#shanks i need a demonstration

[brainrotcharacters]

My Favorite Line In The Show

that line with that expression with that hand angle? oh you just know they did it

[hauntingblue]

BACK TO ONE PIECE LETSGOOOOO

[fanaticsnail]

He's in love with you

Masterlist here

Word Count: 1,500+

Synopsis: Benn Beckman can no longer ignore the way he feels about you, and it's eating him alive.

Themes: Benn Beckman x reader, unrequited (requitted) love, idiots in love, teasing, kissing, sfw, fluff, comfort, confessions of love.

Notes: @tiredemomama said she was having a bad time recently, and her love for Becks was one of the things that's keeping her chin up. I thought it'd be nice to reassure you that your fictional hazubando loves you too - so I wrote a little something for you. I hope you don't mind, honey!

Tag List: @mfreedomstuff @daydreamer-in-training @gingernut1314 @i-am-vita @indydonuts @feral-artistry @since-im-already-here @sordidmusings @writingmysanity

Benn Beckman, the second in command to Red-Haired Shanks, is stoic and abrasive most of the time. He keeps his emotions hidden beneath his cool exterior to not give himself up to the pool of emotion swirling within the chasms of his chest. While his grimace never leaves his face, there truly is no hiding how he feels about you. 

This gunslinging vice-captain is in love with you. Desperately in love with you.

Always observing from afar, his gaze floats over the margins of the newspaper in his hands. Raking his eyes subtly enough to not draw attention to himself, he wordlessly dotes on you from his position on the deck with his eyes soft and filled with love and devotion. This first mate is absolutely smitten with you, and he hopes his affections are hidden enough to escape notice. 

It has not, however, escaped the attention of the Yonko captain you both serve under. Oh, absolutely not. 

Shanks clocked that development before he thought Beckman, himself, knew what was growing in his heart. His observation and affections for both you, and his competent first mate, had him positively itching to meddle in the growing affection between you. But he decided to ‘be good,’ and watch the sparks ignite the gunpowder to set ablaze the fireworks show. 

It started with little things: Beckman trailing your form when you sauntered into town, throwing himself between you and harms way when engaged in combat, offering to watch your drink for you when you went to bars and taverns. Then it developed into something a little deeper. 

Beckman often wrote you little notes, slipping them to you subtly beneath the dining room table in front of the crew when he thinks nobody is watching. The notes would be anything from: ‘do you need anything from town today?’ or ‘you seem down, do you want to talk about it?’ He would only ever do this to ensure you were comfortable, not drawing attention to you if you didn't want to be seen. 

Then it got a little more obvious to the crew that he was smitten with you. He would escort you into rooms with his hand on the small of your back, holding open doors for you if you were wandering in beside him, offering to carry your equipment for you because ‘it's just easier that way.’

After a while, the crew all witnessed the obvious favoritism Beckman was gifting you with. The only person who was yet to catch on to his affections was the one person who mattered. 

You had absolutely no clue. Although not overly oblivious to the new attention the chainsmoker was giving you, you honestly mistook his friendliness for exactly that. 

Friendliness. 

You were good friends, close friends. The closest two friends could ever be. Picking out potential couplings in towns for one another was an often happenstance. Pretty men and women were often the topic of conversation, and you had always demonstrated your keen eye with your choices for him. That was until the day he refused them all. There was nobody he would rather spend his time with than you, and he needed to let you know as such.

He couldn't play this little game with you any longer. The heartache that came from neglecting his emotions for too long had him a little more furious and pent up than usual. Every member of the crew, including you, had noticed his attitude switch. You decide to do something about it, changing the roles and becoming the one in your friendship to check in with him first. 

Seeking him out after a day out in a rural town, he was leaning over the barricade on the pier and staring out into sea. His gray orbs were narrowed and focussed, and his cigarette hung limply from his lips. You apprehensively press your hand on his shoulder, breaking him away from his thoughts and turning to face you. 

His features soften briefly before they return back to his usual grimace. You expect him to shrug off your hand from his shoulder, but his body seems to lean into the gentle touch and hold you there for as long as you give him. Without words, you furrow your brows curiously at him and give his shoulder a gentle squeeze. 

Sighing into the touch, he closes his eyes and sizzles out the lessening end of the cigarette on the wooden barricade beside him. After thumbing the filter end into the hard surface, he turns back to you: your hand still pressed firmly on his shoulder. As you go to withdraw your hand from his shoulder, he immediately grips your wrist and hovers your retreating hand above his face. 

Slowly and apprehensively, he draws your wrist to his lips and presses them tenderly to the palm of your hand. His eyes search yours for any apprehension or hesitation to his small advance, and upon finding none, he lowers his lips to your wrist and places them over your rapidly beating pulse point. 

Your wide eyes go half-lidded the moment he presses his lips to your wrist, looking up at him with nothing but love and adoration. He mirrors your expression, his eyes falling glazed as he bares his eyes intensely into your own. 

“Is this why you’ve been acting like an asshole, big guy?” you ask him with a knowing smile growing on your lips. He chuckles down at you while blinking slowly. Leaning his forehead down, he presses it against your own while circling your captured wrist around his neck. 

“‘M not actin’ like an asshole, Darlin’,” his smooth baritone gently informed you with a soft hint of mockery, “Just actin’ like a guy who knows what he wants, but doesn’t know what to do about it.” There were two reactions Beckman was expecting from you at this very moment. The first was you leaning in and pressing your lips against his. The other was for you to recoil and turn down his advances. 

He was not expecting you to taunt him with a gentle tease.

“Ooh,” you hum up at him, “Oh, you must really like me.” You scrunch your nose up and grin as you pull away from contact against his forehead, “You want to kiss me. You want to hold me. You want to claim me.” You giggled, lulling your head to the side and poking your tongue out at him. 

Beckman immediately puffed out his broad chest before stooping down and circling his arms around your waist. You squeaked in shock, eyes again growing wide as he lifted you into his arms. In reaction, you hooked your other arm around his neck and pressed your own chest into his. 

“Somethin’ wrong with all that, Darlin’?” he whispered huskily into your face, his lips hovering over yours while he tilted his face into yours, “You don’t want me to?” Your lips part in reaction, quivering gently as he continues to hover his face a whisper’s length away from you. 

“Kiss me,” you whisper into his lips, leaning your lips closer to his and waiting for him to close the distance. He pulled his face away with a mischievous grin, his eyes narrowed and looking down his nose at you.

“Ask me nicely,” he retorted cockily back at you. He was so close you could taste his withheld kiss. Wanting nothing more than all you mocked him with, you humbled yourself and did as he asked. 

“Kiss me please, Beckman,” you whispered, your eyes focussed entirely on his lips, “I want nothing more than you.” His grin dropped, his eyes darkened, and he immediately heeded your humble request.

A dance of lips and tongues pressed repressed and hidden emotion in a passionate embrace. His rumbled groan fled unbridled and breathily from his lips into yours, as your muffled whimper was claimed behind his mouth. It felt as if the waves of passion had swollen and spilled in a greedy and desperate kiss from your beloved first-mate. 

Turning your bodies, he sat you on the railing he was leaning against prior and slotted his hips between your thighs. Rotating your head and angling your chin, you could taste the lingering flavor of his last cigarette on his tongue as it brushed with yours. His stubble scratched at your cheeks as you felt him begin to smile against your lips. 

Raking his hands from your back over your thighs, he gripped the muscle and held you firmly in place before breaking his lips away from yours. Placing a few more soft and close-lipped kisses against your lips, he finally withdrew his face from yours. 

“Sorry ‘bout that,” he uttered breathily while shying his smile away from you, “‘S been a long time comin’. Didn’t wanna frighten you with the intensity too soon.” You collected his cheek with your hand and turned his eyes back to meet with yours. 

You offer him nothing more than your smile before leaning forward and pressing a soft kiss against his lips in response. 

Watching on from a distance, an exchange of Berry from Yassop, Roux and Limejuice appear in Shanks’ outstretched hand and toothy grin. Beckman had finally admitted his affections for you, and your beloved Captain could not be happier about it. Especially now that the largest wad of Berry from Hongo appeared in his hands.

“Drinks are on me, lads!” he called, turning around and laughing merrily as he reentered the tavern. Neither you nor Beckman heard the exchange, choosing to remain in each other's aura and enjoying the warmth growing in your chests with the sparks of new beginnings.

[mareastrorum]

I have never enjoyed a D&D series more than Misfits & Magic and it's entirely because of Brennan Lee Mulligan. I am fully aware that most viewers thought Evan Kelmp was ridiculously over the top and played up for laughs. I'm sure so many people thought it was for comedy.

I have never seen a poverty-stricken and violence-afflicted character portrayed so well.

People who have not experienced that level of desperation rarely ever comprehend the constant level of fear, but Brennan was locked in on it wonderfully.

Every moment is fixated on food, safety, and shelter. It takes so much effort and emotional vulnerability to shift attention from it. Free food? Gotta gently press to get more and more and more and more, but you can't ask too quick or people might kick you out. Someone's a threat? Gotta make it 100% clear that you will not be fucked with, and it does not matter what it costs you socially. Need to do something long term? Gotta figure out where and how you're going to sleep without anyone to watch your back; can you lock yourself in somewhere? Can it be somewhere alone? Where can you hide?

What will this cost?

The strained politeness and immediate switch to a fight response was excellent. People who want to help you do not trigger violent responses. People that do not want to help you and are in your business need to be dealt with. Brennan knew exactly how to demonstrate the tension of usually being treated as a dangerous animal rather than a person. It instills a script to be as perfect a person as possible, and as soon as anyone veers off the social script, be exactly what they're afraid of: a monster. Better to be a monster than a victim.

The one mistake was during the holiday special that he said credit cards instead of (stolen) gift cards for making a shank with razor blades. You'd get a secured one at 18, but not before then. Otherwise would have been perfect. (Duct tape's expensive, but not too hard to steal. I carried a bag with my laundry coins as an impromptu weapon. As soon as he ordered any drink with a glass bottle, I yelled, "Make a shank!" AND HE FUCKING DELIVERED.)

I often get so annoyed at terrible portrayals of children that grew up in impoverished, violent circumstances, but this is the first time I legitimately enjoyed myself.

Well done.

[elodieunderglass]

Okay, I really liked watching Angelina Ballerina as a child, but that was a long time ago. I'll accept that she's a monarchist, but I'll need to see some evidence first. This will break my heart :(

In reference to the monarchist animals post

I don’t know Jack about Shit regarding the animated series, but the books are perennial.

That mouse was absolutely gagging to align herself with the interests of monarchy; in fact her major concern was receiving sufficient attention for doing so. And as always she didn’t care who she had to shank to do it.

Although her author is American by birth, she emigrated to England; so while the mice have American things like Halloween trick or treating, the books are extremely English. Her grandparents have a narrowboat, which is strictly Uk and Ireland only.

