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op-imaginesandmore · 3 years

Note

How would Issho/Fujitora, Doflamingo, Smoker, Arlong, and Gin react to their s/o dying in their arms? (human s/o for all of them including Arlong) Sorry there are so many the posts you've made so far I've enjoyed immensely. I love your style of writing! (:

I know it’s been *checks notes* actual years since I have touched this blog, but I kinda wanted to try my hand at a few of the asks I have in my inbox. I’m going to do just Smoker, and with each of the asks with multiple characters I will pick the one I am most comfortable with writing and go from there. I hope you like it! And also, to anyone who reads this and likes it, thank you! But my ask box will remain closed until…idk, probably a long time. I don’t want to get any one’s hopes about about anything.

Pairing: Smoker x GN!reader

Warnings: Angst, character death (you asked for it), mild descriptions of injury, mentions of blood, implied smut (mildest of spice), unbeta’d if that is a warning

***

The OP was supposed to be a simple one. Get in, do reconnaissance, stay under the radar, come back with what info they needed on the pirate crew, get out.

No one thought Big Mom herself was going to recognize Y/N, because you were good at your job. You had been spying for the government for years, you’d worked with Smoker as one of his subordinates, had infiltrated countless pirate crews, revolutionary bases, treasonous scum that thought they could get away with anything, and had always succeeded in your job.

Lay low, go unnoticed, get the info, come back to him. It was a perfectly organized system that was like clock work, each gear turning for the purpose of civilian protection, and justice.

Until now.

Blood soaked the beach he was kneeling on, who’s it was, he had no idea. Could be his, was probably the pirates’ that were scattered around the Vice-Admiral like debris after a storm, but what infuriated him most was it was most definitely yours.

Wheezes, broken and wet, escaped from your lips, swollen eyes looking up into stoic grey that was like looking into twin hurricanes. Anger, righteous and intense, swirled around with frustration, concern, grief, and an emotion you knew from your quiet moments between soft sheets and the hard planes of his body.

So gentle you barely felt it, he lifted you from the sand like something precious, your blood dripping down his arms and pooling beneath your broken body. Your eyes, swollen and bruised, squinted up at him and a soft smile cracked painfully across your lips.

“Hey handsome” you rasped, a cough that was soaked with blood spurting out. Smoker put a large hand through your matted hair, jaw clenching as he tightened his hold on you.

“I’m gonna get you to the ship’s infirmary” he seethed through his teeth, the usual multiple cigars he kept there like pacifiers long gone. He made to get up, but the cry that came from your lips was shrill and heartbreaking. He immediately stopped, holding you to his chest in a hold soft enough for a newborn.

“I know it hurts, but you need-“

“Do you remember Alabasta?”

Smoker stopped, looking down at your broken body that had the audacity to be giving him the smile that always managed to make his heart flutter in his chest like a crushing school girl’s. He swallowed thickly, not trusting his voice and opting for a nod.

“You were such a baby about Strawhat, I thought you were going to implode when he had his crew mate save your life.” You reached a trembling hand to his face, stroking the rough stubble of his jaw. Almost involuntarily, Smoker leaned into the soft touch, turning his head to kiss your palm as memories of their time on the desert island came to mind.

It had been the first time you had ever yelled at him, calling him reckless and blind. Telling him you were thankful for Strawhat, grateful he had saved his “stupid, sorry, ass” so you had the chance to give him a piece of your mind. He had retaliated with a practiced speech about being your superior, about how you should worry more about your job than what he was doing, how you shouldn’t talk to him like that.

Then you had the nerve to yell at him that you didn’t have a choice but to worry about him. When he yelled at you back about the why, instead of answering him you kissed him square on the mouth.

Their first kiss was in the moment, it was all teeth clacking and sudden and Smoker had been blindsided, but also hadn’t been. The two of you had been flirting with the line between officer and government agent for months at that point, subtle glances and bold, shameless flirting on your part had morphed into soft and subtle touches and hours of listening to you talk about everything and anything.

When the shock of it had worn off a second after you started kissing him, he hadn’t expected for himself to kiss you back. He had adjusted your chin, softened the kiss, and wrapped his arms possessively around your waist and lifted you, your legs wrapping around his own waist in a way that sent chills down his spine as he carried you to his desk. He set you down upon it, gentle as can be, but your legs stayed around his waist, his hips grinding into yours in a way that had him growling. Your lips had been like soft, plush, velvet on his own chapped ones, tongue sinful in its exploration, running against his to beg for entrance.

The two of you broke apart, you were panting, your face flush as you put your head on his chest and listened to the quick thumping of his heart. He smelled like a cigar, a hint of sweet fruit in a haze of earth and smoke that always managed to make your head spin. A smile tugged at the corners of your mouth as you licked the taste of him from them.

“I worry about you because I care about you Smoker” you looked up at him, your eyes twinkling in the soft glow of the sunlight coming in through the porthole of his cabin “probably more than what’s appropriate for a working relationship, but I don’t want to hide it anymore.” You put your hand on his face, stroking the apple of his cheek in a way no one had ever dared touch him before “if you don’t want this though, we can stop right now and never talk about it a-“

Smoker was kissing you again, softer but with a passion that turned your whole body into jelly that molded into his. It was brief, too brief for your liking but he was looking at you with a smoldering gaze that promised more.

“We do this, we tell no one.” He said with conviction “I can’t have my subordinates thinking I have favorites, and fraternizing could get me and you in a lot of trouble.”

You nodded, understanding alighted in your eyes as you coyly bit your kiss swollen bottom lip.

“If that means I get to see your smoke powers at work in the bedroom, I’ll take an oath of silence”

He felt his body react, his hardened length against your thigh making you squeeze your legs together, bringing him impossibly closer.

Smoker’s chest tightened at the memory.

“I’m glad” you said, swollen gaze growing distant “that it all happened the way it did. The last year and a half has been the best of my life” another cough, violent and cracking in its intensity that it had you whimpering into Smokers chest, and his eyes were burning with the tears that were inevitable now.

“Y/N-“ Smoker started, the deep rumble of his voice cracking “baby, you’re gonna be fine, let’s just-“ he took a breath, steeling himself to try and lift you up again, but your head falling limp against his chest stopped him, made the breath leave his lungs and, for the first time in a very long time, Smoker felt true terror grip his careful self control.

“Y/N?” His voice, so unlike the commanding bass it usually was, soft and broken as the body he held “Y/N? Sweetheart c’mon, wake up” he shook you, your head lolling to one side and then the next awkwardly, before it rested back on his chest and Smoker realized your uneven breathing had stopped, the rasping, painful breaths gone quiet and the only sounds to be heard on the bloodied beach were Smoker’s own uneven hyperventilating “Y/N please! You-you can’t do this! Baby, c’mon-open those pretty eyes, please! Y/N? Y/N!”

He held on tight to your body as he slowly broke down, the tears running rivers down his face that had smudges of your blood on it from holding your body up to it, his face buried into your hair as if he could revive you if he held on a little tighter, begged a little harder to whatever god or devil would listen. His cries broke through the silence, their only companion the lapping of water against the sand and gore. He rocked back and forth, clinging to your lifeless body like it was the only thing keeping him tethered to the earth.

That was how Tashigi found her Vice-Admiral, sobbing into your hair as he begged you to wake up. Her heart shattered into a million pieces, but she had to keep him moving, had to remind him of the duty he still held.

“Vice-Admiral Smoker?” She breathed, caution in her tone, heartbreak threatening to pull her under when his breath caught. He looked up at Tashigi with a tsunami of emotions that she had never seen him display. Heartbreak and grief worked in tandem to make the ever stoic and statuesque officer crumble to his knees.

