#and it's about pirates so. I feel like that's plenty of good points

[girlscience]

just finished black sails and I am wildly confused. I could have sworn I absolutely saw a gif of Flint and Silver kissing on tumblr before I ever watched this show. It wasn't why I watched the show, but I literally have spent 40 hours expecting to see it.... and they don't kiss. WHAT DID I SEE????? WHAT WAS THAT GIF OF???? because there wasn't even a scene that looked like that gif??? IM SO CONFUSED

[mycatishandsome]

How I Shift: a step-by-step

So to start, I want to remind ya'll that what works for me, can and wil work for you, if you assume it will.

For context, I like to believe that the multiverse theory is true, but like mixing it in with the LOA (3D/4D/etc.) theory. I could sit here all day and talk and talk about those theories, but that's not what this post is about. If you scroll on my blog, you'll find plenty of posts that can do it better than I.

SO, where do we begin?

1.) As an obvious start, it's good to pick where it is you'd like to shift/ what you'd like to shift into this "reality". It's not super necessary, but it's great to reaffirm where it is your going/what you're bringing in.

2.) I like shifting at night (like most others), so before a shift, something I'll do is carve out a bit of time to go through my Pinterest boards. This is a great way to visualize what you want (what you technically already have) This is also great for my non-visualizers (or just those who have trouble doing it on the spot). it's a great way to reaffirm.

3.) Then depending on my DR, I'll choose an ambiance sound that is related (for example: star wars-space/ship sounds, harry potter-train sounds, pirates??? ships creaking/wind)(also sounds can be super broad, like rain/thunderstorm sounds) personally, I feel like ambience is crazy helpful for me (as I assume it is).

-The way I see it, and how I use it: The sounds I'm hearing ambiance wise, are the sounds I hear in my DR as well. They will not distract me! I have animals and loud roommates. Rather than sit there and get annoyed, i think to myself, "wow my house mates are rowdy tonight" in my DR. I apply those sounds TO my DR. This goes for the ambiance as well!

4.) At this point, I then pick how I'm going to meditate. So because I have autism, I tend to use the same two mediations because it's what I'm comfortable with (and they help me the best!) I'll tag them here :)

I start with this one: Law of Assumption meditation

Then listen to this one immediately after: Law of Assumption Meditation part 2

I listen to these one after the other using an app called musi. I set them to a timer so i don't have to stop a playlist or anything, just set it and go!

5.) I sometimes strait up fall asleep and shift, and sometimes i shift during these meditations. It often depends on how my mind set is, as sometimes I've had a tough day, or i just can't stop thinking about the exam i have tomorrow. Generally when I feel like this, I listen to another meditation before these other two. I don't have a specific one to link, i usually just look up 10 minute meditations. These will usually help me to relax and empty my mind.

Notice how none of these are shifting meditations. if you think it will work for you, then it will! I've always found that even when i was in the right mindset, shifting meditations were very.....not what shifting is. I always felt like they played against what i was trying to achieve. I'm sure there are some that are great and incredibly helpful!! I personally just haven't found that one yet. Shifting is generally simple, and to the point, there's no need to use complicated steps. (ONCE AGAIN, UNLESS you find they work for you! in your reality they may work just fine!)

I hope this helps, or at the very least gives some of ya'll some ideas on what to try!

Happy shifting!

[syrupfog]

Zoro has always had a nose for alcohol. It’s how he’s always able to find it whenever the cook finds new hiding spots— 

Used to. Used to find new hiding spots. He’s not their cook anymore. 

But he’s got a nose like a bloodhound for alcohol, which is how he ended up here, at what looks like an abandoned shrine to a god he doesn’t believe in, on the outskirts of Wano. 

It’s easy enough to dig up a floorboard and find a veritable treasure trove of sealed bottles filled with purple liquid. Saké of some kind, surely.

If it’s good enough for some god, it’s good enough for him. The nap he takes after the first bottle, though, is… vivid. 

The cook is there. Why is the cook there? Fuck him. But Zoro watches as he paces. He’s in some ridiculous getup with a cape.

And suddenly, in the way dreams often go, they’re in the Sunny. And Zoro is watching the cook embrace HIMSELF. Another Zoro. He’s got him in a death grip so strong Zoro himself can almost feel it, watching as he is from a distance.

But then the Zoro he’s watching us pushing Sanji off of him, and drawing his swords, and yelling something about betrayal and disloyalty, and Zoro sure does agree with THAT. 

He watches as Sanji steps back, hands up, placating, and that Zoro growls and lunges at him.

When Zoro wakes up, he vows to forget about Sanji and move on. He’s gone, and no useless dream is going to bring him back. 

He lives his day as a ronin as is the plan, but returns to his secret stash of saké at night. It’s good, free and plentiful.

And the next night his dream is just as vivid. 

It’s the Merry this time. The Sanji in his dream has his hair parted the old way, and there’s a young Zoro with both his eyes, still. Zoro growls in disgust. Again with the cook? 

It’s night in the dream and they’re on the deck,

Sanji’s got a hand laid gently over young Zoro’s, and with the other he’s pointing out a school of glowing fish. Zoro has a vague memory of the real moment, but not of the hand over his. 

Then Sanji leans over and KISSES young Zoro, which— okay. So this is one of THOSE dreams.

The ones full of longing that Zoro’s worked to squash. 

But he watches his younger self kiss back, and get everything Zoro never got. He’s bitter, looking at them. 

And then young Zoro is pushing him off, and yelling. That he’s a liar and a traitor and royalty playing at pirates.

Zoro’s really not sure about where that last part is coming from. But he watches the horror wash across Sanji’s face and something inside of him twinges a little. He hears a whispered “I didn’t want this,” but it’s covered by the sharp sound of swords drawn, and then nothing.

Zoro doesn’t return for the saké for two more nights. He has no dreams. 

When he returns, sips, and sleeps, he finds himself in the Baratie. 

He really doesn’t remember much of the place, so the details of it now surprise him. The whole crew is there, even Brook, all except Sanji

When he appears, from the back, he looks haggard. Exhausted. Sopping wet. He’s wearing a waiter’s uniform, and has none of the bravado Zoro remembers from the Baratie. 

“Your favorites?” He asks, sounding almost hopeful. “Sea king curry? Mikans? Cotton candy?”

He’s met with silence, everyone stopping what they’re doing. Luffy breaks it. “Why would we want anything YOU make?” He asks. “A failure like you doesn’t even deserve to serve the future pirate king.” 

Zoro, watching from his table in the back, sees the way Sanji breaks.

He shrinks in on himself. “Please,” he says. “I’ll do better.” 

“You couldn’t even keep them safe,” says a voice Zoro recognizes as his own, sitting among them. “You left Luffy to starve.” 

“N-no,” Sanji trembles. “Please, I couldn’t— I had to keep everyone safe—“

Zoro can’t listen to any more of this. He stands, chair scraping the floor loudly. 

Sanji’s eyes snap to him. Not the him at the table, but HIM. 

As the dream fades out, Zoro finds himself glued in place under the weight of that shocked stare.

He thinks there might be something wrong with the saké. 

But, after one night without it, his curiosity gets the best of him. 

The dream is in a castle, imposing stone walls and dark lighting. Sanji is there, in front of a mirror, his face covered in purple and green bruises.

He’s playing with gold cuffs around his wrists. 

Zoro steps up, out of the shadows, and Sanji sees him in the mirror. His eyes are red and swollen. 

“Mosshead,” he breathes. His breath hitches and he swipes at his face with the heel of his palm. “Fuck. I’m sorry.”

Zoro doesn’t say anything. He’s used to another Zoro being here for this part. 

“I know you won’t forgive me,” Sanji says. “If— when I come back. I know even in my dreams it’s too late. But I need you to know I loved you.” 

“Loved?” Zoro questions.

“Love,” Sanji chokes out. “Love. Fuck. Always will, at this rate. Just— When I see you again, when we meet in Wano— please don’t pretend you forgive me when you don’t. I can’t— it feels like every dream I have you love me before you hate me and I can’t take that again. Please don’t even give me hope. I know this was unforgivable.” 

“Why’d you do it, then?” Zoro asks. This is a dream and can offer no real answers, but he still craves them. 

Sanji sobs, both hands on his face now. The bracelets rattle. “They said they had Zeff,” he says.

“They— you weren’t at Zou! They could’ve easily destroyed everyone there and I wouldn’t have been able to stop it! I just— I wasn’t supposed to live this long. I wasn’t supposed to live this WELL. I can’t keep being selfish.” 

Zoro scoffs. “Shut up,” he says, and Sanji flinches.

“Just fucking get back here or whatever. I don’t care about your excuses anymore. I’ll be waiting.” 

He turns to leave, and as he does, a pink haired girl with curly eyebrows runs into the room and says something about Luffy. Fucking weird dream.

Zoro wakes up, and he doesn’t drink the saké again. 

When he sees Sanji, it feels like it’s been a lifetime. The kimono he’s wearing is bright and his smile mirrors it. 

Then Sanji turns and catches sight of Zoro and his smile dims. 

Zoro feels angry all over again.

What was WITH all those fucking dreams? 

He ignores him as long as he can, until they’re together on the edge of a forest and Sanji’s sleeves roll up just enough that Zoro catches sight of two red rings, fading into brown, around his wrists. 

How… 

“Cook,” Zoro says.

Sanji looks to him. He looks almost… scared. “What, dumbass?” 

Zoro thinks about the cape with the silly outfit and the cuffs. He pauses. “Do you have a— sister? Pink hair?” 

Sanji looks BEWILDERED. “…yes?” He asks. “Is— has she been here?” 

Not physically, Zoro thinks.

Zoro takes a moment to recontextualize every dream he’s had since getting to Wano. 

“Cook,” he says. Slower. 

Sanji grits his teeth. “What,” he says. “Whatever you want to say, just spit it out.” 

Zoro’s not sure what he wants to say. He wants to say many things.

Things like “I don’t forgive you for leaving” and “you betrayed us” and “you betrayed ME”. But also now things like “what were those first two dreams? The ones with us?” And “did you stop having those dreams after I stopped” and “was it worth it” and “did you want to come home”

What he settles on is, “Is it all finished?” 

And maybe that was the worst possible question in the most vague way, but Sanji takes a moment and then nods, the motion a little jerk-y. “Yeah,” he says. “I’m— it’s finished.” 

