hannahbarberra162

[hannahbarberra162]

Emperor's Prize, Part 8 (yandere Alpha!Shanks x Omega!Reader)

18+ MDNI | on Ao3 | The other parts

Thank you to @sordidmusings, and @moldychefboyardeecan for reading through this and letting me know what worked and what didn't!

Thank you to @tryingandfailingtowrite for a lot of help, including teaching me the difference between lay and lie which I immediately disregarded :I

A/N: Hi everyone! Yes, I missed my own anniversary. The Croc wasn't coming out like I wanted and the Thatch is ending up way longer than I anticipated (who could have seen that coming?). Thank you for your patience, thank you for reading, thank you for liking, thank you for a fun year together!!

It was like a switch was flipped in Shanks after you had initiated sex with him earlier that morning. Whereas before he was sullen and withdrawn, he was back to his formerly sunny self like nothing had happened. The crew cheered when their captain had reemerged from his cabin with the broad smile of a conquering hero. You listened to the whooping and ribbing of the crew outside Shanks’s cabin, wishing you could bury yourself in a hole. 

 Luckily, you wouldn’t have to see the crew that afternoon since the ship was docking at another island that afternoon. After the disastrous events at the previous island, you weren’t sure Shanks would let you off the ship. Maybe you’d ask to go on another outing with him if his good mood persisted.

What you really wanted was time alone with your thoughts. Shanks had been clear that he was going to claim you the next time you were in heat. He was far from the worst Alpha you’d met, but in your heart of hearts, you’d always dreamed of picking your mate yourself, a love match. Betas were able to choose their own partners most of the time and it had always inspired envy in you. Watching happily married couples holding hands on Beta Island made your heart yearn for a true love of your own. But you knew that a love match was a naive daydream; the world didn’t work that way for people like you. Still, you had always held onto a foolish shred of hope that your mate would be someone of your choosing rather than someone who decided your lot in life. But Like so many other events in your life, things didn’t go according to plan.

Yes, you’d soothed Shanks during a time of his distress, but being claimed was different. First of all, it would seal that Shanks would be your only sexual partner for the rest of your life. You could never accept another Alpha during heat and never be able to have children unless they were his. You’d crave his presence and his smell at every turn, regardless of what he did. Not only that, but it was said that the pair could feel emotions through a successful mating bond. That there was more to the bite than signifying a mated pair. You really hoped that wasn’t the case, that it was something that had been garbled through the years of misinformation about Omegas. If Shanks could sense your emotions, you would never have any privacy again. There would be no way to hide your true feelings any longer. 

Which is why you were glad you had a few weeks before your next heat to come to terms with everything. It was going to happen, and there wasn’t anything you could do to prevent or stop it. Really, Shanks wasn’t terrible. In fact, he often treated you better than any other Alpha had — protecting you, helping you when things got overwhelming, never harming you. There was another side of him that made you hesitate. The one carefully hidden from his crew and adoring fans. Shanks was possessive, controlling, and manipulative. You felt it in his grasp as he pulled you closer and didn’t let go, the low rumble in his chest when Benn spoke to you, the way he continued to call you by a nickname of his choosing. It must have been years since he’d been told no, that he couldn’t have something he wanted. So if he wanted to mate you, he was going to.

You shuddered at that thought, your mind running in circles as each worry crashed over you in turn. All you could think about was your impending mating, the claiming bond, Shanks as your Alpha, what your life would be like on an Emperor’s ship — all the thoughts settling like dead weight on your chest as you lay in Shanks’s bed. For some reason, it was difficult to focus on any one thing for longer than a few moments. Maybe Shanks really had fucked you dumb like the saying went, you thought with a shrug.

You were feeling weird too, jittery and jumpy like your limbs had fallen asleep and they were just waking up again. There wasn’t any reason for you to be feeling this way, since you’d solved the issue of your forlorn, distant Alpha. Even so, something inside of you wasn’t settling right. You tossed and turned on the bed, unable to relax but not having enough mental energy to do anything about it. Finally, after getting too hot in the now warm cabin, you threw off the blankets and started looking through the chest of clothes the men had brought you from the last island. 

Almost all the clothes you had were dirty, which was par for the course. The ship had been at sea, sailing to some destination you hadn’t been informed of, so there wasn’t any laundry being done. Digging through your makeshift wardrobe, nothing was appealing to you. Looking over on the bed, you saw Shanks’ dirty shirt he'd removed earlier. You picked it up and rubbed your face on the soft, worn fabric, his scent calling to you like you were in heat. 

You didn't worry about heat coming since it wasn't likely, since you’d been in heat roughly two weeks prior, and cycles were about every four to six weeks. You had at least two more weeks to go, maybe more since your cycles weren’t regular yet. Hopefully, you'd get four more weeks to make peace with your situation. Undisturbed, you put on Shanks’ shirt and pulled the collar forward to breathe in his scent again. 

Maybe you’d spend some time today reading, you thought. Reading had been your primary pastime on Beta Island.  Unfortunately, no books had been available on Kid’s ship, and you’d been too nervous on Shanks’ thus far. Humming, you walked over to the small bookshelf in Shanks’ cabin and skimmed the titles on the spines of the books. There were mostly star maps and sailing guides, but there were a few fiction titles that caught your eye. 

As you reached for a particular volume, you suddenly felt the urge to knock everything off the shelves and reorganize it. There was a manic energy building in you, like you were going to burst if you didn’t do something . The bookshelf needed to be fixed, you thought, grabbing the tomes and putting them rapidly on Shanks’s already crowded desk. In fact, now that you looked around the room, almost everything needed to be moved. And it had to be done now.

You were pacing back and forth in the cabin when Shanks came back in with a syringe in his hand. After looking around the cabin, he laughed lightly, and his eyes crinkled in amusement.

“Nesting? It’s alright, I’m sure however you arrange things will be fine,” he said, giving you a bright smile. 

You frowned at him, your brow furrowing as your annoyance rose. Why was he smiling? Couldn’t he feel the wrongness of everything? There was too much to do, too much to get done to worry about tiptoeing around him right now. Waves of energy were crashing down on you, making your fingers twitch with the urge to create order from chaos. 

“Come here, I need to give you something,” he said, sitting down on the bed and patting the space next to him. You didn’t bother to stop pacing; there wasn’t anything he could give you that you wanted right now. You didn’t want him on the bed, you didn’t want him in here, he needed to leave, he needed– 

“Come here,” Shanks Commanded you, startling you out of your frustration. Your scowl dropped and your eyes widened as you quickly remembered your place. You scurried to the bed to obey the order, the need to comply overriding the sense of urgency. Shanks didn’t seem upset, his hand coming up to pat your hair. The urge to shake him off was strong, but you controlled yourself lest he Command you again.

“Pull up your shirt, this goes in your thigh,” Shanks said, flicking the cap off the syringe. You pulled up the hem to reveal your leg, a question slipping out before you could stifle it.

“What’s this for?” you asked, emboldened by the new feelings in you. By the time you’d finished your question, the needle was already in your skin with Shanks pushing the plunger.

“It’s going to tip you over the edge into heat,” he said placidly, looking at the now empty syringe to ensure all of the medication had been administered. Horror bloomed in your heart as you recognized the symptoms in yourself — your warm body, the urgency in rearranging the cabin, your agitation. It was all for a coming heat. Last time was a gradual climb, but this time you felt like you’d been dumped head first into a volcano. 

“Wh- no. Please, Shanks, no,” you begged, grabbing the front of his shirt.

“Sorry, love. It’s been building gradually for a while now, the tea started the process. I know the rapid onset is harsh-” you interrupted him with tears in your eyes, too upset to worry if he was going to punish you for cutting him off. Your mind and heart were racing with the new information. This couldn’t be happening. 

“No, please! Please, please, I don’t- I don’t want to- I'm not ready-” you were sobbing, trying to tell him that you couldn’t do it again, not so soon, you needed more time. You didn’t want the claiming bite, you didn’t want to be his Omega, you didn’t want any of it, not yet, not yet, not yet. Shanks pulled you into his chest with his arm, positioning your face by his neck as you struggled to take in a full breath.

“I’m sorry, baby. It had to happen, you’ve been out of sync for too long. We’ll be docked at another island in a few minutes, so you won’t have to worry about anyone else being on the ship -”

 “No - p-please, not yet-” you pleaded, trying to get him to understand. You were pushing at his chest with your hands, trying to create space between you and his scent, but he was a solid wall of muscle. Shanks’s chest rumbled with his purr, calming you down before you dissolved into full-blown panic. 

“Once it starts you'll feel better. I’ll help you with everything, just like last time,” he murmured into your hair, sympathy tinging his tone. He kissed the top of your head as your tears stained his shirt. 

“Finish preparing, love. You don’t have much time, at most an hour before it hits. I’m sorry for not telling you sooner. I thought you might have a bad reaction,” he hummed, his purr successful in calming down your breathing.

You sniffled and nodded your head, your gaze settling on your shaking hands. There was no point in arguing anymore, your heat was coming whether you were ready or not. Who were you to defy an Emperor?

Shanks POV

He really did feel sorry for you. Your brow furrowed as you looked everywhere but him, your pulse beating an angry staccato under his palm. He could feel the nervous sweat that broke out on your neck, and you looked fully out of sorts. Hongo said that it was safe to bring you back into heat even though it was a little early, so you’d be alright. His purr was working, he noted, your shoulders sagging as you pushed your nose into his neck. It was a helpful tool, an effective method to calm you when you were upset. Shanks ran his hand up and down your arm, trying to comfort you further.

Shanks had been surprised and intensely pleased by your forwardness earlier. He took it as a sign that you were ready to be his Omega, his little mate. He couldn't wait until you were in heat again, ready to love him mind, body, and soul like you had before. The rest of you would catch up, especially after the claiming bite.

His eyes flicked down to your neck, to the scar from the previous Alpha who had tried to claim you. He’d erase it, make sure no one ever paid it any attention again. After this heat, it would be clear who you belonged to. Shanks pulled you onto his lap, wanting to reassure you before he left the cabin. 

“Everything will work out. Don’t worry, I’ll be with you every step of the way,” he said softly, tucking your hair behind an ear. Your lip wobbled as your eyes filled with tears again. Shanks felt a little guilty for not telling you, but how could he when this was your reaction? If he told you sooner, you would have worried about his decision and made the process harder on yourself. He had no doubt that rapid onset heat was scrambling your thoughts, making you even more emotionally labile than usual. He continued to purr as your breathing evened out.

“Do you want me to leave now?” he asked as you hiccuped into his shoulder. Your lips pressed into a thin line for a moment before giving a minute nod. Shanks didn’t take it personally; he remembered from the previous heat that you’d want to arrange things alone. He gave you a peck on the cheek before setting you back on the bed. Your eyes were still red-tinged, but at least now you weren’t actively crying. 

 “Call for me when you need me. I’m always nearby,” Shanks said softly, leaving the cabin.

Once on the deck, Shanks halfheartedly helped dock the ship. He could have done more, but his attention kept getting drawn back to his cabin, his ears straining for any kind of sound coming from inside. There was no dramatic flinging of clothes like last time, nothing to indicate what was about to happen inside. Hongo kept trying to get his attention, but Shanks couldn’t concentrate on what he was saying. Eventually, Hongo gave up and walked off, which was fine by Shanks. They could catch up after your heat ended. 

“Oi. Watch it,” Beckman grumbled as Shanks nearly walked into him, his eyes still fixed on the cabin door. Beckman rolled his eyes and lit another cigarette as a growl grew from Shanks’s chest. 

“Save it,” Beckman said, blowing smoke out of his nose. “We’re nearly off the ship. And, Emperor?” Shanks jolted at the title, Beckman seldomly called him Emperor outside of battle and never blew smoke out of his nose unless he was pissed.

“Mark ‘er this time, enough of this,” Beckman said with a frown. Beckman’s rare irritation only confirmed Shanks’ decision to claim you. After you were his, relations on the ship would return to normal, and everyone would be able to relax. Shanks continued helping until he was waving the crew off as they sailed in the dinghies towards the shore. And no sooner had they left than he heard weak cries emanating from his cabin.

The last time you’d been in heat, he had rushed to your side immediately, easing your pains as soon as your call rang in his ears. Now he lingered by the railing of the ship where he had just bade goodbye to his crew. He was going to help you, of course he would, there was no question. Even now his Alpha side had him rearing to go and fuck you. But the same self-control that had made him an Emperor allowed him to hold out against his animal instincts. He was going to give you a practical lesson in why you needed him, why all of this was happening. You wouldn’t be in danger or damaged, just in pain for a little longer. 

Shanks pulled out his flask and popped it open with his thumb. About half an hour passed as your cries intensified, calling for an Alpha in increasingly desperate wails. He drank deeply from the small container, his fingers nearly crushing the metal as he fought his urge to go to you. He’d go to you soon, but he wanted to wait until-

“Sh-Shanks! Puh-lease! Shanks!” you cried out, your voice cracking with despair. A smile broke out on his face as he resealed his flask. 

Your POV

Where was your Alpha? Couldn’t he hear you crying for him? Why wasn’t he with you? Was he upset with you? You could smell one nearby, his lingering scent familiar from the last time he came to you. Based on the smell, you were writhing on his bed, and your nest consisted of his clothes. He wasn’t mated, so why wasn’t he here? The Alpha was strong and capable; didn’t he want you? You wanted him, and badly. 

You screwed your eyes shut as another wave of cramping hit your already sore midsection. This was too much to bear, it felt like you were going to die if he didn’t come to you. He’d told you his name but it kept slipping out of your thoughts like water through a sieve. Tears rolled down your hot face as the pain increased, so you cried out the only name your mind could grasp in your pained state. You hoped it was his.

“Sh-Shanks! Puh-lease! Shanks!” you screamed, your voice cracking as you begged. Your tears were coming faster now, you couldn’t handle the pain, you were dying without him. The door opened, a breeze carrying in the very scent you were so desperate for. Your tears slowed in his presence, relieved that your Alpha had finally come for you. Even his fresh scent was enough to quell some of the pain inside your body.

Rolling over onto your belly, you pushed yourself up as you knelt in your nest. Shanks unhurriedly took off his cloak and set it on the perfectly arranged desk. He ambled over to you, bending down to wipe away a tear with his thumb.

“Poor little Omega,” he cooed at you, cupping your face with one large hand. You nuzzled into him, your arms wrapping around his waist to pull him closer. He smiled at you and allowed himself to be moved, right outside the bounds of your nest. 

“Did you miss me?” he asked, his hand winding into the hair on the back of your head. He didn’t need to pull it for you to look up at him, understanding the implicit cue. 

“Yes, Shanks,” you answered immediately as you bit your lip from another wave of cramps and slick trailing down your thighs. Your fingers sought the buttons on his shirt, wanting nothing between you and his glorious body.

“Do you need me?” he continued, allowing you to unbutton his shirt. There weren’t many so you finished the task quickly.

“Yes, Shanks,” you replied, rubbing your face on his now shirtless chest. You started kissing up his defined pecs until his hand tightened, stopping you from going any further. You looked up at him, your brows knit in confusion as your eyes pricked with tears once more — didn’t he want you? If he rejected you right now, you’d shatter into a million tiny pieces and never recover.

“Do you love me?” he asked quietly, his fingertips massaging the back of your head. That was all? You almost laughed at the question; it was as easy to answer as the previous two.

“Yes, Shanks.”

Shanks POV

You answered like it was ridiculous for him to ask such an obvious question. Pleased with your answer, he tugged your arms off his torso and pushed your chest gently with the tips of his fingers. You scooted backward and lay down, spreading your already soaked legs for him. Shanks groaned when you fully exposed your glistening core to him. He wanted to dive face first into your sweet pussy, but he couldn’t quite yet.

After shucking off his pants, Shanks followed you into your nest, his cock ready for what was to come. You eagerly wound your hands around his neck and your legs around his waist, practically panting with need as he leaned over you. Your pained expression returned as the heat consumed you, but Shanks remained resolute — he wanted to do this right.

He positioned himself at your sopping entrance, pushing into your tight channel slowly. You threw your head back with a loud moan as he sank into you, taking his time to let you feel every inch. He sheathed himself fully within you, grinding himself lightly against you. Your nails dug into his back with this small measure of relief. You were crying for more of him, but that wasn’t your decision to make. He needed to be careful, no matter how delicious you smelled or how tight your cunt was. His animalistic instincts had him on the edge of rut, and he wanted to be in his right mind for what he was about to do.

Unlike the first heat, Shanks didn’t take you fast and rough. He set a slow rhythm, stroking you deeply while leaning down to kiss you. He licked your lips, and you immediately parted them,  giving him entrance at his slightest behest. You whined into his mouth with your fervor, arching your back as he gradually pistoned faster. Your scent and mewls were filling his head, driving him to the brink of climax before he was ready. Shanks broke the kiss and put his mouth over your scent glands, sucking on them gently, preparing you for what was to come. Your nails dug into his back hard enough to break the skin as your cries increased in pitch.

