WCI; one thing I headcanon is that Bell-mère did in fact hit on women in front of her daughters and was a smooth operator, so Nojicakes clearly learned from the best

Part One [FFN]/[AO3] - Part Two [FFN]/[AO3] - Part Three [FFN]/[AO3] - Part Four [FFN]/[AO3] - Part Five [FFN]/[AO3] - Part Six [FFN]/[AO3]

Day Six: Secrets | Confessions - NojikoReiju [649 words; T]

Crickets chirped happily, filling the twilight with noise on the otherwise quiet evening. Reiju sat on the porch swing with her eyes closed and head resting on the back. It was weird to hear crickets, to feel a warm breeze, to smell tangerines on the air…

“It’s about time you look relaxed.” She opened her eyes and glanced over at her host—Nojiko had found her washed up on the shore nearly a month prior, sheltering her despite not knowing anything about her. A mug of hot tea was passed into her hands, the fragrant liquid calming her by smell alone.

“Thank you,” Reiju said, accepting the drink. Nojiko had brought out her own as well, sitting down on the other end of the bench. “You have been kind.”

“It’s what decent people do,” Nojiko shrugged. She sat with one leg folded up on the bench while the other dangled off, allowing her to put her free arm across the back as she faced her guest. “You’d do the same for me, wouldn’t you?”

“It wouldn’t be my choice.” Reiju drank some of her tea and savored the naturally-sweet flavor. “I know you’ve figured out I’m running.”

“We all are, from or to something. It’s nothing odd.” Looking at the virtual stranger wearing her clothes, Nojiko tried to read her expression or lack thereof. “A lot of people come through here like that. My sister left with people who were running.” A pause. “I almost ran.”

“…from what?”

“It wasn’t always this peaceful,” Nojiko admitted. “Some assholes from the Grand Line were in charge for a bit—it wasn’t pleasant, to say the least.”

“I…” Reiju hesitated. “I’m running from someone worse than Grand Line thugs.”

“Who would that be?”

“…my father.” Silence. “My brothers. My mother’s ghost.”

“Funny—my mother’s ghost is part of what grounds me.”

“Is it?”

“Well… yeah. My sister doesn’t come around often anymore, so she doesn’t need a home base as desperately as she did when we were growing up, which means that I get to figure out what else keeps me here. Some of it’s our mom, but most of it is me.” She watched her guest sip at her tea in silence. “I guess it’s more a luxury than I thought, hm?”

“Is it that obvious?”

Nojiko scoffed in laughter. “I know you must think you’ve got that stoic act down, but you don’t fool me.” Reiju stared at her, unsure how to respond. “My sister thought she was hiding her feelings too, but the only people the two of you would fool either don’t have emotions or have the emotional intelligence of a rock. Which is it?”

“…both.” That got a snort of a laugh out of Nojiko, which made Reiju wrinkle her nose. “What…?”

“Nothing…” It was clearly a lie, but Reiju decided to not call her out on it. She was under the graces of her hospitality, after all. Nojiko placed her drink down on the porch and moved herself into her guest’s space. “I was just thinking how nice you look in my clothes.”

“Then that is the price?” Reiju wondered. Nojiko’s expression fell.

“Price…? There’s no price; you could get up and walk off and I never see you again. Whatever it is you think you owe, you already paid.”

“Paid in what, might I ask?”

“Being one of the prettiest people I’ve ever seen.” She leaned in closer, so close their noses almost touched. “Is it not enough to say that I cared for an angel?”

“An angel of death,” Reiju noted. She closed the gap between them, which made Nojiko inhale sharply in anticipation as their lips pressed together. “You can’t possibly want someone like me.”

“I’ll take my chances,” Nojiko smirked. “A better question: do you want someone like me…?”

She hesitated before allowing herself a faint smile. “I would like nothing more.”

[nehswritesstuffs]

One Piece Rare Pair Week 2025 - Part 5 of 7

Someone said it was Rare Pair Week so you know that I, a mod in a Discord server dedicated to exactly that, was on it.