“Good,” Zoro says. He steps up to him and Sanji flinches

Somehow, more than anything else, THAT is what convinces Zoro that the dreams were shared. That they were Sanji from the beginning. 

He ignores the flinch. He grabs Sanji’s wrist, avoiding the fading bruise, and squeezes to the edge of too tight. 

“You were a fucking idiot.”

Sanji goes to draw back but Zoro tugs him closer. “You were a fucking idiot and I did hate you for it. But I. Don’t.” 

Sanji freezes. He stares at the grass between them. 

“Don’t leave again,” Zoro says. “I don’t hate you. Don’t leave again.”

There’s tears on Sanji’s face that Zoro won’t mention. “Okay,” he says. “Shitty swordsman. Don’t get full of yourself.” 

But he leans forward. Hesitantly. Like a child waiting to be reprimanded. And when Zoro doesn’t, Sanji’s head lands on his shoulder.a

And Zoro doesn’t mention the tear tracks on his kimono or the way Sanji shakes apart in front of him. 

And Sanji doesn’t mention that Zoro doesn’t let go of his wrist. 

And maybe it’s a reoccurring problem, that neither of them mention things often enough. 

But today—

Today and tonight, it works in their favor. 

And when all this is over, no one else mentions is when they hold hands over the railing of the Sunny and watch the glowing fish pass by.

[siren-serenity]

when he loves you

characters: buggy, gn!reader warnings: fluff, angst, slightly overpowered buggy??? a/n: - in this household, we live, laugh, love buggy the clown <3 - feedback is appreciated!

part one (shanks) // part two (ace) // part three (buggy)

when buggy loves you, he's a fool in love. utterly besotted, completely head over heels for you. there is no doubting it, and honestly, who would? it's a nice change for the pirates on the 'big top'; seeing their fearsome leader stumbling over himself to impress you never fails to put a smile on their faces. but sometimes...they just pray you would accept his advances because they’re so sickeningly sweet.

"captain's at it again," cabaji laughs, handing mohji a box of circus equipment. "still don't know how y/n doesn't notice." mohji lets out a hearty chuckle and then spies the mentioned duo. buggy's cheeks are as red as his beloved lipstick and his eyes were wide with boyish love. he waves his hands widely as he speaks and even from faraway, cabaji and mohji can hear the little cracks in his voice whenever you respond or compliment him. "i think y/n notices though," mohji hums, pointing out the way your lips twitched upwards. "perhaps they like the attention?" cabaji snorts. "captain buggy's got plenty to give; they don't need to worry about that." "AND THEN! and then we set sail, far away, sailing far away from the island with ten- no, hundreds of marine ships following us!" "so heroic!" "AHFALDSKLADSJFLA" cabaji and mohji exchange a laugh as they continue with their duties.

when buggy loves you, you start to understand that although he isn't very good with words, he loves physical affection. he can't stand going a few meters apart from you unless his chopped off hand is laced with your own. he just wants to feel your warmth, to remind him that he is worthy and loved in somebody's eyes. you start to learn (and love) how touchy he is with you, and that you’re the only one he dares to be with like this. vulnerable, open, and unguarded.

"buggy," you laugh, playfully pushing his head away. he pouted as he continued to nuzzle his face into the crook of your collarbone. your back was pressed into his chest and buggy didn't want to let you go. at all. "cabaji's calling for me!" "he can do that later," buggy grumbled, huffing as a lock of hair fell into his face. "i'm the captain." you kissed his cheek before standing up. or well, attempted. buggy just flexed his arms and you fell back into his embrace again. a little smile crawls onto his face when he realizes that he had succeeded in making you stay, just for a while longer.

when buggy loves you, he starts to open up and let down his guard. at first, it was to test you…whether you would stay or leave him just like everyone else in his life (captain roger, shanks, the list just keeps going). but…to his immense surprise, you took his precious glass heart and cradled it close. you didn’t smash it to smithereens nor did you laugh at the various cracks in the glass. you simply held it like his heart was a precious treasure and his soul practically sung.

the silence was deafening. buggy’s throat was hoarse after he ended his storytelling of his own life. the grim parts, the bittersweet ones, the soul-destroying parts — buggy spilled everything to you. he fiddled with his fingers and looked at his lap. he didn’t dare face you; a part of him was so afraid. “buggy?” your voice was soft. your hand gently caressed his makeup-covered cheeks, brushing softly. “look at me, love.” buggy gulped and looked up, only to flinch at the overflowing love in your eyes. they were for him, and only him. the knowledge of it almost made him break out into sobs and throw himself into your arms. “y-yeah?” “thank you for telling me your story,” you pulled him into a hug and he instinctively nuzzled himself into the crook of your collarbone. his round nose rubbed at your shoulders soothingly. “I love you, cracks and all. thank you for trusting me.” he couldn’t hold back anymore, breaking out into loud, embarrassing, theatrical sobs. “thank you!” for the first time, buggy believed he finally found someone who would stay with him through thick and thin.

when buggy loves you, the world learns to fear him. the marines used to think that buggy is just a simple villain of the east blue…but if anything happened to you, they remember whose crew he grew up with (the roger pirates…perhaps the greatest of the pirate era.) they learn to fear the day buggy unleashes his full power on the world government, all in the name of love.

because at heart, buggy is a pirate in love. he’s fallen for you so hard that he would stop at nothing to keep you safe.

“you dared,” his voice haunted the nightmares of the marines. their ship floated brokenly in the seas; various wooden planks dotted the ocean blue surface. sharks rose up to gobble loose limbs. “you dared to mess with my crew?” his eyes flashed bright blue. “not only that, you dare hurt my beloved?!” something monstrous was brewing. the marines could smell it in the air, taste it on their tongue. it was the scent of power and it was overflowing from the “simple villain of the east blue”. buggy’s lips curved into a cruel smirk, highlighted with lipstick as red as blood. he raised his hands. armament haki painted the tips of his fingers black. observation haki made his eyes appear striking. his soul sung of the colors of the supreme king. “why don’t i just kill all of you flashily?!?!”

[mamamittens]

How Our Seeds Grow (Pt. 2)

Platonic Yandere Whitebeard Pirates & young!GN!Reader

Main|First|Next

Warnings: Emotional distress, a very naked snail, and minor blood.

Ah! Almost forgot, for those that asked to be tagged: @iggy5055 @badluckinfrench (idk why it won't let me tag you bro, sorry, the minute I got to the 'f' it said no)

Word Count: 2,248

You’d never really considered what you’d do if you did ever run afoul of pirates. The other marines were usually quite good at keeping any real threat far from you, often by bodily tossing you to someone else. And you didn’t know if this was the usual fate of a marine caught by pirates either. It sure didn’t seem like it, but none of the pirates thought it was weird, so what did you know?

You were seated in a medical bay on board their ship clutching the hem of your shirt anxiously. You weren’t injured anymore but dried blood was still smeared over your face and collar. Nose a little stuffed up.

A man with a blue mask over half his face and a kind smile gently wiped your face off with a wet rag as he asked questions. Pheonix taking notes on a clipboard with a pleasant but vaguely fake smile. It didn’t even hurt, the damp, warm fabric just removing any leftover blood from your broken nose. When he was done, he pulled out a few tissues.

“Have you had any shots? Blow your nose into this and we’re done with that—” Deuce ordered softly, holding the tissues over your nose firmly as you followed his instructions.

“Nnn—I don’t know? I think so?” You whined, ears popping as your nose itched, now free of any leftover blood. Deuce winced and tossed the tissues away, wiping your face clean one last time. You rubbed your nose, wrinkling it with a grimace as the sensation faded. “…thanks.” You mumbled, still unsure about what you’re supposed to do.

You certainly couldn’t run. Where would you go? The ship had left port a few minutes ago and until that point you'd been carried or had a hand on your shoulder. You couldn’t call for help, the fight with Fire Fist was loud enough that anyone who could hear would have already shown up. And you definitely couldn’t fight.

Deuce smiled softly, patting your head.

“That’s alright, kid. We can figure out the rest later.” He reassured you. “What do you like to do? We’ve got a lot of stuff on the Moby Dick for all sorts of hobbies. And plenty of people willing to teach you if you don’t know how to do them.” He kneeled down so he was looking up at you, no longer towering over you despite sitting on an exam table.

You swallowed hard, wringing your shirt in uncertainty.

“I-I’m a marine? I don’t got time for hobbies. I clean or I train or I go on patrols.” You explained lamely. You’d seen some marines do things in their downtime. Like knit or read. Some gambled. But you’d always been kept busy and unable to really get to know the others on any base you were stationed at.

Deuce’s expression fell, Pheonix keeping his gaze fixed on the clipboard in his hands—but he gripped it hard enough you could hear the whine of the board under stress. Deuce cleared his throat, smile returning.

“Well! I guess that just means you get to try everything! You’re too young for any serious training.” Deuce explained cheerfully, tapping your nose.

“Bring-ring. Bring-ring. Bring-clack!” your snail called out as you scrambled to answer quickly, pulling him free from your pocket.

“H-Hello! E—”

“Where are you?! Ensign Williams was found passed out in the marketplace! It was supposed to be a simple patrol—you can’t just go running off because you feel like it!” Someone you think you recognized as the base captain’s assistant shrieked, tears pricking your eyes as you cleared your throat.

“U-Uhm… we were on patrol when my partner and I got orders to confront Fire Fist and to run if he was accompanied by another Whitebeard Pirate. W-Williams was beaten and… the Pheonix took me?” You mumbled, face red as you refused to look up.

“What?! Who the fuck gave that order—Never mind! You need to return to base immediately for punitive assignment, ensign!” You sniffed, tears falling as you impulsively choked out a strained cry,

“How?!” you sobbed anxiously as the snail was plucked from your hands. Through foggy glasses, you saw it was Pheonix but his expression was blurred.

“No.” Pheonix stated simply, his voice hard as you rubbed your eyes. “They won’t be returning, period. So, consider this their resignation.” Your chest tightened while Deuce rubbed your back, whispering into your ear.

“Easy, kid. You’re not in trouble—we won’t let them have you back, I promise.”

“But I gotta!” You whined, Deuce tutting as he pulled down your hands to wipe your face with the rag.

“No, no, no, you really don’t. It’s not your fault, alright?”

“ON WHO’S ORDERS?!” the vaguely familiar voice screeched.

“Ours.” There was a crunch of metal and a hand gently opened your palm. The snail’s firm weight notably lighter. You pulled back from Deuce’s attempt to clean your face, clumsily putting your glasses back to look.