“On hands and knees,” he husked, planting a kiss on the underside of your jaw as he pulled out. You eagerly flipped over onto your stomach, pushing your hips into the air. Shanks grabbed your thigh and pulled you back onto his cock, your cunt feeling like heaven. Oh, how he wanted to rut recklessly into you right now, to lose himself in the pleasure you brought him. He began his rhythm again, fucking you at a brutal pace that had you rocking forward with each rough thrust. You eagerly met his thrusts, pushing yourself back onto him as you keened.

Shanks wound his hand into your hair, wrapping some of it around his fist. It was so lovely having you like this, and he couldn’t believe he’d almost let you cut it. Shanks’s tempo never flagged and your cunt fluttered around his length as his pace increased. Shanks pulled your hair down, and you immediately pressed your chest to the bed, raising your ass higher in the air. He held you by your hair in place against the bed, your delicate neck stretched out before him. He could feel his incisors elongating, and for the first time, he didn’t stifle his inner urges.

“Love me,” Shanks Commanded as he held you down, the side of your face pressed into the mattress. He couldn’t be sure you’d hear and obey, but something drove him to try.  Shanks reared back and bit you with a roar, his fangs piercing through the thick, raised scar of Kid’s old bite. He tasted the coppery tang of your blood on his tongue and increased the pressure, making sure that there’d be nothing left from your old Alpha. 

The satisfaction of having his Omega beneath him, his fangs in your skin, your hair in his hand, his cock buried in you — the sensations overwhelmed him as he came deep within you. Your cunt eagerly pulsed around him as you screamed in pained pleasure. Even as you cried out and tried to squirm out of his hold, he kept you in place and forced you to accept his claim. Pulling his teeth out, he let go of your hair and started lapping at the bite. Your breathing was ragged as you shook beneath him, blood slowly seeping from the wound he’d given you. Shanks wanted to give you a moment to recover since you were coming down from an intense orgasm as well as the claiming bite. 

“Shhh. It’s alright, we’re almost done. Do you want me to make you feel good too?” he asked, kissing the spot where he’d bitten you. You winced but nodded your head, tilting it to give him better access to your neck.

“So sweet, so perfect for me. Lay down so I can show you what a good Omega you’ve been,” Shanks murmured, releasing his fist from your hair. You immediately lowered yourself to your stomach as he’d ordered you to, and Shanks rolled you onto your back. He moved down the bed, positioning himself where he’d wanted to be at the beginning.

“Messy for me,” Shanks crooned appreciatively, running a finger through your combined juices. You shuddered and whined in anticipation. He was going to make you feel good, but he had another motive for positioning you this way. Shanks didn’t give you much time to rest before he pushed your thighs apart with his hand and started lapping at your cunt. Luckily, heat had you forgetting the pain of your mating bite as your toes curled and your hands wound themselves into his hair. Your nails scratched his scalp as he sucked and licked your clit, his fingers working themselves into your needy pussy.

Within minutes, you were already at the precipice of orgasm again, your thighs trembling around his shoulders. Removing his fingers, Shanks nudged your thighs apart even further and began stroking your clit with his fingers. His fangs were aching again, and he was ready. Only one bite was needed for claiming, but Shanks needed to show he was the only Alpha in your life. That no one else mattered.

“One more time, then we’ll never have to do this again. We’ll be mated and nothing will ever come between us,” he said, more to himself than you. You weren’t coherent right now; you were writhing beneath his touch and waiting for Shanks to bestow your next orgasm. He stroked you rapidly, your cunt clenching around nothing as you lurched from the sensations. 

“Love me,” he Commanded you as he sank his fangs into the bite on your inner thigh. You screamed as you came, but this was no cry of pleasure like he was so used to hearing tumble from your lips during heat. This was the pained scream of injury, the kind he’d heard thousands of times before during his life on the seas. He snapped his jaws shut once more, pushing his teeth further through the scar before pulling them out of your delicate skin. Your breath was hitching and tears were leaking from your eyes, but you still gave him a watery smile when he made eye contact with you.

“All done, never again,” Shanks repeated, with you sniffling above him. He lapped at the second bite between your legs, keeping them open with his torso as you weakly tried to shut them. After ensuring the bite was sufficient to rid you of Kid’s mark, Shanks removed himself from between your legs and lay next to you on the bed.

“How are you feeling, little Omega?” he asked, pulling your back flush against his chest. He could smell his scent seeping into your own, creating a new one. It was no less appealing to him, but it wouldn’t call to other Alphas like the scent of an unmated Omega did. He moved your hair, admiring the large puncture wounds he’d made between your neck and shoulder. It would act as a ward to other Alphas, the strength of his bite a visual marker of his strength in battle. 

“Hurts,” you whispered, leaning your head further back into his chest for comfort.

“It’ll stop soon,” he replied, kissing your forehead. His cock had been hard since you began your heat and it was stirring against your ass. “We can make the pain go away, if you wish,” he whispered into the shell of your ear, scraping his teeth against your earlobe.

You shivered and gave him a sunny smile — gods, he loved this version of you. Maybe now that you were mated, this side would come to the forefront. He understood why you were withdrawn and anxious but maybe with him at your side you’d be able to heal.

Shanks lifted your top leg and placed it over his hips, opening you up so he could slide his cock back into your inviting cunt. You sighed in relief, like you had been missing it all your life. Shanks pushed himself into you until an unfamiliar sensation erupted from within him. Looking down, Shanks saw that a knot had formed at the base of his cock, the reddish bulb growing larger as he sank deeper into you. Hongo had mentioned something about knots, but Shanks hadn’t really been listening at the time. Mated Alphas were the only designation able to knot their partners, but it had slipped his mind that it would happen to him.

“Love, this time is going to be different,” Shanks said absently, running his fingers over the knot. It was incredibly sensitive and he couldn’t wait until it was being gripped by your tight cunt.

“Biting?” you asked, hiking your shoulder to cover your neck reflexively.

“No, no. No more biting. I’m going to knot you,” Shanks said definitively, watching his cock sink into your heat. You sighed dreamily and your smile widened until your eyes were little slits. He wanted to remember the look you were giving him for the rest of his days.

Your POV

Your Alpha was so pleased with you he’d marked you, claimed you, made you his own. You’d never have to be alone and in pain ever again. He would always be there to protect you. Something kept trying to come to your mind, something important you’d forgotten. It was a dark feeling, a sense of dread or worry, but you couldn’t imagine why you’d feel that way. Everything was perfect and– your thoughts scattered as Shanks entered you, making you melt against him.

“Love, this time is going to be different,” Shanks said from behind you, fiddling with something. 

“Biting?” you asked, hiking your shoulder to cover your neck reflexively. You were able to grasp a scary memory; you hadn’t liked it when he bit you. It was painful, and even though you were glad you were his Omega, you didn’t want to get bitten a third time. But if that was what your Alpha wanted, you’d provide it to him.

“No, no. No more biting. I’m going to knot you,” Shanks said as he began pumping himself within you. You sighed from happiness, there couldn’t be a better life than this. You twisted to kiss him and tenderly cupped his cheek to pull his face to yours. 

“Ah, you need more, greedy girl?” he said with a laugh when you pulled away. You bit your lip and nodded, you wanted so much more. You wanted to not know where you ended or where he began, to merge together, to be one with him. Shanks pulled out and rolled you onto your back, hoisting one of your legs over his shoulder. You moved the other to match, ready for whatever he was going to give you. Shanks leaned down, his lips crashing against your own as he thrust into you. You were squished under your own thighs and some of his bodyweight, his cock feeling like it was in your stomach with how deep it was within you.

He quickly began a punishing rhythm, his skin coated in a thin sheen of sweat that matched your own. You thrashed as another orgasm built inside you, ready to bring you to a renewed state of bliss. Just as you were about to hit your peak, Shanks pushed his knot inside you. You came as your body accommodated his own, your cunt pulsating around his massive size. Shanks roared his own orgasm, and you felt the thick ropes of come released within you, finally sating the urges of heat momentarily. You went limp as all your energy left you, content to be joined with your Alpha for a few peaceful moments until his knot receded. 

“How long?” you hummed in contentment.

“Not sure, love. This is my first time,” he crooned, cupping your breast and putting his chin on your shoulder. It didn’t matter, really. He’d tell you what he wanted, and you’d obey. That’s how things always were between Alphas and Omegas. 

“I need you to do one thing for me,” he said, kissing the oozing mating mark on your neck. You couldn’t wait to hear what he wanted from you. You would do anything for your Alpha.

“Love me.”

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[hannahbarberra162]

Under the Microscope, Part 16 (Yandere Sabo x Reader)

18+ MDNI | on Ao3

The other parts

Thank you to @tryingandfailingtowrite for beta-ing and editing this!!

This is for all y'all who wanted another chapter of a WIP for the one year anniversary special. I wish I had infinite time to write all of my WIPs and more for y'all, I really do. Hope you enjoy! Sunny and Sabo certainly are :)

Your POV

You lay your head on the railing of the ship as you watched the rolling waves in the distance. It was only early afternoon, but the day already felt like it had gone on forever. The nurses had you doing the physical therapy assigned by Marco, and Sabo had already stopped by once to continue re-teaching you how to read. Your frustration grew until it almost radiated off of you, and you wished Ace were around to blow things up with you again. You could probably do it yourself, given the materials on the ship, but it didn’t seem as fun without him.

Nothing did, really. He’d left two days prior, and you’d been in a funk since. Sabo came by and tried to cheer you up, but you’d basically ignored his words of support. Ace was his brother, you didn’t know how Sabo could be so unaffected by his departure. You’d been trying to read at the desk in your room when Sabo had come by a few hours after Ace had left.

“Hey Sunny, how are you feeling?” Sabo asked from the doorway. Since the incident with Marco, no one had entered your room without permission.

“Fine,” you’d replied, trying to read the children’s story on your desk. Fuck the red fox and the lazy dog, you thought.

“Are you feeling sad?” Sabo asked, tilting his head as he looked at you like an errant child.

“No.” Maybe if you didn’t respond a lot, Sabo would leave you alone, and you could be upset in peace. What a stupid question , you thought, you didn’t feel sad. You felt adrift, like a glass bottle on the waves of the sea — rudderless, useless, and alone in an environment you weren’t suited for. “I’m studying, leave me be please.” 

“Of course,” Sabo said, leaving with surprisingly little effort on your part. You closed your eyes and rested your forehead on the small desk in front of you. It felt selfish to want Ace to return. You knew he had to go to Wano, but you wanted your friend back.

The next few days, you tried to throw yourself into your rehabilitation, both physical and mental, but it was draining. You suspected that having Marco heal you was helping with the symptoms of your TBI, but there was no way to test that theory. It did little to alleviate your feelings, but at least you could now walk the stairs without having to stop in the middle.

Right now, you were watching the sea, wishing you’d see Striker in the distance. Ace would come and tell you he made a mistake, that they didn’t need him in Wano, that he would stay with you. But of course, no ship came. In fact, Sabo had told you the night before that they’d be at a rendezvous point so everyone could switch to a smaller RA vessel while a scavenging crew took the useful bits from the Marine vessel. The RA ship would take everyone back to Headquarters, where you’d meet Monkey D. Dragon. Just the thought had your hands shaking from something other than exhaustion. 

Staring off into the endless water, you realized what that empty feeling inside of you was — you were lonely. Of course, you missed Ace; that was clear. When he’d been around, it had been like something in you was fulfilled, like someone wanted and cared about you. And the worse part was that it made you realize that you’d been lonely for years. You’d been able to bury yourself in your work, convince yourself that you didn’t really need friends, that maybe things would be different at the next base, or after the next assignment. 

But it was never true. 

You’d been lying to yourself for years, deluding yourself for so long you’d forgotten your own lies. And Ace’s leaving was like ripping off an old bandage with the wound still festering underneath. Besides, someone like Ace didn’t need someone like you. He’d only been on the RA ship for a few weeks, but it seemed like he had become friends with half the ship in just days. People naturally gravitated to him, sought him out for leadership or companionship, much like you had. You wondered how many strays Ace had picked up during his time on the seas, people like you who were waiting to see his sunny face again. 

Something red coming up in your peripheral vision broke you out of your self-pitying thoughts. You lifted your head from the railing to see Iva standing near you, this time in his male form. The sight of his new form caught your interest immediately, you’d always been curious about their devil fruit and the practical applications of changing genders rapidly.

“Sunny-girl! There you are, I’ve been meaning to find you. I left you alone to recuperate in sadness, but I’ve waited long enough!” Iva emphatically declared. You stood up a little straighter, unsure what you could provide to Iva at this juncture. 

“I’m sorry, I would have come sooner if-”

“If you hadn’t been moping over Acey-boy. Don’t worry about him, he’s fine. Strong young man, and caught the Grand Line’s favorite DILF too,” Iva said, his eyes twinkling. You weren’t sure what to say, so you remained quiet, which was the right choice because Iva continued on.

“Such a shame, he made a lovely woman,” Iva said, putting his head in his hand with a sigh.

“Oh? You changed him into a girl?” you asked, curious to hear the story.

“A woman, Sunny, he was no girl. After he healed, he asked me to switch him over. He tried it for a few weeks but grew restless. Wouldn’t wear a shirt and kept fondling himself in public. It wasn’t a big to do. Quite the scandal, really,” Iva said with a shrug of his shoulders. You tilted your head in thought, and a question popped into your mind.

“What about Sabo?” you blurted out.

“Sabo? Hm, he tried it once but didn’t find it interesting. Boring,” Iva declared with a toss of his head. Iva continued talking, interrupting your imaginings of Sabo in a frilly dress. 

“Everyone wants to try it from the other side, you know?” Iva said with a long wink.

“Er, try what?” you asked, unsure exactly what Iva was referencing.

“Sex, of course! Orgasms, positions, oral, anal, you name it, everyone wants to try out what they haven’t had,” Iva mused as you felt your face burn. You should have expected that answer, you supposed, but hearing all that out loud had you flushing.

“Would you like to try?” Iva asked, now giving you a once-over and a twirl of his finger.

“Er, uh, well, I don’t think-”

“Come on, Sunny-girl. It’s the perfect time, too, still at sea. I think I’ve changed most of the RA by now, so no one will bat an eye. It’s quite the experience,” Iva continued, arching his eyebrow at you.

“Uh, um, the thing - I haven’t, um. I haven’t exactly experienced much on this side,” you mumbled, your face burning even hotter now. The tips of your ears were probably red from how much you were flushing.

“A virgin! Really? I’m surprised. I can’t say I’m surprised though, it practically radiates off you. Nothing to be embarrassed about-” Iva began fussing before you cut him off with a wave of your hand, your face still red.

“I’m not embarrassed, not exactly. I’ve never found anyone who was interested, so I just,” you trailed off, willing the conversation to move along. But like a dog with a bone, Iva was not letting go. 

“Oh, I know someone who’s very interested,” Iva said with a devilish smile, arching his brow again. You weren’t sure if there was blood anywhere in your body besides your face. You pressed your lips together and blinked slowly to regain a drop of composure.

“But there’s plenty of time for that. Surely you’ve at least had an orgasm,” Iva stated, looking you over. You looked back out to sea; you could not lie convincingly to save your life or your pride. 

“Sunny-girl, please. Tell me you’ve had an orgasm. Tell me you’ve masturbated,” Iva said, grabbing your shoulders and shaking you slightly, his tone growing more desperate with every word. His brows furrowed, and his normal smile pointed down in a frown, like he was genuinely concerned.

“I uh, I’m not sure I-” Iva dramatically threw himself back, the back of his hand over his forehead like he was going to faint. He tottered backwards, his heels clacking loudly with every step, and you grew concerned he was going to topple over, head first. You were also worried that his behavior was going to attract attention, which was the only possible worse outcome than having to talk about this particular topic with Iva.

“Oh! I simply cannot go on! But I must go on, help the poor unfortunate souls who live without satisfaction-”

“I’m not without-”

“Sunny-girl,” Iva exclaimed, a fan thwapping open as he used it to cool himself off, “this is unacceptable. You need to practice! How else do you expect to show someone else how to make you orgasm?” 

“Where did the fan come-”

“What’s the problem? Have you at least tried? ” his large eyes roving over you once more. Now you knew how your amoebas felt under your watchful gaze. You blinked a few times, fidgeting as you thought about your answer. You truly weren’t embarrassed about being a virgin, but talking about your masturbation habits with an overdramatic Commander of the Revolutionary Army was not something you felt all that comfortable discussing. 

