#eventually get luffy to wear it around his neck more

[otaku553]

Quite frankly still obsessed with the three of them

A little procrastination doodle

[goingmerryfics]

Sitting in their lap while they’re not paying attention - w/ Sanji, Killer, & Crocodile

Content: Gender neutral reader and SFW

Notes* Part two to the Luffy, Kid & Law version! Read the others here: 1 2 3 4

Sanji

Sanji finishes up the dishes and sits down for a break in the kitchen

It’s your time to strike

He’s always exhausted after cooking and cleaning, so there’s no way he’s going to move now

Of course, you like to help him out every now and then even though he insists on doing it himself every time, you still like to give him a break from Luffy’s sky high stack of plates

You’re drying your hands while he’s trying to light his smoke, and you almost run over there when he leans back in his chair

You seat yourself down in his lap, a bit askew and sideways from the rush of things

He doesn’t look back up for a while, but when he does, his face is bright red

Heart eyes, goofy smile, nosebleed. In that order

“Oh, my love! What’s this about?”

You coo at him that you just wanted to give him some attention and he melts

He helps you shift to face him instead. That way you can press kisses to his cheek and neck, right where he loves getting them the most

Overall it’s very fluffy and sweet until Zoro enters the room and makes a comment about the two of you ‘needing a room’

Sanji reems him out of course, screaming that he can do whatever he wants in his own kitchen

Eventually it’s just the two of them screaming at each other and in the chaos, Sanji lifts you up to put you on the table so he can kick the shit out of Zoro

You’ll find him later and do it again, though. Maybe when everyone else is asleep, though

Killer

Getting him to sit down and be busy enough where he won’t notice you is a challenge, because he will always look up at whoever is entering and, especially in your case, he will greet you happily

It’s less of waiting for him to be busy and more catching him completely off guard

Funny enough, if you just told him you wanted to sit in his lap, he’d let you

But that’s no fun!

You sneak into the room he’s in, with the unknowing help of Heat or Wire or both that are chatting him up and keeping most of his attention away

You move quickly to slip into his lap with a lot of body maneuvering when he notices you’re here and tries to make space for you

Killer reacts the same way that someone would if a kitten laid down in their lap

He’s all smiles behind the mask

He’s stiff, mostly because he doesn’t want you to leave

After a moment of waiting, he wraps his arms securely around you

He never once loses his place while talking to the others, though. It’s no so much of a surprise situation that he would be too flustered to function

But don’t get him wrong- he’s definitely bright red 

“Is this just a thing that’s going to happen all the time, now?”

He starts to invite you to sit in his lap all the time

Doesn’t matter who’s around or who’s watching, he loves holding you against his chest and nuzzling into your shoulder

It’s slightly uncomfortable due to the mask, but his big arms make up for it

Crocodile

It’s so, stupidly easy to catch him off guard enough to sit in his lap

Sure, he’s ruthless when it comes to his enemies, but when he’s just working things out in his office with all his lackeys not far away, he’s less aware of his surroundings

Because while he doesn’t trust anyone at all, he also knows they would be idiots to try and do anything to him

You enter his office and drop some of your paperwork on his desk. He doesn’t even look up- he knows who it is by the clean smell of perfume/cologne you wear

You swerve around his desk and push his chair back, and only then does he finally look up, confused

You take your seat right there in his lap

He chuckles immediately, a dangerous smirk spreading on his face very quickly

He takes the cigar from his mouth and puts a hand on your thigh

“You’re getting bold.”

It’s a simple statement, but it’s one that means he likes your style

Wrap your arms around his shoulders and he’s all yours

Complete attention shift from his work to kissing you anywhere he can

If anyone were to walk in during this share of affection, he would threaten them right away

He’s a private guy, and these times he gets with you are special to him

Although

If need be, he would be happy to prove to people who you belong to if anyone got too brave with you

Crocodile doesn’t verbally ask you to sit in his lap after this, but he also doesn’t make it easy to leave him be

He’ll instinctively move his swivel chair towards you when you enter the room, empty lap waiting expectantly for you

Sometimes he doesn’t notice that he does it- it’s become ingrained into his mind to do it

He’ll let you sit there for hours while he works as long as you’re not a distraction

[zwhoreo]

gray moon - luffy x gn!reader

angsty fluff

summary: after luffy cuddles you on a beach for warmth one night, you fall for him. there’s a confession, and a kiss.

Includes… somewhat angsty, the raunchiest this gets is a detailed kiss, sequel is very nsfw and x f!reader

Link to pt 2 :>

words: 2.4k

_________________________________

It’s cold, freezing cold, white sand crunching with its dusting of frost and nowhere to go but up, along this crystal beach.

Night falls and all of you are terrified by the thought of snow, you’re chilled by the frozen clouds that turn the rising moon gray. But your bones all ache, you won’t make it back like this, your vision blurs and your lack of sleep wears on you and you’ll have to go through the forest to make it back to your ship. You and Nami have instinctively huddled together as you walk but both of you know inside that this will do nothing because the night is too cold. 

“…We can’t go on,” Nami murmurs and it’s lost on the wind, “that forest isn’t gonna be safe tonight.”

It seems like Zoro wants to start a fight over this until he sees Chopper barely able to walk anymore and how he’s almost crying and Zoro seems to know not to say anything, they won’t make it through the forest. This isn’t the time to only care about yourself. 

You’re worried about Luffy, who’s wearing an open shirt with no sleeves and his tanned skin is going white. You tell everyone that maybe it’s best to just build a fire and go to sleep and hope the night is forgiving and dawn will bring thaw. 

So now Zoro has a job as he immediately heads to the forest edge to collect wood, and you all find a place in the sand, Sanji unpacking the food he has left so you’ll all be at least warmed by a hot meal tonight. Nami has walked off to look for something so you go to Luffy and sit down beside him, he does look cold and uncomfortable, you feel for him. But you’re all cold so there’s not much to do. 

You and the rest of the crew have your spirits lifted by food and a fire and thank god that wood is dry, right? Thank god Luffy’s smiling again. You sit around and talk and try to turn your coats into blankets. It’s a fight to get close to the fire, one that you lose, although the light still flickers across your body you’ll still be cold tonight. 

You dig a perfect imprint of your body in the sand, a pillow to rest on, you’re good at this because you’ve had nights like this before. Unplanned journeys to the ship that make you all hate each other a little bit and blame each other and think whose decision was it to walk back so late in the day? but it doesn’t matter now. So you try to cover yourself in your jacket which only barely works. You close your eyes. You think of other things and sleep comes to you eventually, at least. 

Luffy is shocked that it doesn’t for him. 

He’s so tired but there’s no way to get comfortable even by the fire, his eyes stay open as he stares at the unrelentingly gray moon. The fire flickers which makes him panicked and he doesn’t know what to do, laying on his back in the sand, arms around his chest as a shield. Because even facing the fire does nothing for his bare, white arms. He needs something more or he won’t be able to sleep.

So he looks around and sees you, you’re resting to his left away from the fire. You look so fast asleep and Luffy wants that too, he gets jealous. He’s mad at you for looking so unfairly relaxed. But maybe he can have that? If he moves closer?

And you’re drawn from sleep in a way that only lets you feel things, there’s something cold against you, enveloping you, your body’s instinct is to jerk away but suddenly it’s locked in place. Are these hands on your back? Is this another heartbeat? 

Your senses awaken and you realize it’s a body against you, a freezing body crushed into you with a deep tightness and desperation. Fingers grip your back and a face is buried into your neck and all you can see is raven black hair that tickles your lips. It’s Luffy. You’re stilled by surprise, not expecting this at all, but you’re compelled by some primal urge to comfort him as if he’s a child so you wrap your arms around him slowly, because you think he’s finally fallen asleep. You can’t let him back to this world of cold. One hand tracing gentle circles between his shoulder blades and the other tucked into his hair, this becomes warmer for both of you, comfort tugs at your heart and the area between you heats up as if you’re in the fire, this exchange of body heat works blissfully well, you put a leg up over his hips so that no part of him is allowed to be cold anymore. He murmurs and squirms a bit in his sleep but he’s happy which is all that matters. You can feel his smile. 

You sleep soon as even your heart grows warm. 

The night passes quickly now and yes, the morning brings thaw. You wake up with wet, sandy hair and it feels strange not having Luffy in your arms now. It felt natural, somehow. 

You look around and you see everyone packing up, or still sleeping, Luffy’s talking to Usopp on the ground who is still evidently half asleep. You want to approach them but something in your heart is telling you not to, a sort of fear of something that should have been normal, so you turn away, you need to pack up to head back to your ship, through the forest. 

And when you head back you catch Luffy looking at you but you stay back, away from him, blocking yourself with crew members and other conversations. You feel uncomfortable and confused and you don’t know why, you just feel like you don’t want to look at him. And when you reach the ship you don’t celebrate beside him, you just find your cabin because for some reason you want to cry. 

__________________________

It’s going to be a long time until the next island because the sea is big. So you have a lot of time to be alone with your thoughts and eventually you come to terms with your feelings for him, the ones that bloomed that night or maybe were just uncovered. This makes you feel terrible because he’s going to reject you, and now you have to live in this wooden prison with your worst fear of a broken heart with nowhere to repair it. Your feelings are so intense, so terrible, you’re in love with him more every day. 

You consider leaving the crew, that’s how bad it is. You can’t stand this. 

And with every day you try to avoid him Luffy only seeks you out more. You sit as far away from his usual seat at the table as you can but he follows you every time and sits nearly on your leg because he has no sense of personal space, which is normally charming but now is pure pain. He tries to talk to you all the time thinking nothing of your cold, one-word replies. You refuse to hug him, that’s what he notices. It makes him visibly sad. You don’t like this at all, but you’re selfish and it would be worse to hug him, it would make the feelings worse. But they get worse anyway. 

You can’t be alone anymore so you decide to tell Nami one night and you end up crying about it, and she laughs at you but seems empathetic at least. She says just tell him, what’s the worst that can happen? And it’s true. Even if he rejects you, he wouldn’t treat you any differently. He’s not normal, there would be no awkwardness from him, he might even forget about it at some point and nothing would change. But still, that doesn’t change your temperament, how you just can’t handle rejection. But Nami shrugs and tells you that you might as well, because she knows you and you’ll do it anyways eventually, may as well get it over with. 

“There’s gotta be a reason he went to sleep with you that night,” Nami says, “it coulda been anyone, it coulda been someone, you know, warmer, no offense.”

“It was just because I was closest.”

“No it wasn’t.”

“I was the first one he saw.”

“Stop being like that!” She crosses her arms. “I know him better than anyone here. I know you have a chance… probably more of one than anyone here. You gotta trust me on this one.”

So you decide you have to. 

__________________________

There’s another freezing night, more clouds, another gray moon. It’s perfect because maybe he’ll want to hug you again, or something, and you can make up for your guilt. It’s after dinner and it’s perfect because you catch him sitting alone and looking at the stars beneath the mast. Everyone else has gone inside but you’re left alone with him, so you walk to him and he smiles. 

“[Name]! Hi!” He gets up but you’re already sitting down so he does too, but this time much closer. He stares at you with sparkly eyes and tilts his head when you don’t say hi back. “Dinner was great, huh? Sanji can cook the best-“

“Luffy,” you murmur, interrupting him. 

“Hm?” 

“…uhm… it’s nice out, isn’t it?” You look up as you try to find the moon and avoid his eyes.

“It’s cold.” Luffy looks at you with confusion.

“Yeah… really cold. Guess you’re right. Hey, uh, I wanted to talk to you about something.”

Luffy looks at you blankly, waiting, but you don’t know what to say next. So you just say whatever comes to mind. 

“Luffy… since the first day I met you, you changed my life. I mean, I had never met anyone like you before. You made me see everything differently, I didn’t know someone like you could even exist, you’re the best thing to possibly happen to me. I…”

He’s staring at you blankly, smiling.

“I love you.”

“Oh.” Luffy’s expression doesn’t change at all. “I love you too!” Because he doesn’t understand. 

“No, I mean like… I love you. I’m…” You steal yourself and force your eyes to meet his, you’re about to feel real pain, you know. “I’m in love with you.”

You don’t know if Luffy knows what you mean. You’re about to spell it out for him when he breaks the silence with an “Ohhh…” and then a more awkward silence, one you don’t dare break. 

Until tears prick your eyes. 

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry… I know you don’t feel the same, I just needed to-“

“Wanna kiss?” Luffy asks simply, tilting his head at you.

“…What?”

“Yeah, let’s kiss!” And he gets up close to you so you can feel his breath on your face. It’s warm and your skin lights on fire. A hand circles to the back of your neck 

“Wait, wait, why? Why are you kissing me?” You murmur to him instinctively closing your eyes.

“Don’t you want to?” His lips hover over yours, he gets even closer, he blinks and his eyelashes flutter over your cheek. “Isn’t this what that means? That you wanna kiss me?”

“…Do you want to?” You’re out of breath.

“Mhm! But I don’t know how. You have to show me,” he says cheerfully, moist breath against your lips with every word.

So you lean forward and cup his face as you kiss him on the mouth, a sensation you never thought you’d get to experience yet dreamed of every night, you keep his lips slightly parted as your hand holds his jawline. You never knew you could feel so relaxed yet so scared, overwhelming feelings from all sides, you can’t breathe again so you pull away a couple inches.

Luffy climbs into your lap to chase your lips. You feel his weight on your legs, you’re caught off guard and have to cling to him for balance, he giggles softly as he kisses your cheek and then returns to your lips, emboldened by knowing how. He sits on you, he’s too heavy but you don’t stop him, instead naturally letting your arms slip over his shoulders, a hand in his hair, the other still on his face. He clutches you so tightly in his arms, like he did that one night, and he’s eager as he attacks your lips with his. 

You decide to blow his mind and slide your tongue against his. He makes a small sound and follows suit with more intensity and force, mouth opening into yours, tongue hitting the roof of your mouth as he begins to drool down your chin. He holds your head in place, kissing with more passion than you thought possible, juicy, loud noises filling the night from just that kiss alone. 

Finally he pulls away but he’s still so close. He wipes his mouth and gazes into your eyes. “That was fun!” he says simply, and you have no idea what to say, you just lean into his arms and let the tears flow down your cheeks. 

He doesn’t understand why you’re crying, or probably what just happened at all, but he holds you tightly. This feels different than his normal hugs. This is more. 

“Do you feel the same way, then?” you whisper, afraid of any answer. 

“Mm, I think so…” he says so quietly, smiling widely, eyes turned down towards you, “I don’t know much about this, but the kiss felt good. I’ve always wanted to try kissing someone, everyone told me it was fun.”

You stay there like that for a few minutes, in each other’s arms, the wind stilling over the water and the ship swaying almost imperceptibly now, the moon still gray with clouds as the night grows deeper. You feel safe. You feel loved. 

“Do you want to kiss again?” you say finally, meeting Luffy’s eyes once more. 

“Yeah.” And he shoves his body into yours, wrestling you to the deck, his lips meeting yours again. It’s familiar now. He whispers into your mouth, “it feels so right… to kiss you…”

link to pt 2 ^-^ (nsfw)

[mvrtaiswriting]

Hello, handsome. x Trafalgar D. Law ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :

(part 2)

hullo! as anticipated, here's the law piece I've been working on the past few days. i love every word - it all started as pure brain rot and ended up in.. this. i hope this will make up for my absence!

warnings: nsfw is implied but nothing more! spoiler free.

feel free to reblog, like, and leave a comment. i would very much appreciate it. if you enjoy my works, click here to read more or buy me a coffee.

It all started with an innocent invitation to Law's office a few weeks ago, to discuss the next steps of the alliance between the straw hats and the heart pirates and better define you mode of attack. Now you were in his ship, carefully hidden in the depth of the sea, making a mess on Law's desk.

His usually meticulously tidy paperwork was now everywhere - on the floor, under you. Some of it even got ripped but neither of you cared; you couldn't keep your hands to yourselves. The sexual tension was stronger than your survival instincts, and meetings to organise a war ended up with Law being inside you, making you his.

Casual meetings became a daily routine, and daily routines became midnight talkings. Both of your crews won't see you for days, whilst the two of you were simply tangled together in his bed or on the floor of his studio. Before you could even realise it, your little runaways for a quickie became hours spent together, cuddling each other and sharing your deepest thoughts.

Law was getting used to see you walk around his ship, wearing nothing but one of his shirt - everything about it felt just right. He often wondered why would you ever join the straw hat pirates; you didn't belong there. He was crazy about you, to the point where he was willing to try everything to make you stay - even if that mean being as reckless as your captain. Maybe, Law thought, if he could show you he could be a better leader, you would give up Luffy and his stupid dream and just sail the sea with him instead.

Wrapping his arm around you, Law made you brought you closer to him, letting your back rest against his bare chest. Snuggling his head between your neck and shoulders, he started leaving gentle kisses all around the area, the beard on his chin lightly tickling you.

"Hello handsome." you giggled, turning around to face him but still remaining in his arms. Dragging the blankets over both of you, you rested your head on his chest.

"Hello." he replied, a soft smile forming on his face.

It had been three days since the two of you hid in the ship. Staying under the sea somehow dilated time, with little to no light coming out from the little portholes. But he knew you eventually had to go back to the surface and come up with a good excuse for your absence. For now, however, he just wanted to savour this moment. He loved holding you in his arms, the way your bare skin touching his almost felt like a like an electric shock being directly sent through every nerve in his body.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked, gently caressing your shoulders, letting his rough hands travel on your body.

"Like a baby." you reply proudly, kissing his chest and enjoying his soft attentions. The only thing Law managed to do in response was holding you tighter to him, striving for more closure. He wanted to feel you under his skin, so that he would have never had to let you go. Maybe the coziness of the ship could make you stay for longer.

When the two of you finally rejoined the crews, you noticed how every one looked at you suspiciously. Your little white lies and your undercover missions in the city weren't holding up as they used to.

"You know, maybe we should stop disappearing for a while." you suggested at one point, while the rest of the crew was asleep. You and Law were the only ones awake, strangely being on guard's shifts at the same time.

Law didn't say a word, lifting his head up to take a better look at the night sky. He was hoping to find an answer hidden amongst the stars, something that would give him enough courage to just spit it all out; how he felt towards you, what he thought about your stupid captain. Truth was, the stars never replied to Law's pleas - and so he kept silent. Your suggestion felt like a thousand dagger planted exactly in the middle of his heart, which now ached at every single beat. Was this really the end? Were your little rendezvouses nothing more than just that?

After your suggestion that night, Law's attitude completely changed. He was grumpier and more silent than usual, not reacting to Luffy's reckless decisions or dumb suggestions. He became almost passive, letting life just happen to him. Hiding in his mental palace, Law was really just trying to cope with his broken heart. Experiencing something similar to withdrawal symptoms, he wasn't able to function properly - something in his system broke and it was obvious to everyone. You kept him sane and shed a new light upon life; he felt alive again after a long time. Most importantly, Law felt loved - for the very first time after years of lonesome and darkness.

You never meant to cut him off of your life - his complete detachment was not what you wanted or meant. Flashbacks of the intimate moments you shared on his ship flashed before your eyes during the day, never failing to make you visibly blush and zone out - sadness insinuating under your skin moments later, every fibre of your body suffering from Law's absence. And you couldn't bear it anymore.