“I’ve gathered the survivors of our platoon, we’re awaiting your orders, sir”

There was a pregnant pause that seemed to stretch for an eternity, Smoker looking down at his dead lover, the emotions that had been raging across his face draining from his being, and was replaced once again with the careful stoicism that his position required of him.

He got up slowly, you still cradled against his chest as he looked out at the horizon. It was another long moment before he spoke.

“We bury our dead, then we take the fight to the one who started this.” There was a fury in his words that struck fear into Tashigi, a fear for how reckless her Vice-Admiral was about to be against a Yonko.

“But Smo-“

“Did I fucking stutter?” He whipped his head around, the grey of his eyes burning with an unbridled rage that seemed barely contained “I’m not gonna rest until every last piece of filth that carries the name of Charlotte are wiped from every ocean from the East Blue to Raftel.” He glanced down at the body in his arms, a soft, broken look before the rage hit again.

“They’re gonna pay for what they’ve taken, I’ll make sure of it personally.”

#smoker #one piece #Smoker x reader #Smoker One Piece #angst #crying #character death #tashigi

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purplehairedwonder · 3 years

Text

Hearts With(out) Chains Chapter 12

Fandom: One Piece Rating: PG-13 Pairings: Gen (eventual Lawlu) Words: 4629 Characters: Trafalgar Law, Monkey D. Luffy, Nami, Chopper, Usopp, Brook, Zoro, Nami, Franky, Smoker, Tashigi, Doflamingo Notes: I’m taking my turn at the Corazon!Law AU because my brain won’t leave me alone until this is written down. Tags will be updated as the chapters come out.

The story title is based on the Ellie Goulding song “Hearts Without Chains.”

The nickname Doflamingo uses for Law in this chapter is a nod to the story “Worth” by Doctor_Cyance.

Warning: This chapter contains the description of a panic attack.

Summary: Law is reclaimed by the Family when he's 17 and, with Doflamingo holding the lives of his crew as collateral for his good behavior, eventually becomes the third Corazon. Years later, trapped by his impossible situation, Law finds a strange connection to Monkey D. Luffy, which offers a glimpse of something he's repeatedly had ripped away from him: hope.

Previous chapters: Prologue | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11

Read also at AO3 / FF.N

After leaving the control room, Law followed the echoing cacophony of the fully collected Straw Hat crew through the halls of the lab. Smoker trailed behind him, tension on the acrid air surrounding him. The moment Law had realized what he’d let the vice admiral hear about his past, he’d debated whether to let Smoker return to the Marines with that information. But the feeling of Vergo’s heartbeat stopping in his hand was still fresh in his mind, and he didn’t particularly feel like ending yet another life today after everything that had happened.

If the other man tried to talk to him about it, though… Well, Law couldn’t make any promises then.

As he walked, Law considered his situation. With Vergo dead, the main source of the rumor of Law’s disloyalty was gone. Law had the dead man’s Den Den Mushi in his pocket, and even if he had recorded Law’s words, Law would simply destroy the recording. For a brief moment, Law considered ending his partnership with the Straw Hats since he’d taken care of his main target, but he dismissed the idea almost as soon as it crossed his mind. Law could pretend he’d never seen Vergo on Punk Hazard, but Doflamingo would hear of Vergo’s death eventually, and, considering the cause of death, there would be no mistaking who had killed him.

Not to mention, Law had obviously failed in the mission he’d been sent to complete—and he couldn’t imagine finishing it now. Not when he couldn’t shake the startled recognition that had struck him as he and Straw Hat had shaken hands that the pull in his chest had gone still, as though Law were where he was meant to be.

No, even with Vergo dead, Law was still just as stuck as he had been the moment Vergo had arrived on the island. He had no choice—either for himself or his nakama—but to continue on the path he was on.

Laughs and shouts bounced off the lab’s metal walls, and, as Law and his stewing shadow approached the source, Law recalled the blueprints he’d been provided; this must be the Biscuit Room, he thought as he stepped into the large, colorful space. He’d wondered at the name as he’d pored over the schematics on his way over, but now he understood. Smoker stepped up next to him and made a disapproving sound at the sight of what was clearly a space for children—children who had become science experiments for a mad clown.

Law narrowed his eyes, assessing the scene in front of him. It seemed the Straw Hats had taken care of their enemies with alacrity. Both Caesar and Monet were wrapped in what Law hoped were Seastone chains (he had warned them) and slumped against the wall. The cat burglar stood not far from them, hands on her hips and a small smile curving her lips as she watched the antics of her crewmates. Smoker’s second stood on the other side of the captives, clearly having taken it upon herself to guard them. G-5 soldiers milled about close to the swordswoman, refusing to fully engage with the pirates.

“Oh, Torao! You’re here!”

Law looked up to see Straw Hat across the room. He was perched atop the back of a couch next to Zoro, who appeared to be dozing. Long Nose sat across from them, his slingshot in hand. It looked like they’d been in the middle of a lively conversation before Law had caught the other captain’s attention. Nico Robin sat next to Long Nose, one leg crossed primly over the other and her hands clasped in her lap. She was smiling, as though enjoying whatever her nakama were discussing. The cyborg sat on the floor next to her. The skeleton, for his part, was wandering around the room, playing a jaunty tune on a violin. (At this point, Law didn’t have it in him to question where that had come from.)

That left the tanuki, Black Leg, and the samurai. Considering none of the children were present, Law had a feeling he knew what the little doctor was up to, anyway. Law idly wondered if he was having any luck treating the children before shoving the thought aside; he didn’t like thinking about his own history with looking to other doctors for help.

“Straw Hat-ya,” Law replied, stepping further into the room.

“What happened to that Verto guy?”

Law tightened his grip on Kikoku briefly. “Dead.”

Straw Hat simply nodded, but outraged noises erupted from the other side of the room. Law turned to look at the prisoners.

“What?” Caesar gasped loudly. “But he’s—”

“So, he was right,” Monet said, the quiet betrayal in her voice more painful than Law had expected it to be. “You were a traitor after all. I didn’t believe him when he told us.”

Though he hated the Family as a whole for what they had taken from him—and continued to take as they held his crew’s lives over his head—Law had spent years with people like Monet once he’d been brought to Dressrosa. And he didn’t hate them all as individuals. Monet was a lot like Law himself, having been rescued by the Family after an unspeakable trauma along with her sister. But, unlike Law, she hadn’t been freed from the corrosive influence of the Donquixote Pirates. She’d been fully indoctrinated and would never believe the truth of who Doflamingo truly was that Law had witnessed on Minion Island. Doffy had her undying loyalty.

Law’s jaw tightened. “He didn’t give me much choice.”

“I can’t believe you teamed up with these… idiots,” Caesar said, lips curling in disgust as he looked at the Straw Hats.

“Idiots?” the cyborg called. “That’s super rude.”

“These idiots kicked your butt,” Long Nose reminded him, aiming an empty sling shot in his direction. “So, what does that say about you?”

Caesar made some incomprehensible frustrated noises in response, but Monet simply looked at Law, her usually placid expression tinged with hurt. “Why, Corazon? After everything the Young Master’s given you?”

Law snorted, an ugly sound that caused Monet to recoil. He knew exactly where he stood with Doflamingo—the Warlord’s tool and plaything and the means to an end—and none of it was for Law’s sake.

It was never for anyone’s sake but his own.