“I’ve tried many times. I just can’t…get there,” you finished, trying to use a euphemism. “There’s something wrong-”

“There’s nothing wrong with you! Don’t ever say that!” Iva exclaimed as if you’d personally offended him, his fan snapping closed in his hand. “As your superior officer-”

“I’m not sure you are, I don’t really work-”

“I am ordering you to go back to your room, make yourself comfortable, and feel yourself. I’m not saying only physically, I want you to try and connect with yourself, Sunny-girl. I can tell there are years of repression here,” Iva said with a flash of his eyes and a frown, waving a hand in your general direction. If you’d wanted a distraction from your loneliness, it was coming in the form of being ordered to try and masturbate to orgasm, you thought.

“And I don’t have to share the health benefits, do I? Orgasm triggers several hormones — dopamine, oxytocin, endorphins, prolactin, serotonin — it strengthens your pelvic floor muscles, helps your sleep-”

“Sleep benefits aren’t scientifically proven-” you stammered, your hands up in the air like you were surrendering. Iva pursed his lips and gave you another once over before his purple painted lips parted in a smile.

“You know the difference between an enzyme and a hormone?” Iva asked, his smile wide. Your brain decided to comply and work for once, so you happily started prattling off the information, trying to shift the conversation away from the world’s worst topic. 

“Well, an enzyme-”

“You can’t hear an enzyme HEEHAW! Now off you go, shoo. I don’t want to hear from you until you orgasm! If you don’t orgasm, come back to me for tips!” Iva said, physically herding you towards the door to the lower decks. There wasn’t a point in disagreeing with him, you thought and frankly, a break did sound nice. 

You were fairly certain Iva was ribbing you, he couldn’t order you to masturbate. Probably. Given the last few weeks, perhaps it was time to try to release the flood of hormones like Iva suggested. Maybe you’d try another attempt at the behest of the Commander and see what came of it, you thought as Iva gave you a final push into the hallway. All those chemicals might do you some good. You definitely needed them.

Sabo POV

Sabo sagged in his chair as the meeting coordinating the transfer of people and goods from ship to ship finally ended. It was important and needed to be done, but he found these kind of logistical meetings tedious. He liked action, not discussing how many ropes they would be taking with them (all of them). Sabo tipped his hat over his face for a brief respite before his thoughts turned to you yet again. Really, they’d been on you for most of the meeting, but he’d tried to corral them back in. 

He was worried about you and wasn’t quite sure how to help. Marco had warned him to watch for a slump after Ace left, that a change in your surroundings and circumstances might trigger a depressive episode in you. Sabo suspected you’d been depressed for years — overworked, underappreciated, and lonely — but Marco warned of an acute burst of profound sadness. 

And Marco was right. You’d been withdrawn and silent over the past few days, not snapping at everyone as he expected, but withdrawn and silent. Sabo wished you’d confide in him, let him in, but he knew that wasn’t something that could be demanded from someone. He’d have to continue being a safe harbor for you, the shelter for your storm. Eventually, you’d come around, he was sure of it.

Sabo stretched as he stood and grabbed his pipe, ready to head to the top deck to get some sun. He always preferred being outdoors; it fueled something within him. Maybe it was all the years in the jungle or the treehouse he used to live in, but being inside for hours on end always felt stifling. It reminded him of being in his family’s manor, the endless lessons from stuffy tutors…

It reminded him of his former noble status, he realized. Sabo’s gut churned whenever he thought of his life before he found his real brothers, but especially now in conjunction with you. Ace, Luffy, and Dragon already knew of it and still accepted him, but what about you? He knew the circumstances of your life and your experiences with nobles. He’d dug into every lead he could find on you, and they weren’t great. 

Your family lived on the outskirts of a nobleman’s manor, your mother one of the factory workers for the estate’s textile business. There was no doubt in his mind that it was exploitative with your mother working for pennies while they made thousands. She was working multiple jobs to make ends meet and send your brothers to school while the upper class reveled in their undeserved luxury.

You’d had to join the Marines to help support your family after your sister fell ill and sent back nearly all your money to them. No, Sabo would have to continue to hide his origins from you, like he did with almost everyone else.  If you knew the truth about his birth circumstances, your opinion would irrevocably change. 

Coming up to the top deck, Sabo took a deep inhale of the salty air. Finally, he felt like he could breathe again. He twirled his pipe mindlessly for a few minutes, humming along to some nameless tune. He was letting himself daydream a little as he heard the clacking of Iva’s heels from behind.

“Hi Iva,” Sabo said dreamily, thinking about a time when you might let him kiss you again. He’d gotten two on the island, but they hardly counted. Sabo was a patient man. He would wait until it was something you bestowed on him this time. Maybe.

“Sabo-boy, I haven’t had the time to see anyone today. But I had the time to see your little scientist earlier,” Iva said, the corners of his mouth curling into a cheshire grin. 

“Sunny? I’m sure she was happy to see you,” Sabo said, recalling how you’d been discreetly asking about Iva’s schedule. He knew you had a genuine interest in Iva’s scientific work, which was a change of pace for the performer. He was more used to people admiring his showmanship rather than his mind, so Sabo wondered how long it would be until Iva took you under his wing.

“Oh, she was. Or will be. I gave her a little experiment to try, I think you should check on her,” Iva said with a wink. Sabo didn’t say anything, but his gut told him Iva was meddling. What else could he expect after telling him about his desire for you? Iva thrived on drama and contrived circumstances, of course he was going to stir the pot. 

“Alright, I’ll go in a few-”

“My suggestion is you go now,” Iva said, his eyes wide and his smile impossibly wider. OK, Iva had definitely done something; there was no question. What on earth had he told you to do? 

“Thank you, Iva. I’m sure she finds it enriching,” Sabo said with a tip of his hat. 

“She surely does.”

A few moments later, Sabo was listening intently outside your door. There wasn't a lot of noise coming from the room, just the sound of your breathing. Maybe you were napping? If that was the case, he didn’t want to wake you since he knew all the therapy made you tired. The foot of your bed faced the door, so he’d be able to tell if you were asleep from a quick glance in the room. Sabo silently opened the door a tiny crack to see what was-

Oh?

Oh. 

Oh.

Sabo’s mind went blank.

Completely blank.

There were no thoughts in his head as he absorbed the sight in front of him. His pipe nearly slipped out of his hand, recovering only at the last moment to keep it from clattering to the floor. Iva had definitely been meddling, and Sabo was going to approve every single outrageous costume he submitted as a business expense as thanks. 

Sabo was transfixed when he saw you were lyying on your back, one of your arms thrown over your eyes as you moaned softly. You were completely nude from the waist down, wearing one of his old shirts on top. Your other hand was between your splayed legs, slowly rubbing the clit of your perfect pussy. 

He couldn’t tear his eyes away as your fingers took slick from your entrance and brought it back to your clit, this time increasing the speed at which you rubbed. Sabo nearly drooled as he imagined tracing every fold on display before him. This was something he’d pictured in his mind countless times, even down to this very scenario, and his imagination did not do reality justice. 

Your cheeks were rosy under your arm, and he wished he could watch your face more closely as you started using three of your small fingers on your clit. You bit your lip to muffle your whines and soft sighs. Sabo fought the urge to kiss you, to draw out more of your needy sounds with his passion. 

He was incredibly hard, his cock begging to be given similar treatment, but the hallway of the infirmary wasn’t the place. He could watch you and shut the door if someone came by, but it would be more difficult to explain public indecency. Sabo decided to commit the entire scene to memory and stroke himself to it when he had the privacy.

You weren’t pumping your fingers inside yourself, but whatever worked for you worked for him. Your chest was rising and falling rapidly, and you moaned again, your thighs twitching. Sabo broke his own promise from moments before and unzipped his pants to fist his twitching cock as he watched you bring yourself closer to orgasm. 

Or so he thought. You rubbed and stroked with increasing speed, but the moment never seemed to arrive. You tried different techniques, stroking, rubbing, even patting, but it didn’t seem like you could get yourself to come. Sabo wondered if you were edging yourself, but he didn’t think so as you groaned in frustration. Was there something different because of your TBI? Sabo watched as you threw your other hand down on the bed, only to pick it back up a few moments later and begin again.

A singular question popped into Sabo’s mind — did you not know how to pleasure yourself to completion? He hadn’t exactly broached the subject before, but it wasn’t that unusual for women to lack knowledge about their bodies and sexuality. Sabo’s erection throbbed as he imagined himself teaching you how to come on his tongue, on his fingers, on his cock. He had given up on his mission to avoid touching himself in public — he’d stop before anyone got near — and was stroking himself as he watched you do the same.

Sabo kept pace with you, with his hand on his cock and yours on your cunt. He’d watch and stroke until you’d inevitably stop right before the big event. It made him want to curse from the delicious pain of his denied climax. The physical things you were doing should work, could maybe use a little finesse, but if Sabo had to guess your stumbling block, it was your mind. That’s why in his fantasies, he overwhelmed you to the point where you had no option but to succumb to the pleasure he was providing you. 

You’d just started another slow climb towards orgasm, Sabo gritting his teeth as he stroked himself along with you. You were torturing him and you didn’t even know it, just like every other day of the week. He hoped that this time you’d be able to get yourself to come, maybe he’d find some relief as well. Your eyes were scrunched tightly shut, as if you were willing something into your mind. He wished he had some kind of mind-reading fruit to be able to see who or what you were imagining.

Your back arched on the bed and your heels dug in as you furiously rubbed your clit with two fingers. Your mouth parted for your short huffs to escape when Sabo’s ears perked up. What was that you were softly moaning?

Your POV

Iva wasn’t completely wrong; you were wound tight and needed some release. Maybe some inhibitions let loose from your brain being knocked around would help you come for the first time. Additionally, you wanted to finally be able to experience some of the health benefits Iva had mentioned, and more besides. You’d read a fascinating paper on the positive effect of orgasm on pain and mood stabilization in female patients. The nurses kept offering you pain medication, but it made you drowsy and your thoughts even slower, so you didn’t like to take it. Maybe if you were able to make yourself come, you’d be able to reap all the benefits you’d read about in Dr. Kureha’s article. 

It wasn’t for lack of trying that you weren’t able to orgasm — you’d been trying every few months since puberty, but nothing ever happened. It only ever left you more frustrated than before. You’d feel some physical sensations, but they either never went anywhere or you stopped before you came, scared of the intensity of the new feelings. Either that or you'd lacked the privacy you would need to initiate such an ordeal. It had always been an exercise in frustration, but maybe it would be different this time. There was only one way to find out. 

You lay back on your bed after changing into Sabo’s old cozy shirt. You tried to get comfortable and settled, like the advice given in the innumerable guides you’d read on masturbation. There was no music or candles like they typically suggested, but you’d take what you could get. Looking up, you made sure the door was closed — when it was, no one would enter without knocking first — and got to work.

You stuck your hand between your legs, quickly finding your clit. After taking a deep breath, you rubbed the nub slowly, trying to acclimate yourself to the situation. This part was easy, it wasn’t like you were unfamiliar with your anatomy. Closing your eyes, you tried to feel the feelings as the books so unhelpfully provided as you stroked your clit.

You rubbed, stroked, patted, did any kind of sensation that you could think of, putting your arm over your eyes to block out anything that might distract you from your focus. Some of the advice you’d read was to imagine a partner with you, but thinking about some faceless man doing those things to you wasn’t really helping either. Same results as before, you thought, throwing your arm off your face and dramatically to the side.

Nothing. 

You had gotten close, maybe? One time? But overall, the same nothing that always happened before was happening now, making you want to howl in frustration.

As you lay in bed fuming, your fingers smelling of your own juices, a thought came to mind. If you did nothing differently, how could you expect a different outcome? You’d been repeating the same experiment over and over and had been surprised by getting the same results. This was basic scientific reasoning — the same actions would yield the same results. So, what variable needed to change?

Thinking about something that turned you on might help, you mused. But what should you think about? You found men attractive and generally tried to picture a generic handsome man kissing you or fingering you when you attempted to come, but that didn’t seem to work. Maybe you needed to think of a particular person to make your brain focus specifically. But who?

You weren’t attracted to any of the Marines at your last base, you couldn’t remember anyone from the base before it, you didn’t really know any of the RA members on the ship, and you weren’t attracted to Ace in that way. The only person that left that you had any kind of connection to was…Sabo. 

Well, it wasn’t a completely illogical thought. You’d always found Sabo attractive, going all the way back to when you’d first met him. Even you were not completely immune to his charms, you thought. You'd caught yourself looking at his body a few times when he’d been shirtless at night, or watching his dimple in his cheek as he smiled at you. And you weren’t the only one — you saw heads turn as he passed, people primping themselves before he approached, smiling and laughing at everything he said. 

No, it was clear that Sabo was objectively a highly attractive male. And that was despite features that weren't symmetrical, a common marker of beauty in the animal kingdom, you noted. Thinking about him as you masturbated didn’t have to mean anything — a physical attraction was a perfectly natural reaction for a healthy woman, simple as that. It wasn’t romance, just basic biology.

And it wasn’t like he was going to find out; you were never going to tell him. Men did things like this all the time, as you had discovered during basic training. Fantasies of sex with a familiar person was the most common masturbation tool, followed by sex with a famous pirate, given your anecdotal evidence. This wouldn’t be anything like reality; this would just be a secret fantasy that you indulged in like everyone else. And truly, since the explosion, Sabo had stopped doing most of the things that had previously made you uncomfortable. He wasn’t making you kiss him or putting his hat on your head or picking you up. He’d been respectful and helpful, listening to you when you expressed boundaries and you didn't want that to change. 

If you really searched your feelings, you weren’t sure what your relationship to Sabo was . He wasn’t exactly your kidnapper anymore. It was you who had made sure that there wasn’t anywhere else to go. You couldn’t leave him right now even if you wanted to. He wasn’t your boss as you didn’t formally work for the Revolutionary Army or have any place in its hierarchy. He protected you sometimes, but mostly from awkward social situations that you tried to avoid.

On the other hand, you slept in a bed with him by choice, he was helping you relearn to read, he spent his free time with you, you enjoyed your conversations with him…it was all too confusing to think about at the moment. All you wanted was to orgasm for once, not think about what Sabo meant to you . 

And you were going to do it.

Your mind made up, you closed your eyes as tightly as you could and began thinking about Sabo. You knew him somewhat well, how his personality would translate into a sexual setting. Sabo was powerful, commanding, and needed to be in control, as you’d seen in your own experiences with him. He wouldn’t let you shrink away from your orgasm, you thought as you took a deep breath and began stroking yourself. Sabo wouldn’t let you wiggle away when the sensations became overwhelming. No, he would push you through it, forcing you to face everything under his careful supervision.

“Ah~ S-sabo! It’s too m-much, I can’t, I can’t-” you’d cry out, trying to shut your legs to stop the overwhelming sensations. He’d gently pry them open again, not moving from his position between your thighs. You’d tried wiggling away from him but he was completely unmoved, like an iron wall. His chin would be dripping with your fluids, his grin devilish as he pinned your trembling thighs to the bed. His robotic hand would grip you firmly but not to the point of bruising your skin, the metal now warm after resting on your heated skin for so long. You weren’t going to escape your first orgasm on his tongue, no matter how intense the feeling was. Your hands would be wound in his hair, yanking hard enough to hurt but Sabo wouldn’t care.

“Just a little more — you’re so close and you’re doing so well. We can stop right now, but then I’d have to start at the beginning again,” Sabo would reply with a pout, his eyes glinting with mischief. Your eyes would widen, your face flushed with your increasing desire. The band in your lower belly was winding tighter and tighter; you wanted release from the stimulation that was making you squirm under his touch.

“N-no! It’s torture Sabo, pl-please help me come!” you’d wail, pulling him back down. Sabo would dip his head back down, his tongue already tracing your lips and-

Holy shit , you thought. You were wetter than you’d ever been before, you realized as you swiped your fingers through your now slick folds. It was a little embarrassing thinking about something like this but you’d cringe at yourself later. Maybe you’d also examine your apparent sexual preferences, but for now you brought your fingers back to your clit and tried summoning your fantasy Sabo once more.

“S-Sabo! I -” you cried, trying to squirm away from him. Sabo’s grip never faltered as he kept you exactly where he wanted you, his mouth gently sucking on your clit as tears tracked down your face. You could feel his stubble against your inner thighs; your skin would be irritated later but it would be worth it. You’d pant as he removed his flesh hand from one of your thighs, positioning his index and middle fingers at your entrance.

“I’m going to stretch you out, Love. Can’t take my cock before you take my fingers, hm?” he’d say before lapping at you once more. This would be your first time, and you wouldn’t know what to do — but Sabo would. He’d guide you through the whole thing, beyond pleased that you’d trusted him with your virginity. He’d insert one finger slowly, taking his time to make sure you weren’t in pain. As his finger went deeper within you, you’d try to grind yourself against him, making him laugh against your skin.