The snail, a pleasant crème color, was missing his standard issue shell. Visibly shaking from either fright or a chill.

“O-Oh no, Cream, you’re naked!” You cried in despair, Deuce choking out a laugh. You jerked, remembering suddenly that you weren’t allowed to name the snails or get attached.

Pheonix kneeled down and stroked your cheek fondly. That familiar sensation of bated breath and birdsong in your chest almost reassuring in it’s intensity.

“Don’t worry, we’ve got some spare shells in storage. None that let you make calls though.” He reassured you as you placed your hand over Cream’s naked back. He looked a little relieved, ducking his head as much as he could in the small space you provided. “Think you can clean up the rest on your own? Ace should have found spare clothes by now.”

You sniffled.

“I-I have to wear a uniform though…” You objected. “It’s mine.”

Just about the only thing you did own, actually, besides pet treats. Even Cream was actually the base’s snail.

Pheonix’s expression twisted again into something sad and deeply troubled as he glanced over your uniform.

“Well… I doubt we can take off the letters, so the hat has to go… but you can keep this. How does that sound? We’ll get you new clothes soon.” Pheonix reassured you while gently tugging the blue fabric free from your shirt collar. He moved your hand and placed it over Cream with a soft smile.

You ducked your head shyly.

“…alright.”

Fire Fist trampled into the room with a bundle of clothes in his arms.

“Found it! A little big but these should fit just fine!” Fire Fist declared as he handed you the bundle, wrinkling his nose at the very naked Cream. “Uh, why’s the snail naked?”

Cream ducked under the blue fabric, skin turning a soft pink hue.

“Hey! Don’t be mean, he’s shy!” you protested before thinking better of it, though rather than take offense, Fire Fist held up his hands and laughed.

“Sorry, sorry! I just never see these guys without a shell—what happened?”

“Run along now, baby bird. Deuce will show you where to clean up while we help fit… Cream with a new shell.” Pheonix helped you off the table and picked up Cream with a slightly embarrassed look. Fire Fist almost asked again, it was clear on his face, but Pheonix glared and it was dropped. Deuce gently pushing you out of the room and towards a private bathroom.

“Take your time, alright kiddo?” Deuce told you softly as he closed the door, letting you have privacy. It was a modest bathroom and you took full advantage. Having the chance to take your time not something you’ve been afforded for a while since the bases have shared bathing areas and your partners were rarely patient enough to wait for long.

It felt weird not getting dressed in a clean uniform. The old one ripped up and dirtied from the marketplace. Your alternative a baggy white shirt with Whitebeard’s jolly roger and shorts that tied at the waist. You looked at the blue neckerchief that Pheonix was allowing you to keep, considering where to where it. The shirt didn’t have a collar to tie it around. Your wrists were too thin unless you wrapped your forearm. It was thankfully clean despite your bloodied nose.

After a long moment, you looked at the mirror.

You looked tired. Eyes red from crying behind your broken glasses but otherwise clean.

It felt wrong to wear this anywhere but your neck.

Decisively, you tied it around your neck like a bandana, pleased to find that you could pull it up over your chin easily. It wasn’t too tight or loose, the weight reassuring in the absence of the layered uniform collar.

Sadly, you folded up your old uniform and held it to your chest. Standing before the door as your heart raced. You weren’t sure why they decided to take you with them and the sudden change in routine was frightening—something you reluctantly admitted to yourself as you stared at the bathroom door.

They were nice but… if you could, you’d go back to the base right that minute. Even if it meant being given chores as punishment for ‘running away’. At least you knew what to expect on base. This pirate ship was a whole new situation though.

There was a yip from the other side of the door and nails scratching the wood.

“Hey! Don’t rush them, Stefan! Let the poor kid take their time.” Fire Fist chastised Stefan softly, a low whine echoing with a few, last petulant drags of nails on wood.

Taking a deep breath, you opened the door, still clinging to your old uniform with your eyes fixed to the floor.

“…hi.”

There was a shift of fabric and boots as suddenly Fire Fist squatted down low with a soft smile.

“Hey, kiddo. You alright? Nice bandana, it looks good on you.” He remarked, an almost understanding look in his eyes. Your chest ached and you shook your head before thinking better of it.

“I-I wanna go back. I-I’m going to be in so much trouble…” You whimpered thickly, tears quick to flood your cheeks. There was a flash of a grimace on Fire Fist’s face as he scooped you up, Stefan managing a single lick to your shin.

Fire Fist felt warm and bubbly. A soothing heat like a sun bathed rock on a beach that hugged you close. Hand brushing over your back.

“No, you’re not, c’mon now, no more tears. You can’t be crying into your food—the chef didn’t put teary stew on the menu! It’s not Thatch’s cooking but it’s still pretty good.” Fire Fist soothed you with a soft bounce to his step. “If this is about that uniform, I promise we’ll get you something way better soon! Haven’t you ever wanted to wear something else? Anything else? Whatever you want, you can have, I promise! Cheer up!”

Even through your tears you could smell the thick scent of dinner as a soft voice piped up behind you.

“They’re going to need some time to adjust, Ace. I know it’s hard to see them like this, but you have to let them let it all out. It’s like when you first came on board. Eventually you tired out from it… eventually.” Fire Fist’s grimace was clear despite the haze on your broken lenses. Cheeks pink as he blushed, holding you closer with a sheepish expression. “Think I can take those old clothes now, baby bird?” Pheonix asked softly, tapping the folded pile in your arms.

You felt your lips wobble as you held it tighter to your chest. A sob startled from you as Fire Fist bounced you to get your attention.

“Hey, looks like he wants to trade.” Fire Fist pointed out, jerking his chin towards Pheonix’s other hand. Cream sat in his curled palm, a sea green shell settled on his back. He looked far more comfortable now than he did before, his small arms wiggling towards you as he considered you with some worry.

After a long moment, you relaxed your grip, allowing Pheonix to take your old uniform and trade for Cream.

“…thank you. His new shell looks nice.” You whispered, holding Cream close as he tried to brush away your tears with a soft hum. You curled into Fire Fist’s arm, head tucked under his chin as you couldn’t help a weak sniffle.

“You’re welcome. Now let’s get you two something to eat. We’ll be arriving at the main flagship pretty late.” Pheonix advised as you glanced up at him. He smiled, cupping your face to swipe away a tear with more success than Cream had.

You wanted to reiterate how deeply in trouble you already were but all that you could say was a meek response.

“…okay.”

Pheonix handed off the clothes to Deuce and walked with Fire Fist towards the eating area.

“You’ll like it here with us eventually. Everyone loves it when we get a new baby on board.”

“Oi!” Fire Fist protested sharply. Pheonix grinned sharply, eyes narrowing at Fire Fist.

“Don’t get jealous~ you’re still a baby in Oyaji’s eyes.”

“That’s not what I meant!”

Small nubby arms tapped your chin as Cream tucked himself close to your neck with a reassuring murmur.

Maybe… maybe it wouldn’t be so bad after all. If everyone is like them. Even if they’re pirates.

[sketchstudios07]

I haven't posted art in some time, but here, have some of my D&D ocs interacting with the dungeon meshi party, because it's fun! I drew them with the ones i feel like they're the most similar to either physically or personality-wise. I doubt many people will see, but i'd love to see more people doing this. Here we go!! :}

Marcille and Anne (she/her). She's an elf cleric and also my first character ever! So there isn't much to say about her. I feel like she's just this calm presence, Marcille could have some of that comfort every now and then. They'd definetly bond over hair care and magic, despite working in different fields. In a way, I feel like Marcille would find Anne similar to Falin, or like an older and wiser version of her. Anne could also give some advice on the whole "being scared of death thing", having a short-lived partner and all.

Chilchuck and Heron (he/him), tiny dads! Heron is (obviously) a halfling, but for his class he's actually a homebrew pirate! I think they have plenty of stuff in common to talk about, both of them are often made fun of by their parties for their size, which is fun. They're also both dads, only Chilchuck has 3 girls (4 if you count Izutsumi) and Heron has 4 boys, maybe they'd argue over what's better, idk. Chilchuck is grumpier, but i feel like both have that "Oh my god what are you doing!? Are you an idiot?" attitude when the party does their shenanigans. These two would be good friends, maybe Chil is a bit envious of Heron's stable family though

Laios and Deliz (he/him). Deliz is the character i've been playing the longest, he's a kalashtar sorcerer (with some druid levels). I think it's not hard to tell that they'd bond over hyperfixations. I doubt Laios would be able to answer Deliz's questions, but there's plenty of cool monster stuff to talk about! I wonder what Laios would think about all the weird creatures that possess and infect people in this other world. These two would be great friends, no judgement about "weird" behaviors, just vibes. I also feel like Laios would be super interested in what a "kalashtar" even is, or how powerful Deliz is compared to most adventurers he knows, despite him being so young (21).

Izutsumi and Spark (she/her). The cat girls! Spark is a tabaxi sorcerer that is also a literal child, so I feel like Izustumi would be done with her shit really fast lmao. Kind of like, when a child wants to impress a teenager, but they keep annoying them? Exactly that. Doesn't help that Spark is pretty energetic too. At one point or another though, they'd grow on each other. Izutsumi would never admit it though

Senshi and Lilium (she/they). Not much in common between these two, Lilium is a tiefling druid and Senshi is like, a fighter(?) dwarf, buut they'd get along really well. I feel like senshi would be the calm and nurturing figure this anxious little lesbian needs. She's been through a lot and needs a place to rest every now and then, and maybe drinking a cup of tea with some warm food is the right choice after some adventuring, right? (Also can you tell i didn't wanna draw Senshi's helmet? ITS SO HARD TO DO SIDEWAYS AND I DIDNT FIND ANY REFERENCES)

And a little bonus:

(Azzazel (they/any) is my friends character, they'd spark a whole other convo w/ Laios tbh)

[melonteee]

Just saw someone’s wacko take on Whole Cake Island and I want to see your thoughts, as I get everyone had their own opinions but damn theirs made me baffled

Basically they said that Sanji being forced into marriage was completely unnecessary and was Oda’s terrible attempt to “fix” Sanji after the time skip. That we didn’t need to see how good of a person Sanji is as that was something already seen pre timeskip but was completely ruined post apparently

They then also claimed that Sanji’s blood family has no point of existing, and they questioned why he needed more story when his original backstory was enough. They claimed that this was a terrible attempt by Oda to make Sanji seem as broken as possible to apparently excuse his gross behaviour post time skip

They said that Sanji’s family being emotionless monsters shouldn’t mean anything to Sanji as he’s a pirate and faces cruel people all the time, they don’t think it added anything to his character. They believe Oda only did this to get people to like Sanji again after apparently assassinating his character post time skip

They also brought up Pudding being 16 (which we don’t know is true or not) and how that makes Sanji seem more gross and Oda gross by extension

Again I believe everyone can have their opinions, but when an opinion is as jaw droopingly awful as this it makes me want to slam my head against a wall, it’s also annoying that they’ve turned off comments to prevent any discussion really showing how stubborn they are on this

Anyway I wanted to see your thoughts as you are the no.1 Sanji fan

Sighssssss I cannot stand this "Oda wanted to 'fix' Sanji" idea these people have, because that just tells me...they literally do not pay attention to Sanji at all.