Doflamingo liked to act like he was generous with his Family, but all he really knew how to do was take. He gave but took twofold in return—his gifts came with strings, literally and figuratively. The cost was unflinching allegiance to a madman, pieces of one’s soul irreparably damaged by every act of loyalty, every drop of blood spilled in the name of a man who believed himself a god. And the Family was happy to pay the price; Law once had felt the same before he’d been saved.

Doflamingo was also unflinching in taking from those who refused to pay fealty. He’d taken Cora-san all those years ago for saving Law. He’d taken Law’s and his friends’ freedom on a no-name island in the North Blue. He took the very existences of his enemies in Dressrosa, using Sugar’s abilities to erase them from memory and enslave them as toys.

It was fitting, Law had thought when he’d first learned of the scope of the operation in the kingdom; Doflamingo was a puppet master, literally pulling strings. He saw others as his toys to play with as he wished. Law was nothing more than another one of those toys, though a supposedly privileged one, sitting on the Heart Throne. But it was nothing more than a gilded cage. Law’s eventual purpose was still to die for Doflamingo’s immortality. After everything else he’d taken from Law, he also intended to take Law’s life. And he expected Law to give it willingly; anything else would break the illusion of Doflamingo’s complete control.

“He’s given me nothing,” Law replied coldly. Nothing that he hadn’t taken back countless times over as he whittled Law down into the shape he wanted as his Corazon, anyway.

Monet opened her mouth to reply, but she was cut off by a loud wail as the Straw Hats’ little doctor came out of a side room.

“Chopper, what’s wrong?” the cat burglar asked, hurrying to his side.

“I’ve tried everything I can think of,” he said, “but the drugs in their system are just too strong, and I don’t fully understand their interactions.”

“Of course, they’re strong,” Caesar sniffed. “I made them, and I’m a genius.”

“Shut up, clown,” Nami hissed before turning back to her crewmate. “So, what does that mean?”

“If I can’t get the drugs out of their system, they won’t get better,” the tanuki sniffed. “I can treat the symptoms, but I can’t cure them.”

“Let Torao take a look!”

Law jerked in surprise as rubbery limbs wound tightly around his shoulders and the too-loud voice rang in his ears. (His concussion complained with a painful pang in response, and Law winced.) He hadn’t even noticed Straw Hat moving from the couch. Law prodded at him with Kikoku’s hilt in a futile attempt to dislodge him, but Straw Hat just grinned at him.

The Straw Hats’ doctor eyed Law uncertainly. “I don’t know, Luffy…”

“He’s a good doctor,” Luffy said with a decisive nod. “He saved me.”

After several failed attempts to detach the other captain—the freaking limpet—Law sighed and satisfied himself with the biggest eyeroll he could manage.

“Do you think that’s a good idea, Luffy?” the cat burglar asked. Her suspicions remained, and Law could respect that. Someone on this crew needed to exercise some common sense.

“Torao can look at them,” Straw Hat said, unswayed.

“Don’t I get a say in this?” Law demanded. Being talked about like he wasn’t present was one of his (admittedly many) pet peeves.

“Shishishi,” Straw Hat chuckled. “You’ll look at them, won’t you?”

In hindsight, as Law followed the tanuki to the room he’d been seeing the children in, he’d like to say he agreed because disagreeing with Straw Hat over it would be too much trouble, and, with his head injury, he didn’t have it in him to argue. But the truth was that there was something in the wide, trusting grin Straw Hat effortlessly threw in his direction and the responding warmth in his chest that made the agreement roll off his tongue before he could stop it.

He listened with half an ear as the tanuki explained what he’d already tried with the children and what he’d found. Though Law wasn’t privy to the exact goings-on in the lab, he had a sense of how ugly some of the projects Doflamingo had his fingers in were, so nothing he heard surprised him.

“L-look, Corazon,” the little doctor said once he finished his recitation, voice trembling slightly as he turned to face Law, hooves on his hips. “These kids have been through a lot. They’re scared and in pain and want to go home. D-don’t make it worse, okay? O-or I’ll kick your ass myself!”

Law had never seen anything less intimidating—and his best friend was a polar bear mink, which said something—but he still respected the sentiment. That protective instinct toward a patient was the attitude a true healer should have, one Law had seen in his parents as they fought for the people of Flevance while it was ravaged by plague. And, despite all the blood he’d spilled over the years, it was a feeling he could feel stirring deep, deep within himself, too.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Law replied. “You probably shouldn’t be here while I work, though.”

“What? Why?”

“My methods are… unorthodox,” Law settled on. Though the Ope Ope no Mi’s effects were bloodless and painless, that didn’t make them any less disturbing to most people who saw them.

The tanuki hemmed and hawed for several moments, and Law felt his impatience growing until he just opened a Room and approached the kids. The little doctor yelped and followed him.

“You’re that man from outside,” one of the kids said as Law approached, frowning at him.

“I am,” Law agreed.

“What are you going to do to us?” another child asked, arms crossed defensively.

Law felt his eye twitch at the assumption he was there to hurt them, but Law had attacked the people who were trying to help them escape. He wasn’t entirely sure what to say—he knew a thing or two about being a traumatized child, but that didn’t make him an expert on dealing with others.

“Corazon here is a doctor,” the tanuki said, coming up next to Law.

That piqued the interest of some of the children.

“A doctor?”

“Like you?

“What kind of name is Corazon, anyway?”

“Law.” Everyone turned to look at him in surprise. “That’s my name,” he clarified, startling even himself. “Corazon is a title, but…” But he didn’t work for the Donquixote Family anymore now that he’d sided with the Straw Hats, did he?

He glanced down to see the Straw Hat doctor looking at him curiously. “What?” he demanded, feeling suddenly uncomfortable, like he was being looked through rather than at. He couldn’t help but be reminded of Bepo when looking at the small creature, and Bepo had always known Law better than anyone—often better than Law himself.

“Nothing,” the little doctor squeaked before looking back at the kids. “Doctor Law here is going to look at you. I’ll be just outside if you need me!”

With that, he glanced back at Law once more then left the room, closing the door behind him. Law, curious at the tanuki’s sudden agreement to leave Law and the kids alone, turned back to the children. He took a breath and unsheathed Kikoku to perform a Scan.

-----

Once Law was finished his work, he left the delighted children chattering to each other about what it was like having their body parts removed and opened the door. The Straw Hat’s doctor was sitting just outside, and he perked up at Law’s appearance.

“Well?”

“I was able to remove all traces of the drugs from their system,” Law said. “But most of them will be dealing with the effects of long-term exposure. With rehab, they should all be fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,” Law said, slightly annoyed at having his professional opinion questioned. Though he didn’t truly blame the tanuki; whatever Caesar had been experimenting on with these children, he’d given them some incredibly potent drug combinations that Law had never seen. Anyone without the power of Law’s fruit would have had a hard, if not impossible, time treating these children.

As Law had initially Scanned the children and seen the degenerative effects of the drugs they’d been exposed to, he’d been reminded of the charts he’d seen in his parents’ clinic of patients with Amber Lead Disease and the devastating effects on the body; he’d had to forcibly shake himself from the memory to continue working.

He started as the tanuki hurled himself at Law and wrapped his little arms around Law’s legs. The Straw Hats were far too affectionate for Law’s comfort.

“Thank you!” he said, looking up at Law with teary eyes. “I didn’t know what I was going to do for them!”

“It’s nothing,” Law said, lightly shaking his leg in an attempt to remove the other doctor. He was finding himself saying that a lot around the Straw Hats, he realized. He wasn’t sure he wanted to examine that any more closely.

The tanuki finally released Law’s leg and wiped his eyes with a hoof. “Luffy was right.” He gave Law a weak smile. “So, thank you for this. And for saving Luffy when I couldn’t. Law.”