I do admire Angelina for being so vividly unscrupulous; so clearly and selfishly single-minded in all her desires. She’s an excellent character. However, her books probably wouldn’t be popular in the modern publishing industry, because as a model of behaviour for the preschool audience, Angelina always does exactly the wrong thing in any given situation, treats people really badly, never apologises, demonstrates poor social behaviours, listens extremely selectively, and usually learns zero lessons from this. Combinations of luck, randomness and her exquisite selfishness usually combine to mean that at the end of each book, she gets loads of praise and attention anyway. It’s a mixed bag for the intended audience, who simply see the bratty, dangerous, careless, inconsiderate child being consistently rewarded for, at most, showing up. They also have to suffer the stress of watching this mouseling make shitty, dangerous decisions that they KNOW are the wrong move. It’s not just treating her grandparents like shit (which upset Bear,7, softhearted; and makes Bug, 4, slightly admire her; I occasionally worry about Bug’s moral centre) it’s when she actively does stupid things like actively losing her baby sibling trick-or-treating (Jesus Christ wtf Angelina) or lures her toddler cousin into a situation where they’re attacked by a cat (you should have died Angelina) or is just shitty and nasty to her friends. All very, very typical of 1980s type literature, but which is why I also called her “a bit of a little bitch tbh”.

I do genuinely like her a lot though. She’s just stressful. And too obsessed with princesses and princess behaviour

[lorbanery]

I just need to talk about Dick Grayson and Jon Kent's relationship for a minute

Just 'cause I keep seeing people file it under the typical Super-Bats dichotomy (Bruce and Clark, Tim and Kon, Jason and Bizarro, Damian and Jon)

BUT

Have you considered: Dick is the Superman to Jon's Robin?

Just

Just listen

There's the obvious justification that's just "Dick is much older than Jon", sure. But there's more nuance here.

Dick is different people to different generations of heroes.

To his own generation he's the responsible best friend everyone knows they can rely on, but also know better than to think of him as superhuman because they've all seen him at his worst (and by worst I don't just mean "most depressed" I mean most "shouting at his four year old niece" bitchy asshole).

I'm skipping Jason because he doesn't have his own generation he just kind of awkwardly pilfers people from Dick's and Tim's until they'd willingly shank Batman for him.

To Tim's generation he's a legend who they quickly realized is actually almost as out-of-touch as the first gen heroes. They're like a big queer friend group and he's the one kid's kind of square straight older brother. He's cool, he's supportive, he's always willing to drive them places, covers for them when they ditch class or are out past curfew, and he WILL throw down with anyone's homophobic parents; but he always has a lecture ready about underage drinking and while he laughs along with their "I'm too gay for this" jokes, you can tell he doesn't really get them. At least he's always excited for Pride. He buys himself a new "ally" shirt every year.

(Disclaimer: Previous paragraph was meant merely as a demonstrative metaphor and not to express any definitive opinion on Dick Grayson's sexuality. @ DC Comics let that boy be bi)

But to Damian's generation? Dick Grayson is a parental figure. When Damian and Jon were first starting out their superhero careers, Dick was not only acting as Batman, but as Damian's guardian, two roles most people, in-universe, expected him to be in permanently. And for Jon Dick wasn't just his friend's dad; when Clark had to leave Earth, forcing Jon to step into the role of Superman, and Jon expressed concern over being up to the job, Clark specifically told Jon to seek out Dick.

Because Jon, of course, was a teenager facing down not only the responsibility of being a superhero, but of bearing the weight of being a famous figure of hope. Something Dick had already done as the first Robin, and had helped at least a little two other teenagers navigate.

Now, I'm going to take a little tangent here to explain why Dick is the Clark in this situation.

When we talk about Dick's tragic backstory, a lot of little details change from retelling to retelling; but the one thing that stays consistent is the fact that Bruce took him in because Dick reminded him of himself. They both watched their parents get murdered at a young age (sometimes the exact same age, depending on the retelling); neither of them had any immediate family to take them in; both of them were only children who suddenly found themselves with the burden of being the sole carrier of their family's significant legacy. But that's pretty much where the similarities end.

Bruce was raised in a wealthy family, in a mansion in a major metropolitan city where his family had deep roots all the way back to its founding. Dick was raised by a very much working class family that lived out of a trailer/wagon/train most of, if not the entire year, traveling all across the country and/or globe. If they had a permanent residence anywhere, it was probably one of the suburbs around Tampa that were historically the off-season homes for circus performers (at least that's where I would put it).

Bruce was able to stay in his childhood home with a guardian who'd known him his whole life, who knew his family history and legacy. He was able to step into his family's legacy when he grew up and even expand it well beyond what his parents did.

Dick had to leave not only the circus he grew up in, he had to leave behind the entire community and culture and ended up being raised in a world that was completely different from it. Raised by a man who certainly respected his family and their history, but didn't know much about it or what their hopes and expectations had been for Dick.

While the path that eventually led him to becoming Batman began, for Bruce, that night when his parents were murdered, he didn't actually start seriously working towards and mentally taking on that responsibility until he was much older. In some cases he was in high school, in some not until after he graduated. But he taught himself and learned how to be a hero as an adult. He was in his twenties when he was taking the responsibility of other people's lives onto his own shoulders; when he was learning how to be most effective; when he was learning in real time the consequences of doing something wrong.

Dick started training and/or working as Robin the moment he became a permanent member of the Wayne household. He was anywhere between roughly 8 and 16, depending on the retelling, but in every version he was very a child or teenager taking on that responsibility of other people's lives, learning in real time the consequences of doing something wrong. He was trying to navigate school and a social life while feeling that responsibility for other people's safety and having this huge secret he couldn't talk about. He was given these special skills from his birth family's legacy that his adoptive parent warned him to hide from people lest they guess his secret. He had this overdeveloped strength and fighting skills that meant he had to consciously hold back when he fought bullies in school.

But while that doesn't describe Bruce, it does describe someone else in Dick's life: Clark. He lost his parents at a very young age leading him to be raised in a completely different culture and world by his adoptive parents. They respected his birth family and their culture, but knew nothing about them. They were a working class family, who lived in a small town. He developed his powers when he was just a kid. They were a part of his family legacy that his adoptive parents encouraged him to hide to keep his secret. They created a sense of responsibility in him at a young age to use them to help and protect people. They made it so that he had to hold back when he fought bullies in school. He had to learn how to navigate school and a social life while feeling that responsibility, while having this huge secret, and learning the consequences of doing something wrong when he was trying to protect people.

Clark related to Dick as a kid/teenager in ways that Bruce never really could. Clark understood a lot of the struggles Dick was facing, the weight on his shoulders. That's one of the many reasons he was, typically, very friendly and supportive of Dick; why he treated him as a respected colleague ; why he was always happy to spend time with and chat with Dick, even when Bruce wasn't around. He became a second trusted mentor to Dick, someone who understood what it was like to dedicate your entire life to protecting people; to spending your entire life as someone potentially dangerous to normal people; to being removed from your family legacy and their culture and taking up that of your adoptive family instead.

That's why, when Dick finds himself in situations where his life is drastically changing, one of his first stops is always Metropolis. That's why, when his life drastically changes and he doesn't come to Metropolis, Clark comes to check in on him. And Clark doesn't always have good advice to share to help Dick find his way. But he has enough similar life experience that it makes him pretty much the only mentor figure in Dick's life that Dick can really talk to who best understands him and his unique struggles.

Back to Jon.

When Jon was forced to become Superman, he was worried about how to be Superman. How to take on that kind of responsibility when he was so young. Clark sent him to Dick not just because he had a unique perspective on what Superman needs to be as someone who's been a fan, a colleague, and a friend; not just because he could teach Jon how to fight and protect himself and others even without his powers; not just because he's an excellent teacher. But because no other non-super has as much experience navigating the complex life of being a high profile kid superhero.

And Dick taught him. He trained him, and he told him about his father and his legacy, about who Superman was to the people who cared about him and worked with him.

And well after Dick's gone back to being Nightwing, even when he's not a constant fixture in Damian's life anymore, even when he's off in Bludhaven, when Jon finds himself struggling to navigate a new situation as a superhero, one of the first things he does is seek out Dick. Dick doesn't always have good advice to give him, but he does have similar experiences that help him understand Jon and his unique struggles.

[yujo-nishimura]

Red Hair or Red Nose? - Part 7 - Final Part

Warning: NSFW - Minors do not interact, this part is for 18+. Apologies for the spelling mistakes/English grammar mistakes - English is not my native language. Writing this was quite difficult since I am asexual/demisexual and writing about men's sexuality was a real fascinating challenge.

This is the second part of the threesome, I will conclude this story after this part and go back to the Captive story (since we always need more Buggy content ;)). Thanks for all the support and as always -

Enjoy reading!

You find yourself taken aback and filled with awe as you witness the transformation in these two men who have always seemed locked in a competition and heated quarrels. The sight before you is a revelation—a serene calmness and unity that surpasses any previous animosity - when it comes to sharing you and your body they seem to work like the perfect team. 

Buggy is standing now in front of you, his hard cock pressing against your wet folds, just where Shanks had left off he immediately continues to spread your legs and enters you. Unlike Shanks, he is quick and rough, he does not wait for you to get used to his size, he just takes what he needs.

“Oh Buggy..!” you mewl, trying to reach for him, but it is Shanks, who is grabbing your hand, holding you gently. He is slowly guiding your left hand to his throbbing cock, letting you work on him while Buggy is pumping into you. You are biting your lips, throwing your head back again, you feel so good, you didn't know you could feel that good. You know Shanks is watching and the arousal you feel by being watched is beyond your belief. He starts to groan, seeing the clown pirate inside you seems to really turn him on.  Buggy enjoys that he has you for himself now, his hips relentlessly pushing into yours, he smothers you in kisses, something you did not expect - he is possessive and wants to show Shanks that he is able to make you feel good. Buggy increases his speed, hitting your sweetest spot and you can feel you are close to come on his dick. 

“Come for me, show me that I am the one you need to feel good…!” 

He groans in your ear and you slowly gaze to your side - Shanks wears a knowing smile, a glimmer of understanding in his eyes. It becomes clear to you that he is willing to let Buggy take the lead, conceding to Buggy's desire to claim the position of number one. In this moment, Shanks demonstrates a rare sense of selflessness and you feel deeply attracted to him. He knows Buggys childish desire to win and he gives in. But you have no time to think about your feelings, as the pirate clown is clenching his teeth, holding your hips tight and lifting your legs higher to reach his climax.

As he moans your name and spills his seed inside of you, you also reach your second orgasm, with an unknown intensity and deep affection for the man who just claimed you as his own. His makeup bears slight smudges from the perspiration glistening on his skin, he leans over you panting heavily. In this moment, he appears so remarkably handsome, radiating a captivating charm that draws you in. His eyes, filled with an intensity that seems to penetrate your very being, peer into the depths of your heart and soul, forging a connection that feels exhilarating. You still feel his cock twitching against your pussy walls and you wish he would never let go of you. 

The profound appreciation that had welled up for Shanks is now mirrored in your feelings towards Buggy. You feel confused, exhilarated, tired - your legs are shaking from the rough treatment. 