As always, yes, Sanji has pervy gags. Yes, he was a bit much in Fishman Island SPECIFICALLY, but he IS the same character.

Fishman Island showed his fierce care and love for Nami as a CREWMATE by telling Jinbe what the fuck Arlong did to her, because he was LITERALLY there for Arlong's defeat and nearly died with the others fighting for Nami! He spoke up for Nami as FAMILY and that means a LOT to her.

Punk Hazard showed his kindness towards Kinemon and the kids by helping Kinemon - a dangerous stranger - and helping the kids per Nami's request.

Dressrosa showed Sanji's kindness is so valued due to Viola breaking down and feeling safe with him, to the point she told him the truth about Dressrosa and Doflamingo.

Zou showed JUST how kind Sanji is by helping save an ENTIRE island, Pedro valuing his kindness SO MUCH he risked his life to help get Sanji back to his crew.

Sanji has never needed fixing, what Sanji NEEDED was an explanation for why the fuck he was a kid by himself on a sailing ship. He NEEDED an explanation for HOW he could be a kid from the north but somehow be in the east. He NEEDED an explanation for why he was so self sacrificing to the point he thought of giving his life - not just for Zeff, but for ANYONE - seemed like the best choice to him.

Yes, it wouldn't be a question if it was just for Zeff and the Baratie. But it wasn't just for Zeff, he also did it for Usopp, for Luffy, for Nami, for Zoro, for Robin. Sanji's self sacrificing nature was ROOTED in him, and we had no idea from WHERE.

In fact, his self worth was so little, he asked a LITERAL ADULT why he was being nice to him - when he was a KID! And as I said in my Sanji video, WHAT kid asks why an adult is treating them nicely? NO other kid in One Piece has asked an adult that, because they're kids!

The fact it was suspected Sanji's family were powerful from YEARS ago, due to the fact his face wasn't on posters, AND Duval was being endlessly chased after, AND Sanji was from the north, AND his blood type was rare, says plenty enough that it was TOTALLY necessary.

Sanji literally finds his worth in other people, and again, that didn't stem from Zeff! Zeff treasured Sanji to the point Zeff used his HANDS on him, so WHERE does this self-hating nature come from with Sanji?

And we get it! We get it with his WCI story! We see the depths of his soul, the peaks of his kindness, and just how extreme the HATRED for himself is. He didn't even think Luffy WANTED him because his self worth is THAT low.

But, most importantly, we see JUST how strong Sanji is due to STAYING kind - even WITH everything he's gone through. WCI is about SANJI'S strength of character, through and through, and calling that unnecessary is just INSANE to me. Again, it just tells me these people do not like Sanji at all, to the point they didn't pay much attention to him. Because of COURSE when you don't look behind you, but then someone appears in front of you, you're gonna go "?? now where did THAT come from??"

But literally anyone who pays attention to Sanji expected to find out about his family and his origins, because the seeds were there!

Overall, if you want the deep dive for why it was necessary? My Sanji video explains it all :]

[headfullof-ideas]

Rivalries (at least ones that aren’t in the pre-existing lore, Ala Viggo and riders, Alpheus and Ant, so on and so forth…)

I genuinely don’t really see Snotlout and Alpheus getting along. Their personalities clash too much, and Snotlout just gets beef with anyone new in this story, due to trying to protect the other riders. Alpheus being a little pompous and cocky and ‘so this is the brainless muscle-head?’ Upon first meeting didn’t really help either. Lots of petty pranks and fights between these two, with poor Ant playing mediator, albeit reluctantly due to not knowing Alpheus too well himself, he just knows Snotlout. Honestly I’m not sure about Alpheus and Dagur either, i don’t know if Alpheus would play nice with someone named Deranged, though I do see Dagur enjoying messing with him, but that’s neither here nor there-

Kaiko and Viggo have had beef for longer than Fontaine has been alive, so Viggo starts sweating when he realizes that Ant is Kaikos kid. She also scares him a little bit…or a lot a bit. Assassination attempts have been had, on both sides. As well as petty smack downs with whatever they can get their hands on. Like the drawing above, where little-sibling-extraordinaire Viggo (not to be confused to these two being siblings, just that their fights can resemble sibling fights sometimes) is utterly losing.

Camicazi and Mad Madeline are a case of thief meets thief, but Madeline is better at it than Camicazi, with the additional bonus of being a sea-faring pirate, and also being nearly five to six years younger than Camicazi. And Camicazi HATES someone being better at something than she is, especially something she insists on being so good at. So naturally they clash. Maddie spends most of it just messing with Camicazi, much to the older girls infuriation.

I would like to clarify that Astrid and Fontaine’s rivalry has nothing to do with race, though Astrid has never really interacted with a person of color due to the overall whiteness of the Archipelago, Ant being the only person with darker skin she’s ever met till she leaves the Archipelago. No, it’s because they’re both stubborn, Astrid hates being called out on her not-so-great actions, and being held responsible for those actions, and Fontaine loves pointing this out and poking the metaphorical sleeping bear that is an easy-to-piss-off Astrid Hofferson. There may be a bit of petty grudge-holding due to what Fontaine has heard about stuff that happened between Astrid and Ant too, which also pisses Astrid off. Fontaine has the same flaw of being incapable of acknowledging her own mistakes though, so Astrid makes plenty of jabs in her direction too with the same effectiveness.

Heather is obsessed with Kari’s dragon Ardyn, and Kari is mad about the time she straight up tried to run off with Ardyn. This is probably the pettiest of rivalries here, next to Camicazi and Madeline anyways. Heather pretty much just pulled an Alpheus and started having beef with a thirteen year old for no real reason beyond spite and petty rage. Granted, little Kari is a menace who is not above biting, and has bitten Heather, so there’s some of a reasonable grudge there. (Especially not helped by Heathers older brother teaching the little brat how to shoot a crossbow-) It’s hard to feel justified venting to someone about it though when you’re reminded you’re getting into squabbles with a tweenager a head and a half shorter than you who hasn’t even started puberty yet. Heather’s younger than Alpheus is in the show, so it’s a little less embarrassing when she loses, especially when it’s over something wildly different

These are the ones I can think of, and I’ve got doodles i want to draw to further elaborate on these dynamics, that might not come to light in the actual story itself. I dunno yet, we’ll see. I’m juggling a couple of things irl at the moment, so new stuff might be a bit scarce, but i’m hoping to send chapter three to my beta in a few days! So hopefully chapter three comes out sometime in the next few weeks

[bella-atz]

welcome!

✩ timeline: after pirate king era

✩ summary: bella and ateez meet for the very first time.

A petite and delicate seventeen-year-old trainee dressed in cozy clothing strides her legs to a place she calls her “Second Home.”

Every day, Bella would spend most of her afternoons and nights in the KQ Entertainment building. Plus, she does her schoolwork and studies in the practice room to manage time and her rest. At some point in life, Bella’s family was concerned about her choosing this pathway. Despite admitting the challenges to her loved ones and the hardships of becoming an idol, Bella kept going. She doesn’t know how long it’ll take or where she’ll end up, but she hopes for the best. 

KQ Entertainment is a peculiar place, according to Bella. It originally was a marketing business that turned into a record label. They successfully accepted plentiful artists who have been in the industry for years. Not to mention, KQ recruited eight boys and created their first group. Now, they are rising stars. 

ATEEZ has been getting the world’s attention like magic sparked into people’s lives. 

Unfortunately, Bella wasn’t as close to the group. She had seen their faces and their stellar talent but never knew them personally. However, it’s all going to change. Two months after ATEEZ’s debut, the group will be welcoming someone. 

Bella attended a meeting with KQ’s big boss and had a long discussion that would impact the company and the K-pop industry. The boss allowed her to debut with ATEEZ. Of course, Bella was baffled for a lot of reasons. In other words, she wasn’t sure if it was safe. Having only one girl is going to raise eyebrows for many. However, to Bella’s surprise, from what the boss told her, all eight agreed to have her be part of ATEEZ.

So, today, she’ll be seeing the guys.

Once she says hello and bowing to the workers, Bella can feel her nerves running wild. Before arriving, the teenager keeps questioning if they will like her or think she is awkward and strange. Bella has to eventually develop communication skills because it’s a tough world to survive. The girl enters the elevator to take deep breaths and relax. 

Good thing she is a formal person. It’s not that Bella finds herself to be dull. She was raised in a household with manners and being immaculate. Most importantly, she doesn’t want to make a fool of herself. 

As Bella exits the elevator, she heads to the practice room. “Hm. Maybe I’m too early.” The girl figured because she noticed the darkness from the outside. Her hand grabs the knob to open the door. She switched on the lights to have the room bright as day. Instantly, eight handsome, cute, and beautifully bared-faced guys in warm outfits yell at the top of their lungs. 

“WELCOME TO ATEEZ BELLA!”

Lost for words, the girl has her eyes widened owlishly and mouth gaping. The guys couldn’t contain their laughter at her adorably shocked reaction. Bella can see they all have party hats on, decorations layered in the room, and a snack table with a delicious cake. 

“Hyung, I think we broke her,” Wooyoung whispered to Hongjoong. 

“Ouch!” 

The captain smacks the boy, who is pouting like a hurt child. 

Hongjoong clears his throat and goes up to Bella. “Sorry that we scared you. We didn’t know a better way to make a surprise.” He apologizes so politely. Bella shakes her head. “N-No! You didn’t! I thought it was going to be simple and formal.” Her expectations are the complete opposite. 