“You’ll have as much as you need and more. Patience,” he’d say, nipping your inner thigh. He’d slowly start moving his finger within you, finding the spot you’d read about so many times before. “There it is,” he’d coo as your face heated. He’d pull his finger back out, making you whimper before adding a second and pushing them back in.

“S-Sabo!” you’d mewl loudly, arching your back at the feeling of being stretched out over his hand.

“That’s it, love, say my name. Let everyone know who owns this cunt,” he’d demand before his fingers found the spot once more.

“Ah Sabo, Sabo, Sabo-,” you’d repeat as he’d lick and suck and his fingers would press against you and you’d-

“Ah, S-Sabo, Sabo,” you realized you were moaning aloud as you finally pushed yourself over the edge, your muscles taut as the thought of Sabo making you come in your fantasy had you coming in reality. You felt pure bliss as the tension finally left your body, like something finally gave out within you. Your vision went white and every thought in your brain instantly dissipated as your pussy clenched within you. You rode the feeling out for as long as you could; you’d read that women usually orgasmed from anywhere from 15 to 60 seconds, and you wanted to get the full experience. Even after you stopped stroking yourself, you were still feeling the aftershocks for quite some time, your cunt pulsing every few seconds or so. You let out a shaky breath, your legs flopping open onto the bed.

Holy shit, no wonder people fucked so much. If that was how it felt alone, you couldn’t imagine how it would feel with a partner, you thought as a yawn left your mouth. The science linking orgasm to sleep quality wasn’t proven, but still you let your eyes close as you drifted off into a nap. 

The experiment achieved the desired outcome.

Sabo POV

He- he couldn’t believe it. Surely he was asleep in his bed, with you curled up against him, his mind creating yet another fantasy for him. This couldn’t be real life, the very thing that he’d been yearning for right before his eyes. Sweat was beading on your forehead as your fingers worked your clit. Your other hand fisted into the sheets, though he wished you were fondling your breasts both for his pleasure and your own. 

Your muscles were tense as your back arched, your heels digging into the sheets as you finally came, your face still taught with tension as you tried to get yourself to come. Sabo gripped his cock, rubbing the head with his thumb before pumping himself furiously. He kept his breathing quiet and even as he leaned his forehead against the door frame. He was so close, so close, he wanted to hold out until you came-

“S-sabo aaah ,” you panted softly, breathing his name out one last time before your body went rigid, your hand gripping the sheets so tightly your knuckles went white. Sabo bit his lip to prevent his own groan from escaping as he reached his orgasm, stroking himself and pretending it was you. He kept stroking himself to the sight of you, thinking of him as you came undone before his eyes. 

He did his best to slow his ragged breathing as he tried to gather himself while he watched you come down from your high. How he wished he was with you in the bed, kissing your flushed cheeks, spreading your legs again, hearing you whine about how you couldn’t, how you were too sensitive, how you needed a moment before he began again, your mewls as he ignored those warnings, your thighs trembling as he began licking and kissing again- the intrusive thoughts had him half hard again already, but he pushed them out of his mind. He’d have plenty of time to replay this particular episode later, when his cock wasn’t out in the infirmary. With that, Sabo tucked himself back into his trousers, using a handkerchief to discreetly wipe his come off your door frame. Iva could have a goddamn burlesque hall if he wanted. 

Peeking in, he saw that now you were truly napping with soft snores leaving you with every exhale. He’d tell you later that everyone was switching ships in a few hours, you looked more relaxed than he’d seen you in so long. Now he just had to work on making your fantasy a reality.

Taglist: @mfreedomstuff @epochal-oracle @divinedolliebun @rebeccawinters @extremely-ashtridic @sle3pymarimo @violetmatcha

[hannahbarberra162]

Heat Transfer, Chapter 8

18+ MDNI | on Ao3

The other chapters

Things are heating up for our friends :3 Thank you to @sordidmusings for helping me along the way and @tryingandfailingtowrite for beta-ing the shit out of this and preventing every single punctuation mark from being an em dash.

Baby POV

Thoughts of the female consumed you as you swam back to the Whale. It wasn’t that you were upset — you would never be sad over the affections of one measly human — but the feeling was similar to one you felt when you were much younger. It would come every time you watched your sisters leave you alone on your island again. You never knew when or if they’d come back for you; the thoughts of being abandoned swirling in your mind as you watched their striped forms retreat. You’d sit on the shore for hours, though your sisters swam away in minutes, as you watched the sea from the warm sand.

But you weren’t a little baby anymore, no matter what anyone called you. Snarling and flexing your jaw, you tried to literally snap yourself out of your foul mood as you climbed the anchor line back to the Whale. You wouldn’t hide from Ace — a Sea Naga would never hide — but you weren’t going to be around when he came back. You wouldn’t disrupt his plans with his precious human female , and you had plenty of other humans on board you could spend time with. Not currently, you thought as you scanned the deck, the ship was mostly deserted since the humans were on the island you’d just left. You slithered on the stairs towards Namur’s quarters with Ace’s words to you on a loop in your mind before you suddenly halted in the darkened hallway.

It wasn’t a smell or a sight; it was a gut feeling. There was a malevolent, evil presence on the ship, lurking and waiting for its chance to strike. A god long forgotten in the murky depths of the deep. Something primordial that sent a shiver down your long tail and had you wanting to burrow deep into the waters of the sea.

You’d felt the presence before in passing, but never been able to pinpoint exactly where it came from, the feeling too fleeting to localize among the throng of humans. Now you could see exactly where it came from - a tall, robust human you’d seen a few times before but had instinctively avoided. He worked for Ace, always appearing to be friendly and jovial with the other humans. But you felt he didn’t wear a smile of happiness like so many others, his was a display of aggression and challenge, much like your own. It should have made you feel at ease to see someone more similar to yourself, but you felt like you’d been coated in slimy ooze.

“Oi, snake girl!” the human called, his dark eyes flashing with delight.

The human’s grin was wide as he made his way straight towards you. It felt like tentacles were creeping slowly towards you, ready to wrap you up in their bonds as he came closer. Standing tall, you thumped your tail against the deck, as much a show of anxiety as a warning to the lurking predator. Looking about, there weren’t any other humans in the same hallway as the two of you that you could use as a diversion to get away. You didn’t want to retreat and show weakness and besides, the human hadn’t even done anything. Your heart beat faster as you waited in anticipation, even as you rolled your eyes in a feign of indifference. 

The human came up to stand next to you, his hand shoved into the sash he wore around his protruding stomach. There was no mistaking the dread growing in the pit of your stomach, this was the monster of the deep, despite walking about in human form. 

“Been meaning to speak to ya, girl. You can talk, right? Or you still just hissing? ZEHAHAHA!” the man barked out an ugly laugh despite not saying anything humans would consider humorous. You seldom laughed at their jokes, but this was a strange introduction even by nonsensical human standards. 

“You gonna answer me or what?” he said, his grin flashing like a knife as he crowded you into the wall of the passageway. You slithered back, unable to pin down the human’s next move. Most humans were fairly predictable in how they behaved, even if you found their behaviors perplexing or foolish. But this one gave you pause, and you wanted to give him a wide berth.

“Can talk,” you replied, eyeing the distance between him and the end of the hallway. He tracked your movements and let out another laugh.

“ZEHAHAHAHA what else can ya do? I remember the Naga Whitebeard fought all those years ago. That sea bitch could control the waves and was much bigger to boot,” he said, now eyeing you from head to tail. You flicked your tongue in discomfort for a moment before lunging, trying to make a break for it and get through the passage. 

The man could catch you with surprising ease; he was more agile than you had been anticipating, given his corpulent body. His meaty hand wrapped around your neck easily, the movement compressing your jaw and not allowing it to open. You thrashed and tried to wrap your tail around him, but he grabbed the end of it and pulled you taut like a rope. All you were able to do was scrabble at his arm with your claws, unable to constrict or bite him. He held you aloft like you weighed nothing, as if you truly were but a baby to him. This human was not what he seemed; he was much stronger and much more devious. If you didn’t hate him on sight, you might have admired those qualities. Your skin crawled as you felt something like shadow tentacles slithering over your skin. Whatever was in the human would not remain dormant for long. 

“Not so fast girlie. I wanna test out your venom and see how strong it is. You might be useful even if you’re a runt. Bite my arm,” he commanded, his dark eyes alight with a savage interest. You hissed and continued to scratch at his arm, though he hardly seemed to notice. 

“Bite,” he said, adjusting his grip on your neck. Like Marco, he somehow knew where to press on your jaw to open your mouth. You hissed as he moved your neck into place, your open mouth pressed against his hairy forearm against your will. 

If this fucker wanted a bite, you’d give him a bite. Rearing back slightly, you bit him as hard as you could and injected him with nearly all the venom available in your glands. The human laughed again as his grip on your neck weakened. 

“Potent stuff, eh? Maybe you’re not as useless as I thought,” he said, now letting go of your tail. You bit his other arm and stomach in rapid succession with all your anger and the little venom that had refilled in the gland for good measure. The man’s grin widened and in that split second, you knew you’d made a mistake. You didn’t know how or why, but something had happened that was unchangeable. 

���See ya around, snake,” the human said, another laugh bubbling up from his chest. You slithered away as fast as you could after watching the man retreat further into the bowels of the Whale. 

You slithered into the first room you recognized - Fossa’s quarters. He didn’t mind when you curled up in his bed or used his chair for relaxing. In fact, he’d even brought extra blankets for you to use when Ace was busy. You curled up on the enormous bed and tried to relax. Adrenaline was coursing through your veins as you thought over the bizarre interaction repeatably, unsure what you could have done differently. He’d cornered you and forced you to bite him, but why ? Sure, he wanted to test the strength of your venom, but couldn’t he ask Thatch about it? And why weren’t the humans disturbed by the evil lurking within him? Surely they could sense it?

You tossed and turned in the bed, your fight with Ace forgotten as you tried to understand what had just happened. No position was comfortable as the malevolent grin he’d given you was seared into your mind. After unsuccessfully trying to relax for half an hour, you threw off the blankets and left the room. Your heart was still pounding as you made your way back up to the deck. You wanted to swim until your muscles and lungs burned to get your nervous energy out. The sea had always helped you clear your head, and you couldn’t get underwater fast enough.

As you opened the door to the top deck of the Whale, your heart sank into your stomach as you saw the human from before talking to the Harpy. Both of his arms were dangling uselessly by his side as he spoke in soft tones to the nodding Harpy, his fingers drumming against his opposing arm. The Harpy was listening intently, his mouth pressed into the thin line that humans did when they were displeased.

“Baby, come here yoi,” the Harpy ordered, uncrossing his arms to beckon you with a finger. The human behind him continued to make a falsely concerned face, surely the Harpy wasn’t fooled? The Harpy’s frown deepened as you tried to guess if you could make it over the railing before he caught you. He’d done it before, so probably not.

“ Now. ”

You narrowed your eyes and straightened your back as you slithered over to him. Nobody could make you cower, not even the Harpy or the Deep Evil. The Harpy folded its arms across his chest again as you awaited whatever he was going to tell you. 

“You bit Teach.” 

“Yesss, bit him,” you scoffed, rolling your eyes. O bviously you’d bitten Teach. No one else had venom as potent as yours to cause his arms to be limp like that.

“I don’t know why you attacked him, and frankly I don’t care,” he continued. You tilted your head in confusion.

“Did not attack-” you started to explain before being cut off again with a wave of dismissal.

“You just admitted you did yoi,” he said with a sigh, “and actions have consequences.”

“Did bite did not attack! Teeech tell bite…make-” you struggled to explain to the Harpy what had happened. Teach stood behind the Harpy, shaking his head as if in disappointment. You wanted to snap your jaws at him, but doubted the Harpy would tolerate it.

“You chose to bite him, so now you can deal with the results yoi,” the Harpy said as his legs transformed into their bird form. 

For the second time that afternoon, you tried to bolt away from the imminent danger. For the second time that afternoon, you were quickly caught and pinned down. This time, it was the Harpy who held you down to the deck as you attempted to escape, thrashing your body as hard as you could. There wasn’t enough venom in your glands to do any significant damage, and you weren’t even sure it would work against the Harpy. The Old Man did have a powerful crew; you just wished it wasn’t used against you.

“I warned you that if you bit again I wouldn’t be so lenient. I’m putting you in the brig until Ace gets back and we can have a proper conversation yoi,” the Harpy said in a snippy tone, like you’d been a misbehaving child. His indifference to your rage only made you fight against his hold more. You were still trying to fight when Fossa came up behind the Harpy with something in his hands.

“Fossssa! Did not-” you tried to explain before Fossa just shook his head, his cigar still spewing smoke. 

“Sorry kid. Rules are rules,” Fossa said with a frown. 

“Did not attack! Fosssa!” you yelled futilely. But your attempt to explain didn’t stop him from holding your head in one giant palm and fastening the wretched muzzle to your face. The snick of the lock had you staring him dead in the eyes. At least he had the decency to look somewhat abashed as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Looking over the assorted humans by you - the Harpy, Fossa, and Teach, you did something you had never done before. You stopped struggling and lay limp on the deck like a gutted fish.

You gave up. 

Fuck all these humans, fuck Fossa, fuck the Old Man, and fuck Ace.

Humans were a race of cowards, liars, and traitors. Why you ever thought there was something redeemable in them, you didn’t know. Your sisters were right; you weren’t fit to be by yourself and certainly not among putrid humans. You were going to escape, find a way back to your island, and never leave ever again. 

“Are you going to walk or do I have to carry you?” the Harpy asked in a prim tone. You didn’t move, just lay there like you were dead, which you might as well be with the muzzle on. The Harpy sighed before picking you up around the middle, your body flopping like the noodles Thatch cooked for you. The Harpy’s talons clacked against the deck as he carried your dead weight back to the cell.

Your eyes never left Fossa’s as you were taken down below. 

Several hours later, you were curled up in the original cage you’d been put in all those weeks ago. The sun had set long ago and you’d had to tuck into yourself to try to keep warm. Not that it worked — the night chill had come, and you were losing heat rapidly. Not only that, but the muzzle was the same one as before. Your skin already stung from where the metal was rubbing your cheek raw. You sat in the cell for hours, ruminating on the filthy humans you’d thought for a moment might have been some kind of group you’d like to join.

Yeah, right. You faced the wall in the farthest corner of the cell, content to stew in your hatred. They thought you were a monster, and you were going to prove them correct — once you got out of the cell. Maybe the Harpy would deem you a danger and set you free, but you thought it unlikely. The humans probably didn’t even have the honor to battle you to death; they’d probably just slice off your head and feed you to the Harpy to be done with you.

The door opened quietly, but you didn’t turn around or even bother looking. You knew it to be Ace when the scent of firewood hit your tongue. You heard his boots clomping to the front of the cell, but you continued to ignore him. The room was rapidly heating and Ace pushed familiar smelling blankets into the cell. 

“Hey Baby, I brought these for you,” Ace said softly from beyond the bars. Silence stretched between you for a few moments before he continued. 

“Marco told me what happened with Teach. Why’d ya do it? You knew you’d get in trouble.” You remained silent and wished that you didn’t have external ear flaps like your sisters. At least then you could ignore him more easily. 

“I brought you food. It’s eggs, your favorite,” he offered, placing the plate of food in front of the cell. As tantalizing as they smelled, you made no outward signs that you’d heard him at all. As if you’d accept the pitiful offering of the eggs you’d bought as gifts. Disgusting. You heard Ace sigh and sit by the front of the cell.

“Listen, I don’t like Teach either. I don’t trust him, and there’s no way everything went down like he said. At the same time, you obviously bit him. I’m gonna talk to-” you tuned him out as the wind changed direction and a new scent came into the cabin. Not a new scent, a very familiar one.

You perked up, ignoring Ace now for a completely different reason. Standing on your tail, you grabbed the bars of the cell, looking out the window to the water in the distance. Your smile widened as far as it could go within the muzzle.

Ace’s POV

The rest of the day had been a complete bust. Ace had apologized to and promptly left the trembling woman as soon as you swam away, calling after you. You didn’t waver, ducking under the waves and swimming away before he could get a word in. After you were gone, Ace rubbed the back of his neck, wishing things had gone differently. Whatever, he thought, familiar anger rising in him. You were being aggressive and needed to chill out. He wasn’t that out of line, he thought as he walked down the beach towards Thatch. The other Commanders had made a bonfire and were eating, laughing, and drinking in equal measure.

Ace plopped himself down on the sand next to Blenheim, who didn’t even bat an eye at the younger Commander’s appearance. There were spaces next to other brothers he was closer with, but everyone’s cheeriness only made him scowl more. Blenheim grabbed a full tankard of ale from atop the barrel and handed it to Ace, not even bothering to grunt at him. Blenheim wasn’t much of a talker, something Ace appreciated at the moment.