Law opened his mouth to wave off the thanks again, but he shut it when he heard his name. Looking at the little creature, he felt his chest clench as he was reminded of Bepo when he’d called earlier. “I knew it, Captain. I knew you were still in there.”

He thought of the small feeling of satisfaction he got from healing Black Leg’s fracture, from knowing his hands could still heal after everything else they’d done.

Maybe Bepo was right, and the boy he’d sworn to follow no matter what thirteen years earlier was still in Law somewhere. Law had long thought that boy dead in the North Blue, but Bepo had always been the wisest of the Hearts.

“They’re your patients, Tony-ya,” Law said, recalling the doctor’s name from his—frankly ludicrous—wanted poster. “I was just helping out.”

Chopper’s face lit up at Law’s use of his name, but he tried to hide his pleasure. “That doesn’t make me happy, you bastard.”

Law’s lips twitched as he left Chopper to deal with the children now that they were no longer poisoned and headed back to the Biscuit Room.

When he entered, Straw Hat perked up immediately, as though he had a radar for Law’s presence. “Oi, Torao!”

“How are the children?” Nico Robin asked, eyes following her captain’s gaze.

“I removed the drugs from their systems,” Law said. “They should be fine with some long-term treatment.”

“What?” Caesar squeaked. “You shouldn’t be able to—”

Before Law could open a Room to shut the clown up, the cat burglar smacked him on the head. “Shut up, you slimy bastard. You’re lucky Torao here was able to help the kids. If he hadn’t been able to…” She trailed off, but the implication remained.

“Still not my name,” Law muttered.

“Still doesn’t matter,” the cat burglar replied in a singsong.

Law sighed and rubbed a hand over his face then looked back up at the other Straw Hats. “Now what?” He had no idea how long he’d been working on the children, but if his waning stamina was any indication, it had been a while. It must be getting late.

“The Marines called for backup,” Nico Robin said, “but the closest ship won’t arrive until tomorrow.”

“Captain Tashigi will be taking charge of the children,” the cat burglar added, a softness in her expression. “She’ll take good care of them.”

“And our next stop is Dressroba!” Straw Hat said.

“Dressrosa,” Law corrected automatically, stomach tightening at the thought.

“From the maps, Dressrosa seems to be fairly close,” Long Nose said, pointing to some maps spread out on a table between the sofas.

“It is,” Law agreed. “Maybe half a day.”

Half a day to figure out how to extricate Law and his nakama from Doflamingo’s strings.

It wasn’t enough time.

The cat burglar nodded thoughtfully as she came up next to the table and looked at the maps. She was their navigator, if Law remembered correctly. “It’s too late to set sail tonight,” she said. “We thought we’d leave in the morning.”

Law nodded curtly. “Fine.”

“So, you want to tell us what we’re walking into when we get there?” Zoro asked, arms crossed and eye narrowed.

Law opened his mouth to respond, but he was interrupted by the muted sound of ringing. Law reached into his coat pocket and found his Den Den Mushi waiting to be answered.

There was only one person that could be.

“Shit,” Law cursed.

He had no interest in letting the Straw Hats or Marines overhear this call, so he quickly formed a Room and Shambled into the first space that came to mind: the control room. He landed on the couch in place of a pillow he’d switched with.

He set Kikoku to his side and stared at the snail for a moment before answering.

“Doffy.”

“Corazon,” Doflamingo replied. Law tried to listen for anything off in his voice, any sense he knew Law had really betrayed him after all. “How is the mission going?”

Law hesitated only a moment as he calculated the best response to give. “It’s done.”

“And there were no… complications?”

Law knew he was imagining it, but he couldn’t help but feel like Vergo’s corpse was staring at him from across the room.

“No. The intruders were taken care of.”

“That’s good to hear. I’ve been trying to call Monet but haven’t received a response.”

“She was injured during the fight,” Law said, the lie falling from his lips without a second thought. “I treated her wounds, and she’s currently sleeping.”

Doffy hummed in response. “I see. And Caesar?”

“The clown is locked away in his lab,” Law replied, allowing his disdain for the scientist creep into his voice. Doffy wouldn’t be surprised by it. “I don’t know how Monet puts up with him.”

Doffy chuckled. “She does it for me.”

“Of course.”

“And when do you plan to return home?”

“I’ll set sail in the morning.”

“Excellent. I knew you were the right man for this mission. Until tomorrow, little bird.”

Law grimaced at the nickname as he hung up the call. The Birdcage haunted Law’s nightmares to this day, and he felt like nothing so much as a caged bird in Doflamingo’s service—and the man knew it. The nickname had become more regular since he’d started bringing Law into his bed, an act that had truly felt like clipping his wings.

And now the little broken bird was going to try to fly again.

It would never work.

Law could feel his heartrate picking up as his thoughts started to whirl.

Like he’d told Violet that morning—had that only been this morning? It felt like a lifetime ago—he was Doflamingo’s creature, possessed by the man inside and out.

He lifted a hand to his chest, only to find his entire arm shaking.

Doflamingo was a Warlord and a former Celestial Dragon.

Heat rose in his face.

Who was Law?

Bile rose in his throat.

Doflamingo was a dragon to Law’s bird.

He was going to throw up.

What was Law doing?

Law pushed himself to his feet and took a few unsteady steps forward and managed to round the couch, but his vision spun in front of him.

What was he thinking?

His feet tangled under him with his next step, and he crashed to the floor behind the couch.

He was going to get his nakama killed with this futile venture.

His breaths came in jagged pants, his tight chest struggling to inhale and exhale, and all he could hear was rushing in his ears.

Everything Law had done for the last nine years had been to keep his nakama safe, and now he was going to fail them completely.

Law’s entire body shook, and he curled in on himself.

And now he was going to get Luffy’s crew killed, too.

He screwed his eyes shut and put his hands over his ears as he struggled to breathe. The walls were closing in on him. He could feel the wood of the treasure chest beneath him and the treasure they’d shifted to fit Law into the chest at his back. The lid of the chest wouldn’t move since Cora-san had placed another chest atop it to disguise Law’s hiding place.

Law tried to summon a Room to escape, but his powers refused to cooperate, slipping through his fingers like sand.

Cora-san was going to die because he’d helped Law…

A cold sweat clung to his body.

The deafening cracks of gunshots, one after another, rang through Law’s ears and tears streamed down his face.

Law couldn’t make a sound because of Cora-san’s powers. He opened his mouth to scream but nothing came out except for ragged breaths.

He flinched hard as he felt a gentle touch on his shoulder.

Wait, a hand? Law was alone in the treasure chest.

The hand withdrew, and Law slowly opened his eyes. For a moment, all he could see was a blur in front of him—then red came into focus.

Doflamingo had worn red that night.

Law jolted backward until his back ran into something solid. He hissed through clenched teeth.

“—orao? Can you hear me?”

Law blinked slowly as a voice started to form words amidst the rushing in his ears. He felt the hand return to his shoulder, but he didn’t fight it off this time. Who—?

“Hey, Torao. It’s me. Can you hear me?”

It was Luffy.

Luffy hadn’t been on Minion Island.

Right.

Law wasn’t on Minion Island. He was on Punk Hazard.

Law wasn’t a sickly thirteen-year-old boy anymore. He was twenty-six and one of the most feared pirates in the New World.

Luffy squeezed Law’s shoulder when it was clear Law wasn’t going to freak out again.

Gradually, Law felt his heartrate slow, and his chest loosened, allowing him to take deeper breaths.