The guys glanced at each other and started chuckling. It takes them back to when everyone got together, one by one. Most of them had friendly attitudes, but they soon learned they weren’t normal. In a good way, to not be mistaken.

San comes forward with a big, bright smile and wraps an arm around her shoulders. “We thought it would be too lame to do the typical greetings. So, why not throw a party? Also, it’s okay to drop the formalities because we’re family here.” The young man with cute, deep dimples tries to convince Bella that she doesn’t need to shy away from her true colors. 

Bella looks at their sweet smiles. The atmosphere has become fuzzy and warm. She is also feeling a bit emotional. Bella breathed, “Okay, I’ll try to be myself.” She said. All of them cheered. Soon enough, she and the guys form a circle on the floor to talk about themselves, like an ice-breaker. 

“So, what is your position in ATEEZ, Bella?” Yeosang asked the girl.

Not just him, but the rest are curious to know. Bella responded, “Our boss put me as lead vocalist and maknae. I’ve been singing since I was very little and I am thankful that my appa introduced me to K-pop.” She tells them a piece of her background. 

“Ooo~ vocal buddies~” Wooyoung playfully nudges Jongho. The now second youngest shyly smiles. Bella and the others laugh at him merrily. 

“Wait, maknae? How old are you?” San was so straightforward that it kind of surprised the members. Though Bella didn’t mind answering. “I’m 17.” 

At once, they gasped at their new maknae. She is a baby! Their baby!

When getting done with the introductions, Bella can see that everyone has a unique personality. But overall, they are super kind and caring. She witnessed them helping each other give out food because she and all of them were starving. Bella predicts she’ll have the time of her life in ATEEZ.

“Oh! Bella, look what we got for you!” Yunho exclaimed happily.

He and Mingi pulled her arms to drag her to the snack table. They showed her a cutely baked cake of My Melody. “For me?” Bella questions the two. 

Mingi nods earnestly. “Yep! We actually made it, and if it’s not good, then it’s okay to get upset.” He is so blunt that Bella starts laughing. Her laugh is so mellifluous that the guys thought an angel from heaven graced their ears. 

She shakes her head. “I’m sure it’s tasty! Thank you so much!” The new member of ATEEZ sincerely appreciates the whole lovely celebration.

[rueririn]

Pirating OPLA, thoughts

Episode 1

Garp being at Roger's execution is a nice touch

Really like how full Luffy's dinghy is-- crates of fruit, a barrel of fish instead of just one barrel of apples--- all makes sense. All the tiny details removed from manga that are just added onto opla for realism-- like the way the execution stand works, too, with the people cranking the manual lift to get roger up there. It's all very cool and makes the setting feel more piraty than mangapiece.

Our beloved Zoro tried to go to Sixis on a cruise ship. This is a good way to casually mention Zoro earlier (plus that's Ace's first island so it actually lines up on the One Piece map to be around Dawn Island--)

"it's worth more than the rest of our loot put together" a nika mention that can be interpreted as just a devil fruit mention

"You should never let anyone tell you what you can't do. If I did that, I never would have left my village to go find the One Piece." Luffy referencing Garp like this is so funny to me

Unlike mangapiece, Luffy invites Coby along before knowing his dream to become a marine. This makes me sad because now I wish la coby joined the crew

opla Shanks is weirdly more serious than mangapiece Shanks. Not necessarily in a bad way, just different. That's the attitude I'm takign for most of opla anyways.

Adding the Mr 7 and Zoro fight here is actually really cool

Beta Nami outfit aaaaa they moved the pre-orange town ship-stealing scene to serve as her introduction scene and that works so well for her.

I love that they all naturally congregated in Ririka's bar. Everyone congregates and chaos occurs. Really like how they switched things up while never really taking things off course.

"PIRATES SPREAD DISEASE" poster on the wall

Coby sliding under the table once a fight breaks outajslkdjalsijdsakj i love him pls

ADORE the barfight. It's Zoro vs Baroque Works but bite-sized and with everything we love about the most consistently badass member of the crew. Thank you.

Zoro really pulled a reverse on Helmeppo lmao. "Three swords? I only need one" proceeds to get curbed by zero swords

oh! Zoro introduced himself as pirate hunter. that makes him different from mangapiece where he explicitly says at some point that he never called himself that. But it fits the opla characterisation so fair enough.

Luffy popping out of the manhole to yell 'thanks' at Zoro just sends me. Makino taught him well.

Nami being the most independent and capable girlboss up until the second Luffy literally crashes into her life and ruins her plan is actually 100% compliant with the basis of their relationship.

Oh is this the ass naked Helmeppo scene everyone's been yelling abo--- oh it is. ok.

I've never realized how badly I wanted a Nami and Luffy fighting together scene until now. I just realized how little of those we get in Mangapiece. Holy shit.

Romance Dawn trio just has this really satisfying trio cohesion that I can't describe. They're forever my favourite trio in the strawhats and opla does a magnificent job of bringing justice to what the manga couldn't give them with its chapter and page limits, since their only trio time together without being dragged around by handicaps was in the gaimon arc.

Makes me a little sad that Coby's involvement in Shells gets cut down a little, but that's fine I guess, he got plenty of touchup in his introduction scene.

Luffy holding back laughter when he sees Helmeppo's hair. Zoro chuckling because "yeah I might've done that" and Nami just being speechless. They're so stupid i love them

Garp going silent when he hears a straw-hat pirate stole the map to the grand line. I like to think this could imply Roger also stole his map once upon a time, but for now I'm just laughing at Garp internally screeching "that STUPID GRANDSON it's been ONE DAY"

[crossguild]

why is shanks so down bad for marco??

i really. really wanna know what marco has done for shanks that has shanks going so out of his way for him. this is kind of beyond shanks's general good and compassionate nature where he'll save helpless children and protect weaker crews just because he wants to.

first time we see it is when he has a meeting with whitebeard (434)-- he specifically calls out marco and tries to poach him (obviously unsuccessfully) but at that point it seems kinda like a throwaway line. like sure, a first division commander would definitely be a great addition to his crew. the way marco responds sounds like he's really annoyed about it too, so it wouldn't be surprising if shanks just did it to rile him up. but marco also points out that shanks isn't the type to do something stupid, and holds the crew back from stepping in when shanks and whitebeard clash

then the next time they see each other is at the end of marineford (580), where shanks stops the war and addresses marco individually again. and then he puts himself & the crew between the marines and the whitebeard pirates, which i'm super normal about, and says that he's going to handle their burials which, yeah, you can probably attribute that to him respecting whitebeard a lot and feeling a little guilty/responsible for ace, who was his captain's son

the next time after that is two weeks later, at the same time that luffy is reminded of his crew (590). funeral prep & getting back to the new world could feasibly take 2 weeks, yeah, and marco confirms in 909 that wb and ace's graves are 'nearby' while he's on sphinx. that island doesn't look like sphinx but it could plausibly be a different angle or a peninsula, but i'm just gonna assume it's an island that's close. but shanks really stuck with them for TWO WEEKS like another member of the family??

i also thought it was cute marco thanks him three times in three different ways, which is expressed a little better in the raws imo. 'suman' is 'sumimasen' abbreviated, but it's usually used as an apology, or an apologetic thank you. then 'nanto rei o ittara ii ka', which is a very formal and serious way to express gratitude. and then 'arigatou yoi' when shanks leaves, simple & sweet

next time they have any interaction is during oden's flashback, which started when marco was 15. the WBPs clash with roger 4 years later (966) and we have this exchange (marco is about 19, buggy & shanks are about 13). so marco would've met them before they brought oden on board, when shanks n bugs were 9 or so.

and then we have 1059, where we find out marco hitched a ride back to sphinx with SHANKS? like, he saw shanks in the distance and knew with certainty that he'd have a lift back home? how far away is sphinx from wano?? why's he so comfortable just dragging shanks like that??

anyway all this to say i know they're being set up for SOMETHING and i'm excited to see what it is. obviously they're old friends and they've probably helped each other out plenty over the 30+ years they've known each other, but shanks REALLy put himself out there. not just for the whitebeard pirates but it looks like for marco specifically ???? we're gonna find out what's going on with him and the WB pirates at SOME point right oda? right???

also, with the speculation that shanks doesn't have many or even ANY devil fruit users on his crew, it may be a policy of his (although i personally don't really buy that). but if that WERE the case, the fact he persistently invites marco, a df user, is interesting. he wants that bird so damn bad.

[whomadewaffles]

Incase anyone wanted a complete newbies opinion on the one piece liveaction adaptation.

Before we start, here is what I knew vaguely before going on, never having watched a single episode of the anime

. A pirate gets killed but challenges people to find his hidden treasure before he is killed

.there is fruit that gives magical powers, main character can stretch like mr fantastic and elastiagirl

.longgggg ass sorry with alot of rich world building

Now i Adore great world building so was always interested in watching the anime but...paying for cruncyroll premium and the sheer length of the show has kept me away. But with the word of mouth about this live action show being very positive I thought why not use this as a starting point. So without further ado here is what I thought.

It was wonderful, I was either smiling like an idiot or tearing up through all of it, I was hear for the worldbuilding and it gave me plenty in that regard but I wasn't realy expecting to fall for like...pretty much every single charater, the strawhats are all delightful and have such a amazing found family vibe and I am SO weak to that trope, koby and his marine subplot grew on me and so much good well choreographed action and some actual laugh outloud moments (buggy was a scene stealing highlight). Everyone said sanji's backstory was a tear jerker and that's 100% correct but nami's third act betrayal realy caught me of guard but love how it was handled. Luffy lives up to his shonen protagonist roots by just being an inspiring becon of positivity who I wish the absolute best for, the show would have fallen apart of we didn't care for luffy and luckly they nailed it. I would say zoro is my favourite of the crew though he had such a dry sarcastic sense of humor that i vibed with. The world was absolutely fascinating with how everything revolves around the sea, and the technology isn't advanced at all like they use snails as phones i loved that, it was so weird! And the way they used pratical effects when they could was great to see gave the world a real and lived in feel. and I realy get the sense there's so much magical stuff still to see! And the music!!! Omg the music! It added so much to so many great moments. Just have to hope netflix sticks with it but with their track record I'm.....not optimistic. But in summary what a charming start to an adventure!

I am curious am I the only person watching as a new fan? Is gate keeping generally a thing with this fandom?