Hours passed as he sat in silence next to Blenheim, turning down the offers to wrestle or to join in various games of chance. Ace wasn’t in the mood; none of that sounded good to him. Of course, he ate the dinner Thatch cooked, but he didn’t even try to get thirds. Ace sipped the now lukewarm (but not terrible) beer and thought about you again, swimming away faster than he’d ever seen.

He hadn’t wanted to make you upset, he just didn’t want there to be any problems with the hum- er, people on the island. If things got too hot, there would be tension with the civilians, it just wasn’t worth it. They were in Whitebeard’s territory, the island was technically under his control, but angering the villagers meant they would hike their prices or serve lower quality food and drinks. But, Ace thought as he swallowed another mouthful of beer, you hadn’t ever docked at an island before; this was your first time.

Maybe he should have spent some time explaining social interactions among people who weren’t on the crew. Now that he thought about it further, you didn’t really have a frame of reference for how women and men interacted beyond what you saw on the ship. You were left to fend for yourself on that island without any external figures to help you survive, not too unlike himself. Though he had Makino and later Sabo to teach him manners and how to integrate into society. Even though he knew now, you weren’t really a baby, you didn’t have anyone at all as far as he could tell. How were you to know what to do among civilians?

Another thought flitted through Ace’s mind as the interactions played in a loop on his brain — had you been jealous? You had been staring at the spot where the woman was touching Ace, as if to warn her off. Was that why your reaction was so over the top? You didn’t need to be, especially not over some rando he’d never see again. There were always going to be women trying to talk to him or get his attention when they docked, but they didn’t mean anything to him. Ace was well familiar with the sting of jealousy. He felt it every time you swam with Namur, or hid away in Fossa’s cabin, or brought up a special fish you’d caught for Thatch. He’d watch you for signs in the future, but he didn’t think that was the basis for your current anger.

He’d have to talk to you and apologize for his behavior, he thought as he kicked the sand in front of him into a pile. He took another swig of the beer, mulling things over. Blenheim quirked an eyebrow at him but made no other efforts to communicate. Ace shrugged.

Ace rolled his head in a circle to alleviate his now tight muscles. He’d have to make his way back to the Moby to find you, if you even went back on board. If you were swimming, he’d have to wait until you resurfaced and came back unless you slept elsewhere on the island. If you did, you might miss the call that the ship was leaving.

 This wasn’t intended to be a long stay; the ship would be sailing away the following morning after a quick restock. If you missed the call you’d be stuck on this island. You didn’t know anyone here, and you didn’t speak enough Common to explain what happened. You’d probably end up biting and fighting, then end up in jail. They’d hand you over you to the Marines…Ace’s mind raced with the potential negative outcomes facing you if he didn’t find you. Anxiety wound its way around his stomach, making his heart pound faster. He chugged the rest of his beer and tossed the empty tankard in the general direction of the barrel. 

He’d taken Striker to the island, so there was no need to wait for anyone to bring him back to the ship. Hopping on board the little boat, Ace spurred it to go faster, practically skipping over the increasingly large waves. Far off in the distance, it looked like there might be a storm brewing, and he wanted to get ahead of it before he got stuck on the island. Ace relied on his muscle memory to make the short journey, his thoughts only on finding you. 

Reaching the ship, he climbed aboard and quickly searched the deck looking for any sign of you. There were quite a few crew members milling about, but he didn’t see any Sea Naga on the ship. Ace walked the perimeter of the ship, looking into the water below for any sign of you. His eyes were trained on the sea as Ace nearly bumped into someone standing by the railing. Looking up, Ace saw it was Marshall D. Teach.

Teach was one of the Captains serving under Ace, but Ace hadn’t put him in that position. If anything, Ace wanted to spend the least amount of time possible with Teach. He was well-liked by the crew and the other Commanders, always laughing and joking even if nothing was funny. There was something off about Teach, something slimy and sinister, though Ace could never pinpoint exactly what it was that he didn’t like. He made Ace’s hackles rise, and Ace always found a reason to leave the company of the pirate.

“ZEHAHAHAHAHA! Watch out, Commander!” Teach said, his arms flopping against his side. 

“What happened to you?” Ace asked, his gut churning with the answer he knew Teach would give.

“Your sea snake bit me. Three times, actually,” Teach said, his lip almost turning into a pout. Ace’s eyes narrowed at his words; that didn’t sound like something you’d do. Baby hadn’t bitten that woman on the beach, even when she’d practically had the woman’s head in her jaws. They’d talked so many times about not biting people, how Marco would be mad, how there would be consequences. Baby didn’t understand everything, but she certainly understood the rule that there was to be no biting of any kind. The strong waves coming in were pushing Teach from side to side since his balance was off. It would have been amusing if not for the reason.

“Really? Why?” Ace asked, trying to unclench his jaw and keep his tone light. If Teach suspected something was up, he might change his story.

“She attacked me outta nowhere. I don’t know why - I was walking down the hall and suddenly she’s biting my arm. Got the other one and my stomach too, can’t feel shit. Kinda dangerous to have an unhinged snake on board, if you ask me. Maybe we should leave it on an island, not fit for the crew,” Teach said, trying to shrug his shoulders without much success. “We can always come back for it-”

“Her,” Ace said in an icy tone. The ship rocked heavily to the port side, making them shift a few feet. Guess that storm was coming sooner than later.

“ZEHAHAHAHA, right ‘her.’ All of ‘em are female. Wish I’d been around for the big ones with Pops all those years ago, that woulda been something. This one’s kind of a dud, don’tcha think? Venom’s strong though, I can tell you that,” Teach said with a broad smile.

“Where is she now?” Ace asked through gritted teeth, wishing he could give Teach a fire fist to the face. 

“Oh, Marco ‘n Fossa cornered her and put the mask on her. Took ‘er to the brig. Haven’t seen her since,” Teach mused, his arms swinging uselessly by his side. 

“When was this?” Ace asked, eyeing the setting evening sun. If you were in the brig and the sun set, you’d be cold and hungry.

“Dunno, a coupla hours ago. Hey, where ya going?” Teach asked as Ace swiftly turned on his heel and headed down the deck towards the stairs to the galley, the conversation already over. He was going to need food and blankets, and quickly.

Gathering the needed supplies, Ace rushed down to the brig as fast as he could without spilling the eggs off the plate. He’d fried them in his palm, but he didn’t think you’d care. Standing outside the door to the brig, Ace took in a deep breath. Letting it out slowly, he pushed open the heavy wooden door. It was cold and damp in the brig, he already felt the cool evening air coming in through the window.

 You were curled up in your smallest form, trying to conserve body heat. He knew you could smell and hear him, but you didn’t so much as flick an ear. Ace turned up his body temperature, trying to heat the room for you. The ship was now rocking heavily from side to side, the waves growing more brutal than before.

“Hey Baby, I brought these for you,” Ace said, trying to gauge how you were feeling. Given that you didn’t even turn around for the food, he was guessing you were angrier than the last time he saw you. He took the key to the muzzle off the opposing wall where Marco had left it, hoping you’d be tempted by the food.

“I heard what happened with Teach. Why’d ya do it? You knew you’d get in trouble.” You remained silent. Ace wished you would talk to him, tell him what was going on. He’d take your side, defend you to Marco; he just needed to know what happened.

“I brought you food. It’s eggs, your favorite,” he offered, placing the plate of food in front of the cell. You still didn’t move. Ace sighed and sat down in front of the cell, trying to think of ways to get you to talk to him. The food route always worked with Luffy, or punching him repeatedly until Luffy forgot the original reason he was mad, but Ace didn’t think you’d be receptive to him punching you. Ace nearly toppled over while the ship rocked on the harsh waves.

“Listen, I don’t like Teach either. I don’t trust him, and there’s no way everything went down like he said. At the same time, you obviously bit him. I’m gonna talk to-” you suddenly perked up and slithered to the window. Grabbing the bars, you peered into the water below, looking down with interest. Ace stood up and went to the window on the visitor’s side, trying to see what interested you.

In the distance, Ace saw a black-and-white striped tail flicking through the choppy waters. It looked like yours, but about ten times larger. The creature was swimming rapidly towards the ship, and the black and white underneath the surface of the water looked like a warning. The ship was now rocking heavily, the wood groaning as the large ship heaved from side to side.

Now that it was getting closer, Ace could see there wasn’t only one creature coming their way. There were four. 

Taglist: @mfreedomstuff @rebeccawinters @greenbnny @moldychefboyardeecan

[hannahbarberra162]

Not My Monkey, Chapter 4 (Isekai, reverse trope, SHP / reader)

18+ MDNI | on Ao3

The other chapters

Summary: You've woken up on a strange sailing ship, to the complete non-surprise of the crew. You're their 23rd isekai'd reader, they're used to dealing with your type. The only problem is - you have no idea who they are or what they're talking about. All the readers before you have been superfans, knowing every little detail about their lives. But you only read non-fiction and watch documentaries. Who is Luffy and what the hell is a One Piece? Why do ALL of them have mommy issues? You're about to find out!

~

An update no one asked for lol Idc I love this fic. I'm worried Franky is OOC (maybe Sanji) but pls be nice to me if they are this is just self indulgent fun.

~

Franky and Jinbei docked the ship and everyone started preparing for disembarking. You weren’t sure exactly what to do so or how to be helpful so you mostly stayed out of the way. Watching everyone made you wish that you’d joined girl scouts as a kid, maybe you’d know all those knots everyone was making and throwing all over the place. Finally, everything seemed to be done and the crew’s excitement was practically palpable as everyone prepared to disembark. You were rolling your kit with you down the deck towards the Mini-Merry as Usopp stopped you.

“Hey, you don’t have to bring all that stuff, you can leave it on the ship. No one’s gonna take it. We rotate who stays behind to defend the ship and it's Jinbei’s turn - he’s the second strongest member of the crew. Well, right now. Apparently Zoro’s gonna be second and then Jinbei or maybe Sanji but its hard to say,” he mused as he put his thermos into his brown snap bag. The bag reminded you of the coin purses your grandma always had when you were growing up. 

“Oh, I don’t think anyone’s gonna steal it. I’m gonna make some money,” you said, picking up the train case in your arms. As soon as the weight settled it was promptly taken from you by Sanji, who had come up behind you.

“You don’t need to work, dearest Misty-chan. Your days are meant for relaxing and leisure, not toiling. I’d be happy to do whatever it is you require,” Sanji stated, loading your case for you into the boat and extending his hand. Taking it, you stepped into the small boat, careful not to rock it. You’d capsized enough canoes in your time to know where to step to avoid having to swim ashore. You were eager to swim in the ocean but not in your clothes.

“I know, but there are things I want to buy. And you guys don’t seem to have a lot of spare money, I gotta be honest,” you added. You didn’t want to be a burden on the crew even if your days were limited. And in a way, doing hair would be a great way for you to get a feel for this world since people’s mouths tended to open as soon as the cape graced their shoulders. 

“That’s not entirely true, Nami has -” Sanji started to say but was interrupted by the navigator herself.

“If she wants to work, Sanji, let her! That way I won’t lose money when she d-”

“Nami-swan, please!” Sanji interrupted, his hand flying to rest on his chest in offense as he cut off talk of your demise. “Nami-swan, I know that you can commit no wrong, but please don’t speak ill of another Mellorine. I simply can’t bear to think about parting from our Misty-chan,” Sanji said with dramatic flourish. There was no way to know for sure, but Sanji had big theater kid energy.

“Sorry Misty,” Nami said, seemingly abashed at her own statement.

“It’s ok, it’s just facts. You don’t want to lose money and I can respect that,” you said. It did make sense - you were using supplies and you most likely wouldn’t be paying Nami back. “Besides the stuff I want to get are extras, luxuries. But that reminds me - Zoro, you want a haircut?” you asked the swordsman. He was wearing all three of his swords to Widow’s Island even though it was said to be peaceful. 

“No,” came the terse reply as Zoro got into the small boat.

“Hmmm. You sure? I could shave three lines on the side, would look cool,” you said, dropping the bait. You saw his three earrings and three swords, maybe he wanted three lines shaved into his head too. It was a stupid idea but you did need his help - for a little while at least.

“No.”

“HOW DARE YOU TURN DOWN MISTY-CHAN’S OFFER OF A HAIRCUT YOU IDIOTIC MOSSBRAINED -”

“Sanji, calm down. It’s fine, he can say no and keep that…style,” you said, giving him a harsh side eye. You weren’t sure if the trick would work but Zoro seemed to have some measure of pride so he might take the bait. Sanji smiled broadly, more than happy to pick up the mean girl vibes you were putting down.

“You’re right, Misty-chan, let the brute keep his nasty, crusty, dusty, moldy -”

“I want the 3 lines on the side,” Zoro said with finality, crossing his arms as his swords clacked together.

“It would be my pleasure,” you said with a smile. Hook, line, and sinker.

About an hour later you were set up with your kit in the town square, a now shirtless and lightly misted Zoro sitting in front of you on a crate with his arms crossed. You quickly scribbled a makeshift menu of your services and rates on the backs of some old bounty posters after discussing pricing with Nami. You needed quick cuts for quick bucks and you weren’t above using a little eye candy to get what you needed. Zoro wasn’t your type but he was sure everyone else’s.

“Why do I need my shirt off?” Zoro asked as you used a razor on his now trimmed hair.

“So no hair gets in it. Would be itchy and I don’t think you brought a change of clothes,” you said with a hum, focusing on the three lines you were shaving. In fact, you were humming a tune that played a lot at the salon - HOT TO GO. But you’d changed the words and were quietly humming them as you worked. H-O-T  Z-O-R-O you can take him hot to go H-O-T  Z-O-R-O slash and clash and body roll...

“You have capes, I saw you use them on Nami,” he griped. 

“Didn’t think you’d like something tight around your neck,” you replied distractedly, stepping back to make sure the lines were even. That was partially true, but the line of women interested in seeing the buff and shiny swordsman was another reason you’d kept him cape-free. Zoro grunted as you set down the razor. 

“Guess you’re not so dumb after all,” he said, his arms still crossed and eyes closed. 

“I have my moments,” you said in a light tone. Zoro didn’t bother you, you’d worked in enough kitchens with guys like him to know the vibe. You had to earn his trust and respect and you weren’t sure you’d be able to do it before you expired so the best you could hope for was semi-companionable silence. Zoro’s haircut was now complete as you brushed him off. A lot of the hair was sticking to the water you’d doused him with but he could figure that one out for himself. 

“Whaddya think?” you asked, holding up a hand mirror. Zoro turned his head to look at the line art on his left side. He gave a nod before standing up.

“Good enough,” he said dismissively. Based on the gruff guys you’d worked with before, you were guessing he was pleased. 

“You wanna stay and-” you asked as you began cleaning your instruments for the next customer. But by the time you looked up again he was gone. You shrugged your shoulders, you didn’t have time (or desire) to babysit Zoro. 

“Next in line!” you called out with a smile as you shook out the black plastic cape. In your mind you were still singing HOT ZORO as a young woman came to sit on the stool. 

Six hours later and you were completely drained, sagging against a stone wall. You’d done a lot of trims, some larger cuts, given a lot of women bangs, and even done some more line art. You ached to sit down and munch on some food, which you could now do with all the berri in your pockets. The bills were incredibly strange and featured a skeleton, a man with bunny ears, and a demon man. But hey, money was money even in this strange world. You’d packed up your kit and were just about to roll it away when you saw the unmistakable profile of Franky.

“Hey! Franky!” you yelled, waving your arm to get his attention. People were more than happy to part in order for you to contact the cyborg. If he noticed, he didn’t seem to care as he looked at you over his sunglasses. He was carrying a crate on his shoulder but stopped up short when you called for him. You’d never seen him in anything but a speedo but maybe Florida man was a state of mind.

“What’s up Misty? You need me to carry something?”  You smiled at his offer but declined.

“Nah, the case is on wheels. I was gonna get some food, you wanna come with me?” you asked. You’d picked the brains of some of your many customers and gotten the name of a tasty sounding place. You hadn’t spent much time talking to the cyborg but he looked like he’d make for interesting conversation. 

“Great idea. Got no money though. Spent it all on parts,” he said, pointing to the box.

“Parts for what?” you asked as you wheeled your case away towards the location you’d been told. “I can pay for lunch - er, dinner - I made some money this afternoon.” Franky lifted it off the ground with ease and set it on top of the crate without so much as a glance. It was a little strange to have so many people help you without asking, but it reminded you a little of your grandfather. Acts of service as a love language seemed to be pervasive on this pirate crew. 

“H-hey, thanks. Alright, well, I heard about this place called Yaya’s and I wanna go. Everyone says it has the best - well, it sounds kinda like tamales, but I’m not sure what it is exactly-”

“They got burgers?” Franky asked, adjusting the load on his shoulder. 

“Dunno. Definitely got fries,” you replied with a shrug.