“Straw Hat-ya,” Law finally managed, voice rasping from his struggle to breathe. He pushed himself up off the floor, but his limbs felt like jelly, so he simply leaned against the back of the couch and pulled his knees up to his chest. He wrapped his arms around his knees.

Shame started to creep up the back of his neck as he realized he’d let Luffy see him having a panic attack—he hadn’t had one in years—only hours after making an alliance. He’d shown his allied captain how weak he truly was on the eve of taking on one of the most powerful men in the New World.

But Luffy simply smiled when Law acknowledged him and sat down next to Law, mirroring his position with his knees up to his chest. He rested his head on his knees and turned to look at Law.

Law resigned himself to questions about what had happened and was already considering how to reply, but Luffy surprised him.

“I used to get them after Ace died,” he said quietly. “Out in the forest alone when I trained with Rayleigh. I’d remember what happened and then I couldn’t breathe. I’d feel Ace dying in my arms and the fire in my chest all over again.” A soft smile returned. “But it got better when I saw my nakama again. They got easier to deal with when I wasn’t alone anymore.”

Looking at the other captain, Law realized that despite the grin that seemed permanently etched into Luffy’s face, he’d been through a lot in his short years. They had that in common. But where Law had retreated into himself to cope, Luffy turned outward. After coming to Dressrosa, Law had been too afraid to show any sign of weakness around the Donquixote Family, so he bottled everything up until it exploded. And the explosions tended to be violent.

“Doflamingo called,” Law said after a few silent moments by way of explanation.

“That Mingo’s a bad guy, huh?”

Law’s lips twitched tiredly at how simple Luffy made the situation. He rested his chin on the top of his knees. “Yes, he is.”

His eyes were getting heavy. Between the extended use of his fruit today and now the panic attack, Law supposed it was amazing he was even still awake. It was nothing new, though; working himself into unconsciousness was his preferred method of sleeping, despite the frequent protestations of his crew.

Law swallowed at the thought of his nakama back in Dressrosa.

“We’ll get him,” Luffy said confidently. “We’ll get Mingo, and we’ll save your nakama, Torao.”

Law grunted a response, and that seemed to be enough for Luffy.

They sat like that for a time, Luffy quieter than Law would have expected he could be. Despite the way Law’s thoughts had been a whirlwind before, they were quiet now. Gradually, Law’s eyes drifted closed, and he thought he might have felt an arm wrap around his shoulders before he went under completely.

Next chapter

#As an apology for taking so long with this one #Have the longest chapter yet #Trafalgar Law #Monkey D. Luffy #One Piece #One Piece fanfiction #One Piece fanfic #Caitlin's fic

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danwhobrowses · 4 years

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One Piece Chapter 981 - Initial Thoughts

Ohoho... Now that’s more like it! After another long break Chapter 981 releases Spoilers for Chapter 981, read it and support the official release

No Cover Story this time, we got a Colour Spread, I think Oda was sneaking in some messages in there, praising music for being universal and honest, which is nice for these times

People will complain about how Oda draws women but you can’t deny that he gives his audience fanservice on both sides, Kid out there full rip probably sent a lot of girls and lgbts in a spin

Things are getting a little out of hand for Queen, we see another Enel face from him

See this is what Apoo vs Luffy should’ve been, Kid completely shrugged off a surprise attack. But of course Apoo isn’t Yonko Commander level, proof is right there. Also small allusion to Pirate Alliances ending badly again, is this foreshadowing or trying to make us worry about Law?

Oda making that Number look as silly as possible XD Why does the intimidating shadow always lie?

Luffy ZOOOOOOOMS...with the stretched chicken leg

Ah but where would we be without the bickering? And Killer gets to show his intelligence here, even when driven mad by the SMILE he is the most sane of the four

Giving Apoo the sound limitation does justify his strength a little, but still mad he 2KO’d Luffy at 100% If it was a sneak barrage then sure, but 2 hits was far too few

Also classic joke set up, however it does mean there’s a risk of them not knowing that Apoo’s ability only works when heard...

The Eyeball print definitely seems to be Who’s Who’s banner, as he has his entourage of cat people, it’s fortunate though that he’s prioritizing Yamato for now, he really wants Queen’s head

Looks like someone never told Big Mom of the back way into Wano, her crew are re-attempting the waterfall

Oooooooo Kin’emon is seriouuuuuuuus! Working the pincer as well is clever, on top of Law and Denjiro’s flank

Buuuuut the Tobi Roppo circulating can throw spanners, as would Black Maria’s brothel...the door is a bit small for her isn’t it?

Sanji FOCUS! No, Noooo! He’s gone...too late

Team Tank are also splitting to search for Momo, which might I add still includes Carrot so can she be Nakama already?

Sanji being sad that the brothel is empty is funny, but honestly I don’t think he’d know what to do in one...

Kin’emon you have a Devil Fruit, you can’t jump into the water!

Oh lord Chopper! ...Maybe she still remembers her Olin liking to you? I mean, she only met Chopper in WCI when she was having cravings, and she loves to collect...

Up the Waterfall BM’s crew remind us that most of the people on there are dicks and want Luffy’s head, and the only one happy about the Kaido alliance is that bitch Flampe

‘No, it’s not him’ meant there was only one person it could be

MARCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooo! Thank god you changed your mind you sneaky pineapple

HAHAHAHAHA, down again, looks like BM will be lacking some reinforcements, but this makes it interesting. BM is now in the wolf’s den without back up, except for Luffy’s alliance and Kid

There was something really significant about what Marco said as well, it’s possibly on par with when Shanks praised Coby for his actions kickstarting a new era, change is being promised, for better or for worse. That or it just reminds me of “You can’t come at the King that easily”

What’s more IZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Go help your sister! Oden Retainers and WB Remnants 4 Life!

Well this makes thing a little more balanced for team Luffy; the Flying Six don’t wanna engage unless they have to, BM’s forces are being held back, the Samurai or Law haven’t even gotten involved yet and Apoo can be neutralized. But it’s not all bright, BM spotting team Tank is dangerous, we still don’t know what happened with Team Denjiro, Team Grim Fandango (Franky and Brook) and the Mature Duo (Robin and Jimbei). The return of Marco and Izo does make me wonder if Hawkins will come back now too which I still hope for, sadly it seems Tashigi will not be entering Wano for the time being unless something warrants an extended stay in Wano itself. But we’ve still got question marks on Caribou, Kanjuro, most of the Flying Six, Yamato, Tama, Hitetsu, Hiyori and more. But now it’s looking like a Yonko Mash. But what was the title “Engagement” all about?

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mydetheturk · 4 years

Text

Illness on the High Seas

Coby’s crew is dangerously ill, which makes them sitting ducks out in the New World.

aka that accidental plague fic i never planned on writing

i figured i’d post the whole thing here to tumblr as well, instead of just to AO3. under a cut cause its something in the range of like 5700 words, and i hope to god tumblr actually keeps the cut this time.

ao3 link will be in the notes

Tags: sickfic, non-graphic medical procedures,

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The first marine collapsed about two hours after they’d left the island. It was a tiny little island, just big enough to have a village with a harbor on it. The marines had made a quick trade, mostly to refill up on water and some basic supplies, having gotten blown too far off course by a freak storm to make it back to G-5 before they’d run out.

Coby was just lucky that the townsfolk were willing to trade with them at all, and then his crew had started collapsing once the island was out of sight.

A week in, and the only two still standing were himself and his CMO, Rowland, and only just barely. Coby had basically relinquished control over to the doctor, because he had no idea what he could even do for the crew beside help Doc keep their fevers down.

“You’re holding up better than I expected, Captain,” the doctor said, pulling down his facemask so he could drink some water. He closed his eyes and held his flask to his forehead, taking a moment to catch his breath from the wave of exhaustion that came with having barely slept for the last week.