[xamaxenta]

god i LOOOVEEE feral animal asl its so true. they truly could not care less about "laws" or "public decency" whatever that is. the straw hats manage with just luffy but the whitebeards sometimes have to deal with TWO of them? at ONCE? theyre used to ace because sometimes pirates are just like that, pops has seen plenty of them and hes just happy to see that nasty stray cat finally come inside to relax and he simply counts the shredded furniture as a Personality Trait to keep the house interesting. but then sabo rolls up and everyone at first chuckles and says oh well at least one of them has manners. except. sabo is secretly 4 ravenous feral dogs wearing a top hat. sabo is polite until the food comes out when he starts snarling and snapping (he and ace start wrestling on the floor BITING each other for a single chicken wing) or when he gets the Predator Stare and anyone who crosses within view of it feels their hair stand completely on end. marco has no particularly strong feelings about sabo when they first meet aside from "ace loves him, hes probably a freak, and he looks ridiculous dressed like that (kinda cute)" except. sometimes ace and sabo make noises at each other that are so far from human language they sound like an entirely different species. he swore one time he saw ace come up and just Lick the side of sabos face, who bit his whole ear in return like they were discussing the weather. there is something Wrong with sabo for sure. but its not until he and ace are bickering at the table and thatch throws a spare chunk of raw meat trimmings at ace (because theyve learned ace can and will eat raw meat, even the fatty or gristly bits, and as much as marco insists its not good At All for his health, the crew likes feeding large and dangerous animals) and as soon as the meat hits the table both ace and sabo go perfevtly still for roughly half a second before SABO lunges forward and grabs it in his TEETH while ace starts pummeling him for it. the top hat goes flying, theres the sound of the galley bench screeching across the floor and boots and fingernails scrabbling across the wood and the Chief Of Staff of the Revolutionary Army runs, hissing, on all fucking fours, with a chunk of raw meat in his mouth up the rigging while ace quite literally snaps at his heels. theres distant snarling and growling. sounds of tearing fabric. screams of shock and horror from the crew on the deck. and it is in that moment marco comes to the devastating realization that he is unfortunately attracted to sabo, and that his taste in men simply cannot be salvaged

Sabo standing there all prim and proper, all neatly buttoned up and his accent has this crisp edge to it like a winters morning flinty with fresh snow or perhaps new parchment waiting to be scored by the writers pen

And then Ace shows up and the mask slips abruptly something wicked spills past the pleasantries and hes kinda like fangs bared growly in a way only animals get with each other

Everyone up until this point knows the basic history Ace loves this guy, Sabo to put it bluntly would die to protect Ace with his life, they share a childhood the jungle that fucking jungle, this means Sabos also a beast but what kind theyre hoping if Ace is anything to go by he would be the same

Except Sabo brings out a monster in Ace and clearly hes so much worse, the raw meat spectacle and then the poor crowsnest lookout scrambling down trembling cold sweat like what the fuck happened to those two?

Eventually they comeback down sabos clothes are in tatters and Ace is just naked lmao theyre blood smeared and everyone hopes its the meat but its wishful thinking because thats way too much blood for a fist sized piece of flank steak

Marco unfortunately realises he has a type

Sabo pins him with a baleful pale eyed stare, those freaky mismatched eyes of his locked the fuck on, someone whos blind in one eye really shouldnt have that sort of focus, Ace headbutts him nippy bitey for being ignored but

Follows Sabos gaze and smiles

[veeluvss]

most beautiful birthday girl

for @greencways ! happy birthday ml 🤍

elle x female!reader

It was coming up to that time of year again—your birthday.

You’d never been a fan of your birthday. Years of plans, disappointment, realisation and not to mention the slow, aching loss of youth each new year brought. It was painful for you sometimes, looking back on your childhood and how it was slowly drifting away from you. The princess and pirate parties, the candyfloss and bouncy castles - the children’s laughter echoing through the party; it was just out of your grasp as you stepped into real-life adulthood.

However, this time, you hoped it would be different. In the last year, you’d completed two Ph. D.s and graduated from FBI school - now, you stood in the BAU office after completing your first month as a profiler. The team had been so incredibly welcoming. JJ was like the sister you never had growing up. Garcia was a breath of fresh air every morning as she came in with her bright dress and a large smile. Spencer was so intelligent and kept you on your toes all the time. Elle … well Elle was Elle. Derek made you laugh and Hotch was one of the best bosses you could ask for.

“Good morning youngster,” Derek greeted you as he entered the office. He put his hand on his shoulder as a familiar act of comfort you appreciated in the morning. You smiled at him and he sat down. You went to your own desk and sat yourself down.

Not even half an hour later, you were called into the round table room to review a case. You groaned, not really wanting to be out of town on your birthday. However, you followed the team into the room and took a seat between JJ and Elle. They spoke through the case, easy stuff. A family annihilator, killing parents at point blank range and leaving the children as witnesses, tied up and starved in their living rooms - forcing them to see their parents die out in front of them… yeah, simple stuff.

“Wheels up in 30,” Hotch said, folding his folder and leaving the room. You groaned again.

“What's up Y/N?” Elle asked.

“It’s my birthday on Friday and I was hoping I could just stay at home for it but I have a feeling we won't be back in time for that,” you explained.

“Your birthday? How old will you be?” Spencer asked, following.

“Twenty-two,” you laughed.

“God, I forget you’re so young,” Elle laughed, nudging you as you walked out of the office.

You blushed, maybe too young for Elle.

Friday came around, you were so close to solving the case. You knew who it was, it was just finding him. The team had been working all night to try to. You were so so close.

“We’ve got eyes, he’s just arrived home,” an officer said down the phoen. Morgan put the car into gear and sped off. As soon as you pulled up outside, guns were drawn and you headed into the building.

It didn’t take long to bring him down, he practically surrendered. But that meant, you had a free friday night! A free birthday night!

“So drinks on the birthday girl?” Derek laughed as you all filed into the precinct.

“That’s such a scam, why should I pay for everyones drinks when it’s my birthday?” you laughed. Elle came up behind you then and rested her hands on your shoulders. You felt hot under her touch but you had to admit, it was kind of nice.

“Drinks on me for the birthday girl, alllll night long,” she leaned in and planted a gentle kiss on your cheek. JJ then came into the office and grabbed your hand.

“Come on! Let’s go get ready to partyyy,” she squealed. You laughed and followed her out of the precinct. “Hotch said we could go early so you have plenty of time to get ready, the rest of the team will catch us at the bars,” she said excitedly, starting up the car.

“Okay,” you smiled. Tonight was going to be a very good night, you knew it.

You and JJ had been at the bar for about half an hour, in your booth, gossiping, before the rest of the team turned up. Derek and Spencer slid in beside JJ and Hotch and Rossi beside you. You couldn’t see Elle, which made you frown.

“Don’t worry baby girl, she’s on her way,” Derek teased obviously noticing your confusion.

You blushed, “I have no idea who you’re on about.” The team laughed before Hotch handed over a little gift bag. You gasped and took it off him, completely surprised.

“What’s this?”

“Just a little something from the team. Your first birthday with us has to be special,” he said - slighhhtly cracking a smile. You took the small box from the bag and gasped. Engraved on the velvet box was a designer jewlery company. This was so much money, you knew already.

“Guys, this is too much,” you shook your head and put down the box.

“Shush and open it already,” JJ smiled.

“It’s too late to take it back now,” Derek teased.

“Well actually, if the colour or fit aren’t correct we did get a 30-day guarantee-” Spencer began.

“Not the time, Reid,” Derek said, smiling at his friends antics and Reid quickly shut up. You laughed a little and slid open the box but before you could open it - you heard the one word you’ve been waiting for all night.

“SHOTS!” Elle announced, reaching the table. “What gys - you gave her her present without me?” she asked. She placed the tray of about 50 shots on the table and you laughed a little.

“It’s okay, I hadn’t opened it yet,” you reassured.

“Scootch out boss, let me sit next to the pretty lady,” Elle ordered. Hotch raised his hands and slid from the booth. Elle slid in next to you and sat a lot closer than Hotch did. You smiled and carried on opening the present. It was a necklace with a beautiful, diamond covered charm hanging from the end. Upon closer inspection, you noticed it was a book and you smiled widely.

“Thank you,” you whispered to the team, running your fingers over it. “I love it.”

“You’re welcome,” Derek smiled , as if he was the mastermind behind it all but you knew, of course, by the shy smile she was sending you - it was JJ. You leaned over and gave her a hug.

Elle coughed and grabbed the necklace. “Let me put it on you,” she said. You smiled and felt the burn in your stomach. She was jealous. You kissed JJ’s cheek as you sat back up and Elle coughed again, looking over at the shots.

“Shots anyone?”

“I thought you were putting the necklace on me?” You giggled, leaning in to her a little.

“Oh yeah, turn around,” she blushed. You had made Elle blush. You giggled and turned around. JJ, knowing about your crush sent you a large smirk. JJ knew how the night was going to end. ANd you hoped it was going to go the way you wanted.

The shots were gon ein minutes and just as you slammed your last glass on the table, your favourite song came on. Gasping, you pushed Hotch and Elle from the booth so you could get out. Grabbing Elle’s hand, which was remarkably soft, you pulled her towards the dance floor.

Hours had gone by, your feet were starting to hurt and your head was going crazy from the alcohol but you were having the time of your life. Elle hadn’t let you out of her sight, JJ was with you too. Derek had girls all around him and Hotch, Rossi and Spencer watched on with their drinks - keeping the booth warm.

You and Elle went over to the bar as last drinks were called and she stood with her arm protectively around your waist. Her head was on your shoulder in a tired but endearing sort of way and her fingers were tracing patterns on your exposed skin.

“We’ll have two vodka cokes please,” you asked the bartender.

“Put it on my tab,” Elle mumbled from next to you. You looked at her. She hadn’t let you buy one drink for yourself all night. “Shush pretty princess,” Elle mumbled and put her finger on your lips. You giggled and smiled at her drunkenness. “It’s on me.”

Just as you were getting ready to go, elle called you back onto the dance floor. You’d just seen her chatting with JJ and JJ went to the DJ. Confused, you followed Elle and she stood in the middle. Suddenly, your favourite love song came on and you gasped, feeling butterflies escape in your belly.

“What’s going on?” You asked nervously. Elle put her hands around your waist and began to dance with you.

“I have something for you,” she whispered. You blushed. “A present.”

“Elle, you ddin’t need to get me anything,” you whispered back.