“Nami scouted and said the best restaurant on the island was a few blocks over-” 

“Look guy, I may not be from this world but if there’s one thing I know, it’s that if there’s a grandma with a name like Yaya serving food out the back of her house, it’s gonna be good. You coming or not?” you snapped, getting hangrier by the moment.

“You know it, Mama,” he said with a smile and a wink. 

Half an hour later and you and Franky were chowing down on indescribably tasty food in the shade of a tree near Yaya’s house. The locals had been right - it was absolutely scrumptious. It wasn’t quite as perfect as Sanji’s cooking, but it came close. Yaya served three items and you and Franky got two of each. You were munching and enjoying the tamale-ish food while he enjoyed the hamburger-ish meal - and both of you snacked on the fries. Turns out people of all worlds liked to deep fry potatoes. Things were quiet between you at first while you inhaled your food, but as it settled in your stomach you’d started talking to Franky more. 

“All I’m saying is like, why don’t you put some Murphy beds on the ship? Yanno, then we can have the beds at night but more room in the day. Robin says the guys prefer the hammocks, but in the womens’ quarters it would save a lot of space. Obviously it's your ship, I’m just thinking out loud,” you said, wiping your mouth on a napkin.

“What’s a Murphy bed?” Franky asked, licking his hand with the last bite of his food.

“You know like um, you can fold it up during the day into the wall or it can look like a cabinet? Legs extend from the bottom - er, top - to make the frame for the bed?” you said, swinging your arm at your elbow from parallel to the ground to perpendicular. “I’m not good at explaining it, but I can probably show-”

“No, I got it,” Franky said as his eyes became unfocused. He stood up abruptly, taking his garbage and yours as well. “I’m gonna get more supplies for the beds-”

“Well, I mean, it’s not- I don’t know anything about ships or furniture, you don’t have-” you stammered, sorry that you’d made more work for Franky.

“It’s a good idea, Mama. Thanks for the grub, owe ya one. Murphy beds…” he mumbled, his mind on calculations of some kind. “I’ll take your things to the ship with the supplies if you’d like,” he offered, picking up the crate and your cart.

“Oh, thank you! I do have some errands I still want to run before heading back,” you said brightly. Franky started walking off before you remembered your question and ran after him.

“Franky! Wait, I was wondering-”

“Hm?” the cyborg asked, looking at you again after breaking his intense focus. 

“Would you be able to make me a hair dryer?” you asked, raising your hands together as if in prayer. Franky just grunted and looked at you over the top of his sunglasses. You gave half a smile - maybe he didn’t know what it was from the other Readers. “It’s a machine that, well, really, like the name says it-”

“I know what a hair dryer is. Already have one on the ship - how do you think I get my hair like this? All you hadta do was ask,” he answered with a smile, running a hand up his mohawk. “I’ll show you how it works later, I’ve got new projects I wanna complete,” he said with a finger gun pointed at you. You gave a nervous smile back - you weren’t sure if the crew was going to thank you for the new fixation on murphy beds. You bid your goodbyes and set your sights back on the town.

After Franky left, you went to the markets to purchase a few things with your hard earned money. You weren’t all that familiar with how much things would cost but you’d haggled your way through markets before. You stopped by the snail service store and bought some snail treats and a larger shell, and made your way to the tobacconist as well. Wishing yourself luck, you went into the clothing store to try and buy yourself a few things that were more in your style and size than the other clothes on the ship.

Thankfully, you were able to buy some shirts, shorts, a one piece swimsuit, and dresses that were more suitable for the warm weather. Usopp had warned you that the weather changed rapidly from island to island so you reluctantly bought pants, long sleeve shirts, and a coat. By the time you finished purchasing clothes, you’d run out of money. 

After changing into some of your new clothes immediately, you wandered the boardwalk of the town aimlessly, taking in the scenery. Carrying all your bags made you feel like that scene of Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, but you wanted to unload them immediately. Your arms were tired from working all day and you wanted to take a nap.

Ideally, you’d be able to get back to the ship and put them there but you weren’t sure when the little boats would be going back. Looking around, you tried to find anyone from the crew who could maybe help you get back but you didn’t see anyone. Sighing, you sat down on a bench and set down the bags next to you. There weren’t any cell phones as far as you could tell, you’d have to wait by the shore until someone came by.

“May I offer my assistance, mon coeur?” you heard a familiar voice say as you felt a tap on your shoulder. Sanji’s smiling face appeared to your side as a cigarette puffed smoke into the air. His eyes were barely open with how wide he was smiling, his frame leaning over so far you worried he’d topple the groceries precariously perched in his shopping bag.

“Sanji! I’m so glad you’re here,” you exclaimed with a smile of your own. His grin only grew as he reached for your bags, setting down his own.

“It’s my honor, Misty-chwan, to help you in any way that-”

“I got you a present!” you interrupted, cutting off his annoying prattle about being of service. Sanji’s smile dropped immediately, though he continued collecting your bags.

“A present? Bu - there’s nothing I need-” you waved off his concerns as you dug around your new purse for the surprise you’d been planning.

“Hush. I found the tobacconist and bought you some fancy cigarettes. Look, they have colored paper barrels, isn’t that cute? The guy assured me they’re high quality but I suppose you’ll be able to tell if that’s true or not,” you said, pressing the box against his chest. Sanji’s eyes were wide as his mouth hung open, his cigarette hanging off his lip. If you had to guess he was going to burst into tears imminently. 

“Sanji? You alright? It’s really not that big of a deal,” you asked quietly, biting your lip. Had he never been given a gift before?

“I - I thank you, mon ange. Thank you for the precious gift,” he said, turning the box over in his shaking hands to inspect it. He opened the lid to look at the colorful cigarettes before closing it just as carefully and slipping it into the breast pocket of his suit. You cleared your throat and gave an awkward smile - Sanji clearly had some kind of self worth issues he needed to work through but now wasn’t the time. 

“I’m tired from working and wanna take a nap on the ship. D’ya think I can-”

“I am heading back myself with groceries. I will accompany you,” Sanji said, a familiar gleam coming to his eyes. You didn’t say anything and allowed him to deflect from his inner turmoil by carrying your groceries to the dinghy still docked on the shore. 

Sanji he set his own groceries as well as your bags in the boat, offering to carry you into it. You declined, got in and he took the oars in his hands. You hummed HOT ZORO again as Sanji began rowing you back to the ship. Normally you’d try to get him to let you row but you were beat after taking so many back to back clients followed by all that shopping. 

“What’s this island called again?” you asked Sanji as the shoreline grew smaller. 

“Widow’s Island. They say that husbands die easily here, but that’s just a rumor,” Sanji replied, looking wistfully back at the shore. You didn’t reply. Soon enough the dinghy hit the side of the ship and Sanji tried to help you climb up the rope ladder back to the deck. 

The distance between the ship and the dinghy wasn’t tremendous but you didn’t feel confident in your ability to not fall into the ocean while climbing upwards. You climbed as quickly as you could, only reassured that Sanji was right behind you and could help you if you managed to fall. He was somehow carrying all your shopping bags, his own groceries, smoking a cigarette, and climbing the ladder all while making it look incredibly easy. After successfully climbing up, you leaned back against the railing of the ship and took a few deep breaths to calm yourself down. 

“Excellent work, mon bichette. Stay here for a moment and I will prepare a snack for you.” You nodded as Sanji walked off, graceful as ever. He looked like an elegant prince even while carrying groceries , you thought to yourself. Your thoughts started to churn about your circumstances as you zoned out staring into the middle distance, tired from the work of the day.

“Hiya new reader,” said an unfamiliar voice from right behind you on the railing. You screamed in frightened surprise and did the only thing your muscle memory had been trained to do after years of being pranked by your siblings and cousins. You planted your hands on his bare chest and pushed the person as hard as you could.

His eyes opened in surprise as he lost his footing and fell into the sea with a yelp followed by a splash. You barely got a glimpse of the person before he sank beneath the depths of the water, his orange cowboy hat floating on the surface like a buoy. The young man wasn’t flailing or swimming, just sinking down into the water as if he was losing the will to live….like Usopp had described people with Devil Fruits…

“Oh fuck!” you swore, your hand balling into a fist as you grimaced. You were struck with indecision - what if he was a bad guy? They did have those, Usopp had told you about bad pirates, Marines, 800 year old men, and plenty more. But if he was good, you’d have a lot of explaining to do if you let him drown. Besides, you couldn’t just watch someone drown, you’d feel like a murderer.

Bubbles were coming up more slowly from below the waves as you made your choice - you were going to have to fish him out. You scrambled to the railing and stood there for a moment, your fear of heights returning ten fold. You’d never jumped from such a high place but you didn’t give your mind a chance to revolt against you - someone was drowning and you needed to save them. Closing your eyes, you took a deep breath and jumped in after him, clothes and all. 

You swam down beneath the waves, looking for signs of the man. Locating him, you swam as fast as you could towards him and wrapped an arm around his middle. Kicking upwards towards the surface, you hoped you’d made it in time as the man sagged in your arms. Breaching the surface was harder than you anticipated - your clothes and shoes were dragging you down even without the dead weight in your arms. You popped your head above water and took a deep breath, trying to tread as the weight threatened to drag you back under. You pulled the man’s head up - thankfully he started sputtering - and did the only thing you could think of.

“JINBEI! HELP ME! JINBEI HELLLLPPPPPP! ” you screamed at the top of your lungs, your own head barely above the water. You scarcely had finished yelling before the helmsman was over the side of the ship, swimming to you in under a second. You’d never seen anything move that fast, it was absolutely incredible to watch him slice through the water. He hoisted you and the stranger over his shoulders and jumped back to the deck of the ship from the water.

He set you down gently on your hands and knees as you sucked in deep breaths, your chest heaving as you tried to catch your breath. Jinbei must have recognized the man because he rapidly started giving him chest compressions, the water shooting out of the man’s mouth like an old timey cartoon. You’d give it more thought later but your eyes burned from the sea water and your wet clothes were clinging to you. The man started coughing and Jinbei stood back up to give him space. After a few minutes, the man rubbed the back of his head and gave Jinbei a bright smile.

“Whoa, I thought I was a goner. Thanks Jinbei,” the man said casually, like he hadn’t nearly died. He didn’t seem particularly put out by the experience of drowning, so at least there was that. You started to stand up, you wanted a shower and a change of clothes.

‘Would you like some assistance?” Jinbei asked from above you. You gave him a shaky nod  and he reached down to give you his hand, waiting patiently as your fingers wrapped around his own. 

“Thank you for saving me too Jinbei,” you said sheepishly as he pulled you to standing. Jinbe hadn’t let go of your hand and you didn’t try pulling it away either. It was surprisingly warm for a cold blooded man - or would he be warm blooded? You’d have to ask Robin later, she’d probably know.

“WAHAHAHA, it is no matter. I have dived after Luffy countless times. Ace too,” he said, pointing at the man who was now rubbing his stomach. 

“Hey, is Sanji here? I’m hungry,” Ace complained, ignoring you completely. Jinbe dropped your hand to cross his arms into his robes. He gave Ace a stern look for a moment before speaking. 

“Ace, this is our new reader, Misty. Please introduce yourself and thank her for saving you.” Ace rolled his eyes and stood up, grabbing the hat Jinbe had somehow retrieved as well and setting it on his head.

“Yeah right. First of all, she pushed me in-

“You startled me!” you interjected with a huff.

“And second, get your donut boy jokes out of the way now but keep Whitebeard’s name out of your mouth,” he said with a scowl, his finger turning to fire to lift up the brim of his hat. You didn’t know what he was talking about but it was obviously a sore subject. Glancing between Jinbei’s frowning face and Ace’s sullen one you weren’t sure what to say to dissipate the tension. You wanted to ask about his fire powers but now didn’t seem like a good time.

“Ace, she doesn’t know our world or anything about you. She doesn’t watch the show or read the books,” Jinbei replied, his face softening. “Give her a chance,” Jinbei requested, clapping Ace on the shoulder. Ace pursed his lips but turned to you and gave you a curt bow. 

“I’m Portgas D. Ace. Thank you for saving me,” he muttered, still giving you a wary look.

“Sorry I pushed you. I’m Misty,” you said lightly, wanting this awkward and stilted interaction to end as soon as possible. He nodded once again before setting off towards the galley. Jinbei sighed as the galley door banged shut.

“Don’t worry about Ace. He’s sensitive - some readers have been unkind to him in the past based on what they learned from the series. He’ll come around once he realizes you mean no harm,” Jinbei explained, returning his hand into his robe. You stood there for a moment before a gentle breeze reminded you that you were still drenched, your cold, wet clothes now sticking to your skin.

“I’m gonna go change. Thank you again Jinbei,” you said, wringing out some of the sea water from your shirt. As soon as you hit the women’s quarters you let out a groan and hung your head in your hands. It wasn’t the most embarrassing thing that had ever happened to you, but nearly drowning while trying to save a guy you almost murdered wasn’t on your list of desired meetcutes. 

A few hours later some of the crew had come back to the ship for dinner. It was a smaller group than the previous night - Nami, Zoro, Brook, and Robin had all elected to stay on the island and drink. Sanji had made yet another incredible meal, including a full vegetarian pasta dish just for you. You took a nap after the events of the afternoon but your growling stomach had you resurfacing for Sanji’s cooking.

“Oh hey,” Luffy said, waving at Ace as he entered the kitchen. He didn't seem particularly excited or surprised to see the man, making you question their relationship in your head. “Sanji! Where’s my food?” Luffy demanded, picking up his fork and knife to bang them on the table in a constant rhythm. The dining table now extended from a wall and could be folded back up - a Murphy table. You hoped the crew liked the addition.

“NOT YET! Be patient Luffy!” Sanji yelled, putting his foot on the side of Luffy’s head and pushing. “Here you are, mon tresor, dinner is served,” Sanji said with a smile, handing you your food first. It was some kind of spicy pasta dish and you couldn’t wait to try it out. 

“MEAT! MEAT! MEAT!” Luffy chanted, all while banging his silverware.

“SHUT UP! GUESTS FIRST!” Sanji countered, placing a hank of meat in front of Ace. “Your turn,” Sanji huffed, practically throwing Luffy’s food at him. Luffy took his a drumstick in both hands and started chowing down. Ace and Luffy were both shoveling in their food as fast as they could, as if someone was going to take it away from them. 

“Hey Misty, thanks for saving Ace today,” Luffy said with his mouth stuffed full of food. You wanted to stab him with your fork for the disgusting noises he was subjecting you to - maybe Sanji would support you. 

“Oh, uh, sure,” you hedged. By the time he said his short thanks, Luffy finished one of his drumsticks and was trying to steal one off Ace's plate. Maybe someone was going to take their food away - each other. They reminded you almost of dogs with food aggression. 

“He’s got a devil fruit like me and-OW!” Luffy yelped as Ace stabbed his hand with a fork.

“Don’t eat my food!” Ace growled as Luffy pouted and rubbed his hand. Sanji sighed and handed Luffy another drumstick off the platter. Luffy smiled and licked his lips, the injury already forgotten.

“Shishishishi Ace never let me steal his food when we were kids either,” Luffy said with a giggle. Looking between them, a lightbulb went off on your head.

“Oh! He’s your brother. That makes sense - you two really resemble one another,” you said, trying to smooth things over. Luffy smiled and Ace gave you a quizzical look. You decided to confess to Luffy so that there wasn't any bad blood or miscommunication about what happened.

“But yeah, I was the one who pushed him in the first place. Don’t want to kill your brother-” it felt like the air was suddenly sucked out of the room as everyone fell silent and looked at you. There were no smacks, no chomps, no silverware on plates, nothing. The lack of noise from such a rowdy crew was eerie, you looked around at the crew but no one was meeting your gaze. Even Luffy had stopped eating and was staring at you. You swallowed, your throat suddenly dry. 

“Ace isn’t going to die,” Luffy stated, his eyes focusing only on you.

“Um. I- uh, I didn’t think he was? I’m sorry- I-”

“Ace isn’t going to die!” Luffy yelled, his eyes never wavering from yours. You cleared your throat, unsure what set him off. Clearly something bad had happened to Ace in the show, but it wasn't like you knew that. You'd gotten used to the carefree, childish Luffy so this was a little frightening. His focus never wavered, centering on you exclusively. Still, you'd defeated many boss level Lindas and Karens, you weren't going to be afraid of some rubber boy.

“Ok, Luffy. I’ll keep that in mind,” you replied in the customer service tone you used when someone asked for your manager. The sounds of dinner resumed but you didn’t feel like eating anymore. You pushed some of the pasta around with your fork, trying to avoid looking at Luffy. You didn’t mean anything by what you said and it wasn't fair to yell at you for things you didn't know.

“Why’re you here anyway?” Luffy asked Ace with a mouth full of food. He was talking like nothing had happened just moments prior, his jovial nature on display again. 

“You unplugged your snail again and since I was in the area I thought I’d see what’s up. You know you’re supposed to keep yawn it on all the time in case readers give information,” Ace explained with a sated smile, leaning back in his chair. His eyelids were shutting as he put his hands behind his head.