This situation was tearing both of you apart, and it quickly became visible to everyone. Everybody knew you and Law had something going on, and seeing both of you so heartbroken just confirmed everyone's doubts.

It wasn't until a few weeks after that things changed.

A very tired, worn out Law finally made a move. Joining you at dinner after the first times in weeks, he sat in the dining room with you and the rest of the crews. Sitting in front of each other was the first interaction the two of you had in weeks. Kicking your leg under the table to catch your attention, he finally looked at you after what felt like an entire lifetime.

"Can we talk?" he asked quietly, knowing his comrades were making enough noise to cover his voice up. Your eyes lighted up for a second, and you simply nodded in response before getting up and putting your plate in the sink. Excusing yourself, you walked out of the kitchen and reached what used to be your usual place - a small spot under the oak tree right outside your hideout.

Law was quick to join you, letting himself fall on the grass and finally sitting next to you once again, remaining silent. The sole sensation of having you near made Law's heart skip a beat.

"I missed you." you said, finally breaking the silence.

"I missed you too." he was quick to reply, biting his bottom lip. He slowly turned his head towards you, scanning his eyes all over your face. His eye bags were darker and his face looked more sunken than usual.

"This was never what I meant." you said, your voice shaking as feelings of guilt wrapping your heart as a barbed wire. "I hate this. I only wanted to make it less obvious to the others - instead, you completely shut me out of your life." you added, talking a little faster than before.

Law remained silent whilst he visibly clenched his jaw, only nodding in response. He needed to digest your words, his feelings and the whole situation, really. Maybe he brought the pain upon himself with his usual self sabotaging ways, ending up hurting you too.

"Law." you called him, resting your hand on his shoulder. His silence was killing you, and it weighted heavier than any word he could have said. "Please talk to me." you almost begged, your voice shaking as the lump in your throat became harder to ignore.

He sighed in response, before pulling you closer to him - he couldn't resist it anymore. Letting your head rest on his chest, he wrapped his arms around you, making you disappear in his embrace. Kissing the top of your head, he kept holding you tight as if he was afraid you could easily slip away from his arms at any moment. His heart beat fast against his ribcage as he finally felt alive again - as if he had held his breath until this very moment; as if you just brought him back to life.

"I'm sorry." was all he managed to say. Not because he couldn't come up with anything better - his mind was flooded with things he wished he had said to you before getting the both of you into this stupid, senseless, cold war. He kissed your forehead again, then the tip of your nose before peppering your cheeks with gentle kisses. God only knew how much he had longed for you.

A cheeky smile appeared on your lips before latching your arms around his neck, finally pressing your lips onto his into what quickly became an heated, sloppy kiss. You were both starving, needy to finally let your bodies become one once again, melting the passion and lust away.

"Should we.." he whimpered, excitement building up in his body as he tried to catch his breath. All it took was a nod from you, and before you could realise it you were finally in his bedroom, in his ship.

Maybe you could get used to become an heart pirate, after all..

[honeyhatake]

The Monster Trio When you Tell Them You’re Cold

I thought this would be cute, hope you guys like! (ft. Luffy, Zoro and Sanji)

Luffy’s a little oblivious, so he’s confused when you tell him you’re cold. Like, “okay??? Just put on a jacket then!” He doesn’t really understand why you’re telling him this. You would kinda have to spell it out for him. Especially if you weren’t romantically involved just yet. You’d probably straight up have to ask him for his coat, or to put his arm around you. He’d laugh and think you were being weird at first, but then once you explain to him what you want he’d be super happy to help. "So you want me to keep you warm then? Okay! Come here!" He’d then proceed to pull you into him and move your legs over his lap, holding you close. Maybe he’d even wrap his arms around you a couple times just to make sure you stay warm. If you weren’t wearing one already he’d even give you his hat to keep your head warm, that’s only if he trusts you though. Lastly, if you were romantically involved he’d kiss your cold nose and cheeks several time until they’d heat up. He’d also laugh at you if he caught you blushing. “Shishishi, you like it when I kiss you like that don’t you?”

With Zoro it’s not that he’s oblivious necessarily, it’s just more so that he doesn’t care. When you tell him you’re cold he knows exactly why your next to him and telling him this. Knowing full well you’re capable of getting a jacket and warming up yourself. If you guys are just friends, he’ll probably just brush you off. “Go bother someone else, do I look like a furnace to you?” He probably wouldn’t help you unless you were on the verge of frost bite. Though if you happened to be romantically involved with him, he’d help you but he’d pretend like he doesn’t want to. You may need to guilt trip him by threatening to go cuddle Sanji though. With that he’d immediately grab you and pull you down to him. Grumbling as he sits you in his lap and wraps you in his coat. “I can keep you warmer than that filthy cook ever could…” Zoro would make sure to hold onto you tight and would probably have you bury your face in his chest or neck. Don’t be surprised if he ends up falling asleep like this. Secretly Zoro always loves any opportunity that means you being close to him.

Honestly you wouldn’t even have to ask Sanji. If it’s cold at all he’ll already be offer you his coat. It doesn’t matter if you’re romantically involved or not, especially if you’re a woman. He’ll be looking out for you before you even get a chance to say anything. Though if that’s not enough, and you still need some extra heat from him, he’d gladly oblige. If you were romantically involved I could see him going the extra mile and making you something hot to eat or drink to keep you warm. At some point he’d probably recommend skin to skin contact, so don’t be surprised. “You know they say you warm up faster when you cuddle naked!” Regardless on if you took him seriously or not, he’d make sure to have you close. Sitting you on his lap, wrapping his arms around your waist and resting his chin on your shoulder. He’d have several blankets wrapped around the both of you and would continuously pepper you with kisses. Eventually nuzzling his nose into you and making sure you’re staying nice and toasty. “Is this helping my love, should we get more blankets?” If you did happen to go the "no clothes" route, then you’d probably end up finding a different way to warm up.

———————————💕———————————

[brainfuzzz]

Old Truths Ch. 10 "Freedom Part 5"

Yep, another Crocodile learns that he's Luffy's mother fic because why not? Also, I'm making him the Snake Princess before Hancock because I'm already in Crocomom hell so why not pile on more to it, right? Expect a reunion with Dragon as Crocodile goes on a journey for the truth and eventually finds peace.

Despite most of the children being young and small, Crocodile struggles to hold three of them in his arms. A new shock of pain shoots down his spine with every step. The wound in his right shoulder from where the Celestial had stunned him is still fresh with no signs of healing. Eventually the children’s weight becomes too much, and he must let two down and force them to run on their own. The last one he holds tight in his arms. It’s the boy who had rested his head in Crocodile’s palms. He holds the boy tighter, placing a hand to the back of his head as the boy’s thin arms wrap around his neck. His tiny bony body shivers from the cold rain. Crocodile wishes he had kept Doflamingo’s coat. He can hardly believe that happened only earlier today. Sitting in that restaurant with him and his pirate crew feels like decades ago now.

            It wasn’t too hard to sneak the kids past the marines. Most are frantic as several of their ships struggle to stay afloat. It must be the aftermath of Dragon’s fight. When they are finally running through the empty streets, its then that Crocodile realizes that he has no idea where they are going. He thinks of the Kuja Pirates still hidden away somewhere in the city. He could take them there. He glances around, trying to make out the names of streets, hoping he could get his bearings enough to find the way back to the hotel they had planned on staying at.

            They turn a corner as the rain finally starts to let up. Crocodile runs a hand over his head to smooth his soppy wet hair. A few of the children cough and wheeze, their weak bodies are not used to running in the cold rain. He realizes that most don’t even wear shoes. He forces himself to focus on the matter at hand. Get them to safety and then get them proper clothes and food. They take another turn before Crocodile comes to a sudden stop. A few of the children bend over with their hands on their knees, trying desperately to catch their breath. Crocodile’s gaze is stuck on the large man blocking their path as his marine coat billows in the wind.

            Garp.

            The Vice Admiral slowly approaches him and his group of terrified children. Crocodile holds a hand out, trying to corral them behind him. Garp stops a few feet away, his eyes staring down at the kids before meeting Crocodile’s eyes.

            “I can save you or I can save the children. Pick one.” His voice is sharp and low. His light natured behavior gone.

            Crocodile stiffens, lets the words register before snapping, “The kids of course, you sick fuck!”

            Garp’s face doesn’t change for a moment before cracking a smile with his head tilted down.

            “Good. I was going to save the kids either way.” He slips a hand into his pocket, but his shoulders stay tensed. Crocodile frowns. What was that? A test? Crocodile doesn’t budge, keeping his hand protectively in front of the children.

            “How do I know you won’t just turn them back over to the Celestial?” Crocodile narrows his eyes, not moving away from the children. Garp looks down at the wet cobble stones beneath his feet, shame spreading across his face.

            “I’ll make sure they’ll get to Dragon and his people.” his voice is so quiet that Crocodile barely heard it. Crocodile swallows, glancing at the kids. They stare at him, their eyes silently pleading not to let him take them. They’ll never look at the Navy the same after this.

            Crocodile turns back to Garp before he changes his mind and takes off with the kids himself. “So, what? You take the kids and then cart me off to jail?”

            Garp stares at him with dark empty eyes, “No.”

            Crocodile shifts, a chill racing up his spine, “Then… what?”

            “I take the kids and leave. I report them as missing. Nothing else.” He pauses but doesn’t look away. “An order was sent out, overruling all others. Sengoku has been personally assigned to capture you. Only you.”

            The rain that had let up now slowly begins to trickle back down. It’s as if the wind has been knocked out of him.

            He blinks, struggling to find the words, “Me? Why me?”

            “You tell me.” Garp finally tears his eyes away. He steps towards the children. Their tiny hands grab at Crocodile in a frenzy, snapping him out of his daze. He turns, sees their wide teary eyes. They’re speaking all at once but it’s all the same. Don’t let him take us.

            Crocodile kneels, drawing them in close and says, “Listen to me. This man is going to take you to someone named Dragon. He has no eyebrows and a grumpy face. If he tries to give you to anyone else, you run. Run like hell and look after each other.”

            They’re still pleading for him to stay but if what Garp says is true then they would be safer away from him. The little boy in his arms clings to him even tighter, his tiny body still trembling but not from the cold. It takes everything for Crocodile to peel the child from his arms and hand him over to the giant girl. He looks into her eyes as an ache stretches across his chest. It’s not fair what’s happened to them. They don’t know who to trust and are more scared than a child should ever be. He thinks about running. Taking the children and making it to the Kuja pirates and going to Amazon Lily.  

            Then he thinks of Dragon. If Crocodile runs, then Sengoku will go after him instead. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out the piece of paper Doflamingo had given him with his number on it. Crocodile stares at it. He blinks, swallowing a knot growing in his throat before crossing out the number and flipping it over to quickly scribble a note and folding it.

            “You’re stronger than you think Be brave.” He wants to say more, give them some encouraging words that could sway them into feeling like they can take on the world, but he can’t. Instead, he stands and steps back, letting Garp stand in front of them. Crocodile hands the paper to him. “Give this to Dragon.”

            Garp nods, taking the paper and slipping it into his coat. “Fine.”

He turns back towards the kids as Crocodile warns, “Hurt so much as a hair on their heads and I’ll kill you.”

Garp grins but says nothing else before leading the kids down a different street.

            Crocodile stands alone, letting the cold rain wash over him. He’s trembling but not from the cold. Sengoku is coming. His heart pounds against his chest. When he had faced Garp he had felt excited. Part of him knew he wouldn’t die, that he’d find a way to get away before anything drastic happened. But this time it’s different. This time he’s not so sure. He places a hand on his chest, feeling his racing heartbeat. His fingers slide up until they’re touching the cold metal of the collar still latched around his neck. He presses his lips together, his eyes closed as he musters the courage to do what he’s about to do.

            He moves fast. This city is large, but it won’t be long before Sengoku is able to find him. He needs weapons, lots of them. He races down a street until he spots a group of marines standing around a small temporary base they’ve set up between an alley. Crocodile coats his arms in armament haki and attacks fast, taking them down before they’re able to fire a single shot. His hands shake while gathering as much explosives and guns as he can carry and even coming back for some heavier weapons.

            If he even has a shot at surviving this, then he needs to control the battlefield. He’ll need every advantage he can get. He finds a wide street with mostly abandoned shops and decides this is as good a place as any and begins setting up. His eyes frantically scan over the buildings, trying to cultivate a plan of attack, a strategy that could mean life or death. When everything is in place, he pauses. It’s not enough.

            He runs down a different street until he spots a firework store. He’s not sure how they’ll work in the rain, but they’ll have to do. He breaks the shop window and steps inside, his feet crunching on the broken glass as he fills his arms with as many fireworks as possible.

            When he’s returned to the street and finished setting up the last firework, he steps back. His heartbeat pounds in his ears as he takes in his work. The wound in his shoulder aches from the constant moving and toting of heavy weapons but he ignores it. This is as good as its going to get. He slings a rifle over his shoulder and starts towards the tallest building at the end of the street. He kicks the door down and climbs the stairs until he’s reached the roof entrance. The once heavy rain has turned into a light drizzle as he steps out onto the ledge, taking in the city. The dark clouds hang low in the sky with thunder rolling overhead. Lightning is striking in the distance, illuminating the city in bright bursts. Even with the thunder and lightning, he can hear the marines tearing through the streets. He closes his eyes, taking slow controlled breaths.

            When he finds a sense of calm, he opens his eyes and lifts his right hand and fires off the first flare.

            It takes three flares before he spots Sengoku. He’s racing towards him at an unnatural speed. Crocodile lowers his arm and aims the last flare at him. It misses, of course but there was no harm in trying. Crocodile turns and starts down the stairs. When he steps out into the street, he pulls the rifle from his shoulder and waits.

            Sengoku rounds the corner and Crocodile opens fire. Despite using a bow and arrow most of his life, he’s an excellent shot with a rifle. But that doesn’t mean much when up against someone like Sengoku. His movements are insanely fast. If he hadn’t spent his entire life honing his observation haki, his eyes wouldn’t have been able to keep up. When he fires off his last shot, he jumps back just before Sengoku can land a blow. His fist crushes the road where Crocodile had just been standing. Crocodile stands a few feet back, grinning as he tosses his empty rifle to the side and unholstering two pistols.

            “Funny, just earlier today I was thinking about how much I’d like to beat you into the ground.” Sengoku stands, cracking his knuckles with narrowed eyes.

            Crocodile smirks and lazily lifts his left pistol up against his shoulder, “Don’t try to be cute, Sengoku. With a face like that? Just doesn’t sit well.”  

            Sengoku’s face flushes and clenches his fists. Crocodile shoots first, moving before Sengoku can reach him. He’s moving back, never turning away from Sengoku. But he’s getting closer, his attacks getting harder and harder to dodge. Finally, Sengoku lands a punch, sending Crocodile flying back. He lands on his back, skidding into the dirt only worsening his wounded shoulder. Crocodile moves his jaw; glad it’s not broken while trying to get his head to stop spinning. The pain in his left cheek stings like a hot iron but it doesn’t stop him from propping himself up and grinning, blood staining his teeth. They’re between the flower shop and the boarded up café.

Sengoku stalks towards him. “I’m going to wipe that grin off your filthy face.”

Crocodile gives a laugh and pulls out a detonator. Sengoku’s eyes go wide but it’s too late. Crocodile hadn’t planned on getting caught in the blast, but beggars can’t be choosers. The two stores erupt in a beautiful explosion as debris and shrapnel spray in all directions. Crocodile shields his face with his arms while bracing himself for impact. He hisses when something sharp slices through his side. The back of his throat stings as he chokes on the dust in the air. When things have settled enough, he forces himself to move, coating his entire body in haki and takes this moment to attack. He ignores the screaming pain in his side and shoulder and lunges towards Sengoku, who is still trying to recover from the blast. Crocodile swings his leg, hitting Sengoku’s head.

Sengoku stumbles forward, his face pointing towards the road. Crocodile winces and jumps back with a hand pressed to his side. When he had struck Sengoku, it had sent an eruption of pain down the left side of his body. When he pulls his hand back, its coated in blood. He sucks in a pained breath and reapplies pressure, gritting his teeth to keep from moaning. A single line of blood drips down the side of Sengoku’s face as he lifts his head. His dark eyes are zeroed in on Crocodile. He grits his teeth and starts to move again but Sengoku delivers another blow.

“You’re only delaying the inevitable!” Sengoku yells as he slowly walks after him. Crocodile crashes through a store window. Shattered glass sticks into his right side and covers his face with deep cuts. He manages to push himself up, letting out a pain husky breath. His palms are left bloody from the glass beneath him. He stares down at his left leg where a large shard sticks out. Holding his breath, he pulls it out, struggling to swallow a scream. When he’s able to stand, he stumbles out of the broken window and falls against a crate. Beads of sweat roll down the side of his face as he pants, the pain making it hard to breathe. Then he notices what he’s hidden behind the crate and gets a burst of energy. He grits his teeth and swings a heavy rapid fire gun around, only pausing long enough to catch Sengoku’s expression before firing.

This time, Sengoku is the one running from his attacks. The bullets tear through everything, leaving a trail of destruction behind it. His trembling legs bulk beneath him as he struggles to keep himself and the gun up. The pain from his bleeding thigh and side is nauseating. When he squeezes the trigger again and hears a click, he lets the gun drop to the ground, nearly toppling over in the process. He leans on the crate one more time, taking slow pained breaths. He glances down the street where a potted fern sits.

Just make it past that. He tells himself. Just to that point.

Pushing himself from the crate, he limps further down the street. Sengoku steps out from the dust and debris practically unscathed by any of his attacks. Crocodile chokes out a laugh, but this time at himself. He knew winning this fight would be a long shot, but to lose this badly was nothing less than an insult. He grits his teeth, ignoring the tangy iron taste coating his tongue and keeps walking, leaving a trail of blood behind him. When his legs give out, he falls on his hands and knees, sweat dripping down his nose. He lifts his head and realizes that he can see the ocean from here. He spots a ship leaving the harbor with a dragon figurehead crawling down the sides of the bow. A smile spreads across his lips as he drops his head. Even though he’s never seen Dragon’s ship before, he knows.

They made it out.

“With all the arrogance you displayed earlier, I was expecting more of a fight.” Sengoku’s steps are getting closer. Crocodile digs into his pocket, wincing at every new surge of pain racing down his leg with every shift and fidget before he can pull his lighter out. Sengoku’s footsteps come to a stop just behind him. He flips it up and lights it before throwing it towards a fuse peeking out from behind the fern. He drops down, covering his head. He prays the fuse isn’t to wet to light just before the first firework shoots off hitting Sengoku in the chest.

The street lights up in a rainbow of color. Some shifted and fire in different directions, some shooting straight up into the air, but most are aimed directly at Sengoku. Crocodile knows this won’t kill him. But with luck he’ll be able to use it to get away. He musters the last of his strength and forces himself to his feet. A firework streams past grazing his shoulder. He ignores it and keeps moving. An explosion of light bursts to his side causing hot embers to spray into his face but he doesn’t stop moving. Sengoku is screaming something, but he can’t hear it over the whistling and crescendos of the fireworks. When he finally breaks through the line where he had lined the fireworks, he stops, panting for air. He coughs, his throat burns as if he had inhaled an ember. Even though the fireworks are still going off just behind him, the sound is muffled with a distinct ringing in both ears. When he lifts his head, he freezes. The Celestial Dragon from before stands further down the street, laughing and flailing his pistol. Crocodile notices smoke coming out of the weapon as if it had just been fired. Then he slowly lowers his eyes to his stomach and finds a red stain quickly growing. Hands are grabbing him before he can fully register that he’s just been shot.