903 words; I hate the soulmates concept in fic and so they’re both being filled using the Tragedy prompt; I’ve been feeling feelings about these two for literal decades

Day One [FFN]/[AO3] - Day Two [FFN]/[AO3] - Day Three [FFN]/[AO3] - Day Four [FFN]/[AO3] - Part Five [FFN]/[AO3]

Day Five: Soulmate | Tragedy - ViviKhoza [903 words; T]

Khoza’s stomach churned as he looked at the morning paper, freshly brought by the News Coo. On it was a photograph of his sovereign king, dead with his killer standing over him. He didn’t know what to say—the idea itself was too shocking.

“How appalling!” Igaram gasped. They were gathered with a collection of other ministers and high-ranking servants in the royal household, everyone having been requested to stick close to the palace in case an emergency happened, and this was an emergency alright. “I can’t believe this happened, and in the Holy Land Marie Geoise of all places!”

“Something always has to happen at the Reverie,” the Finance Minister scowled. “It’s just our luck that it’s our king getting assassinated.” She glanced over at Khoza, who kept on staring at the front page. “Have you heard from the princess?”

“N-No…? I would think she’d contact Igaram!”

“My husband and I haven’t heard a word from Princess Vivi, nor Pell and Chaka,” Terracotta replied. “If they haven’t checked in with any of us, then that means more danger than just this.”

“How in the hell is there even more danger?!” her sous chef marveled. “Our king is dead, the princess or their entourage haven’t checked in… what’s next…?!”

“Be ready to leave,” Khoza said. “Most of us are going to be useless if war breaks out again—if that’s the case, my uncle in Ukkari should be able to give you shelter until everything dies down.”

“Wouldn’t you go?” the Education Minister asked. He shook his head.

“With both Chaka and Pell gone, the ones of us here with the most military experience is Igaram and myself—we cannot leave unless we know it won’t destabilize everything.”

“We should all make sure we are ready to leave at a moment’s notice,” Igaram agreed as he tried to mask his worry, “whether it be for the battlefield or outside the country. Let’s go.”

No one disagreed and they began to disperse, heading to their respective residences either on or off the palace grounds. Khoza went to his room that was just down the corridor from Vivi’s—he had just helped her pack for the Reverie, and now…

No, he had to focus. He had no doubt this time about the royal family and their intentions for Alabasta. Heading into his sparsely-utilized room, he began gathering his scant belongings, only ever bringing a few things with him when the King requested he stay. He knew he should have gone with Vivi as her personal guard; he didn’t and look where that got them. Stupid, stupid, stupid…

Then, just as he was nearly packed, the snail on Khoza’s nightstand began to ring. He stared at it curiously—who in the hell was calling him on that number? Reaching for the snail, he picked up the reciever as he furrowed his brow in concern.

“Hello…?”

“Khoza! It’s you!” It took a couple seconds for the snail to catch up, but that was Vivi’s voice.

“Vivi?! What’s going on! We just saw the papers this morning!”

“There’s a lot I can’t explain right now—I should be able to get two minutes on this without being tapped—but I need to tell you that I’m fine and out of danger. If you see Pell and Chaka, can you please pass that message along?”

“Vivi… you’re the Queen now… you need to come back…”

“Not until I figure some stuff out. It’ll come back to bite us later if I don’t.”

“Vivi!”

“Don’t worry about me, Khoza! I’m travelling with… well, they’re not friends, but I’ll be relatively safe until I can reach people who are friends. I need you and Igaram to hold onto Dressrosa while I’m figuring this out.”

“…but Vivi…” His mouth felt dry as he looked at the snail—at the faint echo of the princess on the creature’s face—and knew whatever answers were she was seeking… they were not pretty. “You’re needed here.”

“I trust in you, Leader,” she replied. The snail winked. “Alabasta’s in good hands with the Sand-Sand Clan!”

“Vivi, you don’t understand!” he panicked. “You need to come home now! I…!”

The snail fell asleep; the call dropped.

“…love you.”

Khoza’s shoulders sank as he stared at the now-sleeping snail. Of all the times he had tried to get it out before, now had to be the time he could actually say it. His hand shook as he put the receiver down, unable to reverse-dial to get her back on the line.

That could have been the last time he heard her voice and he couldn’t even say he told her the truth. How many years and he couldn’t tell her the truth… what he knew now, thanks to the sobering state of adulthood, had been there all along? He hadn’t felt this sick since he was sitting in a dusty tent, looking at maps of Alubarna as he and his generals—friends—tried to figure out the best way to take the city and invade the palace.