“Mhm, I did,” she nodded. You smiled and carried on dancing to the music. Your hips swayed in time to the music and Elle’s hand slid over your waist and your hips. Your arms were around her shoulders and you couldn’t keep your eyes off her. She couldn’t stop staring at you either. As the song began to wind down, the music got slower and the dance floor cleared but your focus on Elle only got larger. She began to lean in slowly. You were unsure at first but then her lips touched yours and the whole world exploded. You kissed her back and it had never felt so perfect in your life.

“A birthday kiss,” Elle mumbled as she pulled away, “for the most beautiful birthday girl.”

[purplehairedwonder]

Chapter 1088: Ethics 101

This write-up is a bit delayed, but I definitely wanted to comment on a few things.

For one thing, Garp’s lesson feels like he’s teaching a philosophy class.

So, that’s probably why it reminded me of Chidi in The Good Place, particularly when he was going over the Trolley Problem. (It’s not an exact replica of the ethical dilemma here but there are similarities.)

Garp gets lectured for telling his proteges to protect the future...

Of course, the Marines declaring “All lives are equal” is downright laughable. These are the people who serve at the whim of the Celestial Dragons, wiped out Ohara, Flevance, and, recently, Lulusia. 

They’re also content to sacrifice troops rather than take on an Emperor, so it takes a SWORD Member (Koby) to step in.

It’s interesting that Koby volunteered here; Blackbeard wasn’t actually interested in him in the first place.

Still, the fact that Blackbeard took this deal means Koby’s reputation is widespread. Rocky Port reveal when, Oda?!

Back to the present day, is it weird to say that Garp reminds me a bit of Luffy here?

Luffy has unwavering faith in his nakama. He has people on his crew who can do things he can’t, and he can do things they can’t. Garp here, like his grandson, puts his unmitigated faith in his people--though in this case, it’s more a case of handing the baton to the next generation. We’ve been focusing mostly on the next generation of pirates in the Worst Generation, but this is the next generation of the Marines stepping forward into the limelight.

Once the youngin’s are off, Garp returns his focus to his former protégé.

And all I can think of is Monty Python.

Okay, fine. It’s quite compelling that we’ve got Garp protecting and encouraging his current batch of proteges while facing off against his former protégé in Kuzan. (Kuzan’s line last chapter about Garp raising enemies is still ringing in my ears; that was cold.)

We also get a flashback, learning Koby’s been doing the “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” training montage from Mulan after training.

“You must be swift as the coursing river, with all the force of a great typhoon”

Koby is so wholesome that even his attack has a wholesome name.

Still, this is very impressive. Koby stocks on the rise.

Garp, Grus, and Helmeppo get back to the ship, just leaving Garp remaining on Hachinosu.

Look, I have plenty of issues with Garp, but to his credit here, he’s willing to walk the walk when it comes to saving the future generation over the old generation. He sacrifices himself so they ship can escape.

(Also, what was the point in Tashigi being here? I was really hoping we were going to see Smoker at some point, but nope. She’s just hanging out in the background doing nothing. Yeesh, let the woman do something for once, Oda.)

This looks bad for Garp. It feels like a sendoff, and Garp--a D.--is laughing in the face of death. 

I don’t think he’s dead, though. For one thing, this is One Piece where death is made up and the points don’t matter. And the narration box says he’s MIA, which is quite different than some of the other more dramatic descriptions of defeat we’ve gotten in recent chapters.

Second, this is not the first time we’ve seen a D. face death with a smile and survive. (Remember Law’s smirk when Doffy had a gun to his chest on the rooftop in Dressrosa?) 

Third, if Saul survived Kuzan’s attack, I’d imagine Garp could, too. I could see the ice here is actually saving him from what looks like an ugly stab wound.

More than that, though, it’s makes little strategic sense to kill him. Blackbeard wants a hostage to bargain with the World Government for Hachinosu’s sovereignty. Garp is a significantly more high-value hostage than Koby; it would not be smart to kill him and lose their leverage when they could use him. 

Narrative-wise, there’s also a lot left to settle between Luffy and Garp. And what about Dragon?

There’s so much setup with Hachinosu that we’re definitely going there with the Straw Hats at some point. I still think Luffy and Law team up again now that Law is both crewless and shipless, and if Blackbeard takes the surviving Hearts hostage, that will give the renewed alliance reason to go there. Law would also likely be able to save a frozen Garp using his fruit. 

All of that being said, I’m looking forward to returning to Egghead next chapter as the Marines arrive.

[analogwriting]

Childhood Crush

Chapter 12: Stainless

Killer x gn!reader word count: 3.7k a/n: I'M ALIIIIIIVE. anyway, this is a honker and kind of a catch all bc it's gloss over timeskip stuff. i can't tell you how many times i wrote the last part tho sdlkfj next

Settling in was so much easier than you thought it was going to be. You moved into the spare bedroom at Myra’s, Lily excitedly helping you unpack - and by unpack, she just took your things out and went through your stuff before setting it on the ground to grab the next thing to look at.

You didn’t mind though. Going from a rowdy ship to just a house with two other people was definitely a big change - so you welcomed the noise. You just listened as she idly chatted about nothing as kids typically did. It reminded you of your brother when he was younger. He would constantly talk about nothing for hours on end.

There was one day that he talked about Victoria for about four hours. It was a fond memory you had because of the relentless teasing, but it’s long since turned bittersweet because of her untimely demise. 

You didn’t just listen to your brother’s ramblings - since the boys were always at the house, you heard all of them ramble about something at one point or another. Still to this day, actually. Before everything had went downhill, Heat had come into your lab and started talking about a group of cats he had seen on the island you had all stopped at. He told you about how he had given each of them names and what they looked like. How they all even had their own personalities. 

It was rather adorable, honestly. They all still would come to your lab and drone on about something they had seen or just wanted to share with you. Like an excited child telling their parent. Then, usually, you told Killer when the both of you would be making dinner.

Thinking about those things, you were already missing them. You felt terrible with the way you left things off. You wished you could have gone back and just…not have shut down like you did but…it was too late now. 

Settling into work also went pretty smoothly. Everyone was incredibly nice - which it probably helped that Myra was the one that introduced you to everything. She was the head of the island, after all.

You had your own office space, which somewhat ended up as the Kid Pirates Museum. Your space was filled with different newspaper clippings. It didn’t matter who it was or if it was good or bad, all of it went on the walls. You were so proud of your brother for coming so far and making a name for himself.

However, you were worried about him. He seemed to be growing a bit reckless in his endeavors. He was going to end up biting off more than he could chew and that worried you. They all told you not to die on them, but really they needed to not die on you. You honestly wouldn’t forgive them. You already told yourself that you’d figure out a way to bring them back and then kill them yourself. 

It was only fair.

Eventually, you created something that improved your own life significantly. It seemed like a simple arm band that you had around your bicep. It connected with your nerves and you were able to gain full functionality of your arm again. It was something you had worked on the side for a while and now - it was complete.

With the full movements and feeling in your arm back, you started to train at the facility. You wanted to be able to regain your ability to fight. You wanted to be able to protect those you cared about once more. You wanted to feel useful again. You knew, logically, that there was plenty you could do even with your bum arm. You even proved that yourself time and time again, but it was just something that your head couldn’t wrap around.

If it had happened to anyone else, you would’ve told them what your brother and his friends told you. That it was okay, there was plenty of other things. Hell, you probably could’ve even learned how to fight with one arm. You heard that Shanks only had one arm and he fought just fine.

Though, he was a completely different ballgame than you. He didn’t count.

To test out your newly regained ability, you started to go out on field missions. There was a group of combat trained scientists that would sail out to various islands to gather materials and/or research. Some traveled far, some didn’t. You were with the latter. You stayed close to the island, you didn’t want anything that would take up too much time considering that you eventually wanted to go and find your brother again.

You proved to be able to hold your own once more. Fighting became a breeze to you once more, easily taking out several people in one go. Just as you used to be able to. 

When you returned from your most recent voyage, Lily and Myra greeted you at the dock. Lily ran up to you, immediately jumping in your arms. You laughed, holding her. “I missed you!” You grinned. “Missed you too, kiddo.” Fuck, it was going to suck when you had to leave for good.

Myra seemed to be pensive. There was a look of worry in her face. “What’s wrong, My?” you asked, setting Lily down as you walked over to her. She smiled, shaking her head. “We’ll talk later.” You narrowed your eyes at her. Something was wrong and you knew it. You left it for now, assuming that she didn’t want to talk about whatever it was in front of her daughter.

You decided not to pry, instead engaging in whatever Lily was prattling on about as you walked towards your temporary home with the two. You caught them up on your most recent mission and they caught you up on what you missed on the island - which wasn’t exactly much.

The entire day, Myra seemed on edge. Sure, she laughed and joked like normal, but you had a knack for reading people. You knew something was up, but you never said anything. At least not while Lily was awake.

Currently, it was after dinner and you were sitting on the couch, Lily fast asleep in your lap. Myra was sitting in an armchair adjacent to the couch. “So, you going to tell me what’s going on, My?” You looked at her and she seemed to stiffen. She looked at you for a moment before glancing down at Lily. She sighed softly, pulling a newspaper from the inside of her coat.

“Read this.” 

With a scrunch of your eyebrows, you took the paper, careful not to wake the little one. You read the headline and your heart immediately sank. You felt your blood run cold. Your brother had lost to Shanks and seemed to sustain grave, life threatening injuries. Panic began to rise in your chest as your grip on the paper tightened.

You felt yourself relax once you reached the end of the article. Eustass was in stable condition, going back to his usual antics. However, you did notice something. “He fucking lost his arm?” You stared at the paper before you started falling into silent laughter - mostly so you didn’t wake up Lily.

Myra looked at you - completely startled by your reaction. “I- Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. That’s just funny.” She looked at you like you had grown an extra head.

You set the paper down, looking at Myra. “I mean, he lost his arm and temporarily, so did I. Technically, without the bracelet, I still don’t have a fully functioning arm.” You chuckled. “Guess having two arms doesn’t run in the family. But at least between the two of us we have one good pair of arms.” Honestly, it was hysterical. 

“Oh man, I wonder which one it is. Because it would be so funny if it was the opposite of mine. Then we really do only have one good pair of arms.” You slowly calmed down, your laughter dying down as well. You took a deep breath. 