He doesn’t remember being thrown. He doesn’t remember smashing through three buildings. He blinks up at a wooden ceiling as bricks and rubble fall around him. He coughs, feeling warm liquid spill over his lips.

“You’re determined, I’ll give you that.” Sengoku’s voice cuts through his haze. He stands over Crocodile, a smirk across his face.

“… won…” he has to shift so that his lungs can get enough air to speak.

            “What was that?” Sengoku grins. Crocodile mumbles the words making Sengoku laugh. “Sorry, couldn’t quite catch that.”

            Crocodile struggles to say it again so he waves for Sengoku to come closer. Sengoku frowns but steps over a pile of rubble and leans his ear down.

            “I… said…” Crocodile wheezes just as Sengoku hears it.

            Tick… tick… tick…

            “I won.” Crocodile lunges forward wrapping his arms around Sengoku, pressing the explosive collar against both their necks. Sengoku lurches back, desperately trying to get Crocodile off him, but Crocodile refuses to let go. He wraps his legs around his waist and uses everything he has left to keep himself stuck to the admiral. Sengoku stumbles back out into the street while failing to pull Crocodile off.

            Tick… tick… tick…

            Sengoku begins punching at Crocodile’s head, ribs, and back. Crocodile bites down into his own arm when he hears the snap in his ribcage. Hot tears swell in his eyes as the rain begins to fall harder than ever. He’s never feared death before, but as he clings to Sengoku his mind begins to wander. He thinks of Amazon Lily. They’ll hold a funeral for him even if they don’t get his body back. But as he blinks away the tears, he knows that no one will mourn him. Instead, they will mourn the position that he held until it can be filled again. He thinks of his mother still sitting in his childhood home, staring out the balcony. He imagines them telling her that her only child was killed. He imagines her smoking her pipe as if nothing had happened. As if he had never existed. He lets out a strangled cry when Sengoku punches his head and warm sticky blood spills over his left eye. He digs his fingernails into his arms until he draws blood.

            Tick… tick… tick…

            Then, out of nowhere, a gust of wind blasts down the street causing Sengoku to stumble. Before he can get his footing, something moves so fast that Crocodile could only make out a blur. Suddenly, accompanied by the booming crash of thunder, a powerful force hits Sengoku so hard it causes Crocodile’s arms to break apart, letting him go. Sengoku’s body flies back into a building as Crocodile falls. It happens so fast that he doesn’t even register when he’s been caught in someone’s arms. His head spins when he feels himself being lowered gently to the ground. Blinking away the rain and tears, he stares up at a familiar face.

            “Don’t move.” Dragon’s eyes are dark and focused. His hands are moving just below Crocodile’s vision, but he can’t bring himself to look away from his face. As if looking away might make him disappear. Then there is an explosion, and it takes a minute before Crocodile realizes it was from his collar. He blinks, lifting a hand to his throat and only finding tender flesh. He lifts his gaze back to Dragon.

            “Why… didn’t you… leave? You… moron!” It takes everything just to speak. His words come out in wheezy pants as his lungs fail to fill with air. He wants to shake Dragon in frustration, but he can barely lift his hand to his shoulder. Dragon’s face is dark.

            “Shut up!” The harshness in his tone makes Crocodile freeze. Then his expression softens before he pulls his cloak off and wraps it around Crocodile’s shoulders and pulls the hood over his head, protecting him from the rain. Dragon lifts a hand to his cheek, rubbing his thumb carefully across Crocodile’s scarred face. “You’re my friend. What other reason do I need?”

            All at once, something shifts. As if the walls Crocodile has built over the years have melted away. Fat tears build in his eyes as Dragon’s callused hand radiates a warmth Crocodile has never felt before. He finds himself letting his face rest against his palm. He can’t bring himself to speak, this time due to a knot forming in his throat. He drops his head, not wanting to cry in front of him.

Dragon lowers his head and murmurs, “Just hold on a little longer. I’ll protect you.”

The warmth of his breath against Crocodile’s ear makes a chill run up his spine. Crocodile nods, unable to meet Dragon’s gaze. Heat spreads throughout his body and face as his heart begins to race. Does he have a fever? He’s never felt anything like this before. He manages to lift his hand to his chest feeling his heart pounding like a drum. When he’s able to bring himself to look at Dragon again, he pulls his hand away to stand. Crocodile has a sudden desire to pull his hand back and press it to his cheek as something stirs in his lower stomach. Dragon turns and stands at the center of the street, watching Sengoku climb out of the rubble.

“Dragon.” Sengoku narrows his eyes as he fully recovers from Dragon’s attack. Crocodile didn’t think it was possible, but his heart begins to beat even faster as an image of Dragon beaten and bloody flashes across his mind. He wants to tell Dragon to run, but even if he could speak it was unlikely that he would hear it over the wind. Dragon says nothing as he slowly rolls his sleeves up to his elbows. For some reason this sends another burst of heat through Crocodile’s body. Sengoku frowns deeper. “Do you really think you can beat me?”

“I have no intentions of fighting you, Admiral. Not today at least.” Dragon closes his eyes as the wind grows even stronger. Crocodile grabs onto his cloak, desperately trying to keep it from blowing away. He’s so worried about the cloak that he almost misses Sengoku struggling to keep himself from blowing back. But there’s nothing he can do. A small tornado forms behind Sengoku making it impossible to get away. One second the Admiral is there and the next… gone.

Dragon’s shoulders relax and as if on cue, so does the rain. The tornado disappears as Dragon turns and faces Crocodile, a warm smile spreading across his lips. Crocodile feels himself returning that smile. Until there is another gun shot. This time Crocodile feels the bullet pierce his skin. Dragon’s face twists into an expression of horror and rage as Crocodile struggles to let out a scream. Blood spills over his lips as he falls forward. He had forgotten about the Celestial Dragon.

A foot hits the side of Crocodile’s head as the Celestial’s voice screams, “You ruined everything! Do you know who I am? To you I am a god—”

Dragon punches the Celestial across the street. Crocodile watches as he lies motionless on the ground, no longer able to move. The Celestial’s nose is bent to the side as blood gushes out and down his chin. He’s clearly never taken a punch before and even in Crocodile’s near comatose state he takes some satisfaction at seeing the worm writhe in pain. He’s so wrapped up in his broken nose that he hasn’t even noticed his precious air bubble has popped.  

“If you’re a god,” Dragon’s words come out in a low dangerous rumble. “Then that must make me a god killer.”

“What?” the Celestial pushes himself back in frantic movements, dirtying his pristine white robes. “Who—who are you?”

“Monkey D. Dragon.” Dragon stands over him, his fists clenched so tightly that a vein bulges in his forearms.

The Celestial’s eyes grow wide, “Did you say… D?”

That’s all the Celestial is able to say before Dragon strikes and Crocodile slips into unconsciousness.

When Crocodile wakes, bright beams of sunlight are washing over him. It takes a moment before he realizes he’s on the Kuja Pirate ship. He doesn’t move at first, even now his body is aching in tremendous pain. He starts with wiggling his toes. He winces. Bad idea. He tries his fingers and when no shooting pains spread up his arms, he goes a step further and lifts his left hand. His arm and fingers are bandaged but other than that, its fine. It takes more encouragement to inspect the rest of his body. His left leg is bandaged tightly with a tourniquet. His abdomen and right shoulder are bandaged as well, along with his right arm being stuck in a sling.

He forces himself up, biting back a cry of pain from his first gunshot wound. That damned Celestial. Then he remembers Dragon and heat floods his face. Is he okay? What happened to the Celestial? Did Sengoku come back? He needs to find out but before he can even attempt to maneuver off the bed, the door to his room swings open and one of his crew steps in. She carries a tray filled with clean bandages and ointments. When she sees Crocodile sitting up, she gasps and nearly drops the tray.

“Snake Princess! You’re awake!” she rushes to Crocodile’s side as he sighs and stares at the wall.

“It would seem so.” He shifts, trying to find a more comfortable position. There isn’t one.

“Snake Princess, please, you should be lying down. Your injuries were grave.” The woman tries to ease him back down, but he refuses.

“How did I get back to the ship?” he asks when the woman finally gives up on trying to get him to lie down. She sets the tray on the bedside table and frowns.

“It was horrible,” she begins preparing the bandages as she speaks. “This horrible looking man carried you through the city to us.”

“What? Dragon?” Crocodile stares directly at the woman for the first time. This makes her flinch.

“I… didn’t catch the man’s name.” she says, her fingers hesitating as they work. Crocodile opens his mouth to ask more when voices come from outside the room.

“… you are not welcome here. You must leave nyow!” Granny Nyon’s shrewd voice nags.

“And I told you that I’m not leaving until he wakes up.” a deep rough voice snaps back. Crocodile’s heart pounds against his sternum as it suddenly becomes hard to breathe.

Crocodile can stand it no longer. He begins to maneuver himself off the bed when the door to the room opens. He freezes as Dragon steps into the room. He stops, their eyes locking on to each other.

“You’re awake!” Dragon moves to his side, sitting on the edge of the bed. Crocodile’s face burns hot. His fever must have returned.

“You’re here…” Crocodile is breathless.

Dragon opens his mouth to speak but is interrupted when Granny Nyon bonks him on the head with her cane.

“He must leave!” she says, getting ready to bonk him again. Dragon rubs the top of his head, frowning at the old lady.

“Enough,” Crocodile’s voice is authoritative and makes both the woman and Granny Nyon take notice. “All of you, out.” And then much softer, “… Dragon can stay.”

Granny Nyon looks as if she has been turned to stone but is able to snap herself out of her shocked state. She eyes Dragon and Crocodile suspiciously before slowly following the other woman out of his chambers. When they are alone, Crocodile can hear his heartbeat in his ears.

Dragon turns to him, “How are you feeling?”

This makes Crocodile scoff, “Great. Planning on going for a jog later.”

Dragon grins as Crocodile’s stomach does a flip. Dragon leans on his knees, “You can’t scare me like that though.”

“What?” Crocodile arches a brow. Dragon digs into his pocket and pulls out a piece of paper. It’s the note Crocodile had written him.

“Take the children and leave. I will distract Sengoku long enough for you to get away. S.” Dragon reads before frowning at him, “You could have come with them. We could have gotten out of there together. You didn’t have to face Sengoku alone.”

. “Then he would have come after all of us. I couldn’t risk the kids getting captured again. Besides, he was only after me.” Crocodile’s fingers fidget with the edge of the bedsheet when Dragon gives a warm soft smile. Then Crocodile asks, “What happened to the kids?”

“My old man found me when I was on my way to find you. They had found one of my agents but apparently someone told them that they could only be given to a man with a grumpy face and no eyebrows,” he eyes Crocodile who holds in a laugh. “I took them back to my ship and had my people take them away. It’s the reason it took me so long to find you.”

“Then they’re safe.” Crocodile rests back against his pillows. “What will happen to them now?”

Dragon frowns down at his hands, “Those who were taken will be given back to their families. The fishmen and mermaids will be taken to fishman island. One of my men knows the queen there. She’ll make sure they’re taken care of. Unfortunately, most kids are sold into slavery by their parents. They’ll stay with us. We’ll give them a home until they’re old enough to go out on their own.”

Crocodile frowns at him, “You aren’t making child soldiers, are you?”

Dragon gives a laugh, “No, but if they do grow up and decide to join the cause then that’s their choice. I do plan on teaching them how to protect themselves if nothing else.”

Crocodile sighs. It could be much worse, and he doesn’t have any clear answer. They sit in silence for a moment, listening to the creaks and moans of the ship as it sways with the waves.

After a while, Crocodile speaks, “What happened to the Celestial Dragon? Did you kill him?”

There’s a pause before Dragon says, “Yes.”

Crocodile smiles. Good. Then he glances at Dragon and presses his lips together.

“Is it true that you carried me through the city?” he meets Dragon’s eyes.

“Yeah. What was I supposed to do? Wait for you to get up and walk yourself?” Dragon gives a lopsided grin. Crocodile stares down at his hand again, a strange ache fluttering in his chest.  

“Thank… you…” it barely comes out as a whisper.

Dragon tilts his head. “What was that?”

Crocodile’s face burns as he struggles to say it again. “Thank… you…”

Dragon blinks, “What?”

“Thank you!” he says it too loud this time. He can’t bring himself to look at him.

Dragon laughs, “Never thought I would hear those words from you.”

“Yeah, well, it’s the first and last time. Don’t get used to it.” Crocodile would have crossed his arms if he could.

The day went on. Sometimes Crocodile and Dragon would talk about the day and everything that had happened, and sometimes they would sit in a comfortable silence. They were both exhausted from the day and found themselves dozing off from time to time. Dragon would sleep with his head propped on his arms as he sat in a chair and leaned on the edge of the bed. Crocodile would get weird urges to touch his hair when he slept. Granny Nyon never strayed far. She wore a very suspicious expression every time she entered the room. Crocodile made her leave every time.  Eventually it became nightfall. They had just had dinner. Crocodile could barely eat a mouthful while Dragon ate enough for ten men. Crocodile settled against the mattress, feeling the pain meds finally kick in. Dragon spread his arms out in a deep stretch before suddenly leaning over Crocodile. Crocodile freezes as Dragon’s scent washes over him. He smells of dirt, sweat, and the sea air and yet Crocodile somehow finds it intoxicating.

“There,” Dragon says when he sits back into his chair. He had leaned over Crocodile to open his window. Crocodile stares out at a night sky full of stars. Dragon leans his arms on the mattress and stares out. “I love to star gaze.”

“I never noticed them much before.” Crocodile mumbles, his head light, probably from the meds.

Dragon lets out a relaxed breath and tilts his head on his arms to stare at Crocodile. Then, for the first time, he says, “Come with me.”

Crocodile arches a brow, “What?”

“Come with me. Join the revolution.” He says, never dropping his relaxed smile.

Crocodile shifts slightly and shakes his head. “Get your head out of your ass.”

Dragon gives a soft laugh, “I’m serious. You could come with me.”

Crocodile thinks about it for a minute. Leaving with him and living as a revolutionist. He shakes his head again, “I don’t like taking orders from anyone.”

Dragon shrugs. “Suit yourself. But if you change your mind, find me.”

Crocodile says nothing else. They soon fall back into an easy silence and slowly fall asleep while gazing out at the stars.  

Read full story HERE on AO3!!!

[supernaturallyginger]

More SanLu for your consideration:

-Post WCI, Luffy sleeping curled around Sanji like a snake. Well, I say sleeping- which they do, eventually- but mostly Luffy fucking Sanji like that, curled around him with as many limbs as possible, fucking into Sanji from behind, stroking Sanji's cock and kissing him/his neck, maybe Luffy even stretching his head around to blow Sanji, too, because licking Sanji's cum off his hand just isn't enough. All while muttering things like, "I love you, Sanji" or "Welcome home" or "My cook..." in his ear. Sanji probably had to talk him into saving the frantic, rough, fast sex for "midnight snack" time only, so they wouldn't wake the others. So the sex they have in bed is slow, and gentle, and nice. Sanji still has to muffle himself and Luffy with a hand or a pillow, because it just feels so good, but they do try. Not sure if Luffy would bite Sanji, but maybe? As another way to remind Sanji where he belongs/who he belongs to (as long as Sanji wants to, obviously).

-Luffy fucking Sanji while Sanji wears Luffy's straw hat. Maybe for the first night that Sanji is officially back with the Strawhats, because WCI was rough on everyone, and Luffy missed his cook/Sanji, damn it.

-🍓

oh 🍓anon you spoil me <3

nsfw under the cut!

post wci possessive and slow sex is *chefs kiss*

Luffy is pretty possessive in general but I think after getting Sanji back from whole cake island, he's really protective over the cook. everything is *My Cook* and *My Sanji* and he'll murmur both while taking Sanji from behind at night in their bunk. Sanji will try to tell him to keep quiet but he wants to hear Luffy say it. the words alone make him twitch with need, craving to be filled up more.

Luffy 100% leaves bite marks and hickeys over Sanji. marking him as *his.* the rest of the crew will wake up for breakfast and see dark spots peeking out from underneath Sanji's collar

and OMG the idea of Sanji wearing Luffy's strawhat while straddling Luffy's lap, riding his cock, apologizing with his words and his body for leaving. promising to never leave Luffy's side again as he finishes hhhhhgggnnnnnn

thank you for the sexy sanlu brain worms!!

[sonicasura]

Headcanons #2

Next pair of headcanons folks! Now, any headcanons retaining to gore or bodily injuries will be put under the read more tag. I'm stating this cause of the last two characters for this list! Let's get started!

Link (Post!OoT/MM)

Has severe cases of dysphoria due to his journeys. Unintentionally ducking or moving as if his body is bigger (Adult Link, Goron Link, Zora Link, Fierce Deity), flinching at dogs (Deku Link), and often gets stuck in cramped places(Deku Link is smaller than normal Link).

Built up his own sense of identity to compensate for his trauma. There are days where Link cross dresses. Some days he uses the Transformation Masks as his own body feels so foreign at times.

Avoids Hyrule Castle and the Lost Woods due to painful memories of his first adventure. Link constantly expresses any bottled up emotions to the Fierce Deity Mask whenever things get too much. Lives in a homemade 'fox' den, eventually moves into Lon Lon Ranch when Malon accidentally falls into his home.

Monkey D. Luffy

Only kind of cooking he can do is grill or roasting over a fire. It isn't very complicated for Luffy to do than trying to boil water. (He WILL make soup explode.) Decent at seasoning.

Type of person to accept heartfelt gifts or food. If someone close gives Luffy something he doesn't like, he'll still happily take it. In the case of food, he'll eat it. His nakama gave it their all with said present so why would Luffy throw away such effort?

Scrapbook kind of person. Luffy has a souvenir or photo for each island they go on. All are stuffed neatly in a box with some help from Nami. No food items cause he would eat them.

Strangled Steven and Miki

Resurrecting his Charizard Miki turned him into a demon and his dear partner undead. Steven has a monster form is unable to use it, only peeks of it come out through rage. Miki loses her Fire typing due to state of decay on her body and becomes Ghost/Flying. Still fly despite her wings being rotted to point bone is partially visible. Tail flame is non-existent since only alive Charizards have it.

Both are passive and can be befriended. Although it's best to avoid certain topics unless you are very close as Steven is easy to anger. If someone has his game, their actions judge whether he harms them or not. Make fun of said demon's pain is the quickest way to die while pity angers him.

Very possessive if befriended, more so if it's an actual relationship. Can actively haunt whoever holds the Strangled Red game, beginning being a three meter range but grows larger over time. Will threaten or attack those that get too close to 'affixation'.

Will delve into any knowledge of necromancy or any kind of revival. If Miki is fully revived, then Steven avoids putting her in battle whenever possible. Miki can possess any toys that are based on Charizard while phones or Nintendo systems are accessible to her trainer.