Noise from the corridor shook him back to reality. He needed to get it together; Vivi was counting on him. He smacked the sides of his face and grounded himself—there were ministers to evacuate, people to organize, and a country to defend, and Khoza was ready to do it all if that’s what it took.

Anything to bring Vivi back.

[nehswritesstuffs]

One Piece Rare Pair Week 2025 - Part 1 of 7

Someone said it was Rare Pair Week so you know that I, a mod in a Discord server dedicated to exactly that, was on it.

679 words; let’s say these two clashed for a moment post-Logue Town but pre-Alabasta don’t ask me how (movie continuity, GO!); this one is dedicated to one person in particular and that’s all I’ll say about that lol; feels a little weird bc pre-timeskip Zoro is more animated characterization-wise than post-timeskip Zoro, which feels a little awkward

[FFN]/[AO3]

Day One: Stargazing | Rain - ZoroTashigi [679 words; T]

Tashigi ran over rain-slick cobblestone as she attempted to find her target. It was infuriating how he was able to evade her grasp as easily as he did; what sort of level was he working on that made him impossible to follow while in-town, let alone capture?! A shock of green caught the corner of her vision and she made a hard turn, nearly falling due to rain and momentum.

Ah-ha! She found him! Her chest felt tight as she saw the swordsman she had followed all the way out into the Grand Line was standing in the dead-end alley, scratching his head. She drew her sword and his body language changed; he tensed, hand resting on his own weapons.

“You really don’t like giving up, don’t you?” he chuckled. Turning around, she could see the smirk that was plastered on his face—how dare he! “What do you want, Face Thief?”

“Roronoa Zoro, I’m here to relieve you of your swords, especially the Wado Ichimonji,” Tashigi announced. He scoffed, drawing the two blades she did not name. “If you hand them over, I will let you walk away from this unscathed.”

“I don’t know what your deal is, but I’m willing to play along,” Zoro replied. Tashigi lunged at him and he blocked, using both swords to hold her back.

They then started their dance, swiping and parrying and dodging one another as they battled for who was going to walk away from the encounter less-changed. She was able to knock the sword from his right hand, only for him to use it as an opening and press his remaining sword at her throat while pinning her against the wall, her weaponless hand fisting his shirt.

“Do it,” she spat. One of the lenses of her glasses was cracked; the entire thing had slid down her nose and was liable to fall off at the slightest move. “You wouldn’t be the first man who’d want to kill me.”

“Does that mean you make it a habit of chasing guys?”

“Just the ones with interesting swords.”

He let out a bark of laughter. “Ha! You’re never gonna get stronger that way.”

“Save the speech for the judge,” she snarled. “It’s going to take more than batting your eyelashes to escape sentencing.”

“Batting my…?” Zoro’s brow furrowed, then smoothed as he parsed together her words, raising as his face landed on a grin. “You think I’m cute.”

“Wh-wh-what?!” Tashigi sputtered. Her face felt hot in embarrassment—in his dreams! She wished she could fight back, but he was holding her sword hand against the wall with his free hand. “You’re a pirate!”

“Couples have worse hurdles to clear.”

“How are you so nonchalant about this?!”

“I could do worse.”

“Excuse me?! You could do worse?! I have a steady government job and you’re the vagrant who smells like this rain is his first bath in three days!”

“Four, actually,” Zoro said. Tashigi’s nose crinkled—oh… gross! “What do you say? Think you can fix me?”

“You’re a pirate, not a hobby.” She glared at him. “…and to think we were considering recruiting you.”

“Talk to me after I’ve made my captain King of the Pirates.”

“I’ll help make sure those swords never do such a thing.”

“I’d like to see you try…”

“ZORO!” a voice snapped, making the pirate wince. Tashigi looked and saw a pair of his cohorts running into the alleyway: a young woman with orange hair and a young man with a long nose. The man went to grab the discarded sword, while the woman stormed up to Zoro and twisted his ear. “This is no time for flirting, you asshole! We gotta get out of here! The Navy’s on our tail!”

“Call me,” Zoro said as he was being dragged away, miming picking up a snail receiver. Tashigi was too stunned to respond, watching the pirates leave (did they not recognize her?!?), only the rain to console her.

…because honestly? He was right. As much as she wanted to admit otherwise, they both could do worse.