“Good immune system?” Coby offered.

The doctor snorted. “Yeah right. You’re just stubborn. Get ahold of the base again, give them an update. I’m going to check on the crew.” He pushed himself to his feet and rubbed a hand down his face.

Coby nodded. He was just so exhausted. The doctor raised his mask again and wearily weaved his way back through the ship. Coby tossed back his own water, waited for the nausea to pass, and pushed himself up with little difficulty.

Helmeppo had helped Coby put up the plague flags on the second day, after a third of the crew had fallen ill. He’d collapsed the next afternoon, feverish and unresponsive.

Coby’d had a hell of a time not having a breakdown over the transponder snail when he’d updated G-5 of their situation.

Taking a deep breath, Coby dialed the snail for G-5. He was at the point where things could only get worse on his ship was if his crew started dying.

Coby shut his eyes and waited for someone to pick up while ignoring that lane of thought. Exhaustion prickled at the corner of his eyes, and he put his hand over his face, gently squeezing his temples to have something to focus on.

“Captain Tashigi, G-5 base.”

Shit.

“Captain Coby, stationed out of G-5,” he responded.

“Ah! Coby. I thought you were supposed to get back to base before Vice Admiral Smoker and myself?” Tashigi asked, surprise coloring her voice.

Coby could admit to himself that he missed the other captain. “There’s… been a snag,” he said slowly, breathing deeper than normal.

“Talk me through it,” Tashigi said. Coby could just hug her.

After his brief explanation, during which Coby fought back two more blackouts, Tashigi asked, “Coby, do you need me to do anything else?”

Swallowing back tears, Coby answered weakly, “I just need my crew to be okay.”

The snail mimicked Tashigi’s wide eyes and aborted breath. “Okay. Okay. I’ll do what I can. Where are you?”

Coby willed down his tears and gave her the best estimate of his ship’s location as he could. “My vivre card should get whoever comes this way a more accurate location,” he said.

“Don’t worry, I already have a piece of it. I’ll convince Smoker that it’s a good idea to head that direction.”

Coby huffed a weak laugh. “It’s probably a bad idea and you know it,” he said bluntly.

“Yes, but you’re in trouble.” And you’re my friend, is what Tashigi didn’t say, but Coby heard the implied words anyway. “Go. Rest. We’ll find you,” she stated with the confidence that it would happen.

Coby believed her. He had to believe her. “Tash… Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. Stay safe.”

There was a click, and the transponder snail settled into sleep. Coby’s vision blurred, and he clenched a fist, nails digging into the meat of his palm. He had to trust Tashigi. Vice Admiral Smoker would be the wildcard in the mix, but Coby liked to think he’d endeared himself to the older Marine.

He hoped.

Coby shook his head with a huff, sliding his glasses off his head and pulling his bandana out of his hair so he could soak it again.

He hadn’t told Tashigi he had whatever it was as well, except he was still vertical out of sheer spite. It would have only caused her undue worry, and Coby didn’t want her worrying any more than she already was. He was doing enough of that for both of them already.

Stepping out of the comm room, Coby made a quick stop in the kitchen to soak his bandana and re-tie it on his head before his way to the deck, checking to see if there was anything in the area they needed to worry about. He and his crew were sitting ducks in the water, even if Sea Kings couldn’t see them. A Marine ship bearing plague flags out in the middle of the Grand Line was just asking for pirates to investigate and potentially spread whatever this was.

Coby couldn’t have that.

Exhausted, Coby scanned the horizon, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Nothing port or bow-side. The aft was clear as well, and when Coby, drained and regretting doing a loop around his ship, rounded a corner and spotted the silhouette of a ship upon the horizon, he felt tears welling up. The ship had the wrong silhouette for it to be another Marine, even when factoring the various Admiralty ships being non-standard, so it could only be one of two things – civilians or pirates.

Coby hoped it was civilians, but expected pirates. He took a breath, centering himself so he could throw his Haki out to get a listen on the ship.

As soon as he felt who it was, he recalled his Haki immediately.

“Fuck,” he whispered, legs giving out.

The Straw Hat Pirates.

They were the literal last pirates Coby wanted to deal with. He’d take Emperors over having to handle Luffy with his crew as ill as it was. Coby adored Luffy and considered him a friend, but Coby’s crew was potentially dying and he didn’t want Luffy to deal with that, nor did he want his incredibly ill crew to put up with Luffy’s exuberance.

Sure, his priorities were a little messed up. He could want his crew to be nowhere near the Straw Hats until they were back on their feet.

There was movement in the water at the edge of his Haki, and he shoved himself back to his feet, heedless of the way his vision swam. Something was barreling his direction at high speeds, and while he didn’t think it was hostile, Coby was literally the only line of defense between whatever it was and his crew.

Coby braced himself, and threw a punch right as whatever it was landed on his deck.

There was the sound of Armament Haki covered flesh hitting steel, and boy if that didn’t make Coby’s head swim.

“Ah! My apologies, we only knew that there were people still alive, young marine,” a skeleton spoke.

Coby stared, for a moment, doing some mental math. The Straw Hats’ ship plus walking, talking skeleton meant that the person in front of him had to be Soul King Brook.

“There’s illness,” Coby whispered, resolve cracked. “You shouldn’t even be on the ship.” His control on his Haki slipped and his legs gave out again and Coby was so tired.

“We know.” Soul King Brook helped Coby back to his feet. “That’s why I’m the one here – there’s no illness that could kill me. I’m already dead!” The skeleton cackled.

Coby cracked a weak smile.

“Ah, there we are.” Even though Soul King Brook had no facial features to speak of, it felt like he was smiling. “What’s your name, young man?”

“Captain Coby. Temporarily out of G-5,” he answered honestly. Really, circumstances being what they were, Coby didn’t exactly expect any of the Straw Hats to cause much damage.

“Well Captain, it is wonderful to meet you.”

“Captain! Where are – fuck!” Doc shouted from the door to below deck. “Why’s there a fucking skeleton?”

Coby took a stabilizing breath. “Doc, this is Soul King Brook. Soul King – my CMO.”

Doc approached, straight backed with protective aggression in his stance. “You may call me ‘Doctor,’ or Doctor Rowland and nothing else,” he said with a surprising amount of vehemence in his tone.

For his part, the Soul King merely bowed with a flourish. “Doctor.” He stood, placing his hat back upon his head. “Now, might I contact my crew to see if we are able to assist in any manner?”

Doc narrowed his eyes, looking the Soul King up and down. “Pass over my captain so I can make him sit down and rehydrate again, and sure,” he said.

Coby blinked, and found he was being handed over like an errant duckling.

“I can walk on my own,” he said with a frown.

“Captain, please don’t take this the wrong way, but you really fucking shouldn’t,” Doc replied. He half-dragged, half carried Coby back to the Comm room. “Sit, stay, and don’t fucking get up again,” he growled. “Do not make me hunt you down. I will be back in two minutes, go ahead and contact the skeleton’s crew.” Doc stormed out, throwing his hands in the air.

Soul King Brook merely chuckled. “It might be wisest to contact my captain,” he said, placing a bony hand on Coby’s head.

Coby gave him a weak smile. “Yeah. It’d be nice to see Luffy again but under different circumstances...” Coby shook his head, dislodging Soul King Brook’s hand. “Transponder’s right there, please don’t say anything incriminating.”

“Of course.” Coby watched as Soul King Brook dialed a snail code. The transponder snail chirruped for a moment before someone answered.