Snow on Mount Silver Blake and Typhlosion

Quit his career as a Pokemon Trainer if saved from Mount Silver. Has a fear of heights, the cold and Pikachu afterwards. Barely leaves his mom's house much less on his own. Has a prosthetics such as a metal leg and arm, wears an eye patch. Haunted by his Typhlosion's spirit that's mostly benevolent. Only aggro around sudden harsh cold or Pikachu. Lost it's Fire Type and is only pure Ghost. Holds decay related to frostbite such as missing patches of flesh, carved out eyes and torn mouth.

His Typhlosion can be reborn as a Hisuian Typhlosion if brought to Mount Coronet's peak. It's takes a lot of time before Blake decides to climb the mountain. His Pokemon will have some decay despite being reborn such as a missing eye and rings of scars around the neck.

Blake haunts his videogame alongside his Typhlosion, both keep malevolent Red and his Freakichu at bay. (The latter two will inflict harm on the game's owner.) Quite friendly and befriendable but Typhlosion becomes hostile if certain topics are brought up. Possible to transfer both spirits into a different game via compatible Pokemon games or Nintendo systems.

Just like with Strangled Red, Blake is possessive(not as bad as said demon) and his haunt radius grows over time. Learning about Hisuian Typhlosion opens a 'special quest' for Pokemon Legends Arceus called 'MaKiNG ThInGs RiGHT'. Completing grants the Player an item called Second Flame which boosts the power of Hisuian Typhlosion.

One last thing, Pokepasta entities like Blake(Lost Silver or Snow on Mount Silver) and Strangled Red can haunt other Pokemon games as a 'phantom NPC'. Kinda like a Co-op but depending on their view of the Player affects how nice they'll be.

Neither can kill your Pokemon unlike in their own games but will rig the difficultly or catch rates if they don't like you. Like gym leaders having LV 100 Pokemon or you can only find a Magikarp type of trolling.

That's all I have for now! Until next time folks, I'll see you later!

Next part

[vinsushi]

Sanji Imagine

there's gonna be a little "Something About You" reference here so enjoy :v

Under The Fireworks

"We're a bit short on ingredients don't you think so, Sanji?" Luffy's stomach grumbled as cheek was on the table, starving even if he just ate thirty minutes ago.

"Actually yeah now that I think of it you're right luffy," says Sanji behind the counter who was cleaning the plates while the captain was begging for Sanji to cook something. After wiping the last utencil dry, he removed the apron he was wearing and spoke to Luffy. "Do you want to stop by an island to buy up some stuff?" His captain jumped up from his seat and nodded excitedly, he stormed out of the door past you and immediately told Nami to stop by the next island.

"Never drains his energy, that one," you said, standing up from your chair walking alongside the blonde cook out the door. " Keeping the ship lively, gotta appreciate him for being an amazing captain."

"I couldn't agree more Y/N-san," Sanji gave you a bright smile then placed his palm on your back lightly, massaging slow circles with your thumb. He opened the door for you then was immediately greeted by a loud explosion.

"USOPP NO STAY WITH US!" You heard Chopper exclaim when you saw a charcoal black Usopp lying on the ground in front of what looks like another failed contraption. Usopp gestured a weak, shaky 'thumbs up' to ensure everyone he was doing alright, hopefully he was anyways.

Robin was sitting on her usually spot, reading another one of her books. Franky was stacking up on some cola, then Brook was with helping Chopper bring Usopp to his clinic. Zoro was no where to be seen, he is most likely to be in his workout room sculping his muscles like he always does, or either simply snoring off on the deck.

Luffy was sitting on the head of the Sunny, "Looks like Nami already knows where our next drop is," You spoke to Sanji when you realized he already ran off to swoon over Nami again.

Just like any other day.

With nothing to get yourself busy with to pass the time, you wemt with Usopp and Chopper to help fix their contraption. Before you knew it, you were already at the island to buy the supplies, though it was already 8 at night, hoping some of the stores would still be open. From what it looks like, the town is holding a huge festival with a ton of food stals and people dancing around.

"Alright everyone," Nami called out, "we can all go out to the town and buy the supplies we need, and if you'd like, we can spend the night here for a bit, the ship isn't very far from the town anyways." Loud cheers were heard around the ship and Luffy, Usopp, Chopper, and Brook started racing towards the town. Zoro, Franky, and Sanji got down next. The blonde cook assisting Nami and Robin down. You went down the ship last and Sanji also gave you a hand with a genuine smile that reached his eyes. He looked gorgeous as the moon was shining behind him, his blonde locks glimmering.

You snapped out of your train of thought and started going towards the town alongside Nami and Robin. The closer you got to the festival area, the louder the music became. Of course knowing Sanji, he went straight to the girls with hearteyes.

Everyone split up to go around the festival. You saw Luffy hoarding all the meat as Usopp and Chopper participated in the eating competition. Brook started playing loud music on stage, he had quite an audience in front of him. Zoro and Franky were laughing with the townsfolk, a bottle of sake in Zoro's hand and a bottle of cola in Franky's.

You went deeper into the festival you eventually humped into Sanji who seemed like he had a lot on his mind.

"I thought you were with the girls Sanji," you went to sit next to him. You startled him a bit then he sighed to himself when he saw you, "a penny for your thoughts?"

"Oh it's nothing really," he sounded unsure of his words. "Do you uh," he looked down on the ground and ran a hand on the back of his neck, "do you wanna go to this spot up in the mountains? I heard they were going to blast some fireworks later so I was just wondering if you wanted to go there with me. The view would be amazing I swear yo-"

"I'd love to," you cut him off from his on going babbling. He looked at you then stood up, he offered his hand to you, slightly flustered.

"Shall we then?" He said, you took his hand and the both of you immediately started running out of the town. You ran past Nami and you saw her give you a smirk telling you to go for it. Sanji was still holding your hand tightly as you ran towards a forest. You reached a spot at the mountain when you could see the whole town, and it's lights flickering colorfully, and Brook's music was still lightly heard.

"It looks so beautiful," you awed the view in front of you, Sanji gave you a light laugh as you both sat down on the grass. You looked at your hands and did not realize it was still intertwined with Sanji's. He noticed and he pulled away, his cheeks becoming pink.

"They said the fireworks were coming when the clock strikes 12," He broke the awkward silence around you.

"5 minutes left I guess," you spoke "wouldn't be too long."

"Yeah it wouldn't."

Well it did. It was probably the longest 5 minutes of your life. Only 3 minutes have passed you the silence was slowly killing the both of you.

Remembering the smirk Nami gave, you decided to rest your head on his shoulder. He didn't know how to react to this kind affection so he went stiff for a second. Not long after, he calmed down and placed a hand softly on the other side of your head, he then also rested his head on top of yours. No one spoke a word and you could only hear the faint music that was coming from the festival.

The moment was short-lived when you finally saw fireworks appear one after the other. "Sanji look!" You exclaimed, the both of you stood up and admired the lights in the sky. They went on forever, it never ended, you wished it never did, and so did Sanji.

You felt his stare focus on you instead of the fireworks. He watched you look up at the sky, your eyes twinkling in delight.

"Y/N-san", he spoke to, you looked at him and met his gaze, "you look just like a dream, the prettiest girl I have ever seen." Taken aback from what he said, you looked away from him and tried to cover the blood rushing in your face. You heard him laugh lightly at your reaction and soon felt his arms around you. "God, you're so adorable." You still didn't know how to react.

"Y/N." He called you, you looked up at him and he too looked like a dream. With the fireworks around the both of you, it looks like something straight of a film. "I love you so much, you mean the whole universe to me. I can't wait to go to All Blue with you." He brushed your hair with his hand, placing a soft kiss on your forehead.

You didn't even notice the tears running down your face because you were in denial with what the man in front of you just said.

"Wait, did I say something wrong? Y/N-san I'm sorry I-" You cut him off by placing your lips on his. The kiss igniting every nerve in your body as it shot sparks all the way down to your toes, and Sanji felt the same way with you.

"No it's just unbelievable," you confessed to him when the both of you pulled away, his forehead on yours. "I love you too. So much that you're the first thing I think about when I wake up. Sanji, I never want this moment to end."

The blonde showered you with kisses when he couldn't contain his happiness. "Hey that tickles!" You said then the both of you laughed wholeheartedly.

"Can you say that again I just wanna hear it come from your lips again, just one more time," he said, his hand rubbing circles on your back.

"Say what?" You played dumb, he gave you a frown and pouted his lips.

"You already know," he said, tucking your hair behind your ear. "Please."

"I love you, Sanji." You finally said that made his face light up, resulting to another passionate kiss which you gave back to him.

"I love you too."

[unknown-writing]

When you Proposed First...

Summary: You and your boyfriend have been together for a really long time. You couldn’t handle just being “Boyfriend and Girlfriend” anymore. So, you took matters into your own hands...And Proposed first!

Warning(s): Fluff, spoilers for Sanji’s past

A/N: Had a thought of how Sanji would react to me proposing to him and giggled lol.

     Luffy isn’t one for getting the Hint for specific moods in the air. He’s pretty dense when it comes to stuff like that. So, despite being alone together on this very romantic outing on the Island your crew had been staying at for a small vacation after a recent battle. He missed a lot of subtle details you kept bringing up.

“---Luffy! Earth to Luffy! Hello!?” You shouted while hitting his head a few times, wondering why he was spacing out. You panicked a bit because you thought he was angry with you for your question.....You asked him to marry you.

Luffy never expected to find a girlfriend(or boyfriend) while traveling at Sea. Not that he’d ever planned on getting with somebody any time soon. His life was WAY too dangerous for anything romantic anyways. But even so...Meeting you, befriending you, and then falling for you...It all just.../Happened/. it wasn’t planned or expected, he never met somebody as strong as you were, even without devil fruit powers. You just kept surprising him with every day that you woke up.

You stood there while awkwardly holding the box with something /other/ than a ring in it. It was actually a small charm-like Pin that he could pin to his hat or shirt instead. You knew that he wouldn’t wear the ring because it’d easily break with his stretching abilities, he wouldn’t want to break such a valuable gift from his beloved s/o that he loved so much. “Is...Everything alright Luffy? Did I do something wrong?” You asked while tilting your head. Asking that question made him snap back to reality again.

    Before you could respond though, he had pounced you. Clinging to you for dear life with this big dopey grin going from ear to ear. His face was blushing a pink hue as well. Pausing to grab your face and give you a big smooch, he chuckled, “Do you have any idea how amazing you are y/n!?” He asked, making you blink, but then blush as well. “I don’t know how you managed to read my mind but, I wanted to marry you too!” (He didn’t fully know what he was talking about here). Your blush got redder, he paused and blinked, “Y/n....Your face is red....” he commented, making you flinch then glare up at him

“S-Shut up...I just didn’t expect you to know what was going on is all!” You lied...He chuckled as he started giving your face kisses as he still clung to you tightly. You watched him put the pin right in the front of his precious hat. The sun was hitting him perfectly, so you watched a gentle ray glow on the pin.

You kept staring until he pulled out a small box himself that he’d been hiding for the past three weeks, nervous to give it to you as he’d never done something so big before...You held the box in your hand. and he’d gotten you the typical ring as well but, it wasn’t gold or silver. It was oddly enough...Purple? Purple was your favorite color after all, so seeing that he got you a purple colored wedding ring of all things, you knew he was the one for you.

       Zoro was actually pretty quick when he realized he wanted you as his Wife. Each day passed when you two were dating for more than a few years now, would be met with “Please be my wife” as a small joke despite being pretty serious about it.

Today was no exception. At first he woke up pretty angry because one of his swords had gone missing...His childhood sword wasn’t with him this morning. About to scold you for taking it, he noticed that you were with Franky and Usopp helping fix it after a recent battle, since you couldn’t go on the island due to being sick, you thought these two could help fix it.

“---Hopefully this does the trick. The metal on the handle has been worn out for a while...It may need to be completely replaced when we reach the next Island in a few days.” Franky comments, while pointing to the dents in the golden handle. You picked it up to get a closer look at it. “It doesn’t just look like the metal part is busted either....It’s the cloth too. Which is something that I can easily fix myself.” You comment out loud, unaware that Zoro was listening in on the conversation.

Eventually leaving to go grab some food and booze, now that he didn’t have to worry on who stole his sword, Zoro sighed as he sat down in his secret drinking spot (that he shares with you of course). “Damn...I want her to be my Wife” he mutters to himself before taking a sip of the drink he was holding.

Later that same day, you had brought back the sword that you had “borrowed to try and get it fixed” for Zoro. before heading back from putting it back, you felt an arm grab your leg. And before you knew it, you were sitting right on his lap again as he hugged you tightly. You giggled as he pressed his face against your neck, his grip getting tighter, “You trying to hug me, or strangle me?” You teased before planting a kiss on his hair. “I want you to be my Wife” He asked again, which just made you chuckle because he’s been doing this for the last week now.

     A brief silence filled the room, you squirmed a bit while you tried reaching in your pockets to grab something. A small box. You held it out awkwardly while blushing a deep crimson red from ear to ear. “....W-Why not...You become my husband?” You asked. That caught his attention real quick. He blinked as he started at the small box in front of his face, he reached out to open it and see two rings in it (one for each of you of course)

A big sheepish grin started to form as he ignored the pink hue on his own cheeks. “...I love you y/n...” He simply says while putting the ring on his finger, and then puts your ring on your finger. You giggled before reaching up again to give him a proper smooch that started turning to a passionate kiss. “I’m happy that your finally my wife now~” He jokes as he nuzzles into again and the two of you just cuddled together before dinner time.

     You knew about the Political marriage between him and Pudding from Big Mom’s family. You figured out that something had happened when you saw that Pudding and Sanji had “broken up” when you two had started getting more serious in the relationship. You were Pissed Off knowing that he might have been cheating on his Fiance with you, but the crew later explained the full context of what happened (Usopp had to tell you the details that Pudding erased from Sanji’s memory so it didn’t traumatize him again).

After a rocky start to your steady relationship. Sanji has been nothing but honest with you for anything that you may have wanted to know about. He even offered to tell you his childhood at some point but you declined, saying “Sanji-kun...Tell me when you feel emotionally ready ok? Don’t force yourself if your not ready.” And after he heard that, he /knew/ the girl he had to be with was with you. No ands ifs or buts about it. You were the one he was going to Marry for Real one day.

Today was a special day for the two of you, and thankfully, you were on an Island to be able to celebrate it. This was your third year Anniversary together after the time skip of being apart. Sanji had surprised you with a /very/ romantic date to the local festival that was happening nearby since he knew that fancy restaurants weren’t your thing as you were too used to /his cooking/. You two had spent the majority of the festival with the crew, but after a while, you two had gone off to have your own little private date on your own. Sneaking off to the nearby forest for some privacy.

You knew that he was a Romantic Sap when it came to dates. You were the type to just stay home and chill there but, this was a special day so, you thought that you’d amuse him this time. By the time you two had managed to sit down and start eating the delicious meal he had prepared for the two of you (which included some of your favorites). Sanji was telling a big story that happened when you weren’t part of his life, doing silly poses whenever he’d quote his other crewmates, making you have a hearty giggle fit throughout his story.

Before he turned around, you got on one knee and held the Ring box in your hands and stayed quiet. You grinned when he turned around to see you but, completely /froze/ at the sight of you on one knee with the Ring box in your hands. A pink hue started to form as you started to get flustered, “Sanji-kun.....” You started, which made him gulp, anxious of what’s gonna happen despite knowing what it may be. “...Even though we’ve only been together for a few years without the Time skip included...” You paused again so you could pull out the ring, which was a nice silver ring with a very small diamond in the middle. he recognized this ring as you used to wear it on your chain. “Y-Y/n...You can’t...” he starts off, making you nervous, “That ring is yours...” he finishes while avoiding eye contact due to being nervous himself

You giggled, “Sanji-kun....I love you....I want you to have this. I’m willing to gift you something precious...Because your more precious than a silly ring.”

     That did him in. That tiny speech of you claiming he’s more precious than one of your rings was what got him to cry. He cursed, flustered with himself, “D-Dammit....I-I should be proposing t-to you...Not the other way a-around” He complains with a dopey grin that showed his true feelings towards this. “...Will you Marry Me?” You finally asked, holding out a hand so that way you can put the ring on his finger if he said yes.

He didn’t technically say /yes/. But he did nod his head as the awkward crying turned into sobs. After putting the ring on his finger, he fell down to tightly hug you. He’d never been given something so precious in his life without it being taken away from him right after. You knew this though, and just allowed him to cry as you pat his head gently and giggled every now and again

“I love you y/n-san! I love you so fucking much!” He’d repeat, making /you/ get flustered with his chanting declaration of love to you. You hugged him tighter, “I know. I love you too Sanji...After all that you’ve been through...I knew that you were perfect for me, as both a boyfriend, and a Husband.”

Hearing those words just made him sob even longer. He’s never had somebody love him /like this/ in a very long time. And he can’t wait to continue to be loved by y/n for the rest of his life.

[whirlybirdwhat]

crown the king (with bloody flowers) - chapter 37

Hanahaki au drabble series, in which Luffy is in love with the sea.

(Warning for Wano Spoilers before chapter 950!)

Kidd remembers Straw Hat. He had been a brat back then, at Sabaody all those years ago, not even coming up to Kidd’s shoulder and still having baby fat lining his cheeks. The youngest Supernova, the rumors had whispered, only fourteen. 

Kidd hadn’t cared about that back then. Why would he, when the rumors - when the entire world - knew that Straw Hat was a crazy bastard that had taken on the world government and won. What’s an age to a reputation like that? To a power like that? Then - then all Kidd cared about was seeing Straw Hat do some crazy shit. 

When Straw Hat crashed down the ceiling of that auction, not even breaking in his stride as he smashed his fist into the face of a celestial dragon twice his height, Kidd had gotten his wish.

And yet - he had seen, then, the way flower petals stuck in the brat’s lips as grinned. He had seen the way his lips were bloody without a hit on him, and the way he had spat onto the ground after, leaving an entire flower bud in his wake. The rumors hadn’t talked about that. 

Even after the war, with the image of Straw Hat holding his dead brother plastered about the world, petals in his wake, the rumors hadn’t talked about it.

Looking at him now, older but with lips still just as bloodied, Kidd wonders if they do now. It’s a surprise to see him here, in the midst of Wano’s prison camps, but then again - it’s Straw Hat. After two years of absence only to awake to challenge an emperor, Kidd shouldn’t be surprised at where the kid shows up. 

He’s still short. His robes sag a bit too big on him, smothering the muscle Kidd knows still must be underneath. His hands hang in front of him, bloody and scratched and sticky with petals as the sea stone drapes around them, and his feet are unsteady as he walks. Even from his cell, Kidd can see it - the gait that sways from side to side, the shakiness of his step,  the stumbling click-clack of his sandals and the clink of his chains as the guards pull him along - they’re making a spectacle of it.

Pathetic, Kidd thinks, and doesn’t quite know who he’s directing it at, bastards. 

And then - 

Then they throw Straw Hat into his fucking cell as they all cackle so loudly, and it’s all Kidd can do to not break their necks with his bare fists. Annoying bastards. He liked his solitary cell - and now he has Straw Hat to deal with? 

Hell-fucking-no - Kidd needs out of this dump not for Straw Hat to drag him down into another admiral-level mess. 