Shanks, most likely aroused by seeing the both of you coming and with the help of your hand hisses and groans. Not holding back he is shooting his load on your hand.  Buggy takes a step back to not get hit, this somehow makes you chuckle as you carefully lick your hand to get a good taste of the red-haired pirate. You let out a final long sigh and close your eyes for a moment. The knowledge that you are the recipient of their devotion and adoration brings a profound sense of fulfillment and contentment.

An awkward silence envelops the three of you now as you hastily gather your scattered clothes, trying to conceal your exposed bodies. In this moment of quiet, it is Shanks who takes notice of your shaken state and the weariness that likely lingers from the rough treatment.

As you struggle to regain your composure, Shanks steps forward, his concern breaking the silence, his voice laced with compassion. "Are you okay?" he asks, his eyes reflecting his genuine worry. 

“Thanks, I am good.”, you smile and you feel again this deep affection towards both of them, you feel thankful for the moment you have shared and you try to smile at Buggy as well. You feel the need to reward the both of them, not only for making you cum twice but for being such a good team. 

Buggy approaches you now, taking his white glove, gently wiping away the smeared makeup from your face, an intimate gesture that serves as a testament to his own ability to rival Shanks' kindness.

"I've never witnessed such unity between the two of you before," you express, your voice filled with a mix of surprise and wonder. "I never knew that you both had the capability to set aside your differences and simply... not fight and just..."

“..just fuck.” Shanks laughs. 

“Well, but I was the one who made you cum, sweetheart. So I guess it's going to be a night on the ship of the Buggy pirates for you…!” The clown chuckles, grabbing your arm and pulling you towards him. Shanks knowingly smiles at the both of you and you smile back at him. 

"If I'm to be a Buggy pirate tonight, then I want to wake up as a red-haired pirate tomorrow," you declare, your words tinged with a sense of teasing and honesty. You hold on to each other as you slowly walk down to the harbor, guided by the gentle glow of the moon illuminating your path. 

[goingbuggy]

What is your favourite and your least favourite buggy moment?

AH! I love this question. My personal favorite moment is the scene in Impel Down where Luffy gives Captain John's armband to Buggy. I made a whole thread on Twitter breaking down exactly why I love it so much; it's such a criminally underrated moment for his character and reflective of all the potential he has.

As for my least favorite, I guess I'd have to say... the scene in Loguetown where Buggy stages Luffy's execution? It's not out of character for him to act the way he does -- not at all -- it's just that, with what we know now, revisiting that arc leaves much to be desired. Loguetown is such an important setting for Buggy: it's where he parted ways with Shanks, lost his captain, and solidified his life's direction. However, watching Loguetown Arc, we don't see much of a reaction from him besides his desire for revenge, which I find strange. Luffy's almost-execution in particular is what leaves me semi-frustrated.

Oda might not have had everything worked out about Buggy's character at the time of that arc's initial release in 1999, but in hindsight, it just feels chock-full of missed opportunities. Considering OPLA has yet to delve into Buggy's backstory, I think the upcoming Loguetown Arc would be a great way to retroactively give Buggy's presence more weight. Loguetown could easily trigger his memories of the past; then, instead of info-dumping, the flashback could double as both exposition and further insight into his character. Perhaps it comes to him as a traumatic flashback, in bits and pieces. How would he feel, being on the same exact execution platform where his captain died, this time being the man holding the sword? Would he hesitate, realizing what he's doing? Would he recognize the parallels?

I think Buggy ultimately giving in to his desire for revenge against Luffy would demonstrate how he always holds himself back. OPLA's whole "map-MacGuffin" ordeal twists Buggy's character in a different direction by implying that there's only one map to the Grand Line that he could get to start his journey (seriously, how is there only one map everyone is fighting over), but in the manga, it's clear that Buggy already had a map. He says he planned to start doing business in the Grand Line, but considering how much time he spent in East Blue, it makes you wonder... why wasn't he doing that years ago? The Doylist answer is, of course, that our protagonist needs to find him first, but narratively speaking, Buggy certainly did not need to wait as long as he did. Luffy is the one who truly gave him the push he needed; Buggy was wading in shallow waters because he couldn't bring himself to take the plunge. His grudges, his insecurities: they weigh him down. He believed he had no potential, but that was always an excuse, a self-fulfilling prophecy -- it was because of that lack of faith in himself that he limited his own potential.

And where does that all lead him? To Loguetown: the same place where he started. How stifling that is for his character -- how eye-opening. Ironically, Loguetown Arc feels similar to Buggy himself; it could be so much more, but it feels restricted by the time in the narrative in which it was placed. I don't dislike the scene at all, but it's frustrating to have such a perfect moment for his character and yet no substantial takeaways. It's good foreshadowing for Buggy's past, sure, but it could be even better if we saw a wider range of his emotions. His entire past doesn't have to be revealed in Loguetown, but his actions and dialogue should better reflect what it means for him to be there.

[twenty-qs]

Underrated things I liked that were unique to OPLA:

Luffy high-key projecting his own conflict with Garp onto Sanji’s conflict with Zeff during their convo on the Baratie. My boy was way angrier at Zeff than was actually justified.

Sanji and Zeff both offering food and conversation as a means to defuse tension (with Nojiko and with Garp). It shows their father-son connection and also explains where Sanji learned his warmth and charm, despite how he and Zeff seem to always be insulting/yelling at each other. I really like how live action Sanji gets to show off more emotional intelligence, having worked in customer service for so long haha. And it demonstrates why a cook is such a valuable asset to have on your crew. It’s not just about the food; it’s about being able to connect with people.

Garp and Zeff talking about the new generation; a really neat contrast and a way to set up Garp’s larger character arc. He has really cool themes about when the older generation should protect and guide the youth, and when they need to get out of the way. Especially in light of recent manga chapters.

Coby telling Garp that Luffy has always been and will always be a pirate. Idk about you but knowing that Coby’s actor is trans, this little speech hit especially hard.

Luffy’s tangible distress and guilt—yes, that was guilt—after Zoro got injured and Nami left. Luffy has never been a captain before, and he’s afraid he fucked it up. I really love that the live action allowed Luffy to show some of this more human vulnerability. It made it even more beautiful when Zoro told him he did nothing wrong and then swore allegiance as his first mate. That’s why Luffy needs Zoro. Luffy does believe in himself (as Zoro has pointed out). But after the two big losses against Mihawk and Arlong, Luffy’s confidence was genuinely shaken. “My gut isn’t doing so great” not only refers to his appetite, but also to his gut instinct. He’s doubting his own decision making. He needed Zoro to believe in him before he could believe in himself again.

Rearranging the timeline so that Season 1 could have book-ends: Coby and Luffy, Alvida return, Shanks seeing that Luffy is a pirate now, and finally getting the straw hat flag. Just some really tight storytelling; their character growth feels so satisfying.

[shankss-magnificent-ass]

Imagine teaching the Benn and Shanks some of your "tricks"

You and Shanks: *making out on a couch.*

Shanks: *grabs the ends of your hair and pulls*

You: *pulls away from his mouth* Please tell me that is not how you pull hair!

Shanks: *lets go* yeah it is why?

You: you're doing it wrong

Shanks: how am I doing it wrong!

You: *pins his only arm to the back of the couch, and uses your free hand to locks your fingers through his hair close to his scalp and pulls his head back* this is is how you pull hair, darling. *Presses another opened mouth kiss on him*

Shanks: *moans and feels like he's spinning*

Benn: *watching from a nearby table as he drinks * Didn't know you could moan like a wanton whore, boss. And all it took to make you submit, was a pretty little thing to pin your arm down, and pull your hair a little.

Shanks: Well it's a lot easier to pin me down with two hands, I only have one hand after all. It's not like I can win against two.

You: *whispers to Him* want me to show you how to pin both hands down with only one hand?

Shanks: I don't believe you.

Benn: what are you whispering about?

You: *grins and gets up* Benn, may I use you for a demonstration?

Benn: *squints at you suspiciously* sure

You: You'll need you turn your chair, so Shanks can see properly, and then I need you to do this. *Locks your fingers together and lifts the fingers of one hand*

Benn: *huffs and turns, so his back is to the table and does the hand gesture*

You: * locks your fingers with the ones he has lifted, slams your foot on the edge of his seat and tilts him back, so you can pin his hands above his head against the table behind him.*

Benn: *yelps as panic shoots up his spine* What are you doing?

You: and that darling, is how you pin both hands with only one. You just have to work smarter, not harder.

Benn: *starts to squirm when the panic he felt melts into tingling arousal and heat that leaves him shaking* You fucking-

You: *interrupts him* this position leaves me with plenty of options of where to go from here. * combs your free hand through his hair, and loops it around his neck down to his chest, grazing a thumb across his nipple, before wrapping your hand around this throat as you lean down and starts to make out with him.*

Benn: *pants as he eagerly kisses you back*

Shanks: *moves behind you, and starts to grope your chest, and kiss your neck* I think I might need to practice.

You: I'd be happy to volunteer *lets Benn go, making his chair fall forward, making his face go directly into your chest*

Benn: am I a joke to you?

Shanks: *smirks his friend over your shoulder, and pushes your tits up into Benn's face * Maybe, but perhaps you can help me practice as well as keep her busy.

Benn: *grins up at his friend and nuzzles his face into your chest* I think I can manage that.

Yassop: *sitting across the table and has silently been watching the whole time* What about me?

Shanks and Benn: suffer *pulls you to Shanks's room*

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[gothy-froggy]

Hi so sorry about One Piece literally being my Roman Empire right now but I have a few things I think are really silly and wholesome.

So I have this character I made while I was bored. She’s known as “strange creature” because…she’s a strange creature

And I’m imagining that this like 2-3 feet creature being in the One Piece universe where literally no one can be mean or bring themselves to harm her.

This motherfucker is like SCP 999 just silent and stares. That gives everyone she likes gifts that she finds.

Strange creature gives people gifts that reminds her of them. If she really likes someone she makes gifts for them. So I’ll be telling you all which gifts she gives to different One Piece characters because come on, she’s adorable.

———————————-

Luffy

Old key

Strange creature’s first gift for Luffy was a key. Why?

Well to strange creature, keys unlock a door to a new journey and a new story. She sees Luffy as a key since he just goes right for it, into the unknown without fear. She sees him just as adventurous as a key ready to unlock a new journey.

Zoro

Pillow

She knows that humans need to sleep. So Zoro barely getting any sleep but also sleeping a lot concerns her in her own way. Because he naps she sees a pillow and it reminds her of him.

The gift is also out of concern and her telling him to get more rest. She’ll just go to his room, grab the pillow and just chuck the pillow at his face. I’m not joking. She literally does that.

Nami

Unopened crystal

Do y’all remember that Barbie movie where Barbie has an amethyst and calls the guy “unassuming?” That’s what I mean, but the meaning is different.

Strange creature holds the amethyst as if it’s a rock before opening it to Nami. It’s her basically saying that she comes off as cold and tough on the outside, but has a tragic yet beautiful story that made her such a wonderful woman. Strange creature tries to write out what she means, but she doesn’t know English so the gang just needs to decipher her language.