“No I didn’t,” Luffy interjected, using a long arm to try to steal Ace’s meat again. Ace swatted Luffy’s hand away with his eyes shut, which you had to admit was an impressive feat even if you were pissed.

“Yes you did. It’s offline and no one else would m-mess with it,” Ace said, another yawn coming out.

“I didn’t. For real this time.”

“The snail? The big land snail?” you asked, biting your lip. Ace's head fell forward as he started snoring in his chair - no one batted an eye. 

“Yeah, the one in Nami’s other room. Did you touch it?” Luffy asked, shoving the last piece of meat into his mouth. His stomach was comically contorted, like his stomach was a balloon that was going to pop.

“I did,” you stated, your eyes wandering to Sanji. Maybe he’d come to your rescue if you did something wrong, though he hadn’t intervened when Luffy yelled at you so you weren’t sure where the line was. “His attachment was too tight! He didn’t like it, he was uncomfortable! And how was I supposed to know it's a living phone? It just looks like a big snail,” you muttered, crossing your arms. You were tired of getting in trouble for things no one bothered to explain. 

“I got Toto a new one, by the way. Next size up, they said our snail was being fed a good diet,” you stated primly. Sanji smiled at you, his womanizing efforts reactivated.

“Oh, Misty-chwan, how thoughtful and kind you are,” he said, his hands under his chin as he swooned. 

“Save it,” you deadpanned, still watching Luffy. He didn’t seem to be upset, he was patting his stomach and looked like he was a moment from joining his brother in dreamland. Maybe he got angry quickly and it dissipated quickly? There was so much you didn't know, so much to learn. Your head started to pound, like there was a band wound tightly around your skull. You'd gotten enough tension headaches to know what it was. You started massaging your temples to try and get ahead of the pain.

“Alright. I don’t really care. Everyone else cares about the snail, but I don’t.” With that, Luffy passed out instantly, laying himself on top of his brother, both of them snoring loudly.

“Are they-uh..?” you asked, tilting your head at the pair of brothers now drooling on the table.

“They’re fine. Ace falls asleep while eating all the time and Luffy falls asleep on Ace when he’s around. They’ll wake up in a while and want more food,” Sanji said with a sigh, stacking their plates in his hands. You decided to skip cleaning with Sanji for the time being and reconnect their stupid phone snail. 

And find out if this stupid world had ibuprofen.

[hannahbarberra162]

Alright, I don't know how it happened but y'all get both fluffy Thatch and non con with Crocodile (and yes I see those of you who want a new chapter, I'll aim for that too).

I'll try to have these all done by 6/21!

Pick a character for my one year anniversary of writing fanfic!

I'm so grateful for all the likes, follows, support, comments, and general positivity that I've received over the past year. I wouldn't be posting if it wasn't for everyone's support, so I truly thank you. It's been super fun and frankly one of the bright spots in my life.

I'm trying to give myself time in advance to procrastinate not get this done on time be late to my own party Stress myself out for no reason write something special for y'all <3 <3 <3 Note: I will probably end up writing all of these at some point

***If you want a chapter from a specific WIP, let me know otherwise I'll write what I want lol

[hannahbarberra162]

Pick a character for my one year anniversary of writing fanfic!

I'm so grateful for all the likes, follows, support, comments, and general positivity that I've received over the past year. I wouldn't be posting if it wasn't for everyone's support, so I truly thank you. It's been super fun and frankly one of the bright spots in my life.

I'm trying to give myself time in advance to procrastinate not get this done on time be late to my own party Stress myself out for no reason write something special for y'all <3 <3 <3 Note: I will probably end up writing all of these at some point

***If you want a chapter from a specific WIP, let me know otherwise I'll write what I want lol

[hannahbarberra162]

Mating Call, Part 2 (Marco x Reader, dubcon, Monster Marco)

18+ MDNI | on Ao3

The first part

Summary: The World Government has worked hard to obfuscate an interesting fact about Zoan Devil Fruits since the Void Century. In order for a Zoan Devil Fruit to be awakened, the Zoan user must find and claim their mate in accordance with their nature.

Zoan fruit users are driven to find their mates, seeking someone to fill the gnawing need within them, even if they don't recognize it themselves.

~

Thank you to @gouraminnow for reading the rough draft! There's another thank you at the end to avoid chapter spoilers :3

~

You startled awake as a sharp cry pierced through the early morning light, sitting straight up and scanning the area. Your nervous system was on full alert as you quickly looked for the emergency, the instinct ingrained in you after your years in medical school and residency. After a moment, you relaxed as you remembered you were in a cave with the Phoenix. Right, right. Kidnapped by stupid pirates and trapped with the world’s most temperamental fiery bird.

You yawned and stretched, awake for the day. Unfortunately you wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep now but maybe you’d be able to catch a nap later. You were still resting against the body of the Phoenix, which was more singed on its wings than it had been the day before. You leaned your head back against the Phoenix like it was an armchair. It out a small chirp, almost like a coo.

“You woke me up, you didn’t tell me I have to move yet. You gonna die and be reborn, huh? You better not die on me for real - then your buddies will kill me and I have tickets to see Soul King live in a few months. So just remember to be reborn from the ashes, and all will be well. Hell, I’ll take you with me if you get me out of here,” you said to the Phoenix. Using its flank for support, you stood up to see what Thatch had left for you to eat. You were desperate for some coffee but you wouldn’t get your hopes up. Walking towards the stone slab, you were arrested in your path by the Phoenix’s beak pushing you towards the back of the cave.

“H-hey, wait! I want - I’m hungry!” you pleaded with the Phoenix. It didn’t answer but continued to corral you behind itself. As you got a closer sight of the sharp beak, your jovial tone dropped as you remembered you were dealing with an apex predator. It was getting annoying being moved around like a piece on a chess board but you weren’t going to protest as long as you could see snapped femurs by the far wall.

“P-please! I just need some water,” you begged the bird.  The Phoenix made a sound like a chuff as it pushed you further from your goal. It moved you to the back of the cave and stood up onto its long legs, the razor sharp talons at the end of its feet on full display. Now that it was standing, it took up the majority of the cave only leaving you a few feet for yourself.

Now that it stood up you could see more bones piled behind where it had been sitting, cementing your decision to let it do whatever it wanted without protest. 

Despite the clear danger it presented you, you couldn’t help but admire its long golden tail in the morning light, the golden circles gleaming like coins as it fanned out behind the Phoenix. You tried to shift yourself to a slightly more comfortable position but the Phoenix puffed up, as if offended. It raised its foot, its sharpened talons inches from your face. You were technically a Marine, but you weren’t courageous like the fighting units - you screamed and screwed your eyes shut, awaiting your death like so many before you. 

But it never came.

After a few moments of silence, you opened your eyes a sliver, you found the Phoenix’s foot wrapped around you, its talons close to your side as it curled its toes around you to keep you in place. Despite the proximity of its razor sharp claws to your skin, it hadn’t sliced or mained you in any way. Instead, it had taken one of the canteens in its beak and was dangling by the strap above your head, waiting for you to open your eyes. If you could guess the expression of the Phoenix, you would have said it was amused.

“Oh, um. Thank you?” you said, reaching for the canteen held high above your head. The Phoenix dipped its head down, handing you the water bottle. You grabbed it with shaking fingers before unscrewing the cap. You chugged from the metal container, suddenly realizing how parched you were. You drank until the canteen was empty, the Phoenix dipping its head once more to take the empty container from your hand. 

Now that your thirst was slaked you relaxed in the grasp of talon that was still wrapped around your body. The Phoenix churred and looked at you, as if asking a question. You gave it a look before trying to guess what it was asking.

“Nah, I don’t need food just yet. Not really a breakfast person. I’ll get some later,” you said as you rolled your head on your neck. The Phoenix squawked in reply, making you startle in its grasp. “Or, um, I’ll ask you for some food?” you surmised, scared to upset the giant flaming bird. It trilled softly and started to unclench you from its grasp. It could understand you, so maybe Marco was in there somewhere even if he wasn’t coming out just yet. You waited until the claw completely opened before you moved, scootching a little beyond the now relaxed talons. It was clear that the Phoenix was running the show; you were just a monkey in its circus.

The rest of the morning wasn’t particularly eventful, and even relaxing in parts. It wasn’t like there was anything to do in the cave so you spent an hour or so observing the Phoenix. You doubted that many had the opportunity to do so, particularly not vets. The Phoenix wasn’t like any other bird you’d ever seen - it seemed to be a composite of the best features of many kinds of birds. It had the sharp, hooked beak of a bird of prey, its call like a songbird, the beautiful plumage of a parrot, and the body of water fowl. It was an interesting combination and his features blended together seamlessly, its features in harmony. 

After a while of sitting in the cave, you started to get bored. You tried to go to the entrance, but were caught by the back of your shirt when you got too close to the platform that sat at the beginning of the cave. A stern look from the Phoenix cemented that it didn’t want you leaving. 

“Please? I just want to sit in the sun. I can’t escape - where would I go?” you pouted. You really weren’t going to try, there wouldn’t be a point. The pirates had taken their boat and you had no doubt that the Phoenix would find you and gobble you up if you disobeyed. 

The Phoenix trilled softly, which you took for acquiescence. You gave it a bright smile as thanks before slowly walked towards the patch of sun at the entrance to the cave, sitting in the center to warm yourself up. Its eyes remained trained on you as you continued doing nothing but this time feeling the breeze off the ocean. It seemed that the Phoenix didn't mind if you were sitting by the main entrance to the cave but it didn’t want you to leave. It was sometimes difficult to guess what the Phoenix was feeling or thinking but it was able to make this pretty clear.

Sitting in the sun was warmer but still uninteresting. You were trying to find ways to pass the time - so you began cleaning. Yes, it was a cave full of bones and soot and dirt - but you were used to the bones and you preferred a tidy environment, thank you very much. You spent some time organizing the supplies Thatch brought before deciding to sweep. You’d seen bones under the Phoenix too - you’d want to clean those out as well, if he let you.

After a while you realized you were humming to an old, familiar song - the first one that had turned you on to the Soul King, actually. There wasn’t anyone around besides the Phoenix, who was watching you with amusement. So despite your fear of public singing, you started singing “Binks’s Sake” as you picked up various human bones and threw them into a pile. Some were kind of interesting and you idly wondered who had been there before you and if someone new would be looking at your own bones soon.  

After a few more minutes of soft singing, you paused and silently examined a particularly long femur - only to hear the Phoenix trilling back to you. You spun in surprise to face the Phoenix, who continued to watch you clean. The Phoenix's call was harmonious, almost lulling, as it continued the song you’d been singing. It cooed the last few notes you’d sung, as if asking you to continue.

“Oh, um. OK. I just - I don’t normally sing for anyone,” you stammered, a blush rising on your cheeks. You hadn’t thought it was listening that closely to what you were singing. The Phoenix repeated the notes again - it obviously wanted to continue.

“Alright, I’ll, um, I’ll try,” you hedged, picking up the femur again. You started the song at the beginning, the Phoenix joining along with you in perfect harmony. It wasn’t that you were good at harmonizing, it was. A smile had the corners of your mouth quirking upward as it continued the lilting tune. The two of you sang together until the end of the song, the Phoenix rewarding you by chirping loudly after the conclusion of the last note. 

For the first time in your life, you didn’t feel self conscious singing in front of another being. You could think of a few reasons way. First of all, your audience was a giant bird. Secondly, it was probably going to kill and eat you in the next few days. Thirdly, Marco didn’t seem to be any closer to coming out or communicating with you, so really, what was the harm?

You spent quite a while happily singing with the Phoenix while you continued to work. It has an impressive ability to mimic, understand, and improvise. By early afternoon you’d run through your repertoire and taught it nearly all the Soul King songs you could remember. It had shuffled around as you cleaned and sang, allowing you to clean the edges of the cave and standing up to allow you to clean under it. Sweeping took a long while since you had to kind of whip the debris out with some leftover sacks instead of having a proper broom, but it didn't seem to mind. You cleaned as quickly as you could while under it, you didn't want to be squished to death accidentally. It had also made you take breaks for snacks, taking away your "broom" and handing you food and water like before. You ate the hard bread and cheese while continuing to hum "New World."

After you were done, you wiped your sweaty forehead on the back of your arm, taking stock of the now cleaner cave. It looked much better and now you could be eaten alive in peace. A squawk had your eyes snapping to the Phoenix, who was not enjoying the early afternoon. It had been docile while you were cleaning and singing but now if you were to guess it's feelings, it was agitated.

The Phoenix wing’s were nearly all singed now, the char working its way from the tips towards its mantle. It was an interesting phenomenon, the embers glowing a deep blue rather than the orange-red of normal fire. You frowned and approached it slowly, as if it was the spooked animal and not you. It was going to go through a rebirth cycle sooner rather than later, you thought, based on the rapid progression of its body turning to embers. The embers had spread exponentially, reaching its mantle under your watchful eye.

“Hm, I know this is a part of your life cycle, but I can’t imagine it feels that great,” you said sympathetically. Even though it was a gigantic mythical creature and also a billion Beri pirate, your heart couldn’t help but feel empathy for the poor bird. You stuck out your bottom lip as your fingers twitched to touch it. You weren’t sure if it would hurt you or not, so you kept away. The Phoenix tilted its head with curiosity and slowly spread its wing so you could get a closer look.

“Are you safe for me to touch?” you asked, your fingers raised again. It nodded and you extended your hand to touch the tip of a primary feather, where it had been singed the longest. Touching the glowing embers was a surreal experience - the sensation didn’t match the concrete features you could see with your eyes. The embers felt like touching a tingly cobweb, or a fog so thick you could reach out and grab it. But there was also a firm wing under your hand, the feathers not unlike those you’d seen before in a much smaller form. It was more ethereal than the solid form you’d rested against the night before.

“You really are a very interesting bird, I hope you know. Of course, your plumage is gorgeous, but the amalgamation of the best of the bird world isn’t something I’ve seen before, not to mention all the mythological features. I would love to study you for an extended period of time,” you remarked. The Phoenix looked proud and ruffled its feathers for you, pulling a giggle from your mouth.

“Yeah, yeah, don’t let it get to your head,” you said with a roll of your eyes. There wasn’t much to do after cleaning, so you sat back down near the mouth of the cave. After another half an hour or so watching the far off waves, you stood up and dusted your pants off. You were going to treat this like a vacation, you thought. A weird, deadly, mythical vacation that you did not sign up for, but a vacation nonetheless.

It was time to smoke and chill the fuck out.

Reaching into your pocket, you grabbed the baggy you’d gotten back from Fire Fist and pulled it out. Shaking it, you saw you had a decent amount, but if you’d known you’d be taken hostage you would have brought more. Regardless you didn’t have any papers to roll with and there wasn’t any paper in the items Thatch had left behind.

But there were apples.

You hastily started making an apple bong after grabbing a small knife off the table, your hands moving with practiced muscle memory. It didn’t take long for the bong to take shape, looking not too bad for not having made one in over a decade. Filling the top with weed, you looked around for something to light it with, already knowing what you’d have to use.

“Light me up,” you demanded of the Phoenix, holding out your apple. It snorted and averted its head. You huffed, annoyed that now it wasn’t interested in helping you.

“I know you can, I don’t think all those people were healed to death,” you snarked pointedly. The Phoenix chuffed but remained unconvinced, curling its neck to rest its head on its body. Fuck that, the stupid bird would help you get high one way or another, you weren’t gonna let it ignore you.

“Oh, you don’t think you can make a fire this small? Is that why you won’t? Too difficult?” you questioned, making your eyes as wide as they would go. The only way you’d ever gotten Rob Lucci to see you was by encouraging his competitive side, talking loudly about how Jabra’s health was absolutely perfect, how no one could be in better shape by measurable metrics. Maybe a similar idea would work for the Phoenix - or maybe it was just the weakness of the male ego.

The Phoenix’s head whipped to you and trilled as if in affront. It took in a deep breath and blinked slowly before extending its wing to you. At the very end of the tip of its wing was a tiny red ember, perfect for lighting up. 

“Thank fuck,” you sighed with relief, touching the bowl to the bud before taking a deep inhale from your homemade bong. You took a few more deep rips, smoking from an apple not as smooth of an experience as you 2,000 Beri bong, but you’d also had worse. Wanted posters did not make good rolling papers. The Phoenix cooed and closed its eyes slowly, which you guessed was its method of rolling its eyes.

“If you wanna lecture me that smoking is bad for my health, save your breath. You’re a doctor too and based on the pictures I’ve seen of Marco there’s no way he doesn’t smoke,” you said, blowing a cloud of smoke from your mouth. 