(His crew isn’t here, his crew is alone, and Killer is out there somewhere, captured just like him. His crew is strong, but they aren’t as strong as Kidd or Killer, and damn if he’ll let them get hurt because some straw hatted nuisance stirred up trouble.

(Or… at least more hurt than Kidd had let them get. What a shit captain he is, dragging them into an alliance like that.))

“DAMN YOU KAIDO!” Straw Hat screams, swears, and it’s muffled by the bandages wrapped around his face and a gurgling in his throat. “DAMN YOU!”  He stumbles to his feet, shoulders hunched, glare bright - the seas stone is dragging at his body, but even Kidd has to respect how the fire in his eye doesn’t seem to burn out even trapped like this.  “COME BACK AND FIGHT ME! BASTARDS!” 

Straw Hat’s chains clink against the prison cell. The wardens just laugh, waving him off, and suddenly, there is darkness again as they shut the cell door. 

Still, Straw Hat continues screaming, raging, an edge of desperation in his tone. He’s angry in a way Kidd has never seen him before - though, truth be told, he’s only seen him once. But if the anger he has now doesn’t top his anger when fighting a celestial dragon of all things - 

Kidd doesn’t know what could set him off.

(Or, perhaps, he does. That anger rides deep in his belly now, after all, days past when his crew was destroyed. Kidd is a pirate. Straw Hat is a pirate. 

Some things don’t change, between men like them.) 

Straw Hat smashes his cuffs against the iron bars - against the sea stone bars, Kidd’s tried to fight against them more than he would admit - but it does nothing but make more blood drip out of his robes and down his face. He starts screaming again but - 

“BASTA-ACK!” He coughs, wet and ragged in the middle of his words, and doesn’t stop. It’s a hacking cough, once that seems to drag at his throat, and he keeps coughing, over and over till it’s almost like he’s choking one it. Blood spills over his lips and onto the floor as his legs - those weak, trembling legs that Kidd already saw - give out from underneath him. He doesn’t stop coughing even then, his entire body hunched to the ground. 

He’s trying to brace himself, trying to hold his chest, but he can’t do both at once. 

Straw Hat wobbles.

Finally, Kidd finds the voice to speak. “Oi.”

Straw Hat keeps coughing.

“Oi!”

Straw Hat keeps coughing.

“OI!” Kidd snarls, and reaches a limb over to smack his back. 

Straw Hat chokes for one, horrible moment, and then blood splatters on the ground as flowers begin pouring out his mouth as ripped bandages dangle around. Beautiful ones, like marigolds and hyacinths and other flowers of all colors that Kidd will never know the name of. They stick to his bruised cheeks, his hands, the floor, his manacles, but - 

He’s finally, finally stopped coughing. 

The choking and the flowers stop too, eventually, leaving Straw Hat gasping for breath on the floor, looking small and huh - beneath the bandages, baby fat still clings to his cheeks.

He’s sixteen, Kidd recalls, a whole seven years younger than himself. 

Pathetic, he wants to think, but can’t quite make himself do so. Straw Hat walked here after all, with bandages choking his mouth and sea stone laid across his hands, and was still fierce enough that most of the guards backed off. Straw Hat has guts. 

And - Kidd realizes, surely and absolutely as Straw Hat drags himself up to sit on his heels - he’s got hanahaki. 

(He’s the first-person Kidd’s ever met that has the disease. He never quite thought it’d be like this.)

“Jaggy,” Straw hat murmurs out, the word scratching at his throat. “You’re here?”

“Tch.” Kidd snorts, not energized enough to snarl against the nickname, and settles back against the wall. “Obviously, brat.”

Straw Hat heaves out again, in and out. “… Thanks.” He murmurs again, voice still ragged. 

To this, Kidd shrugs. He didn’t - he didn’t do it to be kind. “The coughing was a bit annoying.” 

Straw Hat doesn’t say anything to that. He just keeps looking at the small window of light they have, back turned to Kidd and body still - stiller than Kidd had ever seen him. Even in his wanted posters the kid always seemed to be moving.  It unnerves him, ever so slightly.

But - whatever. Straw Hat is being quiet, not coughing, and they’ll be enough nuisances tomorrow. He can ignore the brat’s despondent look till tomorrow, and catch some sleep now.

He’s not in the mood to fight, or puff up his feathers like he would do for his rivals typically. He’s just… tired. And hurt. And he misses his crew.

(Straw Hat is alone now. He’s in the same boat.)

Kidd uses his one hand to pull his coat tighter to himself, and rests back against the wall, determinedly shutting out the world and Straw Hat’s to desperate gasps from the front of the cell. It’s… it’s fine. 

Fine.

Fine.

-

Whatever it is, it’s not fine because Kidd wakes up hours later to near-entire darkness in his cell and a shuffling, hacking in his corner. He has half a mind to lash out, because he’s alone in his cell, and noises in the dark have never meant anything good but - 

Then he remembers earlier today. He remembers Straw Hat being thrown in the cell. So, no lashing out but - 

“Damnit.” Straw Hat is whispering, cursing in his corner, and Kidd doesn’t think it’s out of any consideration for him but rather the hoarseness of his own voice. “Fuck.”

His voice cracks a bit. 

(He’s sixteen and he’s been in more wars and fought more emperors than Kidd can claim to. His own weakness burns at him.)

Kidd turns his head. There, struggling in the corner, is Straw Hat. The bandages have all been torn from his face and now lay in his hands, considerably more bloody than the last time Kidd saw them. Flowers lay scattered about Straw Hat’s entire body, and it seems he’s trying to do something with the bandages and his sea stone cuffs. 

Whatever it is, it’s not working because even in the dim moonlight Straw Hat’s eyes have lost some of their fire. Some of their rage. 

He looks… exhausted. 

(His eyes are rimmed red. Kidd doesn’t look too closely.)

He starts hacking again, not as harsh as earlier but seemingly because he doesn’t have the energy to do so harsher. The purple flowers from before - the spindly kind - fall from his lips and the sight of them makes Straw Hat grow - grow more something. Something like desperation and rage and grief but also not quite. It’s not a sight Kidd thinks he should be privy too, but prison does that to a man. It breaks down the barriers in all the wrong ways and it hurts. 

So, Kidd does something about it. 

“Oi.” He says again, like he did earlier, and yet this time Straw Hat’s response is immediate. His head snaps up, eyes flying wide, his entire body shifting into the defense. It’s easy to tell how the chains wear at him, how red his chest is from that scar, how he halfheartedly used his robes to wipe away the blood, when he’s like this. “The hell you doing, Straw Hat?”

Straw Hat just stares at him, reminiscent of a child caught doing something he shouldn’t. Kidd raises an eyebrow, and Luffy shrugs, stubbornly avoiding Kidd’s eyes as he puffs up his shoulders. “Trying to get the cuffs off.” 

Yeah, right. The brat’s a terrible liar even under the exhaustion. 

“With the bandages?” Kidd prompts, irritated, because he did not get woken up to get lied too. Luffy shrugs again, but this time holds out his hands, cuffs and bandages and all. His shoulders lilt with some unbidden weight. 

“I was trying to stuff the bandages under the cuffs so that it wouldn’t touch me.” Straw Hat says simply. “But I can’t do it like this.”

Huh. That’s… not a bad idea. If the sea stone isn’t touching him, Straw Hat can use his powers. It’s not a bad idea, yeah, except for the fact that the manacles are so skin tight it’s hard to get anything under them, and the fact that the sea-stone would be in such close proximity to the skin that even the tiniest shift would have you back where it started. 

Still, Kidd takes a look at what Straw Hat has done. It’s not much - his manacles are tighter than the others Kidd has seen around here, included his one-cuff manacles. Straw Hat’s are more like stockades, binding his wrists so close that they’re almost touching and giving him very little room to even move his elbows. He’s managed to get the tail end of a bloody bandage under his manacle, but nothing more than that.

It’s futile, and Kidd tells him as much. “It won’t work, brat. Too tight, and you’ll still feel the effects. Sides - they’ll switch ‘em out tomorrow morning with the chain ones so you can do their dirty work for them.” He dangles his own, singular chain and cuff as an example.

Straw Hat stares at him with wide, wide eyes, and then goes back to his hands. “That doesn’t matter. Chopper says I shouldn’t let Sea Stone touch me, or things will get worse. So I have to try or he’ll be mad at me. .”

Chopper - isn’t that his pet reindeer? The tiny guy? Kidd shakes his head, dispersing the thought. Who cares about that, when the brat is still trying to get the bandages under the manacles. He’s letting out noisy grunt as he does so, and it’s clear the manacles are pulling at his skin, leaving it bloody and raw with the skin peeled and everything. It doesn’t even deter the brat - he just keeps on going.

That doesn’t answer Kidd’s questions though. “What will get worse?”

(Sue him for sounding like he cares. He’s bored and Straw Hat is noisy, so obviously he has to do something.)

Straw Hat just gives him a dry look, and heaves into another coughing fit. There’s no blood this time, but it does leave Straw Hat looking even more worse for wear, tired and exhausted . He starts to lean against the wall of their little prison, his hands shaky and his head tilting gently as he still - still - goes to mess with the bandages.

Oh, Kidd realizes with a soft murmur. Oh. 

The hanahaki. The killing disease. The killing love. It gets worse with the sea stone? 

The rumors didn’t say anything about that - but then again, they didn’t talk about it at all when Straw Hat Luffy was the topic. 

Before Kidd knows it, the words are spilling out of his mouth. “Give me that, brat,”

“Wha - I’m not a brat!” Straw Hat says indignantly in that hoarse voice of his. “And no!”

“You just now noticed that I’ve been calling you a brat, brat?”

“Oi-“

“And get over yourself. The sooner you stop coughing the sooner I get to sleep, so get over here and give me that.” Kidd waits a beat. “Brat.”

Straw Hat fumes but its only for a moment before he’s scooting along the wall, too tired to get up properly, until he’s right next to Kidd. He holds out his hands and bandages petulantly, almost skeptically, his eyes piercing Kidd’s own.

Damn the brat has a glare. 

Kidd ignores this, ignores how he’s helping his rival, and grabs the brat’s tiny wrist. It isn’t gentle, isn’t kind, but it lets him see what the brat has been trying to do. Straw Hat doesn’t flinch. Just sits there, wide eyed and covered in blood and muck. 

(It’s harder to avoid the redness of his eyes this way, but Kidd forges on.) 

He’s careful as he starts using his hand to push the bandages through. The brat’s manacles make this act easier at least, a little looser than Kidd’s own cuffs, and Straw hat manages to hold still despite his trembling and shaky breaths. It takes a bit of maneuvering, a little bit of teeth, and more than a few trade backs of Stop moving, brat, and Shut it Jaggy, but eventually - eventually Straw Hat’s manacles aren’t touching his skin any more. He’s breathing easier, skin a little warmer, and there’s something Kidd doesn’t want to name in his eyes.

“That better, brat?!” Kidd bites out, trying to regain some of his image despite the way his hand is twisting the kid’s wrists around, double checking. 

“Shishishi!” Straw Hat laughs, the first real sign of whatever the fuck kind of joy is going on in his wanted poster showing its face. “Yep! Thanks Jaggy!” 

“Whatever.” Kidd settles back into the wall,  bringing a knee up and hugging it in lieu of crossing arms he doesn’t have. “Be quiet now - I want some fucking sleep in this hell hole.”

Straw Hat doesn’t respond. Kidd glances over.

That fucking asshole - he - 

He’s already sleeping on the ends of Kidd’s ratty coat, head nestled one the fabric and too-thin limbs splayed out in front of him.  Sleeping. On Kidd’s coat. The only one who was ballsy enough to do that before was - 

(An emperor, taking his crew away, a blue and white mask falling-)

-is still here, somewhere. 

Kidd has half a mind to shake him off, but - didn’t he say, all those years ago, that he wanted to see Straw Hat do something bat-shit insane? 

This has to count. He’s quiet now, at least. 

Kidd tucks his head down, and copies him, ignoring the blood staining his coat and the ground, and the ghosting flower petals stirred up by the wind. 

(The next day sees Kidd watching Luffy shake as his manacles are interchanged with cuffs that touch his skin. It has Kidd seeing Straw Hat tremble in his cell as Kidd helps him like he did this night, and days later - It seems the tiny reindeer give him a small, thankful nod as he inspects the bandages still wrapped around Straw Hats wrists. There’s an understanding there, a respect that Kidd can’t help but bristle at. 

He - He didn’t - whatever this was, it remains here, in Udon, because Kidd is a pirate and so is Straw Hat. The past remains there, and alliances are doomed to falter and fail. This wasn’t an alliance. Not even close. This was….

Whatever.

(And if there are still immortal flowers, purple and tall, stuck in the pockets of Kidd’s coat, then no one has to fucking know.)) 

[gildedmuse]

Kendo Rivals/Teammates Law & Zoro (Plus Ace)

Part I / Part II

The plan had been one of his better ones, really, in that he'd actually planned at all. He'd seen all their practices and matches, because Luffy refuses to miss one ever again. His little brother was terrified Zoro would get sliced open like he had under Mihawk, and just like before Zoro wouldn't call Luffy to tell him because, "winning the world cup is more important. There's no need to worry, I'll be fine."

(Ace had worried. Not that Zoro told him, either, he just happened to have the TV turned to some sports channel after watching the latest Strawhat victory when the breaking report came on. Young, promising Kendo competitor cut down in his prime. Without so much as an apology, Ace had left the set where he'd been filming and rushed blindingly to four different hospitals before he found him.)

("It's no big deal," Zoro insisted, even as he had been laid out on a hospital cot, bandages wrapped fully around his chest and a bag of blood slowly dripping down the IV hooked up to his goddamn neck. "I screwed up some simple footwork, I was exposed. Mihawk took the shot I gave him.")

(Ace tried to explain, without outright yelling, that Mihawk is the former world champion and should damn well known how to redirect a potentially fatal hit, especially against his own student. Zoro had just set Ace with this hard look, older and more serious than it should have been. He told Ace, plain and simple, he had vowed to be the world champion, and if this is what it took to get there, he'd carry the scar with pride.)

The second Ace realizes how hard and fast Law is with his strike, Ace is worried again. Worried Zoro will take this hit much the same, that he won't see the intent behind it. Ace has followed his practices and the rare prechampionship match he's had since being forcible paired up with Trafalgar Law for the last couple months. He's even caught a couple of their interviews (it's always amusing seeing reporters trying to get him to open up when all Zoro wants is out of there, and he's not afraid to tell them as much). And while he's seen Law act frustrated, bewildered, exasperated, even smug, he's never seemed once angry with Zoro, not even genuinely unhappy, no matter how many faces he pulls.

It makes Ace immediately suspecious.

Luffy and Zoro have been friends since their early school years, and when Luffy befriends someone he tends to take over their lives, just a little. It hadn't been different for Zoro, who hadn't really had much of a life to get back to anyway, so in a way he became their fourth brother, which had been fine by Ace. He likes Zoro. As much as he lets Luffy boss him about and pull him around, he's always looking out for his "captain" as he teasingly calls him, having once been stupid enough to let Luffy talk him into joining the school soccer team.

He makes for a good middle brother, Ace decided fairly early on. Still young compared to him and Sabo, but two years plus at bit of maturity on Luffy. And Zoro makes his place there (for the most part - he's use to being an only child and still seems baffled by certain signs of brotherly affection).

But it would be impossible not to notice all the, well, notice Zoro has been getting lately. And not just for his kendo skills. He's no longer the awkward, confused boy Luffy just dragged home one day ("He couldn't find his bus in time, shishi, so I brought him here instead!") Now he's all lean muscles. He's still got something of a boyish face, but otherwise he's all sharp angles and a sharper smile. It's a good mix. That's not Ace thinking that. He's seen Zoro at open practices before. The boy stretches out while wearing one of those ridiculously thin white shirts or blue tank tops that compliment his golden complexion and girls audible swoon.

Not that Zoro ever notices. He's too caught up in the sport, in the eventual victory he's been working towards since Ace knew him.

Which is how he immediately knows that Zoro has no idea the way Law looks at him when he thinks the cameras and fans are all focused on Zoro. Hell, Ace doesn't think the other kenshi even realizes yet how his eyes soften slightly, as he gives all his attention to his teammate.

Ace notices, though. He'd like to think it's some sort of big brother instinct knowing someone is watching Zoro like that.

Of course, if that were true he'd always be on guard. Since he turned 16 people had started watching him with eager, hungry expressions. Three years had only made it worse. For the most part, Ace just brushed them off.

Yeah, unless they were a prized katana or a former world kendo champion, good luck getting Zoro's attention. Ace doesn't even bother paying them notice anymore; he certainly knows Zoro won't.

That is, until Trafalgar Law enters the picture.

Even before they'd been teamed up against each other's wishes, Ace knew vaguely of Law. He'd heard Zoro mutter various things about him while watching Kendo matches, sometimes even leaving the tv on to the post game interviews which he never did before. Ace assumes something about the other swordsman must really get under his skin. Sure enough, when Silvers Rayleigh declares them a doubles team, Ace could feel the resentment rolling off Zoro in waves.

Ace hadn't been too worried then. As much as Zoro might hate his new teammate, Ace knows his little brother will do anything to make it to that tournament, even if it meant putting up with Trafalgar Law.

There's been something strange about their practices, but Ace chalked that up to the energy of adversaries turned partners. To be entirely honest, his focus had been so centered on Zoro he hardly noticed Law was even there. It's not until their first (non tournament) doubles match that Ace zeroes in on the older boy. Law is the guard, blocking the second of the other team's kenshi from getting closer to their front attacker. Zoro is going in on the other player without mercy, and it's a sexy beautiful thing to witness. He gets this smile that's all sharp, shark like teeth and practically dances around his opponent, scoring hit after hit.

At some point Ace vaguely hear's Rayleigh calling out something. His eyes flicker over only to find the older boy is watching his teammate rather than his opponent. Law stares at Zoro, not with jealousy or disdain or annoyance; his eyes follow Zoro around the floor just to catch glimpses of Zoro's captivating style, the way he moves, his cocksure attitude with each hit he gets in.

The other guard gets two points for his hit on Law before Law recovers, pulling his attention back to his own match.

If Luffy hadn't octopus squeezed Zoro, demanding they go out to a celebratory dinner (Luffy answer to everything), Ace might have tried to catch Law as he fled from the floor. Maybe even invite him to dinner with them.

It had been amusing seeing this supernova kenshi get distracted by his little brother.

"Yeah, yeah, alright, captain!" Zoor laughs, finally giving up on getting Luffy off him and instead just moving him to his back. "I should just say - Where's Law?"

"I think you missed him," Ace answers with a smile that both boys greet with blank looks, no idea what Ace has in mind that's made him light up like that. "He must have had somewhere to be."

He must be embarrassed as hell, Ace thinks to himself with a chuckle, dropping his guard almost completely, and all over Zoro.

Zoro sighs, seemingly not surprised but still put out all the same. "Yeah, he does that. Just thought we'd congratulation one another after our first match. Oh well, let's get some food in this one before he starts chewing on me."

"Ewe. I don't eat seaweed!"

"You eat seaweed all the time! What do you think nori is?"

"Wait is nori seaweed?"

"Of course, you dumbass.... Owe!! Don't bite me!"