Usopp

Carnelian necklace

Now strange creature can’t exactly connect with him, which is rather unusual for her. It’s not that she dislike or hate him, she just doesn’t fully understand him.

But she knows he’s scared. She wants to help. So strange creature gives him…a necklace? No, no, no, a carnelian necklace. Strange creature studied crystals because they’re colorful and shiny. She loves those things. She learned how to read the English language, but can’t write. So she made a (awful) drawing demonstrating that carnelian gives you confidence. She just wants to help Usopp to help him reach his dream :(

Shanks

Fox plushie

Strange Creature kept following Shanks around and that’s how she ended up just being with him. Shanks literally could not shake this small thing off. So he eventually gave up and just allowed her. Strange creature comes up to a hungover Shanks just staring at him until he asks what she wants and she just holds the fox plushie up to him.

Strange creature loves foxes. She likes that they’re playful, cute yet very mischievous. Foxes reminds her of Shanks on so many levels. So strange creature found a fox plushie and gave it to Shanks. In her very terrible hand writing, there’s a note saying “remins me of yu”

…she’s still learning English leave her alone.

She also customizes it by giving it a straw hat, his scars, and a black jacket by a fabric she found.

Mihawk

White rose

Let’s say she lands in One Piece and ended up with Mihawk than the straw hats. It didn’t take her long to like Mihawk. Sure, his style isn’t the most bright and colorful out there, but he’s stylish. She likes it. So Mihawk’s gift is a white rose. Very elegant, very pretty but those thorns hurt.

Strange creature saw someone get hurt by the thorn of a rose and it reminded her of Mihawk. So she took one. She chose white because it’s not a flashy color, but fits Mihawk’s style and aesthetic well, like the feather on his hat. So she took a white rose, waddled on over to a sitting down with feet up on desk Mihawk and gave him the white rose.

Arlong

Armor piece

Arlong probably saw it as an insult so she attempts to draw it multiple times to explain. One that finally works is Arlong in front of a mirror and the reflection being the piece of armor. The fishmen and strange creature playing game to help Arlong know the meaning of the odd gift 😭

This was her basically saying he’s a very tough cookie. Both physically and personality wise. Though she isn’t insulting Arlong. Strange creature thinks everyone should be a little bit a strong cookie like him. In a way, strange creature respects Arlong and she saw a shiny armor piece as Arlong.

Buggy

Colorful jacket

Strange creature most likely gets along with Buggy with the most, or at least top 3. If a strange creature ended up with Buggy, she loved the circus. So much. When they go to a village, she walks over to Buggy and give him a really, really nice bright jacket that’s right up his alley.

Style, bright, colorful things will almost always go to Buggy. So when she sees the jacket, she uses her strange yet adorable face to get for free along with a little rock, thinking it’s money, to give to buggy. She’s struggles a bit. Strange creature his carrying this big jacket around, bumping into things and people until she stumbles over to Buggy. She was very proud of her find.

Circus themed tarot cards

Two gifts? Wow, she gets along with him. Strange creature saw Buggy trying to get information with some cards and went for a little hunt on land for some tarot cards. She found a shop and looked for the perfect deck. Strange creatures found one that has clowns and were very circus themed. She held the card deck up to Buggy.

Juggling balls, Buggy themed

Yes, Buggy had became strange creature’s favorite. So much, Buggy got a deserved handmade gift from her. Strange creature noticed how much Buggy juggles. So she wanted to show how much she really sees Buggy as her friend.

So she spent a lot of time to make Buggy handmade juggling balls that represents Buggy the Clown. Some having the Buggy skull symbol, some with him in a simple yet nice art style, and his colors. She leaves them in a present box for him. She was also very proud of her work for him.

[thewillofdeez]

50/50: A Shanks/OC (and Beckman/OC) Romance - Chapter 5: Strength and Love

Summary: A twenty year journey of friendship, love, and heartache between Shanks and the woman he loves.

Chapter 5 word count: 6746 (another long one, sorry!)

Notes: Enter: baby Luffy! And some romance (finally).

The last part of this chapter required me to learn the names of different parts of a sailing ship. So in order to make it easier for you to visualize, I made a diagram which you can find here.

Enjoy! The story will be in Foosha Village for 1-2 more chapters.

I also finally got a job after 9 months of unemployment, and so am going to do my damndest to get this and my other WIPs done or close to it before I start!

The celebration of Shanks and Riley’s reconciliation went on well into the night, but Riley excused herself from the party around eleven o’clock - she had to be up early tomorrow, after all. She was grateful when Shanks snuck into her room less than an hour later and wrapped his arms around her, planting a kiss on her shoulder and falling asleep behind her in a matter of minutes.

At the party, she and Shanks had been back to their old selves, affectionate, laughing, and once again comfortable in each other’s presence. Shanks and Snake had let her know that they’d be looking for a nearby island to settle down in while she trained, somewhere quiet and out of the way where they could dock for about a year. He felt she’d have better resources at her disposal on land, and it would allow the crew to focus on training her with less interference from Marines or other pirates. Here in the East Blue, the calmest of the seas, they’d find something in no time.  Riley had expressed concern about how the rest of the crew would feel about being on land for so long. “Don’t worry about it,” Shanks had said with a sly grin “I’ll tell them to think of it as an extended vacation for everyone except you.”

The next morning, Riley rose from her bed, careful not to disturb Shanks who grunted and rolled over when she removed herself from his grasp. Energy was coursing through her body. She was finally going to get what she wanted. She was finally going to be stronger, a fighter. Maybe not on the same level as some of the guys who had been doing it for years, but that’s not something she cared about. She cared that she was getting to do it at all. 

Riley dressed and readied herself for the morning, donning comfortable, workout-friendly clothes, then made her way to the mess hall. Beckman was already there, as were Lucky and some of the kitchen crew. Beckman placed a plate overflowing with bacon, eggs, and sausage in front of her, the single piece of toast on the side almost looking out of place. Riley’s eyes widened - he wanted her to eat all of this? What?

“If you wanna get stronger, you need more fuel for your body. You eat like a bird.”

“Actually, birds eat quite a lot. Ya know, so they can fly,” she responded with a smirk.

“Then you eat like something that doesn’t eat a lot. Chow down, get some protein in you.”

Over breakfast, Beckman filled Riley in on what his plan for her would be over the next four months. When she was full to bursting with meat and eggs, Beckman took pity and helped her finish the last few slices of bacon. They then made their way to the upper deck to begin Riley’s training.

They began with stretching, then moved onto conditioning exercises. Beckman would tell her what they were going to do, demonstrate good form, and give her a number of reps to work on, noting where her body strength was good and where it needed work as he got an idea of what her baseline capabilities were. Her legs were decently strong, and her core wasn’t bad. Improving her upper body strength was going to take a hell of a lot of work, though, he mused as he watched her struggle to get a quarter of the way into a pull-up.

By the time most of the crew was making their way onto the deck to begin their duties for the day, the two had finished up their workout.

“So,” Beckman asked, “How do you feel?”

“I feel great, actually!” Riley responded, the endorphin rush making her feel light and energized.

Beckman chuckled and lit up a cigarette. “Give it time. You’re gonna be in the most pain you’ve ever felt in your life tomorrow morning. I’ll give you the day off to let your body rest, then we’ll resume the day after.”

“What?!” Riley objected, “But we just got started! I don’t want to take a day off already.”

“Trust me, you’re gonna need it.”

And Beckman was right. The next morning, Riley awoke and tried to make her way out of bed - key word being tried. Every muscle in her body was sore and stiff and required incredible effort to move. Just getting dressed was an ordeal.

Riley slowly made her way to the mess hall, where Shanks, Beckman, and the senior officers were gathered around their usual table. She braced her hands against the edge of the table and slowly lowered herself into a seat next to Shanks, her face grimacing at the burn in her thighs. The surrounding men couldn’t help but laugh.

“So glad you guys find my anguish amusing,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Awww Rye, we’re not laughing at your pain!” said Yasopp.

“I am!” said Shanks. Riley swatted him swiftly, then winced at the movement.

“It’ll get better, Riley. Promise,” Beckman said, pushing a plate in her direction. More meat and eggs, and that lonely piece of toast, the sole carb amidst a mountain of protein.

“By the way, we think we’ve found a good place to dock for a while,” said Snake, unfurling a map before Riley. “We’re approaching Dawn Island, home of the Goa Kingdom. There’s a small village on the outskirts of the city. It’s quiet and out of the way, and hopefully the people there won’t give us any trouble. We should be there by this evening.”

Riley examined the map, noting the small windmill drawings surrounding Foosha Village on the southeast side of the island.

“Sounds perfect,” she said. After breakfast, she slowly lifted herself from her seat, wincing in pain. “I’m going to go take a very long, very hot bath.”

That evening, just as predicted, the crew arrived on Dawn Island. Standing on the deck as the crew worked around her to furl the sails, Riley noticed the townspeople stopping to stare at their imposing ship, by far the largest at the docks. Some people ushered their children into their houses, while others closed and locked their shutters. She figured they probably didn’t get a ton of pirates around here, and couldn’t blame them for being scared.

The crew stepped off the ship and walked through the town, led by Shanks, Beckman, and Riley, seeking out a place for dinner and drinks. Riley was still in pain, and desperately craved a beer. 

As it always was with the Red Hair Pirates, landing on a new island was cause for celebration. So was leaving the island, and just about any day in between where they could find an excuse to do so. Shanks, at Riley’s insistence, had instituted a rule several years before after she’d had one too many instances of being unable to sleep off her own hangover because everyone else was also hungover and wanted her to help them: no partying without a cause for celebration. Unfortunately for Riley, Shanks accepted just about anything as a cause for celebration, and he exploited this loophole constantly. He’d made it up to her by instructing the crew to get their own water and painkillers from the med bay if Riley was also too hungover to assist.

Finding a small pub called Party’s Bar, the crew filed in. The green-haired woman behind the bar had a shocked look on her face - whether it was because there were now 60 people crowding into the small building or because they were pirates, she wasn’t sure. 

Riley approached the bar with a smile. “Don’t worry,” she said, “We’re not here to cause trouble, just have some food and a few drinks, and I promise we’re paying customers. Are you able to accommodate so many?”

The barkeeper was taken aback for a second, then nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, of course! Please, make yourselves comfortable.” If what the female pirate said was true, she was set to make more money in a single night than she had in ages. She ran to the kitchen and ordered the whole crew to come out, distribute menus, and begin pouring drinks. She was grateful for the timing of the shipment of rum and beer they’d just received that day, and made a note to put in another order tomorrow.

The barkeeper introduced herself as Makino. Riley, Shanks, and Beckman introduced themselves and the rest of the officers as the drinks began to flow and the smell of cooking food permeated the bar. Makino was surprised that these pirates, as opposed to others who had visited her bar, or, more commonly, some of the fouler bands of mountain bandits, were actually quite kind and fun, if a bit rowdy. She found their red-haired captain to be particularly charming, and blushed as he flirted with her.