“I thought you’d be more upset,” Myra said slowly, still unsure how to gauge your reaction. You looked at her with a small smile. “Well, my brother is strong and can hold his own. Especially if his crew is with him. He’s going to be just fine. The article said he was stable and sailing again, so I’m sure he’s going to heal up just fine.” Sure, you were still worried about him.

“However.” Your face soured. “I am absolutely going to tear him a new one for fighting Shanks. I love my brother, yes, but that was the dumbest fucking move he could’ve made. He’s nowhere near ready to fight him.” What you wanted to know was why he tried to fight him. Did it just end up happening? Or did he seek him out? You had so many questions swimming through your head.

Myra let out a small laugh and you looked over at her. “Guess I was stressed about nothing. I was worried that the news would upset you.”

“Eh. My brother and I have been through our fair share of shit - I know him well enough to know he’ll be just fine.” Your expression changed to a deadpan one. “Until I get to him, I tell ya. I’m going to kick his ass.”

After that, you two fell back into normal conversation, eventually turning in for the night.

--

“You’re telling me I have to do fucking what?” 

Myra winced at your word choice. She still wasn’t accustomed to you cursing despite having lived with her the last year or so. You did well to not swear in front of Lily and other children, but adults were free game. You were a pirate, after all. Those words didn’t really hold meaning to you.

“You’re the only one fit for the job, y/n.”

You just stare at her from the chair you’re in. You’re currently in her office, her having called you in. There was apparently some really important plant they needed for some breakthrough but getting it was next to impossible. 

“You’re asking me to go on a suicide mission, Myra.” 

She sighed, shaking her head. “I think you’re more than capable. Besides, if you decide it’s too much, you can come back.”

“Can’t come back if I’m head.”

“Oh, come on.”

“No, you come on.” You groaned, putting your face in your hands. Were you ready for a mission like this? It was risky, but deep down, you knew you could do it.

“Besides, I heard your brother was last seen somewhere over there, so you can just send the flower back to us and go with your brother.” You looked at her, blinking. Eustass? 

“Eustass is around there?”

Myra nodded. “We all know that this place is not your home, y/n. You were going to go back eventually. It’s probably time.”

“Kicking me out?” You smirked and she rolled her eyes. “Oh shut it. You know what I mean.”

You laugh, sighing after a bit. “Fine. I’ll do it.” She grinned, nodding. “Good.”

Hoo boy, nothing could’ve prepared you for what you’d end up discovering, however.

--

“I got you something, y/n.” You looked up from checking your inventory. You were currently on the dock, getting things ready for departure. “It’s from me, too!” Lily chimed from beside her, holding up a box. You blinked, tucking your clipboard under your arm and taking the box.

“You didn’t have to get me anything,” you said with a small laugh.

“We know, but we wanted you to have something to remember us by,” Myra said with a small smile. She was never one to express large emotions. Quite the opposite of her own child who was currently beaming ear to ear. 

“You act like I’m never going to come back.” You shake your head as you open the box, missing the sad look on Myra’s face. 

When you open the box, you’re taken aback. You figured it would be some kind of book or something for taking notes, but it wasn’t anything studious at all. It was a large knife, like the one your crew had gifted to you. You carefully took it out of the box, admiring it. “Oh wow…”

It was a lot like the one you had already, only instead of the Kid Pirates’ jolly roger on it, it had the lab’s emblem on it. A soft, fond smile spread across your face and you felt tears welling up in your eyes.

“Y/n! Do you not like it?” Lily frowned, looking up at you. “We didn’t mean to make you cry!” You looked at Lily and laughed softly, shaking your head, ruffling her hair. “No, no. I love it. I’m just happy.” You attached it to your belt on the opposite side before picking up Lily and hugging her tightly. “Thanks, kiddo.”

Lily laughed and hugged you tightly. You looked at Myra over her shoulder and smiled. “Thank you, too, Myra.” The scientist just nodded, her own sad smile on her face. There was something she seemed to know that she wasn’t telling you, but you were going to leave it be for now.

--

Nothing about this mission was going to be easy. Get in Wano - already hard enough. Blend in - could be easy, could be hard. Somehow sneak into fucking Kaido’s castle - practically impossible. Get the flower - depending on where it is, could be impossible. Send it back or come back - that part could be easy.

You have no idea why you let Myra talk you into this, but you ended up agreeing to it. Saying goodbye fucking sucked. Since this was possibly the last time you would see anyone for a long time, it was a hard goodbye. Lily almost broke your heart in two when you said goodbye. She didn’t want you to leave in the slightest. You were like another parent to her now. You told her that you’d come see her again - that you’d write and call when you could.

This whole island was like your second family, but Myra was right. It was home to go home. You missed everyone. Not a day went by that you didn’t think about them.

You also had some unfinished business with a certain someone. You had some hands to throw.

Getting into Wano was pretty difficult, but you persisted. Going upstream was absolutely insane. Everything settled down after that. It completely wiped you out, trying to navigate all that. You narrowly avoided a whirlpool. Next thing you knew, you were on a beach.

You hid your boat, knowing that the people of Wano didn’t really take visitors. Which brought you to your next issue. Blending in. You made sure to keep hidden for the most part. After all, you stuck out like a sore thumb. You did at the lab too, but they didn’t care as much. It’s not like you were trying to blend in there.

You reached a small village, quickly spotting some clothes on a clothesline. Wasting no time, you snagged them off the line and changed. After, you continued forward, eventually ending up somewhere full of snow. Great. You were just glad that the clothes you had come across had a cloak that came with a hood and a mask you would wrap around the lower half of your face. 

How much more lost could you get? Why did you agree to this again? All for a flower? 

Ugh. Fuck.

It was cold - too cold. Snow began to fall and, soon enough, visibility was also shit. It was just warm not too long ago; what the hell was going on? And now you’re all turned around because everything looks the same due to the snow. You needed to find shelter - and soon. You didn’t realize you’d end up this lost in a winter hellscape or you would have prepared a bit better.

A sound suddenly tore through the air. It was enough to make you jump a bit. It sounded like some maniacal laugh from a bad guy - though a bit more haunting. It sent a shiver down your spine. Whatever the fuck that was - you wanted nothing to do with it. You were here for one thing and one thing only: that stupid fucking flower that you were really debating on whether or not it was worth it at this point.

As you were walking, you lost your footing, immediately taking a tumble and falling down some hillside. When your body decided to stop moving finally, after what was way too long and now you were way too cold, you found yourself in front of some woman and a child. They looked at you with fear in their eyes, both of them also sitting in the snow.

“Wh-” Before you could ask what was wrong, you felt someone behind you. You turned just in time to block the on coming attack with your own daggers. One from your brother and friends, the other from Myra. 

The assailant was a very large man with two very large scythes. Though, that’s not what startled you in the least. It was the cackle that erupted from him paired with the unnatural stretch of a hollow smile across his face. It sent a shiver down your spine.  That was definitely the laugh you heard - the one you wanted nothing to do with.

How the hell did you get into this situation again?

You pushed the swordsman off of you, sending him back a bit. “I’d get out of my way if I were you,” he warned. There was a familiar ring to his voice, but it was too distorted for you to place it. Besides, the damn guy wouldn’t really stop laughing either. That was also getting on your nerves. You already didn’t like the haunting sound of it.

You said nothing, only solidifying your stance to protect the woman and small child. You couldn’t help but be reminded of Myra and Lily when you saw them. “You guys get out of here,” you told them, glancing at them for a moment.

A moment too long because he used that to attack you. Your movements were delayed as you tried to block him again, only to fumble and he gave you quite the cut on your arm. If you lost another arm, you were going to lose it. Though, after pushing him back, you realized it just looked worse than it was. Nothing some clean up and stitches couldn’t help.

He seemed surprised that, even with your distraction, you were able to recover quite quickly. You ran at him this time, initiating an attack, surprising him further. You were able to knick him in the side and knock him backwards - you were on top of him, basically competing for strength at this point as you pressed your blades against his, trying to break his defense.

From this angle, you had a better look at his face. Or you would have had there not been bandages covering his features. His eyes though, they pierced right through your soul despite themselves looking soulless. They were a shade of blue that made them familiar, but the lack of life made it hard to pinpoint who it reminded you of. 

They did tell you everything you needed to know. This guy wasn’t in his right mind at all. Clearly some kind of brainwash of some kind. That didn’t explain the unnatural smile that didn’t reach the rest of his features, like his eyes, or the haunting and hollow cackle that erupted from him every once and a while.

Everything about this was weird.

Your thoughts were interrupted as he suddenly gained the upper hand. He had you pinned to the ground this time, his blade dangerously close to your neck. Fuck, you needed to out of this. You didn’t even want anything to do with this guy to begin with. He was clearly a level of unhinged that you didn’t want to mess with. With a quick glance around, you noticed the other two were gone. That was one less thing to worry about. It also didn’t help that your arm was currently throbbing from the laceration. Ugh.

You look back up at your assailant, noticing the look on his face seemed to change. Well, the look in his eyes. They faltered for a moment as they fell on your blade. The one your brother had gifted you. You used this moment to push him back, sending him off of you at least. It was, unfortunately, enough to knock him out of the trance it was in and he ran at you again.

What was that about? Why would your own knife make him falter like that? Though, his eyes lost that hollow look and…hold on. No fucking shot. There was no fucking shot that this was Killer. Contrary to his name, he wasn’t a complete mindless killing machine. He had least held some kind of emotion in his eyes, but…he also wasn’t really one to smile and laugh. Especially not like this.

Besides, your brother was nowhere to be found. This was just an uncanny valley and this was nothing more than a ghost - a glint of someone you missed. Nothing more.

But what if?

Fuck, now you wouldn’t be able to kill him even if you wanted to. Not with the possibility in your mind. After all, Myra did say your brother was reportedly in the area. But…what would Killer be doing here? Like that? Without Eustass? Ugh, your head was hurting from thinking about it.

The man in question was advancing on you once more and you solidified your stance - only to lose your footing and fall down yet another large hill. You descended rapidly, trying to stop yourself. You grabbed on to anything and everything, but nothing was strong enough to hold you or slow you down. 

When you reached the bottom, you groaned, slowly rolling over. You heard that laugh in the distance, echoing through the snow. Visibility was impossible at this point, so you had to make your escape now. You didn’t want to deal with the situation anymore. 

You stood up, heading off, finding a large log and crawling inside. You collapsed, completely winded. Your head was spinning and you felt yourself slowly losing consciousness.