"I wanted to see if you tasted like nori!"

"I'm not seaweed damnit!"

Ace follow after his two younger brothers, not paying too much attention to their usual antics. He's thinking about Zoro's irritation that Law would just take off. Over the years, Ace has learned to understand Zoro pretty well, and what seemed like irritated... It sounded to Ace a lot like disappointment.

His stomach suddenly feels empty, and he shakes himself out of those thoughts, deciding that Luffy is right. What they need now is some food and drinks and to celebrate Zoro's first team victory.

-♠️-

Less than a month later and Zoro calls him out of nowhere. The green haired swordsman is known to hate talking over the phone, so Ace is instantly on alert.

"He asked me to go on a date," Zoro moans without any sort of greeting.

He's not even eating anything and Ace starts to choke, coughing so hard he can barely get a breath in. "Sorry, swallowed wrong," Ace explains once he's finally done trying to hack up whatever it was that had gotten stuck in his throat just then. "Go on."

"He said 'bring a girl," Zoro continued after a short pause to make sure Ace isn't about to die on him. "Apparently, I'm absolute rubbish with them, but he wants me to bring one anyway." Ace doesn't even need to ask who he talking about.

"I thought about taking Luffy just to piss him off," Zoro grumbles, and Ace can't help but chuckle because of course taking Luffy would be Zoro's first instinct. "But Rayleigh threatened to pull us from the tournament if we don't start acting like a team. Which is unfair. It's not my fault Law's a bastard who's impossible to get along with!"

Shit, so that's what this is about? Ace knows how much that championship means to Zoro; hell, anyone whose ever talked to the kid for longer than ten minutes knows it. Zoro will do anything in order to keep his spot in the tournament, and Ace is weirdly pleased to know that - despite his original reckless impulse - when Zoro desperately needs advice and guidance he turns to him over anybody else, even Sabo. Zoro trusts him a hell of a lot considering what's at stake, and Ace does not intend to let him down.

Although... There is no way this is going to be easy. Just from what he's observed from the sidelines, Zoro appears to have a natural talent for annoying the older boy, and in return Law seems to purposefully leave him frustrated or riled up. The problem is, in their minds they're still rivals. They're on the same team but still competing against one another. You can see it clearly at every practice where they spend more time sizing each other up than the poor team brought in to run scrimmages.

Ace is willing to bet with that kind of competitive streak, Trafalgar Law is also determined to move forward into the championship. Still, assuming the older kenshi isn't trying to sabotage their chances, one has to wonder at the bonding activity he's picked out. After all, Law said it himself: Zoro is terrible at talking to girls, especially the girls Law would have seen him interacting with.

[Those would be the members of the Stalk A Kenshi Club or SAKC, as in the thing they'd all like to get Zoro into. When Ace had told that joke all three brothers just stared at him with utterly blank faces before Sabo informed him that wasn't even how you spelled "sack". Then they had to awkwardly explain to their youngest brother what "in the sack" meant, which made Ace thankful he hadn't made the more lewd version he'd originally thought up.]

And, sure, Zoro's never been the most outgoing guy, but his little fanclub doesn't make it easy. Some of them are alright, Ace supposes, just shy young girls enchanted by some overly romantic image of Roronoa Zoro; the strong, silent, brooding world famous kendo competitor whose young and handsome and once they fall in love, she can break down all his barriers and yada yada. Ace has read the fanfiction, he knows the game.

Then you have the more possiesive, assertive girls who want to know every little detail of Zoro's life (what for is anyone's guess). Those girls are the ones who can be.... Well, the word terrifying comes to mind. It's like... Even when he's at his most engaging and personable, flashing his hottest smile and generally being the most magnetic thing in the room and these girls give him nothing.

Nothing!

Come on, that's not natural.

"Look, you just have to fake it for one evening make Law feel like he's the good guy, like he's done some great act of kindness taking you out on a date." And okay, Ace words it very specifically how Zoro had, just to see if the innocent kenshi hears it when it's said back to him. From the annoyed sigh, Ace goes with no. "Couldn't you ask Nami?"

He can hear Zoro's disbelief through the phone. "Nami!? She'd charge me to take her out than slap me for suggesting it!" Alright, that's fair.

"Hmm.. okay. What about Tashigi?" Ace hates even suggesting Tashigi. She's a fellow kendo competitor, around Zoro's age, pretty but not confident about it. If they pushed aside their rivalry he could easily see the two actually getting along, maybe even falling for one another and -

And that would be great. Ace would love for his little brother to finally find someone, something he loved outside of kendo (and them of course). Just he isn't sure that's what Trafalgar Law has in mind for this evening.

"You know what, better not. Three kendo competitors one one date, that's a disaster waiting to happen," Ace jokes, dismissing Tashigi before Zoro has time to consider her. So who does Law want him to bring? He's seen the way the older boy looks at his little brother. What good does he get out of asking him out on a double date? Why tell him specifically to bring a girl, because that certainly hadn't been Zoro's idea. Is it just denial? But that doesn't make sense. Ace might have looked into Dr. Heartstealer history and as far as he can tell, Law has no issue dating men and women alike. Yet with Zoro, he tells him to bring a girl.

Oh. It all suddenly clicks into place. Of course. Trafalgar Law is jealous. Maybe of Luffy, or just the idea that Zoro would have someone in general. But he must have seen Zoro around his little fanclub. Those girls utterly adore him and Zoro... Zoro just cares about kendo. Those girls are just a distraction, one he's happy to ignore when he can, and when forced to interact with them he's short, direct, a little awkward if one gets even slightly emotional.

Law probably thinks he'll show up with one of those very same girls in tow. Ace has to give it to the other boy. He gets what he wants (Zoro, clearly) without having to admit to anything or feeling threaten by someone Zoro might actually like.

(Ace's brain tries to bring up Tashigi again and he immediately burns that thought to a crisp. It's not the same. He's looking out for Zoro, not trying to monopolize him.)

There's no way in hell Zoro is going to ask one of those girls out, but Ace knows the next best thing. "What about Persona?"

"PERONA!?!" Ace can't help but laugh at Zoro's reaction; the shock, the anger, the fear. Zoro left to live and train with Dracule Mihawk for two years, and while the world cup, international peace missions, and film shoots had kept Luffy, Sabo and Ace busy enough that they could hardly go and see him, they had all at least meant the greatest ever swordsman's pink haired daughter. Ace - being the closest - had seen her more than once, and it would have been funny how much the girl showed such an interest in him if it weren't for Mihawk's dark looks. Of course, he gave Ace those same looks when he spoke with Zoro. It's possible that's just Mihawk's face.

Either way, Ace knows the girl enough to know she'll say yes, if only for the chance to get dressed up and go out. And she won't be a threat to Law, that's for sure. Her and Zoro argue like siblings, and as far as Ace has seen Perona has no patience for their green haired brother. She really is the perfect choice.

The tricky part will be convincing-

"Arg," Zoro groans, and Ace hears a distinct thud. The sound of Zoro's head hitting his desk no doubt. "Okay, fine, I'll ask Perona."

Ace can't help but frown. That had been easy. Much easier than he expected. Maybe Persona had been a bad suggestion.

"But it won't work," Zoro grumbles, still obviously worried about his spot in the championship. He really doesn't get it, poor kid, and Ace isn't sure he can explain it in a way that wouldn't blow Zoro's world apart.

Plus, he wants to make sure - absolutely sure - that he isn't just projecting making it up. He's 85% positive he's right, but he needs that last piece of confirmation. So he talks Zoro through what to say to Perona (he leaves what the kenshi will say to his past instructor for him to figure out on his own; Mihawk is more than a little intimidating and fuck if Ace will be the reason he snaps) and instructs Zoro to text him where the date ends up so he can "give him some helpful tips" on how to make it through the night with his and Law's team intact.

Ace never had any intention of giving him tips.

What he does do, when Zoro texts to say where they're headed, is dress up and grabs his bike, making it to restaurant with time to spare. It's a pretty nice place, way classier than anything Zoro will feel comfortable in, Ace can already say that.

If this is the best you can do you're messing up your first shot, Trafalgar Law. If you want to pick up his brother you really better pick up your game.

Ace chuckles, amused with himself, and grabs a seat at the bar. The boys will inevitably be swinging around to pick up the girls (he wonders if Law would recognize Mihawk's house and if so how intimidated he'd be finding out Zoro's date is the daughter of the great Hawkeye.

-♠️-

Then Zoro walks in.

He's .. well, he certainly didn't dress himself, that's for sure. Law and his current girlfriend lead the way, looking elegant and refined in comparison to Persona and Zoro, who seem content to keep at least three feet apart at any given time and-

Hey, aren't those Ace's jeans? They are, which would explain the rolled up hems. He left them there like three years ago, after a particularly bad shoot that happened to be near Zoro's training dorms. He'd slipped in with his key, stripped down, and fell into bed with Zoro without a second thought. By five in the morning he'd still been so exhausted he hadn't bothered finding them, just drove home on his motorcycle in just his boxers. It'd felt surprisingly good.

Not quite as good as watching Zoro bend over to pick up Perona's clutch when she drops it while sliding into the booth. He really has grown and filled out since Luffy first brought him home like some stray puppy. Ace would happily volunteer to peel those jeans off of him if -

He's like your little brother, you're here to help him, not shamelessly stare at his ass, Ace reminds himself, pushing his drink away. He might have had too much while waiting. That was it. The alcohol is just going to head.

There's nothing erotic about seeing Zoro squeezed into his jeans.

(Did Law pick those out for him? Could he be more obvious? Here, Zoro-ya, just slip into these. They maybe a bit tight, so don't be afraid to ask for help. Just lay down, I'm sure we can get them buttoned. Did he make him turn around, seeing that they looked good from every angle? Bet he did. Fuck, if Ace finds out that pervert felt Zoro up in those-)

Wait, what is he thinking? It doesn't matter who picked them out or why. The important thing is that by the end of the night Zoro knows he still has a team to go back to.

Ace tries not to openly stare at the couples, not wanting to draw attention to himself too early. Who knows, maybe this will work out just fine without him interfering. Maybe Perona will-

"Well, if no one is going to pay attention to me, I'm leaving!" Ah, yeah. That seems about right. Ace the s spins around I his seat fast as Perona marches by in a huff, stating pointedly at the bar.

Look, of her dad decides to take his revenge Ace does not want to be on that list.

-♠️-

The look on Law's face when Ace slides in next to Zoro is so worth the beating he's sure Zoro is going to give him later.

He looks like Ace has come along and taken the last cookie out with f the jar, the one he's been eyeing for himself all day. It's too funny.

It makes Ace want to play it up just a little bit.

He puts his arm around Zoro's shoulders, leans into the other boy until he's practically in his lap. The whole time Trafalgar Law is glaring him down like he can cause Ace to spontaneously combust if he pours enough disdain his way. Too bad for him, years of friendship with Luffy have made Zoro use to being grabbed by the brothers. He doesn't flinch away or even question why Ace is touching him so much, despite his general confusion over the moment.

Ace can see the hate burning in Law's glare Evey time he runs his fingers up and down Zoro's arm or pulls the boy closer to him. There is something dangerously polite about his response. "Excuse me, please unhand my kendo partner before I am forced to cut you to pieces."

He keeps it up until the other boy just about snaps. "I don't understand why he likes you, Portgas-ya."

Ouch, Trafalgar, that is quite the personal hit, and it really isn't going to earn you any points with Zoro. In fact, oro is glaring back at Law now, and if that doesn't show that Ace has won...

Not that it's a competition. In fact, Ace only came here to make sure his gut feeling about Law had been correct, and based on how Trafalgar is acting, it would seem Ace had been right.

Of course, there's no harm in double checking. In pushing it a little further. Just to make sure. For Zoro's sake.

And Ace knows just where to hit him, too.

"How sweet," Ace coos, smirking across the table at Law as his arm wraps tightly around Zoro's waist, keeping the other boy so close. "You didn't tell me he was such a big brother."

Law's eyes go wide for a half a second before narrowing in on Ace with twice the ferocity. Yeah, it hurts, doesn't it Law? You can't be the dark, mysterious kendo competitor Zoro wants so bad and pretend to be the caring big brother figure whose just looking out for him.

Ace's hand curls around Zoro's waist subconsciously, tugging him in as close as he can get him.

"He isn't," Zoro snaps back almost immediately, eyeying Law up suspiciously. Which isn't exactly what Ace is going for. Slowly, he pulls Zoro's focus off Law. With a hand under his chin, he turns Zoro's face back towards him.

Zoro's eyes keep trying to flicker off to the side to meet Law's. He's a bit pink from his neck all these way up to his ears, and it's just about the cutest thing Ace has ever seen. For as fierce as his gaze is, there's some general concern there over Law that Ace wants to burn away.

Honestly, he doesn't know he plans on kissing Zoro until he's actually kissing Zoro. God, this may be his little brother's first kiss based on how Ace has to lead him through it, first parting his lips until Zoro is willing to open up for him, still letting Ace take complete control of the kiss.

He feels one of Zoro's hands curl up right into his shirt, holding himself up against Ace. It's then Ace feels brave enough to tilt the boy's head back, finding the perfect angle so he can ravish the boy's mouth until Zoro is moaning.

It might be his name, too, which makes it all the better.

Law will never understand how hard it is for Ace to back down and pull away. Especially not when he is left staring at a Zoro whose faintly flushed, eyes still closed, whose lips are wet and parted like he's waiting for Ace to keep going.

Ace looks down just so he's not staring at a Zoro whose so breathless and eager.

Somehow, the pants thing takes him off guard a second time, and he notes it without much thought. He just needs some space from that ki-

"Those are not your pants," Trafalgar Law growls across the table, and Ace snaps back to why he's actually here. Well, it seems they found the line in the sand, huh? The one thing Trafalgar Law couldn't stand for.

The idea that Zoronisnt his at all.

Ace runs with it.

-♠️-

That god-damned fucking ASSHOLE.

Ace is left pacing outside the arena, waiting for Zoro to finally emerge while Trafalgar Law is inside doing who knows what to him.

He should have never trusted Zoro with that son of a bitch.

Hitting him like that when he wasn't looking? It wasn't right, not only that it had scared Luffy half to death. Ace thought his heart would break, hearing the way Luffy shouted out for Zoro when he saw Law's attack connect.

All because Ace is an idiot who thought he could trust the other boy not to hurt him or his chances at the championship since he liked him. Clearly, Ace had been wrong about the kind of man Trafalgar Law is.

He won't make that mistake again.

He sent Luffy off to buy some snacks, convincing him Zoro would be starving when he got out. Honestly, he's pretty sure he's going to punch Law in his smug-ass face.

It's a bad decision and Ace already knows it, but he's going to do it anyway. No reason for Luffy to get caught up in his bad press.

"Ace?" Ace stops his pacing immediately, turning to see Zoro walk out if the arena, swords and bag in hand. Just over his shoulder is Trafalgar Law, looking too goddamn smug for his own good.

Yeah, Ace is definitely going to deal with him. Just after he makes sure Zoro is okay and out of the way.

"Zoro, you're okay!" Ace wonders how much if a scene it would cause if he yanked Zoro's shirt up to inspect the damage for himself. It's not that he doesn't trust Zoro not to mention if he's hurt, it's just that he absolutely doesn't.

"Of course," Zoro mutters, like Ace is the one being unreasonable. "It wasn't that bad a hit, and I had my gear on this time. Where's Luffy?"

Ace sighs in relief while behind him, Trafalgar Law chuckles. Just what part of this does he think is funny? "How cute," the older swordsman says, and Ace immediately tenses up, knowing something bad is coming. "He's the protective older brother type." Ace glares Law down, but Law's smile doesn't even flinch. He just shrugs the look of, cocksure and unrepentant. "That's according to Zoro-ya himself," Law explains, his smile way too over confident and now Ace gets why.

A few hours ago, Ace would have been happy with this development. He wants for Zoro to be happy, and he thought Last could offer that. But now he just wants to knock the boys teeth in. There's no way in hell he's letting him put a hand on Zoro.

So without thinking Ace bites back, "Yet, he's only slept with one of us."

It's kind of a risk. He doesn't know exact what Law and Zoro talked about, and Zoro could have easily clarified the innocent nature of their past relationship, but going by the way Zoro goes bright red up to the roots of his green hair, or how Law's cockiness sudden gives way to a dark, foreboding scowl Ace feels he also got in a lucky shot.

"Zoro!" All three boys stop their fighting when Luffy's voice rings out. The boy runs towards them, packets of crisps and chocolates dropping from his arms as he does. He hits Zoro while still going around top speed. "You're okay! Ace said you would be but I didn't know because you never - Zoro?"

All the blood drains from Zoro's face the instant Luffy makes impact. He grabs on to the other boys shoulders, eyes glazed over and staring at nothing off in the distance.

Unlike Ace, Luffy does not have the impulse control not to practically rip away Zoro's shirt. There's no blood, but the bruising is deep and enough that when Luffy looks up at Law, even Ace is shocked by how serious he looks.

Law himself stands completely frozen when he meets Luffy's eyes. Good, maybe he's finally starting to feel some doubt, some guilt over what he's done.

Just in case, though, Ace feels his fist to Trafalgar's face ought to do the job nicely.

[ghost-kitty]

I think LawLu bites/bruises sounds good. (Pssst go for the inner thighs. With thigh high socks~ wink )

NOX! I’m so happy that I could finish your prompt right on time for your birthday <3 I wish you all the best and hope that you enjoy it. Thanks for being the best senchou-san!!!

NS.FW under the cut:

Luffy was never one to hide his blemishes and imperfections. Not that he could either with a scar sitting right underneath his eye. But even the much bigger one on his chest he wears with pride; shirt unbuttoned and displaying the X-shaped scar more often than not.

It reminds him that he is still here, still alive, after the accident two years ago almost cost him his life at a way too young age.

Some people may find it ugly, others think it looks cool. Many look at him with pity in their eyes. Their looks never bothered Luffy though, it's just that he doesn't really get it. What's there to pity when he is still alive and enjoying every second of it?

But it's okay. They don't get it. They don't know. 

Because it's more than just a reminder of what he could have lost; it's a mark. One that he wears with pride. 

Law's mark.

On that day two years ago Law saved his life and marked him as his in return. It was the first of many more to come.

Sadly the other marks fade eventually. From a deep purple to a pale yellowish colour, until there's no trace left on his sun-kissed skin anymore. 

He wears those with pride too.

Every time after they faded away completely, Law is all too happy to give him new ones. Uses Luffy's body as a canvas, makes him the muse to his inner artist.

And Luffy? Luffy loves every second of it.

He gets funny looks from people, sure, and he doesn't blame them either. What they see are hand-shaped bruises on his throat, wondering how they ended up on a young man like him. He lets them stare, lets them judge him. What they don't see, though, is how good it feels to have Law's big, tattooed hands on him; choking him lightly while his mouth is busy with leaving hickeys all over his chest and collarbones...

"Luffy."

Law's deep, husky voice snaps him out of his thoughts.

"Where are you right now Darling?"

The smirk he's sporting on his lips never fails to send shivers down Luffy's spine. Especially when he looks at him with his intense golden eyes, staring right into his soul.