As dinner died down and the drinking began in earnest, Riley found herself deep in conversation with Makino. She always pounced on any opportunity to talk to another woman.

“So it’s just you and 59 men?” Makino had asked, amazed.

“Yup,” Riley replied, taking a sip of her beer. “We’ve yet to find any other women who want to join, but I’m still holding out hope.”

“She tolerates us,” Beckman said with a smile.

“Honestly, they’re not a bad group of guys,” Riley said, wrapping an arm affectionately around Beckman’s waist. His arm rested around her shoulders in return. “I’ve met much worse men who aren’t pirates. I mean, sure, they’re loud and gross and –”

“Devastatingly handsome,” Shanks cut in, bringing his face close to Riley’s with a smolder. “Sexy. Muscular. Well-end–” Riley placed her hand on his face and pushed him away.

“Most of them aren’t bad,” she continued. “This guy, however, needs to be kept on a leash. And perhaps a muzzle.”

Makino giggled and poured them another round.

“Stop it, old man, let me GO!” The crew turned towards the commotion as a small child burst into the bar, an older man in tow. “I wanna see the pirates!”

The small boy with a mop of thick, black hair ran towards the bar.

“Luffy, get out of here!” Makino admonished. “You can’t be in here so much past your bedtime!”

Shanks laughed and lowered himself to his knees, closer to the boy’s level.

“Hey there, kiddo. What’s your name?”

“Luffy,” the child responded, a finger up his nose.

“Nice to meet ya, Luffy. I’m Shanks, and this is my crew, the Red Hair Pirates. Say hi to the kid, boys!”

“Hi, Luffy!” the crew responded in unison, raising their mugs.

Luffy burst into a fit of giggles. The older man who had been pursuing the boy stormed in and grabbed him by the arm. “Luffy, if your grandfather knew you were in a bar with pirates at six years old he’d have my head! Come on, let’s go!” He then turned to Shanks. “And as for you, I don’t take too kindly to pirates in my village, but I also won’t turn you away as long as you don’t cause any trouble.”

“Don’t worry about it, sir," Shanks responded in his most diplomatic voice, "We’re not here to cause trouble, just to take a nice long rest. I promise, you’ll barely notice we’re here.”

The older man, who they later learned was Woop Slap, the village’s mayor, narrowed his eyes at Shanks but accepted his response. He turned and dragged Luffy from the bar.

“Bye Shanks! Bye Red Hair Pirates!” the boy cried. “See ya tomorrow!”

The crew laughed and waved as they left.

“He’s a sweet kid,” Makino said. 

“No parents, I take it?” asked Beckman.

“Not to my knowledge,” she replied. “He does have a grandfather who’s a Vice Admiral with the Navy. He’s not around a lot so we all sort of take care of Luffy as a community. If he bothers you, just let me know.”

Shanks only laughed in response.

Over the next months, the crew grew quite comfortable in the small village. Riley was approaching the end of her four months of training with Beckman, Luffy became a common presence among the crew (much to the mayor’s dismay), and the Red Hair Pirates were a normal sight at the bar and around town. True to Shanks’s word, they didn’t cause any trouble, and the townspeople began growing used to their presence. They did have a way of endearing themselves to others, Riley found herself musing one day as she watched a few crew members help a family in town fix a broken window. Luffy swore he had nothing to do with it.

At Party’s Bar one evening, Riley sat at a table with Bonk, Snake, and Limejuice, but found her eyes wandering towards the bar. Shanks was flirting with Makino, who was loving his attention and returning it in kind. She knew they’d become something of an item over the last few weeks - how could she not, her bedroom was right next to Shanks’s and the man had never been known for being a quiet lover. They did appear to be keeping the relationship somewhat quiet, however, and she wasn’t sure if it was for Makino’s sake or Shanks’s. He’d never been one to hide his lovers or help them sneak quietly off the ship, so either he was trying to protect the barkeeper’s reputation or there was something different about this relationship. Riley wasn’t sure which, but she was grateful for the nights he stayed at Makino’s, for no other reason than she enjoyed her sleep, and it made keeping her own secret a little easier. 

Shanks had always been a flirt and was constantly the center of female attention. She’d seen him leave bars with dozens of women in their time together, but this one seemed different somehow. Perhaps it was the increasingly long-term nature of their situation, or it could be something else.

Of course, Riley had had a number of situationships of her own over the years. The life of a pirate wasn’t built to be relationship-friendly, and so they all needed to enjoy what they could when they got it, and there was no judgment amongst the crew over whatever that was. Riley allowed her mind to wander, remembering some of those men from over the years.

First, there had been the swordsman friend of Shanks’s, Mihawk, back in the early days of the crew. She had found the golden-eyed man to be irresistibly charming, despite his otherwise cold exterior, and he’d found himself quite taken with her in turn. It became the closest thing to a loving, serious relationship Riley had ever had - Mihawk had only intended to hitch a ride with the Red Hair Pirates until they reached his destination, but what should have been a few weeks wound up being the better part of a year, with much of the man’s time being spent either clashing steel with Shanks or in Riley’s bed. Eventually, though, they’d had to part ways. Mihawk wasn’t interested in joining Shanks’s crew (though Shanks had tried to convince him more than once), and Riley wasn’t interested in leaving the crew to travel with Mihawk. The split was painful for the both of them, but it was amicable, and when their paths occasionally crossed over the years, they’d still have some fun together.

Then there was Marco, the captain of Whitebeard’s first division and the crew’s doctor. Whenever the Red Hair Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates met, Riley never knew what she was going to get. Whitebeard and Gold Roger had been bitter rivals, but also held immense respect for each other. Shanks’s relationship with the enormous man was much the same - though they often steered clear of each other’s path, occasionally situations would bring them together. Sometimes it was tense, and Shanks received his now-signature three scars over his left eye from Marshall Teach on one particularly rough occasion. (Incidentally, Yasopp had thought his captain’s new scars were so cool that he had immediately re-designed the crew’s jolly roger.) But sometimes it wasn’t and the two crews were able to intermingle peacefully.

Riley had always enjoyed her occasional interactions with Marco - she didn’t get to meet other doctors very often, and so jumped at the opportunity to trade stories and knowledge with one whenever she could, even if they were technically an enemy. Marco was intelligent and funny, and she could talk to him for hours when given the chance. One night aboard the Moby Dick as the two crews mingled, Riley and Marco had sat together talking animatedly over their shared interest in medicine and exchanging stories of their crews. As the night grew later and their bodies inched closer together, Marco eventually captured her lips in a kiss, which Riley returned with enthusiasm.

“My room?” he’d said, to which Riley nodded, a sly grin on her face. As Marco grabbed her by the hand and led her into the ship, she could hear Whitebeard’s thunderous laugh.

Then there was Beckman. She had never intended to start anything with Beckman, it had just sort of happened. The two had always been close, and the time they spent training together every day brought them even closer. Perhaps there was something about the way he’d touch her gently, correcting her form, or how proud he looked of her when she pushed herself to her limits. When she’d successfully completed her first pull-up, he’d brought her a beer to chug in celebration, then promptly made her do nine more.

Riley knew Beckman had been thrilled with her progress so far, and could see it in the way he looked at her. But it wasn’t just pride, there was something else there, too. And one day on the beach as he held her feet down and coached her through a set of sit-ups, he couldn’t help but kiss her as she brought her body up towards her knees. Riley had been quite shocked at first, but quickly returned the kiss, looping her arms behind his neck and dragging him back down with her, his body over top of hers.

And that was how it began. With Makino keeping Shanks occupied and their location seemingly safe, he hadn’t been joining her to sleep as much. Instead, Beckman had taken his place in her room, or her in his as the case sometimes was. It was just sex, at least at this point, and the two didn’t feel the need to announce it to the crew, so they kept it quiet. But they also felt a little guilty about their secret, especially when it came to Shanks.

On the other side of the bar, as his crewmates chatted boisterously, Beckman found himself musing over much the same kind of thing Riley was. He watched her with a smile on his face as she laughed at a stupid joke Bonk had made. He really, really liked seeing her laugh. Beckman was sort of terrified of the way he was beginning to feel about her. He’d been with a lot of women, but never like this.

The issue was Shanks. Not that he thought the captain would have a problem with his second in command and doctor being in a relationship on principle, but there was an unspoken question. Or, more accurately, a question Beckman had tried to broach with Shanks before but had been shot down: he still wasn’t sure where Shanks stood on having feelings for Riley. He knew his captain well enough to know that it was probably more than platonic, but all Shanks had ever done was avoid or deny it. And now that Beckman found himself developing feelings for Riley, he wasn’t sure what to do with that. And Shanks was spending quite a lot of time with Makino, so did he even still harbor feelings for Riley at all, or had he moved on? It was getting complicated, and he desperately wanted to figure it out, if only Shanks would just be fucking honest with him.

Deciding to step outside for a cigarette, Beckman caught Riley’s eye and nodded in the direction of the door. She understood and excused herself from the table, grabbing her drink and following him onto the porch. The night was warm and still, and the lights in the houses along the street began slowly switching off as the residents of Foosha Village turned in for the night.

Riley leaned over the railing, drink in her hand, and Beckman settled in next to her, his lighter illuminating his face for just a moment.

“You think we should tell Shanks about us, don’t you?” Riley said.

Beckman nodded. “I do. I don’t like keeping secrets, even if they’re harmless. He’s our best friend, and our captain, and he should know if two of his senior officers are…doing what we’re doing. But I also think we need to figure out what us is first.”

Riley knew he was right. They knew they were friends. They knew the sex was amazing. But they also knew that there was something much, much more there. “What do you want us to be?”

Beckman exhaled smoke into the air, then turned to look at her. “Long-term, I don’t know. But I do know you’re more to me than a friend at this point. A lot more.”

Riley couldn’t stop the grin that split her face. “I feel the same, Beck.”

Beckman smiled and grabbed her hand, bringing it up to plant a gentle kiss on it. “Don’t think this means I’m gonna go easy on you in training” he said with a mischievous grin. “If anything, I’m just gonna push you harder.”

Riley laughed. “I’d expect nothing less. Let me close out our tabs and we’ll get out of here?”

“Yeah, I’d like that. And hey, do you mind if I’m the one to talk to Shanks? I got a few other things to bring up to him as well.”

“Not at all. Tomorrow?”

Beckman nodded. “Tomorrow.”

Riley disappeared into the bar and returned a few minutes later. She grabbed Beckman’s hand, and the two walked back to the ship, together.

The next morning Beckman found Shanks drinking his coffee on the upper deck and went to join him. Much of the crew wasn’t up yet, and he’d decided to give Riley the day off from training as he’d kept her up awfully late the night before. “‘Morning, cap.”

“Beck,” Shanks acknowledged with a smile.

For a moment the two stood in silence, the sun creeping over the horizon. “Shanks, I need to talk to you about something.”