“Straw Hat Pirates, this is Nami speaking.” Nami – Black Cat Nami? Coby wished for some paper and a pen but Doc had given his orders and Coby realized he’d reached the end of the man’s normally endless patience.

“Ah! My dear Nami, this is Brook.”

“Brook! What happened on the Marine ship? Is everyone still…” she trailed off, hesitance in her voice.

“We’re still alive,” Coby said. He let his exhaustion color his voice. The few times he’d met Nami she’d been alright. He might even venture to say he liked her well enough.

“Oh! That’s good. Hopefully you stay that way.”

Doc chose that moment to burst back in with a closed pitcher of water and a glass. “Drink,” he said emphatically, clunking both down on the table. Coby jumped slightly, his heart rate temporarily skyrocketing.

“Is that your doctor? Do you need me to go grab Chopper?”

Soul King Brook nodded at the transponder snail with a smile. “I do believe that our darling Doctor Chopper will be of assistance.”

While the pirates were speaking, Doc made Coby face him. “I’m gonna run your vitals again.” I don’t want you collapsing on me too, he didn’t say, but he didn’t need to. The doctor ran through the motions of checking Coby’s temperature, blood pressure, heart rate – once that had dropped from his scare – and anything else he was thinking of.

“Fever’s gone back up. Have you had anymore near-blackouts?” Doc asked.

“A couple. Nothing I couldn’t fight.”

“Stubborn brat,” Doc said. There was no heat to his voice.

“How’re the others?” Coby asked, changing the subject.

“Holding on. Hey. Skeleton.” He directed his attention to Soul King Brook.

“Yes?”

“Oh!! Is that the doctor?” came an unfamiliar voice from the transponder snail. “I’m Tony Tony Chopper! The doctor over here!”

“Yeah, I’m the doctor. Why?”

“Can I get information? So we can help!”

Coby could have started crying. Again.

“Alright,” Doc replied warily.

“Great! But it might be better if we come over there so I can see the patients? So I can help properly diagnose them!”

Doc glanced over at Coby, who gave him a weary nod. Luffy’s crew had pulled off miracles before, and honestly what was the harm at that point?

“Only if you have proper protection. I refuse to let this spread any further.” The doctor had his hand on Coby’s shoulder, and his grip tightened as he spoke.

Doctor Chopper gasped. “Of course I have proper protection!”

“Then you’re allowed over.” He tossed the receiver back at the Soul King. “I’m going to be below deck. Don’t let him move around until your ship gets here.” He grumbled under his breath the entire way out, and Coby was sure he continued all the way down below deck where the rest of the crew was.

“Your doctor has a bit of a bite to him,” Soul King Brook comments.

Coby smiled. “Yeah.” He drank more water, noting that it has a faint medicinal taste. Doc must have dissolved something into it.

“Chopper, can you have dear Nami bring the Sunny over?” Soul King Brook asked. He had a stabilizing hand on Coby’s shoulder that Coby was grateful for.

“Of course!! We’ll be there shortly!” The transponder snail slipped off with a click.

“Chopper is a very good doctor,” Soul King Brook said. “He’ll figure this out.”

Coby gave Brook a weary smile. “Thank you.”

“No need to thank me, Captain. Sickness on a ship out at sea is never incredibly pleasant.” Coby shot the skeleton a curious glance. Reports on his past were vague, but that sounded like it was from experience.

Brook gently ran his skeletal fingers through Coby’s – admittedly sweaty – hair, gently teasing out knots and generally just calming Coby down.

A short time later, Coby was feeling people on the edge of his Haki, and he opened his eyes, unsure of when, exactly, he’d closed them. The feeling like he was going to pass out was back, but he ignored it just like he’d had every other time. It was fine. Coby could stay vertical until his crew was awake again.

“They’re here,” he said hoarsely. He lightly shrugged off Brook’s hand and made to stand, but Brook just tenderly pushed him back down.

“Stay. I daresay that your doctor might actually have my head if he catches you up on the deck and I let you go,” Brook responded. “Not that it would do him any good.” Brook chuckled.

There was sense to Brook’s words, but Coby needed to get up anyway. Staying still for so long was just inviting the darkening of his vision back, and Coby had fought back passing out enough times while training with Garp that threats of bodily harm from Doc didn’t really phase him. Garp’s CMO, a tough older woman by the name of Dr. Ren was much more creative in her threats.

“It’ll be okay,” Coby said. It honestly likely wouldn’t, but he was still awake and speaking, so he’d be fine. Eventually.

Brook didn’t prevent him from standing when he pushed himself up again and merely kept a hand on Coby’s back to steady him as they walked to the deck. Doc wasn’t going to be happy about it, but Coby couldn’t live with himself if there were pirates – pirates he knew, but they were still pirates – on the deck of his ship unsupervised. If only so he could avoid the tongue lashing from Garp later, of course.

When they got to the deck, Coby was dizzy once more and breathing heavily. He frowned, staring at the small reindeer-like person on his deck.

“Brook!” they yelled, and Coby realized that this had to be one Tony Tony Chopper.

“Greetings, Chopper,” Brook said, not leaving Coby’s side.

Chopper hurried over, transforming as he did so.

He was a Zoan of some sort, Coby realized, and mentally cursed because how could that have been missed?

“You’re Captain Coby, right?” Dr. Chopper asked, and oh hell, he had to be even younger than Coby was.

Coby nodded. “Yeah. Welcome aboard.” When Coby looked up, he could see the Thousand Sunny anchored right next to them. He cast his gaze across the Sunny’s deck. It was suspiciously empty but for one figure.

“Luffy,” Coby breathed, eyes going wide.

Straw Hat Luffy had an unusually serious look on his face, and Coby could feel his resolve from across both decks. Luffy cocked his head and waited. Coby just nodded back after a moment of trepidation.

Suddenly, Luffy smiled, and then he turned and walked back across the deck of the Thousand Sunny, shouting about meat.

Coby sighed in relief, sagging slightly against Brook’s hand.

“Captain where the fuck –” came from the door to below deck and Coby winced slightly. He’d definitely annoyed Doc, if the yelling was any indication. Doc angrily slammed the door open, yelling something Coby couldn’t quite make out but understood the meaning behind anyway.

“Over here,” Coby called, interrupting the imminent tirade.

“I seriously need you to stop doing that, Captain.” Dock looked over to Chopper. “You the Straw Hat doctor?” Chopper nodded. “Good. Come with me. I’ll update you on everything going on. Captain, you too. I need you to stay where I can see you,” he grumped.

“Alright.”

Doc led them down to the makeshift medical bay, giving Chopper the details that he’d been able to figure out.

“It starts with passing out, usually. Then fever. I’ve been able to keep most of their fevers down but nothing will wake them,” Doc explained, stacking together a bunch of paper.

“Exhaustion,” Coby added in.

“Yes, and exhaustion,” Doc agreed.

Chopper gave them a look with big eyes. “How are you two still awake?!” he cried.

“Coffee.”

“Spite.”

Brook chuckled. “Now, now, Chopper, they’re clearly doing their best given the circumstances,” he chided gently.

“But they’re both clearly sick!” Chopper exclaimed. “We have to – oh dear.” Chopper had taken in the sight of Coby’s entire crew being laid up in beds. “How long has this lasted?”

“First one collapsed a week ago, right after we left port,” Coby said. “Everyone else… since then.”

Chopper shot a glance at Brook, who still had a steady hand on Coby’s shoulder. Coby pretended he didn’t see it, and Doc blatantly ignored them in favor of checking on Helmeppo.

“Can I take a look at your crew? It’ll help me get a feel for what’s going on,” Chopper asked. He looked between Coby and Doc nervously, unsure of which of them he should have posed the question to.