His cheeks heat up and he averts his gaze. "...just thinking about how much I love this, 's all…"

Law chuckles. He bites the skin just short above the younger’s belly button, making him moan from the pleasurable pain. The lewd sounds espace his lips against his will, he can’t help it, not when his boyfriend makes him feel so good. "Baby," he says and licks the offended flesh, "you should focus on me."

His tattooed hands wander down from his hips to his clad legs, feeling up the soft fabric of the thigh highs Luffy's wearing. At the gentle touch, the teen feels his erection twitch in his panties. His pre-cum already made a mess out of the expensive lingerie but neither of them really care about that.

With a pat on the bare skin that isn't covered by the thigh highs, Law sits up to kneel comfortably between the younger's spread legs. Licking his lips he stares down at his prey. "Now… what to do with you," he muses.

His voice is thick with lust, and Luffy can't take it any longer. He needs Law. Needs him now!

"Please," he begs weakly. "Law please…"

Law shoots him a lopsided smile and leans down to press a soft kiss on his lips. Luffy easily parts them, allowing Law to lick into his mouth. The kiss that started gentle and sweet, turns into a heated one soon. Tongues dance around each other and the older's hand start wandering down Luffy's body until he has his ass in a firm grip. With a lustful moan, Luffy breaks the kiss when he feels the older give the plump butt a light squeeze.

"Mhh Baby, I want to make you feel good."

Luffy almost bursts from anticipation, knowing damn well that Law always keeps his promises. One last tender kiss on his lips and then Law begins to move down to his neck. He sucks on the sensitive skin until he's positive that there soon will be a fresh mark; all while he has a firm grip on his waist. Luffy already knows that there will be bruises in the morning too. The thought alone almost pushes him over the edge.

Not yet, he has to remind himself. Law is far from done with him.

His hips buck up unintentionally when the older man leaves feather-light, open-mouthed kisses all over his belly. He caresses Luffy's hard abs with his tongue, biting down roughly once in a while.

All Luffy can do is hold on to Law's broad shoulders and moan in pleasure as his boyfriend worships his body. 

Finally, after all the teasing, he feels Law's mouth where he desires him the most. He licks Luffy's cock through the lace, sucks on the swollen head, making him see stars from all the thrills rushing through his body.

"Please...” He can feel Law’s smirk against his thigh, satisfied with his boyfriend’s sweet begging.

"You're always so impatient my love…"

Despite the teasing tone in his voice, Law has mercy with him: he pulls the panties down a bit, just enough to finally free his throbbing cock from the tight lace panties, and takes the tip between his lips. Luffy's back arches from the bed as the pleasure washes over him and soon their bedroom is filled with his whines and cries of lust.

He bobs his head up and down at a steady pace, easily swallowing down all of Luffy's length. Fuck, Law really knows what he's doing and with all the teasing from before it doesn't take Luffy long to reach his limit. Just as he's about to cum, the warm wetness disappears from around his cock; leaving behind a confused and heavily panting Luffy, irritated from being robbed of his orgasm.

The damn bastard!

"Torao," he mewls his protest. "You're so mean! Please, I want to cum!"

Law's answer comes in the form of a grin that's downright sadistic. 

"Good things come to those who wait, Darling."

Okay, now he's just fucking with him. 

Though, Luffy should know by now that Law is right. He always is.

So when Law sinks his teeth into the smooth skin of his inner thigh and Luffy's vision turns black from the intense pleasure, all protest dies right on the tip of his tongue. Using his tattooed hands to push the younger's legs further apart, Law ravishes the sensitive area with his lips, tongue, and teeth; only satisfied when there are more red marks than tan skin.

Humming happily, he sits up again to adore the artwork he just created. "So pretty," he mutters under his breath, looking way too smug and proud of himself.

"God, Law, please…!"

"You want to cum?"

"Please!"

He grabs Luffy's thighs then and throws them over his shoulders. After peppering a few kisses onto the soft fabric, he takes his own erection in his hand. Letting out a sigh as he strokes his neglected cock a few times before guiding it to Luffy's waiting entrance, wet and open from Law's finger already. Eager to finally take his big cock.

With his thumb he moves the panties to the side and nudges Luffy's needy hole with his tip. Both grunt loudly when Law finally enters him, his dick splitting him open. Big and hot and so, so good! 

With how pent up they both are, neither of them will last long. That's okay though, they still have the whole night to make love until their bodies can't take it anymore.

Law thrusts into him hard and fast, just like Luffy wants him to. He muffles his cries by crashing their lips together for a hot kiss, never stopping the movements of his hips as he keeps ruthlessly pounding him into the mattress.

He takes a fistful of the teen's black locks and roughly pulls his head back, exposing his neck to him. Wasting no time, he nibbles at the already abused flesh. Luffy encourages him with moans, urging him on to suck and bite, wanting Law to leave even more hickeys. The tattooed man gladly complies and picks up the pace of his thrusts, hitting the sweet spot inside of him dead on with every snap of his hips.

They're both close.

Luffy can tell from how frantic the thrusts get and he himself clenches around Law, making him grunt against his neck. His nails dig deep into the older's back, desperate to keep him close. To feel his warm, sweaty skin against his body. He scratches his inked back; enjoys the groans he gets from Law. Like Luffy, he too, will wear marks for the next few days. 

It's driving him crazy.

"Law!"

He screams his lover's name as he cums and Law follows right after him, filling him up to the brim with his warm seed.

Lying in each other's arms, they slowly come down from their high; basking in the afterglow of amazing sex. Luffy snuggles closer and kisses his boyfriend lazily, both still trying to catch their breath.

They grin at each other, happy and satisfied and Luffy falls in love all over again. He's sure Law feels the same.

"You know," the older says eventually after they calmed down a bit, "there is still too much untouched skin here." Gently, Law brushes his thumb over the hickeys on his neck.

Luffy grins.

"We should change that then."

He really can't wait to show off all his new marks...

[onepiecehcs]

i have a cold, so to distract myself from my headache i made this

Nami swears in Swedish and the crew has since then picked up some of the language, but only words and no grammar so no one can actually speak it.

It drives her up the wall so much that eventually she gives in and gives them lessons.

“HELVETES JÄVLA FAN-”

She dropped a book on her toe.

Sanji + French = Zoros imminent doom

How,, can a human being make those sounds???

Law has pale patches on his skin that are an aftermath of Amber Lead.

So many people have mistaken it for vitiligo, but since the majority of the world still thinks that Amber Lead was contagious, Law doesn’t mind the misunderstandings.

The majority of pirates are almost always wearing some kind of jewellery, mostly in the form of earrings or necklaces.

It’s rumoured that Fire Fist Ace has a tongue piercing.

Only the Whitebeard Pirates know for sure if that is true or not.

Usopp and Sanji are responsible for the haircuts on the Sunny.

You may think that Franky should be one of them, but he can’t be trusted with a pair of scissors close to anyone’s head but his own.

He is killer at braids and hairstyles that doesn’t require sharp objects though, along with Usopp.

Nami and Vivi regularly talk on the Den Den, to keep in contact. They also write letters to each other.

They are in a long distance relationship!

Nami has promised to take her out to sea with her someday and be Gay Pirates Together (+ the crew.)

Speaking of Nami, she gets the most tattoos of the crew. I’m leaving it to your imagination to figure out how she looked after the timeskip.

Zoros ankle scars get questions and stares whenever they go to the beach

He either doesn’t answer, or gives an answer that just leaves you with more questions.

“I don’t like wax after that whole debacle.”

Each and every Heart Pirate has a tattoo somewhere on their body.

Penguins tattoo, for instance, is like Aangs arrows, except black, and twisting around his limbs like a snake, ending at his neck, and without the arrowed ends.

Shit I forgot about Bepo. Uuh, he is physically incapable of getting a tattoo, so he’s actually the odd one out in that aspect.

Both Kidd and Killer sound like extras from the movie “Brave”.

Edward Newgate Speaks With An English Accent And Nothing Can Convince Me Otherwise.

I mean “Newgate”??? Have you ever heard anything more,,english???

Thatchs’ full name was Edward Thatch. He started introducing himself with only his last name after joining the Whitebeard Pirates.

He definitely got teased for it.

Some people are genuinely worried about Marco flying south whenever they land at a winter island.

Ace could can play the fiddle.

The crew discovered this about a week before him joining them.

Marco is bisexual and so was is Thatch.

Vista can and will pull out flowers from his sleeves by the dozen just to startle you.

Haruta is Top Prankster on the Moby Dick.

April is a terrifying month for each and every Whitebeard Pirate.

Whenever Nami sees a rowan tree with a lot of berries, she will instantly know that the next island they stop at will be a winter island ( a Swedish children’s rhyme goes like this: Det blir extra kallt när vintern är här, om rönnen har ovanligt rikligt med bär!” It basically means that if a rowan tree has a lot of berries, the following winter will be unusually cold.)

Chopper, in his usual form without the hat and not counting the horns, is exactly 4.03 feet (123cm) tall after the timeskip.

Kidd doesn’t drink coffee for health reasons, while both Marco and Law, two Actual Doctors, cannot function without at least three cups of coffee in the morning.

There is a type of mermaid that can keep growing until they are approximately the size of two navy battleships.

These mermaids are later found to actually not be another type of mermaid at all, but are in reality a whole Other Species distantly related to the sea kings.

If the Strawhats ever meet one Luffy is immediately dead set on making them join the crew.

I say them because not only are there males as well as females, but they travel in pods!

If Ace had lived, he and Nami would have become great friends, partly thanks to their mutual love of felines.

Robin loves birds, and is fascinated by Marcos and Pells devilfruits.

Devilfruit users eyes do the cat thing where they glow when the light hits them right.

Ace and Marco look terrifying whenever they use their powers in the dark.

An incredible number of pirates are superstitious

The scale looks like this: Usopp—Ace—Luffy.

In other words: This sure that ghosts exist—I don’t really believe it, but I respect it—That’s complete and utter bullshit.

The wall above Usopps’ bunk in the guys bedroom on the Sunny is covered in his artwork.

Jinbe took one look at the Strawhat crew and thought, “These children need an uncle,” and then became the Best Uncle To Have Ever Graced The Five Seas.

In a modern au I personally think that Rouge would have been from either Quebec or somewhere in France,,,so.

All I want to say is that the thought of Ace speaking and knowing french is,,,*chefs kiss*

And that’s it.

[kbstories]

Axiomatic

ax·i·om·at·ic (adj.)

Self-evident; unquestionable.

The best part of battle is the afterparty.

(Or: Remember that banquet Luffy promised? This is it.)

Tags: Established Relationship, Domestic Fluff, Partying

Set in Wano. Spoilers for all of Wano. Read Chapter 2 here.

***

“What do you think?”

Lipstick glides over thin lips, the wax malleable and smooth as it leaves a coat of rusty red in its wake. Killer makes sure it’s perfectly even before he glances elsewhere. In the mirror, Kidd’s face is all scowled impatience.

One last run-down – eyeliner, mascara, lipstick: done, done and done – then Killer grabs the mask waiting for him. “Alright, let me see.”

Their eyes meet and Killer sighs. Metal over skin-and-bone, Kidd’s arms are crossed; his shaved brows push together further. As if Killer doesn’t indulge his every whim by the regular.

“I’m looking. Show me again.”

Kidd grumbles, “Watch.” He opens his arms, reveals an unbuttoned shirt tucked into his favorite patterned pants, glinting gold over black under a double-belted cinch at the waist. So far, so very Kidd.

No, the point of discussion is the frankly massive coat slung across his neck: Nice soft-looking suede on the outside and glossy-grey fur on the inside, it hugs Kidd’s shoulders in all the right places to then cascade down his back in a display of near-ridiculous opulence.

Extravagant, over-the-top, flashy. It’s hard to tell which type of animal had to die for this. There must be a lot less of ‘em now, with this monstrosity in the world.

Kidd is swiveling it back and forth with critical glances to the mirror, the coat wooshing with the motions. Killer takes in the fluid glide of fur over Kidd’s exposed chest, the contrast of impeccable couture against jagged scars. Loses himself for a moment or two imagining how it would feel like to run his hands over both.

An appreciative hum. In Killer’s educated opinion, Kidd looks damn near sinful.

“Yeah?”, Kidd asks and Killer nods. “Yeah. Heh, told ya the detour’s worth it.”

Perhaps it was, although sifting through Onigashima’s treasury whilst bleeding all over heaps of shiny expensive everything might’ve been a case of skewed priorities. There’s no need to talk about what-could-have-beens, though – they’re here, they’re rich and they’re long overdue at Strawhat’s banquet.

Killer’s practically done, tight jeans under a shirt that’s done up to the third button and left to flare open otherwise. It’s not his old favorite (that one stopped fitting him a good year ago) but similar enough, patterned in geometric black-and-white shapes. Definitely one of his fancier ones, not that anyone will care one way or the other where they’re going.

It’s… been a while since it’s been anyone other than them and their crew. Pirates are pirates, allied or no; Killer eyes the scythes neatly stored next to the bed.

Kidd is touching up his lips one last time, the same shade as Killer’s. “Bring ‘em. That Roronoa guy keeps throwing you weird looks and I’m not allowed to kill him.”

Yet goes implied. Killer isn’t wearing his mask and so he doesn’t roll his eyes. “He’s got every reason to”, he reminds his captain, focusing on the heavy clasps of his weapons to keep the memories at bay. The red mark on his chest stings, stuck in the limbo between a healing wound and a fresh scar for a few days still.

A testament to his failure that Killer won’t hide. If Zoro hadn’t stopped him that day his hands would be stained with blood that cannot be washed off, not entirely.

Kidd’s eyes are on him, dark. “I don’t care.”

Resentful as always. Killer reaches for him, digs his fingers into the fluffy lining of that coat and oh, the fur is as soft as it looks. “I do, though.” A firm tug, one Kidd follows until Killer can kiss him, careful not to smudge anything.

“No killing of allies today, ‘kay? We just came back from a war. The crew’s tired. I’m tired.”

“Mh” is all Kidd has to say to that, a grumpy huff against Killer’s lips more than anything. Kidd does give him a proper kiss, however, and Killer knows he won this one.

All he can ask of Kidd is to try, anyways – with two equally hot-headed captains and a whole host of morons around to rile him up, there’s bound to be blood eventually. The trick is to make sure everyone’s drunk enough not to take it too personally.

A pinch to his ass tells Killer he was caught scheming. Kidd smirks, tells him, “We’re getting wasted tonight”, all triumphant like it’s the best idea he’s had all week, and Killer doesn’t miss the emphasis on we.

“Two Emperors down! Strawhat better bring the good stuff tonight or this alliance is over.”

Killer groans, “Kidd”, but he’s smiling, too. Before he can be called out on it, Killer shoves his mask into Kidd’s hands, metal clanking against metal. “Make yourself useful. We’re late.”

Kidd’s laugh is more of a cackle than anything else – “Yes, darling”, said in that sarcastic lilt Killer knows all too well – yet Kidd complies. His hands, organic or otherwise, handle the mask they’ve built with care and precision. Soon, Killer’s vision is narrowed down to dots, the audio filter of his helmet kicking in soon after.

Killer rolls his neck and hums, satisfied. “Ready?”

Kidd throws a final look at himself in the mirror, grinning into the collar of his new coat.

“Hell yeah. Let’s go.”

*

The banquet is a sprawling, messy affair that swallows the entirety of the ramshackle village the Strawhats picked as their home in Wano Country.

From the moment the Kidd Pirates get there they are surrounded. Wherever Killer's eyes roam there are knots of people drinking, eating, laughing and crying, sometimes simultaneously – there, at the heart of it all where the crowd is thickest, burns the largest bonfire Killer has seen in a while, perhaps ever. Smiling faces all around and for once, it doesn’t make Killer’s stomach drop because they’re genuine.

Survivors of SMILE just like him, caught in the rush of real emotions for the first time in who knows how long. Killer has a pretty good idea how that feels like.

Next to him, Kidd is so tense he’s stalking, gaze intense, oozing Haki to keep people away; Wire’s hand is clenched to bloodlessness around his trident while Heat exhales a bit of smoke with every breath and yeah, Killer gets it. Can’t help it himself, either, scythes kept close to his sides to make sure they’re there.

The thing is: They don’t do these kinds of things. Parties, yes, many and often but not like this. Killer can count on one hand the amounts of times the population of any island was actually happy to see them, much less willing to send them off with one big feast.

Actually, he wouldn’t need to count at all because it’s simply never happened. Even filtered by his mask it’s… a lot to take in at once.

The entire damn country is here, it seems, all breathing a collective sigh of relief so monumental the air itself carries their joy. For all that the Kidd Pirates were in this for revenge and glory, Killer can’t deny it’s rewarding to see a nation so ravaged by an Emperor’s greed do whatever they want for the first time in decades.

Finally, a few familiar faces start popping up. Some of the samurai greet them with nods of their heads, overly formal like the people from Wano tend to be; here and there they spot the distinctly branded yukata the members of Trafalgar’s crew are wearing and, rarer but all the more noticeable, those animal people Strawhat dragged along from somewhere.

Minks? Or something? Killer is inclined to say it doesn’t matter if they didn’t have the habit to jump on them out of fucking nowhere. Looking for bone-crushing hugs and wet-nosed kisses, of all things, and– Oh no, he did not sign up for this.

Much less for whatever that group of cat minks are gearing up to, staring at the holes in his mask with eyes nearly swallowed by black, round pupils. Killer is absolutely, solidly convinced he doesn’t even want to know what that’s all about.

“Captain.”

And yeah, his tone is a little more alarmed than he truly means it to be. It gets Kidd’s attention, though – himself having fought off a dog mink enamored with his metal arm not too long ago – and he barks a laugh even when he ramps up his presence to an almost stifling degree.

“C’mon, I feel Strawhat up ahead.”

To nobody’s surprise, they find him smack dab in the middle of everything. Strawhat and his crew are lounging around the bonfire, there’s no other way to describe it: All broad smiles and flushed faces amidst the chaos, completely in their element, and it’s hard to tell if it’s the closeness to the bonfire or the vaguely impressive amounts of empty bottles lying around already. They’re certainly boisterous enough for it to be the latter, even Jinbei.

And no, Killer hasn’t quite processed that turn of events yet. The strangeness of seeing someone of that caliber wheeze into his mug with laughter as his (new?) captain takes a disturbingly big bite out of an even bigger chunk of meat is… not helping things, in that regard.

What a bunch of weirdos. In the safety of his mask, Killer allows himself a small smile.

From here the flames seem to reach for the sky, tinged in warm pinks and oranges by the sinking sun and there, very faintly, Killer can make out the first stars. He can’t remember ever seeing them, not with the factories running over night as well.

“Spikey!!”

Ah. Killer’s head turns with Kidd’s and it’s a good thing, too, because there’s a stretched arm coming for his captain – Kidd bites out, “Nope, no, Strawhat”, red eyes going wide – and Killer manages to side-step it in the last possible second. One, twice it wraps around Kidd, fancy coat and all, and then the rubber recoils.

“Killer!”

Oh my, Killer thinks mildly as he watches him go. Behind him, half their crew is flabbergasted and the other half is in stitches. “Captain’s gonna be in such a mood”, Heat says to Wire, and it just sends them into another fit of chuckles.

For Killer, finding a drink becomes his top priority. So much for keeping things peaceful.

>>Chapter 2.