“Is it about you and Riley?” Shanks replied with a knowing grin. Beckman was taken aback. Shanks laughed. “Come on, man, your rooms are right next to mine. You really think I didn’t know?”

Beckman blushed a little. “We’ve…been trying to keep quiet. I’ve got the bite marks on my shoulder as proof.”

“Nahh, it’s not about noise,” Shanks assured him. “I can hear sometimes, sure, but mostly I’ve just seen you sneaking in and out of each other’s rooms.”

“I’m sorry, Shanks. We didn’t want to keep it from you any more. We both felt bad about it honestly, and thought you needed to know, especially now that it’s becoming….something else.”

“You’re in love with her,” Shanks said softly.

Beckman sighed, a smile crossing his features. “Yeah, I am. And I think she loves me too.”

Shanks patted his friend affectionately on the back. “I’m happy for you, man. And for Riley. Can’t say I didn’t see it coming.”

“So you’re okay with it? I mean, from a captain’s perspective?”

“Of course!” Shanks said, almost offended at the implication. “Beck, I trust you both more than anyone else in the world. I know you’d never do anything to jeopardize your positions on this crew and your relationship with each other as friends and crewmates. And yeah, you technically have authority over her, which has the potential to get dicey, but I’m here to help with that if it ever becomes an issue. And look, if it works out, great. If it doesn’t, I know you’ll both handle it appropriately and things would eventually go back to normal. That’s not a concern for me at all.”

Beckman remained silent as relief washed over him. Shanks knew. He was okay with it. Hell, he was downright supportive. Now for the hard part.

“Shanks, I’m gonna ask you something and I need you to answer me honestly this time. Not just as your second in command but as your friend. Okay?” Shanks nodded. He knew what was coming. “Do you have feelings for Riley?”

Shanks let out a sigh. The time for denying and avoiding was over. “It’s complicated, Beck. The simple answer is yes. To some extent, at least. I won’t deny that the feelings I have for her are more than just friendship.”

“Then I’m gonna call it off with her,” Beckman said decisively. “I love her, but if you have feelings for her too I’m not gonna do anything that will cause problems between us.”

“Beck, no, just….just listen,” Shanks replied quickly. “The complex answer is that I would never act on those feelings. I know she doesn’t feel the same, and even if she did I’m her captain. We couldn’t be anything, and I have no intention of ever pursuing her. At least, not unless I knew she wanted me to. Which she doesn’t and probably never will.”

“And Makino?”

Shanks huffed out a laugh. “I like her. A lot, actually. I wouldn’t say it’s love for either of us, but it’s been…really, really nice. She and I both agree that this is a temporary thing, and we’re enjoying our time together while it lasts. Honestly, I think having her around has really helped with the whole ‘unrequited feelings’ thing. She knows that too.”

“And what about after? When we leave here for good? Do you think it’ll be a problem?”

“Nah. I’ve been silently pining over Riley for like a year now. It’s just a state of being at this point, and I’ll get over it in time. I want her to be happy and I want you to be happy. If you’re happy together, then I’m happy for you.” Shanks looked a little sad, but Beckman knew he was being honest.

Beckman sighed. That was about the answer he expected. He couldn’t deny he felt a little weird, being with the woman his best friend also harbored feelings for, even if Shanks claimed to be okay with it. But Beckman trusted Shanks at his word, and knew Shanks would never jeopardize their friendship.

“Got it. Thank you, Shanks.” He clapped the younger man on the shoulder, then turned and walked away.

“Hey,” Shanks said, grabbing his attention. Beckman turned. “You take care of her, okay? Make her happy.”

Beckman smiled. “I will.”

Just a few months later, Riley was about ready to finish the first phase of her training, getting stronger with her now-open boyfriend Beckman. The crew had taken the news of their relationship well, and she was thrilled to not be sneaking around anymore.

Of course, Beckman couldn’t consider her training complete without testing her. He took the role of her trainer seriously, and before he could allow her to move onto hand-to-hand combat, he had to make sure she was not only strong enough, but was able to use the skills he had taught her. Their training hadn’t just been about physical strength, though that was certainly a key component. But it also involved balance, agility, and being able to think quickly on her feet. He’d designed her training keeping in mind the numerous unlikely physical dangers he’d found himself in over his years of piracy: being chased by wild animals, dodging arrows, climbing rock cliffs, and so on. In order to make sure she was adequately prepared, he’d tried to factor in a variety of challenges without having to actually shoot at her with arrows. 

The best way to do that, he figured, was to make her use her skills in facing one of her biggest fears: heights. Beckman knew Riley had always been terrified of heights, but the fact was that being comfortable in high places would one day come in handy for her, if not be outright necessary for her survival. So he came up with a plan.

On the last morning of this phase of her training, Beckman brought Riley onto the upper deck. She was surprised that not only was the whole crew there, but a number of people from town had gathered on the docks below. Luffy had a place of honor with Shanks on the captain’s chair. Whatever was going on, she was sure it was a big deal.

“You ready?” Beckman asked.

“I think so?” Riley replied, looking around. “What’s going on?”

“It’s your final test.”

Riley grinned. “You didn’t tell me there would be a test. I didn’t even study.”

Beckman leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Not that kind of test. It’s a test of your strength and skill.”

“All right then. What are we doing?”

Beckman looked up, and Riley followed his gaze. “We’re gonna climb it.”

Riley did a double take. “You mean the ship?”

“Yup,” he said with a grin. “First we’ll take the rope net up the main mast. Once we reach the middle crow’s nest you’ll have to climb the rest of the way with just your body strength and a belt for support. Then from the upper crow’s nest, you’re going to jump to the yard of the top mizzen sail. You’ll climb halfway down the ropes, jump onto the lateen, and run up the rig.”

“And then?” she asked, her voice shaky. “How do we get down?”

Beckman only grinned. “You’ll see. Ready?”

“Beck, I don’t–”

“Hey,” he cut her off, placing a comforting hand on her face. “Trust me. I’d never let anything bad happen to you, and I wouldn’t have you do this if I didn’t think you could handle it. I’ll be with you the whole time. Okay?”

Riley smiled and leaned into his touch. “Okay.”

“Then let’s get started. You wanna go first, or should I?”

“I’ll start, at least for now.” Riley brought herself to the rope netting leading up the main mast. This part she could do. She’d been on them before. Never all the way up, sure, but this part she could do.

She took a deep breath and began the climb. A series of whoops and cheers broke out from the crowd below, and echoes of “You can do it, Riley!” Riley smiled and took the first step onto the rope net. One hand up and one foot up, then the other side. She kept her eyes on the crow’s nest above her, and before she knew it, she had reached the platform. That wasn’t so bad, she thought. A few minutes later, Beckman joined her.

“Good job, darlin',” he said, bending down to give her a kiss.

“Can I get one of those after every part?” Riley said with a grin.

“If it’ll help,” Beckman replied. “But you gotta earn it. Here,” he handed her a wide leather strap, with the ends wrapped in string for a better grip. “We’ve done this on trees before. Get the strap around the mast, high as you can go. Jump and get your legs around the mast as much as possible, using your legs to put pressure on it. Get yourself steady, move the strap up, and repeat. It’s about twenty-five or thirty feet to the top.”

Twenty-five or thirty feet from where she was, meaning it was about sixty feet from the top of the mast to the deck. She’d possibly survive that fall if she needed to, if she didn’t break her spine on the crow’s nest on the way down. Bracing the strap around the mast, she began the climb. Move the strap up, pull her body up, wrap her legs, and repeat. She found that as long as she kept looking up, she was fine, though she couldn’t deny she was aware of the ever-increasing height. The wind was stronger up here than it was on the deck, and it whipped through her hair, which she really wished she had thought to pull back.

She didn’t know how long it took, but she made it. Riley took the opportunity to look out over the sea before her, as well as at the town below, seeing dozens of people on the ground as well as the pirates on deck cheering. She couldn’t deny their support felt good. Looking out to sea, she saw that it was really quite lovely from up here. She allowed herself to enjoy the view as she waited for Beckman, not wanting to think about the next obstacle.

Beckman’s head poked up through the bottom of the crow’s nest a minute later. She offered him a hand and helped him up, and he took the opportunity to pull her into a kiss. “Two down, three to go,” he said.

“Three? The jump, running up the lateen….then what?”

Beckman only smiled. “Do you want me to go first?”

Riley looked out towards the mizzen mast, then brought her gaze to the deck below. It was a long drop.

"Yeah," she said, her voice small with fear. "Please."

Beckman grabbed one of the ropes for support and stepped up onto the edge of the crow's nest. "Remember when we did this up in the mountains over that crevasse? Bring all of your weight into your feet and bend your knees, then release it into your upper body and jump, stretching your legs wide. Just focus on me, okay?" Beckman then did exactly that, leaping widely and landing in a crouching position on the sail's yard. He moved to the side towards the crow’s nest to allow her room to land. Riley had remembered that crevasse, all right. It was barely three-quarters the length of what Beckman was asking her to do now.

Riley gripped the rope and took a shaky step up, balancing herself on the edge of the crow's nest. In attempting to look at her feet's positioning, she looked down. Below her she saw Shanks with a soft smile on his face, and Luffy perched on his lap, neither of them seeming particularly concerned about her falling on them. "YOU GOT THIS, RILEY!" Luffy called up to her. I got this.

Riley bent her knees and forced all of her energy into her legs. She met Beckman's eyes on the other side. Focus on him, she thought. Springing up from the crow's nest, she leapt, legs spread wide. It couldn't have possibly taken more than a few seconds, but for Riley the time she spent in mid-air with no support to speak of and the deck so far below her felt like forever. But it was getting closer. She saw Beckman. She saw the yard. She was going to make it.

The goal was so close, and her stomach dropped as she realized her feet were dipping below the top of the sail. Reaching out an arm, she managed to grasp the yard with one hand. She felt her body collide with the furled sail as her fingers gripped the rounded wooden support with every ounce of energy she had. It was probably fortunate that she was too scared to notice the crowd's gasp.

Beckman walked towards her, balancing so easily on the narrow purchase it was almost annoying.

"Beck, help me up," she said, trying to extend her other arm towards him.

Beckman, the man who supposedly loved her, crossed his arms. "Nope. You can do it."

Riley's fingers were slowly slipping, the sweat on them causing her to lose friction.

"Beckman, I'm not fucking kidding, please, help me!"

He crouched down to be closer to her. "Riley. Remember what I said. There's nothing I'm asking you to do that I'm not confident you can handle. Trust yourself." He pushed a loose chunk of hair behind her ear, then rose and walked back towards the crow’s nest.

Trust myself. Okay. Step one, get a better grip. The furled sail pressed against her, but she could use its folds and ropes for support. She brought a leg up into the folds of the sail, then boosted her body up, allowing her to grab onto the support and loop her arms and legs around it, like a right side up sloth.

Okay. I did it. Now to stand up. Riley slowly brought herself to all fours, carefully placing her hands and knees on the narrow beam. She slowly rose to a kneeling position, then standing. The wind was strong, and she instinctively bent her knees for stability, bringing her body weight into her legs. The crowd below let out its biggest cheer yet. She looked up to see Beckman beaming at her, his hand extended. She walked towards him and he brought her in for a kiss.