“You want some?” you asked the Phoenix, who was watching you again. It tilted its head as if in interest. “Not sure he gives any to you,” you mused, turning the apple in your hands. The Phoenix made a clicking sound, as if it was now impatient. 

“Jeez, ok. I’ll um, hmmm. I’m not sure how to - I’ll shotgun you,” you declared decisively, more confident now that you weren’t as stressed. “I’ll inhale some and exhale it to you,” you explained. The Phoenix lowered its head as if you were doing it a favor and waited. You took the biggest hit you could manage from the apple, held it in for a moment, and gently blew the smoke into the Phoenix’s face, trying to aim for where you saw its nostrils were. They weren’t easy to see, but you prided yourself on being a good vet. You’d get that bird high, no matter what. Maybe it would chill the bird out as well, or help it feel a little more comfortable while it burned. It was an interesting thought - maybe you'd do research on the effects of weed on Zoan devil fruit users - with a lot of hands on experimentation.

The Phoenix gave you a contemplative look but didn’t move back to its former position, so it must have liked it enough. You repeated the process a few more times before smoking your fill. You got up to put the apple back on the table and meandered back into the cave. Making a bold move, you ambled up to the Phoenix and sat down with you back against it, not unlike how you’d slept the night before. You didn’t say anything and neither did it, as you felt every one of your muscles finally relax after…only one day of tension. How the fuck were you going to last until Thatch and Ace came back?

The thought flitted by as you started watching the transition of the Phoenix from its normal plumage to its singed form. Watching the waves of fire on the Phoenix was hypnotic, it reminded you of watching wind running through fields of wheat. There was no doubt in your mind that it was burning faster than ever. If you had to guess, it would be completely charred by late afternoon or early evening. You laid your head back on the Phoenix and closed your eyes.

Life on the Grand Line was an adventure.

You ended up taking a short nap on the Phoenix. It didn’t wake you this time, you realized as you rubbed your eyes, coming to after what felt like hours. After you woke up, it shook itself out and sidled to the front of the cave. You watched with interest - if the Phoenix left, maybe you’d have a chance for escape or at least a few minutes to yourself. The Phoenix turned to you and put its massive beak in front of your face, snapping it once. You shivered as the sharp edges of its mouth loomed in front of you while the Phoenix gave you a withering look. The message was clear - it was going to leave, but you were supposed to stay put. 

“Alright, alright. I got it - I’ll be here,” you said, waving it off. You’d grown more comfortable with the bird, you didn’t think it was going to bite your head off over a little sass - it hadn’t been turned off by your sparkling personality yet. The Phoenix closed its eyes into a half lidded expression, almost seeming to smile. It lept off the edge of the cave, diving down below. You weren’t worried exactly, but you did peer over the lip of the cave just in case - only to see the Phoenix soaring upwards, its gaze trained on you.

You’d never seen anything so breathtaking.

It flew in circles while tracking you with its eyes, as if to make sure you were watching. It didn’t need to though, you couldn’t have taken your eyes off of it if you tried. Its blue flickering flames mesmerized you as it glided through the sky, its teal plumage a beacon of pure beauty. The blazing teal was accompanied by sooty black smoke that came off its charred wings and body, giving an ominous aura to the already threatening animal. By now the overwhelming majority of the bird was charred, perhaps exacerbated by its flight.

You watched it soar lazily through the sky, wishing not for the first time that you could soar among the clouds. You sighed dreamily as it did a loop in the sky before returning in front of the cave. What a life that would be, you thought, to be able to fly away from any of your problems - no limits as you soared through the air, your only limitations your physical ability…you wished you had your paints with you to capture its beauty.

Turning in a circle back towards you, the Phoenix flapped its massive wings rapidly as it gracefully landed, the soot from its flight making you cough as it blew in your direction. The Phoenix’s head immediately dipped to your own, inspecting you closely with its unnerving teal eyes.

“I’m good, I’m good. Just a lot of smoke in the air,” you said, covering your mouth while you coughed. The less time you spent in the wings of the Phoenix the better - you wanted to avoid whatever protective instincts were activating within it. 

Which didn’t prove to be possible since just a short while later, the Phoenix fed you dinner handing you rations from what Thatch had left. Unfortunately, unlike breakfast when it handed you the entire pouch of water, this time it would hand you only a piece of food or the skein of water with its beak and take it back when you were done drinking. The Phoenix would only pass you more food when you’d finished chewing the last bite, making the feeding process much longer. Even though it was annoying, you were thankful it wasn’t feeding you like a baby bird at the very least. 

You watched as the sun set over the waters, enjoying the lovely evening as the Phoenix kept offering you more food. It kind of reminded you of how animals would eat a lot before scarcity, or a time when they’d have to use a lot of energy. But maybe it just didn’t know how much a small human would eat, you thought with a shrug. Marco himself was seven feet tall or something like that and Zoan devil fruit users had to eat a ton to maintain their energy and forms.

After you’d finished eating and staved off the Phoenix from force feeding you anything else, it slowly limped farther back into the cave. It's drooping wings and shuffling gait showed its lethargy. By now there remained only one bright blue spot on its body, just over where its heart would be. The rest of the bird looked like a living ember, but instead of a pulsing red, teal was emanating from within the sooty, cracked flesh. It was disconcerting to see the embers glow and burn brighter as the bird breathed, sooty layers growing by the second over its body. The Phoenix settled itself into the farthest back corner of the cave, curling in on itself as its fire continued to burn out. 

Your mind shrieked that you were in danger but the vet in you had you slowly approaching the Phoenix with your hands up. Its piercing gaze watched you approach but didn’t stop you, closing its eyes as you reached out to put a hand on its charred body like you had earlier in the day. Logically you knew it would be fine, this was its natural cycle that it had completed many times as per Thatch. But you couldn’t stop yourself from wanting to help. You laid your forehead on its body as you ran your hands over it, trying to offer it some kind of comfort in a trying time. It trilled softly but after a few minutes it gently shooed you away with its now charred beak, giving you space for once. You frowned as you went to go sit by the entrance to the cave, feeling impotent as you watched an animal in pain.

You sat down as far away as you could while still inside the cave to mull over recent events. Sitting in the still warm evening sun, you tried to rifle through your memory about Zoan Devil Fruits to see if there was something you could do to help. You were forgetting something key, something big, you were sure of it. Something to do with transformations and awakenings…

A burst of flames and a high pitched shriek had you gasping and looking back at the Phoenix. Instead of the nearly dead embers you’d been patiently watching before, there was now a full house size pyre in the back of the cave. The pragmatist in you was worried for potential cave collapse or the more likely outcome that you'd be burned alive, but realistically the fire wasn’t even hot at close range. A huge explosion of blue fire had you shielding your eyes with your arm, unable to bear witness to the Phoenix as it changed forms.  

As you took cover it finally dawned on you, the realization striking you like lightning. A mate. That’s what allowed Zoan users to awaken their fruits - they needed to find their one true mate. That's why Zoan users had one of the lowest rates of awakening - the mate had to be compatible for both the Zoan and human sides. You’d skimmed over that section in the texts, disinterested in the process of their mate finding and only in the results of awakening. Your mouth hung open as the blue fire raged inside the cave, the flames now lapping only a few feet away.

The Phoenix wanted to mate you.

Scrambling to your feet, you made a mad dash for the exit of the cave in an attempt to flee before the Phoenix caught you. Maybe it would be vulnerable or weak during its transition time and you’d be able to make a hasty getaway. You weren’t going to be the mate to the Phoenix or Marco or anyone else in there. A bright blue wing suddenly sealed off your exit from the cave. You squeaked as you skid to a halt and fell down on your butt, scraping your hands against the rough floor of the cave. The Phoenix peered down at you as flames lept from its body to your own, your scrapes immediately healed. 

“Why do you run, little mate?” a curious voice wondered inside your head. It didn’t take a genius to know that it was coming from the Phoenix, even if hearing the deep sonorous voice without your ears was disconcerting. It was glorious in its new form, no longer black and charred, but a deep, vibrant blue from head to talon. It blazed continuously, pulsing with vitality as you cringed backwards from the stunning display. There was no doubt in your mind that it was stronger than before, but you didn't want to find out by how much. Even you with your lack of fighting training could feel the raw power ebbing off the beast.

“Y-you can talk?” you asked, trying to buy yourself time and space away from the creature. 

“I can do that and much more, mate,” it murmured seductively, watching you with half lidded eyes. It was folding its wing slowly back to its body, and you along with it.

“I’m not your mate, we’re not compatible like that,” you bluffed, raising your arms to protect your face.

“We are fated mates - we are compatible in all ways. Put down your arms. I would not harm you, especially not when I’ve waited so long to find you,” it scoffed as it folded you against its body. You tried pressing your hands against its chest to create some space but the creature was pure muscle and wasn’t giving you an inch to wriggle away.

“The v-vessel? Marco? He’s in there? Can he come out?” you asked, now cringing away as the Phoenix’s beak came close to your neck. Since being reborn it had changed to a smaller size - you guessed it was around 10 ft tall now - but that was still almost double your own height.

“Such a smart mate, you don’t need me to tell you, hm? Of course he’s here - he pretends he is unhappy about this outcome but he is as pleased as I. it bothers him that you were taken against your will, but it was not I who stole you, yes? The vessel enjoys the same pastimes and finds you both physically appealing as well as mentally stimulating. He cannot emerge now, not until I am sated, but he agrees that you are a perfect mate for us,” the Phoenix replied.

Fucking great. Marco, a Whitebeard Commander you’d never met, liked you back. Amazing, the perfect meetcute, you thought sarcastically. Your mind snapped back to attention as the Phoenix closed the gap between you, its head dipping down to look you in the eyes.

“I’m - I’m sorry, I don’t - I don’t want to be your m-mate,” you hesitated, the fear clogging your throat making it hard to get the words out.

“Then why did you participate in the courting, dear mate?” it purred, smugness radiating from it. “You cleaned and prepared our nest, slept on my body, were fed by my hands, sang your sweet warbles with me, shared your wares, even came to me in my time of need. One might mistake that for affection, no?”

“I - I…” you didn’t really have a reply. You had done those things, willingly even. You just didn’t think it would end by being mated to a mythological creature.

“You observed my transformation hasten with your arrival - I even waited to claim you until I took a smaller form so as not to hurt you. Do not worry, you will be unharmed, save for the claiming. But I cannot wait much longer - I grow rabid for you.” It husked, moving its head back once more. It took a step backwards, creating a small amount of space between you. The Phoenix was toying with you, you realized with a start, it already had the outcome set in its mind.

“Now we begin the ritual,” it said, gently pushing you onto the stone floor of the cave with a wing. You fell onto your hands and knees and quickly turned to face it. You tried to crawl backwards as it loomed over you. Your breath came quickly, as a cold sweat ran down your back.

“Wh-what ritual?” you asked, not bothering to keep the panic from your tone. It took a step closer, closing the gap between you. Your back hit the cave wall - there was no where else to go. Looming over you, it leaned down to press its forehead against your own like you'd done earlier, fiery blue blazing in your peripheral vision.

“The ritual so that I may Awaken.”

Thank you to @sordidmusings for the idea that if they hold off on the claiming until after the transformation, they're super rabid for the mate.

Taglist: @mfreedomstuff @rebeccawinters @ratchetprime211 @starsandshht @unknown-y-person @radiantnico @starrlo0ver

[hannahbarberra162]

You're the freak my gf follows and talks to, now i can see all the freakiness

Be nice or she'll be my gf.

[hannahbarberra162]

what’s your favorite fic that you’ve worked on, and what’s your favorite fic that you’re currently writing? :D

Thank you for such a wonderful question Nonnie! I wish you'd sent it with your account so I could thank you properly - this is a very thoughtful ask.

Ah it's so hard to choose!! I write because I get excited by the ideas so I really do like almost all of my fics.

I would say my favorite fic that I've ever worked on is either Under the Microscope (even though it's still going lol) or Struck Twice by Lightning (Shanks x reader, second chance romance). I really enjoy writing Shanks and I had a ton of fun writing it. I would like to think my writing has improved since I wrote it but I still think of it very fondly.

As for currently writing, my favorite fic is probably Mating Call (Marco x reader) or Long Forgotten Fairy Tale (Shamrock x reader) but that changes with whatever I'm currently writing. Also "currently writing" is relative because I have like a gazillion WIPs right now (and always).

This was a really interesting question to think about. I hope it's not annoying but I wanna tag @lockes-woods, @alexa-yukiyu @moldychefboyardeecan and @nocturnalrorobin to answer the same!! (no pressure, I am Trying to be Social and enrich my enclosure)

[hannahbarberra162]

Ahoy, do you have an idea of how many chapters will Shamrock or Sabo have? Or you just write what you feel like? ^⁠_⁠^

Hi Nonnie!! I answered this one earlier but I get it pretty regularly so I thought I'd answer it again (sorry to dashclog).

I have both stories mapped out / outlined but I'm not sure how many chapters / parts that translates to. Sometimes when I write I'll decide to elaborate or expand on something and it will take longer to move the plot than I originally anticipated. My chapters tend to be 3-6k words each - anything longer and it becomes challenging for me personally to edit them.

So short answer is no, I'm not exactly sure how many more chapters but both stories (esp Shamrock) have quite a few left.

[hannahbarberra162]

Hi i am absolutely in love with uncomfortably numb and i cannot wait for part 4. Will you do more trafalgar law fics after? Also is the victoria breeding farm thing gon continue?

Thank you so much!! That is so kind of you~!! I have to say, Law isn't really my man. I get why people like him and I support them in their Thirst but he's not my guy. I did have another idea for him in a modern AU, but I'm not sure if / when I'll get to it.

I'm not sure if I'll write him again - but I won't say never.

Now Kid definitely is appealing to me. I am currently working on the second part of "what if Kid got Milked" - he does deserve his revenge after all - and then after that I will continue the main series. How will our little cows fare? :) :) :)

[hannahbarberra162]

Hi hi! You know me as @extremely-ashtridic . I just wanted to let you know that I have moved blogs, I would highly appreciate it if you tag the current blog that I am using since the old blog is archived.

Sorry to trouble you and have a great day! 💕

Hell yeah!! Perona forever!! You're not troubling me at all.

I really love Perona - she's one of my favorite side characters. I have her show up from time to time but I haven't written her as the MC yet...I'll try to think of something for her.

[hannahbarberra162]

nice shanks au 😩 ur feeding my brain thank u

pt 2 pls 🙂‍↕️ maybe a little angsty, maybe more protective shanks, maybe someone finds out he’s keeping an omega on his ship, maybe they start to really fall for each other, maybe

So I've gotten quite a few asks for more ABO Nice Shanks, but it hasn't really been on my mind. I'm writing the next chapter of the main story line now - can't just leave them there, can we?

Shanks fun to write and I really enjoy writing ABO but I think after Emperor's Prize is over I'm gonna take a break from ABO Shanks for a while. Maybe after a while I'll pick him back up again.

I have so many new ideas that I haven't gotten to yet! And yes, that does include more ABO haha.

[hannahbarberra162]

BROOOOO I just finished reading under the microscope and I LOVE ITTTTT I cant help but imagine Sunny meets Law, they become best friends, and Sabo gets PISSED (And he should, Law could totally steal my heart anytime <3)

Thank you!!! They will interact at some point, I know people have been asking. Sunny is a big fan of Law's, she'd love to meet him. Sabo would prefer if she didn't meet Law for the exact reason you listed.

Listen, Sabo's eternally grateful that Law saved Ace's life, he really is. But if Law keeps smirking at Sunny like that and complimenting her work there's going to be a problem. Yes, he knows Law is with Luffy. He doesn't care.

God I love that possessive freak. Sigh.

[hannahbarberra162]

Do you like any of the Admirals?

Oh ho ho. The Admirals? I assume you mean do I find them appealing sexually because a lot of them are interesting characters.

But. I know. I know they're bad. I know.

But.

Look at this man right here. I've never written him but I really love Kuzan. I find him difficult to write in some ways / can't think of scenarios for him (yet).

I also like Borsalino, but not as much.

[hannahbarberra162]

heyy im sorry Bit what means ETA?

ETA stands for Estimated Time of Arrival. It's just my foolish way of saying that it will take me forever to reply (though I do read them all and ruminate on many of them).

I was thinking of changing it to something else that makes more sense haha.

[hannahbarberra162]

hii i wanted to ask if u write for koby? he's ur pfp and header but he's in no sfw or nsfw works! i really love him so I was hoping u would write for him pls <3

You wouldn't be able to tell because you're right - haven't written him - but I fuckin' love Koby. Look at this loser I would squish him in my grubby fist and gobble him up in one bite. The header is because the Bonkulator Helmeppo used from 4kids dub made me laugh maybe the hardest I've ever laughed.

I do have an unfinished one shot I started with Koby but the setup is very dark. Koby is the hero (ha) but there's a lot happening before we get there. I could always finish it or if you have other ideas feel free to leave them!