[pingo1387]

Monochrome

Written for @rudimentaryflair for @opvalentines 2020!  Canonverse, Soulmate AU  ZoSan, side Frobin, mention of aroace Luffy 

The left eye held your eye color, and the right eye held your soulmate’s. When you first made eye contact with your soulmate, your right eye would change to its own color. That was what Kuina had told Zoro long ago. He never questioned it at the time, didn’t ask what that word “color” meant, but he did check his eyes in a mirror after that. They were identical as always. 

Kuina died with heterochromia. Somewhere in the world, her soulmate would live on with two brown eyes, one lighter than the other. 

“Sensei,” Zoro said one day after a frustrating training exercise. “What’s color?” 

Koshiro was taken aback by the question, and struggled to answer, eventually standing, leaving, and then returning with two large leaves. “Do you see the difference between these?” 

“Sure.” Zoro pointed to one. “This one’s darker.” 

“Yes. This one is red, and this one is green. Red and green are two colors.” 

Zoro was stumped. “Then, is everything just different shades of red and green?” 

Koshiro let the leaves flutter away in the wind and placed his hands in his lap. “Zoro, you may be color blind.” 

“What’s that?” 

Zoro only sort-of understood after Koshiro did his best to explain it to him. Afterwards, he looked at his eyes in the mirror again. According to Koshiro, colors would almost always have different shades of lightness and darkness, even in his “monochrome” vision (Zoro struggled to pronounce the word, even in his head), but his eyes were both the same shade as always. 

And that was fine. Zoro knew some people didn’t have soulmates, something else Kuina had whispered to him, and that was fine. He put down the mirror and folded his arms. No soulmate meant no one getting in the way of his dream. 

~ 

When Zoro locked eyes with the dark-eyed boy wearing the straw hat, he narrowed his eyes. Those eyes, full of youth and optimism, had changed to a lighter shade, the same one Zoro always saw in the mirror. 

“Hey,” he said while they were sailing away. “I’ve got a question.” 

“Shoot,” the boy, Luffy, said. 

“Your eyes, they changed color, didn’t they? But mine are . . .” 

“Oh, that! Don’t worry about that.” Luffy grinned. “Someone told me it means I don’t have a romantic soulmate, but I have a bunch of platonic ones. My eyes change color all the time if I make eye contact, and they change back after a while.” He stretched, flopping around in the boat. “It doesn’t make anyone else’s eyes change. Yours didn’t.” 

“Okay,” Zoro said, staring up at the sky. 

~ 

They picked up two more, a navigator with an eye for money and a sniper with a mouth for lies. After bumping into some old friends, they reached a seafaring restaurant called the Baratie, and Zoro was itching for a fight. When a waiter with hair covering one side of his face started to serve them, he made eye contact with Zoro, and his eyes widened. Usopp and Nami looked between them, mouths open. 

“What?” Zoro said, scratching his head. 

“Oh, fuck this,” the waiter said, glowering at Zoro. He seized Luffy around the neck. “Come on, chore boy, back to the kitchen.” 

As soon as they left, Nami and Usopp rounded on Zoro. 

“What was that about?” Usopp demanded. 

“What was what?” 

“Why didn’t you say anything to him?” 

“Huh?” 

“Didn’t you see . . . ?” Nami shook her head. “You’ll figure it out. You poor soul.” 

“Figure what out?” 

“You are a tragic, tragic man, Zoro,” Usopp cried. 

“You looking for a fight?” 

~ 

The cook Sanji ended up joining their crew, somehow, and he seemed to love picking on Zoro. Every time Zoro so much as tried to speak to him, Sanji would snap and badger until they were sparring, scowling, and seething. During one of their strange matches, Sanji’s hair flew up, and Zoro caught a brief glimpse of a matching set of eyes. 

“Do you not have a soulmate?” he asked. Sanji stumbled, caught off guard, and Zoro pinned him to the ground with a sword next to his head. 

“I wish I didn’t,” Sanji spat. 

Zoro frowned. “So . . . you do. You met them, and you didn’t get along? Isn’t that strange?” 

Sanji narrowed his eyes. “What the fuck are you talking about? Don’t you know?” 

“I don’t know. I know I don’t have a soulmate.” 

Sanji brought his legs up to his torso and kicked hard, sending Zoro flying. As Zoro sat up from the railing, rubbing his head, Sanji yanked his sword out from the deck and tossed it to him. “Yeah,” Sanji said, turning away as Zoro caught the sword. “I guess I don’t, either.” 

~ 

It had been a perfectly reasonable thing to do. His legs had been stuck in wax. The wax was unbreakable. His legs were breakable. Therefore--- 

“You’re an idiot.” 

Zoro winced as Sanji stuck the needle into his flesh again. “That’s my business,” he said through gritted teeth. 

“It becomes my---our business when it affects the crew.” Sanji jabbed the needle in again, perhaps a bit harder than he needed to. “I hate you.” 

Zoro folded his arms, staring at Sanji. Sanji looked up again, meeting his eyes, and looked back down. 

“I hate you,” Sanji repeated. 

“Yeah.” Zoro wiggled his toes, regaining feeling in his feet. “I know. I don’t know why you do, but I know.” 

Sanji flinched and snapped off the string, standing. “Rest, and don’t fucking try anything stupid,” he said. “Scratch that. Don’t stand up for at least an hour. I’ll bring you soup.” 

Zoro stared after him, and for once, he listened. 

~ 

“What’d you do to get hurt this bad?” Zoro said, tapping Sanji’s back and making him wince in pain. 

“None of your goddamn business,” Sanji said through gritted teeth. “The mountain climb was tougher than it looked.” 

Elsewhere on the deck, Luffy and Usopp were throwing their new crewmate, Chopper, into the air. Zoro and Sanji watched them in silence. 

“Hey,” Sanji said. “Did you . . . growing up, did you want to meet your soulmate?” 

“I told you, I don’t have one,” Zoro grumbled. “But I never wanted one, either.” 

“You don’t make any sense, moss-hair,” Sanji said, folding his arms. 

“Moss . . . ?” Zoro rubbed the top of his head, his hair smooth and silky and not at all like the rough moss he’d felt on trees. “What are you talking about?” 

“Boy, you really are dumb. What were you saying?” 

Zoro glowered at him. “I never wanted a soulmate. I didn’t want destiny getting in the way of my dream.” 

“That’s---” 

“Falling in love is a different story, though. That’s my choice. And I won’t let the person I choose to love, if anyone, get in the way of my dream.” 

“Hm.” Sanji shifted, wincing again. Nami and Vivi chatted with Chopper, pulling him away from Luffy’s hyperactivity. 

“What about you?” 

Sanji sighed “I wanted to meet my soulmate more than anything,” he said, scowling. “I wanted to meet that beautiful lady who I was destined to be with. But then everything went wrong.” 

“Wrong how?” 

“You’re just winning the prize for biggest moron today, aren’t you?” Sanji snapped, standing. He fell down and tried to cover up his pain when Chopper looked over in concern. “You know exactly what I’m talking about.” 

“I don’t.” 

Sanji scowled, but his face softened as he met Zoro’s eyes again. “I hate you,” he said, yet again. 

Zoro’s chest hurt. “I know.” 

Sanji was silent. He soon stood again, using the ship railing for support this time. “Want something to eat?” 

“Booze.” 

~ 

Zoro didn’t hate Sanji, but he hated the way Sanji spun hearts around women, and acted so stupid with them. He hated how Sanji spoke to him, and refused to make eye contact, and did his best to put contempt behind every word. Even now, Sanji was crooning over Robin, the suspicious woman who was their newest crewmate. 

“Oh, Cook-san,” she said as he melted before her. “Have you met your soulmate?” 

For an instant, Zoro thought he saw Sanji look at him. 

“Yes, unfortunately, it hasn’t worked out,” Sanji said sweetly. “And you haven’t, Robin-chan, my dear?” 

“Correct. But that’s my business.” 

“Of course, of course, forgive me,” Sanji crooned. He turned, Robin watching him go with one dark eye and one light, and he bumped into Zoro. 

“The fuck do you want?” he muttered, avoiding looking directly at him, as always. 

“Nothing,” Zoro said, rolling his eyes. Sanji pushed past him and went into the kitchen, slamming the door shut. Zoro spotted Robin staring at him and raised an eyebrow. “What?” 

“Nothing,” she said, looking away. 

Zoro didn’t hate Sanji, but he hated that Sanji didn’t love hated him. 

~ 

There Zoro was, waking up from Enel’s lightning blast, and there Sanji was close to him, still unconscious. He stared at him for what must have been too long, because suddenly Usopp was saying, “He got hit twice. He saved me and Nami.” 

“Oh,” Zoro said. He scooted towards Sanji and pressed his ear to his chest, sighing when he heard the arrhythmic heartbeat. Looking up, he saw Usopp staring at him, and said, “What?” 

Usopp rolled his eyes and looked away. Zoro looked back at Sanji’s face, and brushed some ash out of his hair, his fingers lingering on his cheek. 

~ 

Something happened during the Davy Back Fight. Something happened to Sanji. The way he looked at Zoro when he asked for his help during the Groggy Ring battle, with that stupid ball strapped to his head. The way he slapped Zoro’s shoulders and back during the following celebration party. The way he gave Zoro tentative smiles, as if testing the waters, and the silly way he grinned when Zoro smiled back. 

“I hate you,” Sanji said that evening, joining Zoro in the crow’s nest that evening with a bottle of wine. 

“Yeah,” Zoro said, looking away. He and Sanji were still covered in bruises from their battle, dark and light patches across their limbs and torsos. 

“But I also don’t hate you.” 

“Oh?” Zoro’s heart lifted as he looked at Sanji, his chest hurting again but in a completely different way. 

“Yeah. Do you hate me?” 

“No.” Zoro took the offered bottle, taking a drink straight from the mouth. “I never did.” 

“Huh.” Sanji looked down, blinking hard, and brought a hand up to his suddenly bright eyes. “Huh. Is that so?” 

“What’s up with you?” 

Sanji looked up, swallowing back tears. “You’re just a grade-A moron, aren’t you?” 

“I’m not psychic. What are you talking about?” 

���Keep the bottle.” Sanji stood. “I’ll come to relieve you in time. See you.” 

He vanished down the ropes, and Zoro lifted his head, staring up at the dark, dark sky covered in pale, pale dots. 

~ 

With their journey through Enies Lobby and Water 7 complete, the Strawhats had lost three treasured crewmates, one for good, and gained three, one brand-new. It wasn’t long before Franky and Robin were performing public displays of affection, nothing more daring than pecks on the cheek and yet things that once would have surely driven Sanji to tears with jealousy. As it was, though, he merely gave them thoughtful glances at most. 

“Aren’t you soulmates?” Usopp asked them one day as Zoro lingered nearby and Sanji served them cold drinks, setting Robin’s down lovingly upon a coaster and slamming Franky’s into his hand. 

“We’re not sure,” Robin admitted. Her eyes hadn’t changed from the moment she had threatened them in the glow of the remains of Igaram’s ship: One was light, and one was dark. 

“I had to rebuild my eyes while modifying my body,” Franky explained. “It’s a shame, but I don’t remember the exact colors they were. In any case, since they’re super-artificial and the same color, they wouldn’t change with eye contact.” 

“So, we’re not sure,” Robin repeated. “But we love each other, and if he’s not my soulmate and I meet them one day, they’ll have to put up with him as well.” 

“What do you mean, put up with?” Franky demanded. 

Zoro stared at Sanji from across the deck, looking away as soon as he noticed. 

~ 

Thriller Bark brought them a zany new member of the family, a talking skeleton who was older than dirt and far too cheery. Thriller Bark brought them a dangerous new enemy, a Warlord with the ability to repel just about anything. Thriller Bark brought them a Zoro who claimed to have lost his memory of his fight with Kuma, but who remembered the sleeping face of his captain, the cold eyes of his enemy, and the desperate, pained face of his . . . 

Zoro thought he had finally escaped. Between Chopper trying to mummify him in bandages and the others badgering him to take it easy, he thought he had found refuge in the library, where no one would think to look for him. He lay on his back, pedalling his feet in the air to stretch his legs, as he’d been unable to sneak his weights into the room without drawing attention to himself. 

“There you are.” 

He groaned and dropped his legs as Sanji entered. “Can’t I have peace for one minute?” he said, sitting up. He frowned, seeing Sanji’s face. “What is it?” 

“I don’t hate you,” Sanji said. 

“Oh,” Zoro said, his chest hurting in that good way just hearing the words. “Right. And?” 

“I tried to hate you, Zoro. I really did.” Sanji sat next to him, staring at the floor. “I didn’t want to feel this way about you. I wanted to feel this way about a pretty girl. But I can’t help it. Zoro, I love you. You’re a fucking callous moron, and I don’t know if you love me, too, but---fuck, you have every right not to after the way I’ve treated---” 

“I do love you.” 

Sanji looked up at him, lips parted and breath shallow. “But you---” 

“I love you,” Zoro repeated. “You’ve always been a bitch, but that was the only thing---I can’t help it.” He looked down, wiggling his toes on the floor and staring at the scars on his shins. “I think I’ve loved you for a while. Maybe since I realized the only thing I really hated about you was that you didn’t love me.” 

“But I do love you. I really tried not to,” Sanji repeated, running his hands through his hair in frustration. “I can’t help it, either. Especially with you spouting off those nasty words about not having a soulmate---” 

“I don’t have a soulmate.” 

“Fine. Whatever you say. But you love me, right?” 

Zoro nodded. 

“Then that works for me.” Sanji touched Zoro’s shoulder. “When you were . . . just lying there, unconscious . . . I realized I had to tell you as soon as you woke up. We live dangerous lives. I had to tell you as soon as possible.” 

Zoro smiled, placing his hand over Sanji’s on his shoulder, his heart soaring through the sky. “No regrets, right?” 

Sanji held Zoro’s cheek in one hand, looking him in the eyes. “No regrets.” 

~ 

Sabaody brought them turmoil, and a crew torn apart. The war brought them pain, and news of a bloodline with an early demise. 

The next two years brought them patience, and forced it upon them, day by day. 

~ 

Zoro spotted a familiar head of pale hair in the distance, and grinned, jumping off of the broken ship to stride towards him. 

“I liked you better without the goatee,” he said, stopping in front of Sanji. 

Sanji looked him up and down. “I liked you better with both your eyes.” 

They seized each other and hugged, hoping to never let go. 

~ 

It happened on what should have been an ordinary morning during their trip to Dressrosa. Kin’emon and Mononosuke were having what they called a “Private Father-Son Meeting” in the aquarium room, so everyone else was banned from it for the time being. Zoro and Sanji were sparring on the deck, testing their skills and banter honed after two years, and Luffy was hanging out next to Law on a railing. Nami was drawing maps in her room, Usopp was in his workshop, and Robin and Franky were at the bow, keeping an eye on the ship’s course. Chopper and Brook were cheering on Zoro and Sanji, alternating the names every so often, to their annoyance. 

Luffy leaned over to Law and whispered something, holding up something in his hand. Law took it, nodded, and raised his hand. In an instant, Zoro and Sanji fell over, caught off-balance. 

“What did you do?” Chopper exclaimed as they sat up, shaking their heads. 

“Oh me, oh my, we’re stuck in this situation again,” Brook remarked. “Why did you do that, Law-san?” 

“I got paid,” Law said, flashing the coin at him. 

Two yells echoed across the deck. Used to this, no one was drawn out from inside the ship, and Robin and Franky stayed at the bow with barely a glance behind them. 

“Why is it so bright?!” Zoro in Sanji’s body yelled, covering his eyes. “Do you guys see this all the time?!” 

“Law, swap us back right now,” Sanji in Zoro’s body snapped. “I think I gave this idiot a concussion. I can’t see any color.” 

“Of course you can’t, I’m color blind,” Zoro said. He rubbed his eyes, staring at Sanji in his body. “Is that what I look like?” 

“Wait, what?” Luffy said, coming over with Chopper and Brook. Law hung back, folding his arms and leaning against the railing

“Is that what I look like?” Zoro repeated. “What color is my hair?” 

“Green,” Sanji said. 

“Wait, that’s besides the point!” Chopper exclaimed. “You’re color blind?!” 

“Yeah,” Zoro said. “Did it never come up?” 

“No!” Sanji exclaimed. “No, it didn’t!” 

“What’s the big deal? I’ve never needed to see color to get by.” Zoro stared at his hands and stood, looking around and taking in the colors of his crewmates. “Someone get me a mirror. I wanna see the cook.” 

Brook dug around in his pockets while Luffy laughed. “No wonder you never got why Sanji calls you moss-hair!” 

“Why?” Zoro said. 

“Your hair’s the same color as moss!” 

Zoro gave Sanji a look as Brook passed him a small handheld mirror. As he studied himself (or rather, Sanji) in the mirror, Sanji stood and stared at him, blinking. 

“Zoro,” he said. “Pass me that mirror when you’re done.” 

“Sure. What color are your eyes?” 

“I’m going to talk to you about this later,” Chopper threatened. Luffy wandered away again to bother Law, Zoro too absorbed in the new spectrum available to him to pay much attention. 

“They’re blue,” Sanji said. “Light blue. And my hair’s yellow. Blonde.” 

“Huh.” Zoro twisted the mirror this way and that. “It’s pretty.” 

“Give it!” 

Zoro handed him the mirror, and Sanji stood next to him, staring at his (Zoro’s) one eye and his (Sanji’s) one visible one. 

“Oh,” he said. “Oh, Zoro.” 

He passed the mirror back to Brook and pulled Zoro by the hand up to the stern to have more privacy. As soon as they were alone, he looked at Zoro, opened his mouth, and started laughing. 

“What?” Zoro said, annoyed. 

“Zoro,” Sanji said, his eye starting to tear up. “I thought this whole time you were just obtuse, or plain rude. But you literally didn’t see it.” 

“What are you talking about?” 

“Your eyes---rather, eye, is silver. Grey,” Sanji said, pointing. 

“Huh,” Zoro said, staring his body in the eye. “Looks the same as before.” 

“Exactly.” Sanji wiped at the tears threatening to spill down his cheek. “Zoro, I used to have one blue eye and one silver eye. Before we met, you had one silver eye, and one blue eye.” 

“Before we met?” 

“Zoro.” Sanji took his hands, grinning. “We’re soulmates. You didn’t notice because my eye color looks the same as yours in monochrome.” 

“I . . . what?” 

“I was so angry. Not just because I wanted my soulmate to be a girl---I thought you were pretending to not notice, or you were really that stupid. But you just didn’t see.” 

“Oh.” Reeling, Zoro stared at Sanji, staring at that one grey eye. “Oh. That. Does that matter?” 

“You had no idea we were soulmates. You didn’t see it, and also, you’re an idiot.” Sanji leaned into Zoro’s shoulder, wrapping his arms around him. “I knew, and I tried to hate you, but I couldn’t. I think I would’ve fallen for you even if I was color blind, or just blind. It doesn’t matter.” 

“Right.” Zoro hugged Sanji back, and they stood in silence for a minute. Then--- 

“Let’s get that dick to change us back,” Sanji said, pulling away. He grinned, the wide smile odd on Zoro’s face. “It’s weird hugging myself. Are you going to miss colors?”

“Nah. It’s too bright.” Zoro held his hand. “And I’ve never needed color anyway.”