"Great job, baby. I knew you could do it," he said with a smile.

"I'm probably going to be very, very angry at you later," she replied, her heart pounding in her chest.

Beckman chuckled. "I'll take that risk. Come on, we're almost done."

He guided her around the crow’s nest and together they descended the rope net about two-thirds down the mast until the lateen was a short leap away.

"I'll go first," he said, "Remember, you need to run. Knees bent, feet facing slightly outward. Back straight, don't look at your feet so much that you lean forward." With one more quick kiss, he leapt from the ropes and onto the support, then made his way leisurely up the rig. When he reached the far end, he stopped and turned towards her, waiting.

Compared to what she just did, this would be easy. Riley turned so her back was to the ropes, then made the leap onto the beam. Both feet landed and she swayed back and forth for a moment, catching her balance. The crowd on the ship and in the town was going wild at this point. Looking towards land, it seemed almost the whole town had turned out for the show. She could even see Makino and Woop Slap in the crowd, cheering her on. She allowed the cheers of encouragement to wash over her. This was it. She was going to make it. 

Getting her feet and knees into position, Riley began to run up the steep angle of the rig. She reached Beckman in a matter of seconds, and he brought her close, lifting her off the beam and kissing her passionately.

"That wasn't so bad, huh?" he said.

"Compared to jumping onto the mizzen sail and almost dying? Easy."

Beckman chuckled. "We're almost done. Ready?"

She still wasn’t sure what she was supposed to be ready for, but at this point it didn’t really matter, did it? "Ready."

Beckman released her from his grip, then turned away and walked to the edge of the rig. When he leapt into the water below, she had to laugh.

Riley brought herself to the edge. It had to be at least seventy-five feet to the water. If she landed wrong, it could easily kill or paralyze her. She watched as Beckman swam out of the way, and she found herself remembering when they first met, his body soaked and with a half-dead Shanks in one arm. What a long way they'd come. Six years ago, she never would have thought this would be where they were, not in her wildest dreams.

She'd come this far. She couldn't back out now. Riley shut her eyes tightly and held her nose shut with two fingers…then she leapt, pointing her toes to break the water's surface pressure. The cold water shocked her as her body submerged deeper and deeper, before releasing its hold and allowing her to swim to the top. Breaking the surface, she pushed her wet hair out of her face with both hands and looked around for Beckman. He swam up to her and brought her in for a long, wet kiss.

"I love you, Riley," he said. "I'm so proud of you."

Riley laughed and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"I love you too, Beck."

Previous - Chapter 4: Rescue and Reconciliation

Next - Coming soon

[fanaticsnail]

How They Kiss

Masterlist Here

Word count: 200+ x4

Synopsis: four very different kisses with your favourite one piece characters. Small drabbles for four different scenarios.

Notes: I needed to write some kisses. Just some sweet kisses with our favourites. I adore writing kisses. There needs to be more kisses. This is me procrastinating. Art link

Apprehensive Tag List: @sordidmusings @feral-artistry @i-am-vita @since-im-already-here @writingmysanity @gingernut1314 @mfreedomstuff @carrotsunshine @vespidphoenix

Aggressive Passion

Zoro, Kid, Killer, Doflamingo, Buggy, Crocodile, Luffy, Roger, Garp, Arlong, Lucci, Nami, Alvida, Ikkaku

Hands heaped in bunches clutch behind your head, fistfuls of your hair scrunched firmly against your scalp. Each moment you attempt to pull away and gasp for air, they're back on you and holding you firmly while their lips latch themselves desperately against your own.

All raw, all passion, all encumbering; consuming all of who and what you are and forging their claim upon you by the brutality of their embrace. Should you struggle to flee from their vice-like grip, desperately in need of a reprieve; their relentless tongue enters your mouth and captures your essence while simultaneously molding themselves into you.

When a small amount reprieve is granted; their lips find your jaw, your chin, your neck, and your shoulders. Wandering fingers scrape and claw at your back as your body is held at ransom to their vivacious lust. They have to claim you, they have to showcase their ownership of all that you are, they have to demonstrate to all surrounds that you are theirs and theirs alone.

Their lips write threats on your skin, and their raspy, lustful voice growls between bites, licks, and kisses.

“Mine,” their voice growls in a predatory rumble, their intentions not only convincing you, but themselves, “All mine.”

Silent Romance

Mihawk, Beckman, Rosinante Corazon, Rayleigh, Law, Shanks, Marco, Aokiji Kuzon, Robin, Vivi, Boa Hancock

Eyes glazed before shrouded beneath their fluttering eyelids, their lips caress yours with more words than lips could ever speak. A whisper calls to you, beckons you in as they rotate their chin to deepen their tantric oscillation.

Their hands wander up to cradle your flesh, gently raking the brush of their fingertips over your exposed skin before dipping beneath your shirt to seek out your body heat. Soft calls of their unspoken plea to open yourself up to a little more, they pull away from your lips to brush their nose and nuzzle their forehead against your own.

Your eyes flutter open, noticing their eyelids are partially cracked and gazing at you with longing. Their bruised lips softly upturn, their squinted smile showcased in the corner of their eyes. Anchoring yourself against them, you reignite their desire by pressing your lips once more to theirs.

As they part their lips, you feel the furrow of their brow in deep concentration, wrapped up in sharing the small carving of their personal bliss painted against you. It was portraiture, mapping your lips with their own and tasting the brushstrokes within each small change in momentum.

They whisper a call of your name, as their lips hover over yours. Their eyes hold more emotion than their words could ever speak.

Desperate Longing

Sanji, Ace, Shachi, Penguin, Helmeppo

The final lunge towards you held you captivated and in awe. Hands gripped at your waist, hips stapled your body between the hard surface of the cool floor, and the warmth of their body caging you beneath them.

Their warm tongue darted out to dominate and consume your own, breathy pants and whimpered whispers pleading a chant of, “More. Please more.”

Your hands reach up to caress their cheeks, hovering over the subtle dips and grooves you have mapped from memory. As they groaned through their struggle to claim more of your flavor over their palate, you met their desperation with only reciprocated passion.

Tugging at their hair has them whine against your lips. A strangulated groan followed by a roll of their eyes in bliss as you rolled them beneath your body with expert skill. Placing your hands beside their head and dipping down, you pressed an equally overemphatic kiss against their bruised lips.

Breath stolen from their lungs, heart beating with anxious rapidity, and hands wandering and roaming over your body; you bit, licked, caressed and sucked on their lips, jaw and neck as they cried out for you.

“Please,” they sniffed a soft sob, gasping their plea with the call of your name, “Please, I need more. Let me have more.”

Nervous Uncertainty

Usopp, Koby, Katakuri, Sabo, Franky, Hongo, Uni, Jimbei, Bartolomeo

A soft quiver in the corner of their lips, their brows elevated into a peaked triangle centralized to their forehead. Your eyes were darting between theirs, watching them wordlessly begin leaning in towards you.

Stuttering in their momentum, they hover their staggering lips over your own and their breath brushes against your skin. What felt like an eternity to them, they waited the turn of your cheek to reject their advance.

Your lips draw up into a broad smile, your eyelashes flutter as you lean in to take that final plunge and meet their lips. A shocked gasp is pulled from their throat, your smile only making their nerves spark with more intensity.

A hum of surprise fled from their lips the moment you parted your mouth to brush your tongue against theirs. Caressing their cheek, you support and guide them to make bolder movements. When their right hand finds your left, they interlace their fingers within your own while drawing their left hand to your hips.

What started with a steady and unsure stagger quickly sprung to more deliberate and intentional movements. They deepen the kiss with an angle of their chin, the brush of their nose and several open presses of their lips on yours.

“I don't do this often,” their voice quivers out their hushed confession, “But I want to keep doing this with you.”

[cipher-zoo]

I don't know how everyone else writes their fanfictions (or stories in general) but here is a little insight of how I do it.

Often my scenes start with having ideas for conversations [Which is weird, because I struggle with writing conversations - I have a hard time to make them sound like people would actually say them, so I almost always sound them out, which has my running around my kitchen talking to myself at weird hours of the night.... anyway]

So I have ideas for conversations - often times while at work, because my creativity hates me - and I jot those down in my notes app.

Just verbatim speech after verbatim speech, often without even indicating who says what. Sometimes, when I want something to be said a certain way, I put a little indicator behind it, to remind myself what I wanted it to sound like.

And then, once I have the time to actually write my story, I transfer all these Speeches into a Word Document. And then I start writing the scenes in between the Speeches and once I reach one of the speeches I rewrite them to fit the scene or paceing or just general moment they are happening in.

And, I tell you, I get so excited, when I am about to reach one of my "Speeches" because that is usually what I am 'working for'

Let me demonstrate it with this example (spoilers for 'An Emperor's Fear' Chapter 3)

Now, the scene where Shanks discovers that Crocodile has been hurting Buggy started out like this:

Now mind you, my phone is in German so this, one of the first things I wrote about the story, was written on the 7th of May at 7:24 am - before I even published the first chapter. (Also, fyi, I do not care about grammar or spelling in my notes app!)

And that turned into this:

[...] For a second, both men just stood there, staring at each other, neither willing to break the tension. Then, his voice low, dangerous, Shanks asked the question. “Did they do this?” A pause, a breath. “It doesn’t matter.” From his position, Benn had a hard time seeing Shanks’ face, but he could imagine the sadness that was probably portrayed in his eyes. The anger, the pain. “It matters to me,” he finally said. “Did they do this.” There was no need for him to elaborate on whom ‘they’ were. One of them was sitting on the canapé, not far from Buggy after all. The Clown swallowed while staring into Shanks’ eyes. All grandeur had seemingly vanished from his body. He nodded softly. “Mostly Crocodile,” he finally admitted. Shanks’ hold on Buggy tightened a little bit, and Benn could tell that he had a hard time keeping himself from pulling Buggy against his chest. Behind them, Benn could see Hawkeye crack one of his eyes open. Whatever was about to happen, he was ready to fight. Shanks, however, still only had eyes for his friend. “Okay,” he said. “Then I’ll kill them.” And just like that, the spell was broken. “No, you won’t!” Buggy used both of his hands to shove Shanks away from himself, while at the same time taking a step back himself, to further the distance between them. “Buggy, they are hurting you.” Shanks insisted, a hinge of desperation present in his voice. “I don’t care.” “I do!” [...]

Now, whether or not you consider that well written or a good scene is up to everyone's own interpretation or taste, but what I am trying to say is:

If you are someone like me, who struggles with finishing stories, or moving them along, give "writing the little things, the ones that come to your mind immediately, first and filling in the space between afterward", a chance. It works for me.

Doesn't mean it will work for you as well, but maybe it's worth a try.

[newbieineverything]

Procrastinating and decided to post about ch 1082

Inspired by my unhinged rant with @plantwithoutplot and @thoughtfullhuman who I sent diagrams to explain everything with a 30 min long record I love you thank you for tolerating my crazy ramblings ❤️

SO

Amazing chapter as usual, Oda really trying to kill us and I love him

First of all we start with the info that vice admiral T Bone has been killed and that it was because of his bounty and can I just, congratulate Oda at the amazing way he demonstrated to us how these bounties are horrible????

Because that vice admiral was genuinely a good person! When we first met him it was obvious he is the kind of guy who wouldn't hesitate 100% to do something to help someone even if it was harmful to himself! And I bet he wouldn't defend himself against people like that civilians because for him how could you look at starving people and hurt them and defend yourself knowing that this is the best option for them!

I'm speaking for myself at least here but when Cross Guild was established and the marine bounties introduced I was happy because Fuck the Marines! And who's gonna use the bounty system? Pirates or bounty hunters! I have never thought of civilians And when I saw Koby's bounty I was proud because look at my boy! Five stars! And the only people hunting him at that time were pirates!

But now?

I'm hit with the reality that most marines aren't evil, that most of them genuinely want to help people, and that these bounties added a new element entirely which are the people

Because you always had the civilians that where tired of the unjust system and became revs, civilians that reported on pirates for their bounties, civilians that tried to be unnoticed because you just want to live AND NOW YOU ADD A SYSTEM WHERE AT THE DROP OF A HAT A CIVILIAN CAN SELL A MARINE TO A PIRATE!!!

The whole status quo of the universe is distributed because before this, only pirates needed to be always on edge bc a civilian could report them, they basically had no safe space except pirate territories and Marines were always safe with the civilians and vice versa!

NOW NO PARTY IS SAFE WITH OTHER

None of them could feel at ease around the other how could they? When they could be betrayed this easily!

Sengoku is right because this? This is going to weaken the Marines it will bring the morals down! If it goes on like this people will leave the marines because being a marine like that would mean never being safe!

The last few chapters where all about showing us how most of the major powers in the world are starting to move which was already disrupting the status quo

But now showing that not only are the major powers are moving but that entire relationship between two major factions are changing this quick??? The status quo is dead and its body is being trampled and I love it!

Way to show how shit is gonna be like from now on

Now onto Buggy!

So am gonna be honest, young buggy? I loved him he's awesome he's my boy, but older buggy? 😬 It just always felt so weird his relationship with shanks always puzzled me because shanks is not an idiot he would when someone really hated him and when Buggy trampled the strawhat after he knew of shanks

I was like how could you? How could hate him this much? Then I knew it was Roger's and he must have known so how? Why did he change this much? Because seeing young Buggy that guy didn't hate Shanks that was usual arguing

I honestly always considered Buggy's portrayal a mistake from Oda, like he established him in a way and now regretted it and changed it

Like I thought there's no way you can do anything to make this change believable

But this chapter? I was wrong you could do something

You could show his inferiority complex, show it subtle, show it growing, show how much he believed in Shanks, show how much Shanks'refusal broke his heart, was for him like trampling on their captain- father's legacy! He threw away his own dream for him! There was no one worthier than him! AND YOU DO THIS!? YOU GIVE UP!?

Of course Shanks was a coward in Buggy's eyes! And is it even worth it to try and achieve his dream if the one who is the most worthy of it the most challenging one wouldn't even try? What win would this be?

And I just, I love this. I stand corrected because all of the above is just so freaking good that my appreciation for Buggy grew because shit now I see his thought process and it makes sense!

I love how he gets news Shanks started and he's like "REALLY? NOW? WHAT'S THE POINT?" but still immediately decided to chase his dream again I love it

And I love how this chapter kind of shows that Buggy is a truer pirate than Crocodile and Mihawk, because crocodile is like Moria a bit where his dreams got broken and he's just settling he doesn't about care about the One Piece now he just wants to stay at this nice spot

And Mihawk (is he a pirate really? Or just really hunter the marines? I really don't think he considered himself a pirate) is someone who achieved his dream and is just complacent now, doesn't care about anything he has no drive anymore his life is so boring he trained the man who will try to kill him to get his title(or you know give him the beating of a lifetime)

Buggy here is a pirate like Luffy in which he has a dream and he wants no needs to at least try and achieve it because he was a Roger Pirate and the captain was always a dreamer

(also I don't think that crocodile or Mihawk or weak for being nervous? Because they really don't care about this shit and now they have to go and fight three emperors and Mihawk is literally their only S tier fighter here???? Yeah I don't blame the XD)

(also Oda giving Buggy this moment is so good because One Piece had always been following your dreams and we always had young characters doing that or just deciding to start on their dreams and Oda essentially giving a middle aged man who already gave up on his dreams the chance to try again knowing there's strong possiblity he would fail but it doesn't matter because he's at least trying???? I'm sorry that hit too hard and actually made me feel so fucking optimistic I can't-)

Now for the revs can I say I'm finally happy we get some new faces for them? At least they aren't as few as I thought

Anyway Koala is all of us because dear God Sabo don't scare me like this again

And I'm happy that some people survived Lulusia because damn that would have been very sad

Also who else thinks that the only people who survived were people who decided to join the revs and that most of the country died by the attack?

Although I heard another theory saying that maybe Sabo had some Intel when he was in Mary Geosie that Lulusia would be targeted (in which Sabo's call would have just made the process faster) and so went to try and evacuate the country and that's why he was there which is a neat explanation but I prefer the first one idk

(also I saw someone on a YT live stream chat theorize that Sengoku saying he wants Garp to try a new rice cracker flavor is probably a code which I never thought of so I don't know I like it though)

ALSO ODA KILLING US WITH THE IMMEDIATE CUT BEFORE SABO TELLING US WHAT HAPPENED AT THE REVIRE I CAN'T ODA DON'T CUT AWAY FROM THAT IN THE NEXT CHAPTER I CAN'T OKAY

[hyperbolicreverie]

I read the latest chapter, and suffice to say I'm worried...

Ah, pretty sure I know what this is about. Spoilers for One Piece chapter 1063 under the cut.

So I'm assuming this is about Law because his situation is definitely the part of the last chapter I would call the most concerning. And I do have some thoughts on this frankly terribly unexpected encounter.

First off: I don't think he's going to die here. Considering the themes in the story that have been particularly strong lately of a new generation ascendant--which, admittedly, Blackbeard is generally included in--it would seem a weird choice to knock Law out of the story entirely here, especially when he's one of the primary people in the story that lens has been focused on after the Straw Hats.

But, more specifically, I think it would be a genuinely weird choice to do so after all of the focus Law has received in regards to having a new dream to pursue. He has a specific goal--what is the Will of D?--and we've seen him actively pursuing that despite how recently we comparatively learned about it. We see him talking to Robin, affirming his desire to learn about it in the basement of Onigashima, acknowledge he has to go through people like Big Mom to get the information he's looking for, and actively follow up on his leads by taking a field trip (with Robin, again) to see Wano's road poneglyph. (I just. I just really want a Robin and Law team-up so very very much).

It's just a lot of focus to put on a character you're planning on killing as soon as the current arc ends. And here's the thing: Law didn't need this new dream to get him through Wano. He still would have been there fighting. Robin could have eventually learned the information he's looking for (and almost certainly will anyway) and that could have been the way that information was revealed in story.

But we've gone out of our way to establish a D clan member with active interest in the mystery, and since Luffy doesn't care, it feels like Law at the very least needs to stick around long enough to do so, in the name of at least one of the people in question with that name actually giving a flying fuck about one of the series' greatest mysteries.

He's got multiple death flags hanging over his head, sure, and someday one of them might come due, but I don't think that's now.

That said, it doesn't mean he gets out of this unscathed.

Of note, Blackbeard doesn't say he wants Law's devil fruit, which is interesting, because he did explicitly state he wanted Boa's. So there's a good chance he's not here to rip it out of Law, no matter the Ope Ope no Mi's reputation. He wants Law's copies of the poneglyphs, because he's an opportunist.

I do think it's interesting that this is a random encounter: Blackbeard straight up says he was waiting for whichever of the Boys left Wano in this direction. And I think that Law being the unlucky one of the trio here suggests a few things:

First, it makes the most sense for it to be him. It can't be Luffy, because he's the protagonist and needs to be off keeping the main plot going, and Kid is off looking for the 'man marked by flames,' so that means he's busy. Not to mention we still need to learn about his issues with Shanks. So, unlucky draw for plot relevance, I guess.

However, this could be an excuse to reveal some information to the audience, and the two biggest contenders I can think of are the mystery of Blackbeard's weird body, and Rocky Port.

On the first, Law is the natural person to be able to figure this out, because of his abilities. He might honestly actually already know, since it's confirmed in this chapter that they've met before.

Which brings me to my second point: Rocky Port, one of the most mysterious events to have happened in the series. And if Coby is on Blackbeard's ship at this moment, that puts all three key players of the incident in the same place.

Also: Law at the end of the chapter is looking very cocky. Not that he hasn't demonstrated this kind of behavior before, but right out the gate? He's usually a little more serious than this. Which could suggest he has a plan, or knows something he's not letting on.

There is also the fact that Blackbeard likely doesn't know the full extent of Law's abilities--his awakening is broken as fuck and also a new development. Law could genuinely surprise him, and he also has the advantage of likely knowing at least the baseline of how Blackbeard's devil fruit nullification works. This being Law, I cannot imagine him not workshopping the hell out of potential counters to it if he does.

But I think the big thing here is that as much as I think the narrative support is there to keep him alive, I think he's going to lose something here, because part of this is going to be showing Blackbeard's increasing threat. Maybe he's captured (again! So many times!) or maybe his poneglyph rubbings do get stolen, or something else. Maybe someone else shows up who's enough of a threat he can get away, who knows? There are legitimately so many ways this can go.

And I'm not sure we'll even get to see it, unless there really is something the audience needs to learn here. We could not know how this fight shapes up for a really long time; the end of the current arc, even, if it gets off-screened in its entirety.

On a more meta note...this is going to be one of those situations where no matter the outcome, some of the fanbase are going to cry foul. It'll be bad writing if Law lives, it'll be bad writing if he does well, it'll be bad writing if he does poorly, it'll be bad writing if he wins. Some people seem genuinely excited for Law dying, because death seems to be the only thing they think raises stakes. Which is a sentiment I've never understood, but I'm not here to dictate how other people experience their media. I just find it deeply unrelatable.

I, personally, just kind of want him to have one good thing happen to him in canon. I don't care if he continues on being a pirate, or retires to run the world's most unassailable hospital on an island somewhere. Let the boy be happy, for fuck's sake. Maybe it's optimistic of me to want a good end for a character with so much tragedy and lingering death hanging over him, but I'll own the fact that I am a gooey-hearted sentimentalist and say that I think that'd be a better end to his character arc at this point than his death.

(And on that note, to all the people calling out the Heart Pirates for being "too weak" and that Law should have ditched them a long time ago, and that maybe if they die here Law can have a crew worth a damn: you have missed the point of the Heart Pirates, and of a huge chunk of Law's characterization, and shut up).