“Go ahead,” Coby said. He watched as Chopper looked around, going between the various sickbeds to examine the crew.

It looked like Chopper knew what he was doing, so Doc joined him, explaining the slight differences between each case.

“Captain?” Coby looked up at Brook. The skeleton had a surprisingly soft look on his face as he said, “Perhaps you should sit down. Your crew is in safe hands with Chopper.”

Brook was right. Coby did need to sit, but he wasn’t sure he would be able to get up again if he did. But Coby let Brook gently nudge him to a chair that was out of the way of the two doctors anyway.

“There. Is this better?”

It was a little better. He could see his crew and keep an eye on the pirates at the same time.

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust the Straw Hats, but it was more of a nervous reaction to having anyone other than fellow Marines on his ship. Coby watched the two doctors flit about with half-lidded eyes, letting Brook’s calming hand trail through his hair again.

“About fifty years ago,” the skeleton began, voice pitched low and easy, “I was part of the Rumbar Pirates.” Coby could tell that this was a story that hadn’t been told often, and Coby turned his attention to Brook. “We were musicians, mostly, but still pirates. We were reckless, but it was fun. Then… Half of the crew grew ill with something we couldn’t treat on the Grand Line.” He hummed, and Coby recognized the notes as an old drinking tune. “We sent off our captain and some others to escape the Grand Line.”

Brook paused, and Coby reluctantly asked, “What happened?”

Brook chuckled, a soft yohohohoho. “We kept going, of course.” He delicately plucked Coby’s glasses off his head, closing the arms and gently placing them on Coby’s lap. “We kept going with myself at the helm, all the way to the Florian Triangle.” Coby blinked, looking up from where Brook had placed his glasses.

“The Florian Triangle?” There were rumors, but Coby had never really paid them much mind.

“Oh yes. The Florian Triangle. A dark, misty section of the sea where the sun never shines.”

Coby blinked, and spoke before he could really process his thoughts. “Are you sure we’re talking about the sea or are you describing the Fleet Admiral?” Then Coby processed what he’d said and clapped his hands over his mouth, gasping in shock.

Brook’s laugh returned, warmer this time.

Helmeppo would have been proud of Coby for that one. Garp would have been delighted. All Coby felt was an overwhelming sense of fear because he joked with a pirate about Fleet Admiral Sakazuki and his terrible personality.

Doc was in front of Coby in an instant.

“Easy, Captain. We’re nowhere near HQ,” he said calmly.

“R-right,” Coby croaked. Doc gave him a dubious look but let Coby be for a moment anyway.

“Doctor Tony, what’s your running theory on this?” Doc said, turning around and re-facing Chopper.

“I’m thinking either some sort of bacteria or something parasitic. Is this the entire crew?”

“Mm. We’re one of the smaller ones out of HQ.”

Coby shut his eyes and let the sound of the med bay coupled with their conversation and the overall sound of the ocean wash over him. He dozed, lightly, periodically blinking back into full consciousness when prompted.

One of these times was to Chopper delicately patting his knee with a small hoofed hand. “Captain Coby?” Coby looked up to see Chopper, eyes wide and determined, staring at him. Coby hummed, letting Chopper know he was awake enough. “With your permission, I’d like to get a colleague of mine here? He’s better at unusual diseases than I am!”

Said colleague was probably another pirate, and Coby was reluctant to let more of them on the ship. But his crew was in trouble, and Coby knew Doc was on his last legs, being the only one who had the know-how to handle it. Coby could handle first aid – Garp’s training had always been more of a beating than actual training, and Coby had learned how to handle whatever Garp had thrown at himself and Helmeppo pretty quick. Anything more complicated than that wasn’t exactly something he knew, however.

“Alright,” Coby croaked after a moment. “Alright,” he repeated.

Chopper beamed.

“Thank you! We’ll get ahold of him right away, and if he’s close enough, he can help.” Chopper nodded, mostly to himself and bounded out of the room, presumably to go contact his ‘colleague’. Coby had a bad feeling about it, but he ignored it.

Coby ignored a lot of things when it came to himself, come to think of it, but he tamped down on the impending existential crisis for when he actually had the energy to handle an impending existential crisis.

“Captain. Might be a while before their contact can get here, if at all. You need rest.” Doc appeared next to Coby, using the wall as support.

“So do you,” Coby replied softly.

“We’re talking about you right now, Captain.” Coby made a face, but admitted Doc was right.

“I’m only going to go rest if you do,” he stated. “Captain’s order.”

Doc made a face back, probably the same one that Coby had given him. “Fine.” He turned to Brook. “This idiot is probably going to want to be on the deck in case Doctor Chopper’s colleague arrives.” He sighed.

Coby noticed how exhausted he looked. “If possible, yes.”

“Captain, with all due respect, you’re a little shit.” Doc sighed anyway, and his shoulders slumped. “I’ll grab the extra cot, damn it. You’re lucky I like you.” He stormed away, a little defeated, but a moment later he tossed a blanket at Brook’s head, the fabric landing on him with a soft whump. “I’m going to get a nap. You’d probably do well with more sunshine.” Doc pointed at Coby. “Shoo. Get lost. Don’t let him fall overboard,” was directed at Brook.

Brook chuckled. “Of course, Doctor.”

“I can swim,” Coby protested.

“Captain I haven’t seen you this exhausted since Rocky Port and that time when VA Garp decided to drop in without warning. Pardon my language, but take a fucking nap.” He retreated, grumping his way to his office.

Coby slid his glasses from his lap and placed them back in their customary spot on top of his head. There was a clatter of bones as Brook stood and held out a hand.

“I’m sure Chopper has gotten ahold of his esteemed colleague by now, and has some information for us,” he said. Coby took his hand and allowed Brook to help him to his feet. “Come along, Captain.”

For all that it was a short walk from below deck to topside, Coby was still worn out. He leaned against the wall, slowly sliding downwards until he was sitting on the deck. The sun was warm, in a gentle way, and Coby was reminded that it was springtime, somewhere. They’d been at a Spring Island, anyway, and it was always temperate on Spring Islands.

“The sunshine is wonderful, isn’t it?” Brook asked quietly as he draped the blanket on Coby’s lap. Coby hummed, closing his eyes and letting his shoulders drop. He thought he might be able to relax enough for actual sleep. Maybe. Anything would have been better than the short snatches of rest he could get before his Haki flared up in alarm forcing him away, which was all he’d gotten since the first of his crew had fallen.

Brook started humming quietly, settling down beside Coby in a gentle rattling of bones.

A few minutes later, Coby’s light doze was interrupted by clattering.

Chopper landed on the deck of the ship with a clicking of hooves, startling Coby awake. “Captain Coby? My colleague is in the area,” he said, once he’d gotten close enough. “He said they should be here in a couple of hours.” There was something that Chopper wasn’t telling Coby, he was sure – the pirates were dancing around the exact identity of Chopper’s colleague and Coby didn’t really want to think about who it might possibly be. The list of people that Coby knew of off-hand who could have been colleagues with the Straw Hats and also were doctors was abysmally short and topped with someone Coby wouldn’t mind arresting.

Again.

“Chances are very good that I’m going to sit here and nap and be woken by your colleague once he’s in range,” Coby said.

Chopper nodded with a smile on his face. “That’s fine,” he said, “but don’t go anywhere else!” Turning his big brown eyes on Brook, he asked, “Are you sure you’re okay to be here, Brook?”

Brook placed his hand on the little doctor’s hat. “Of course I am, Chopper.” His words were soft, gentle. “The young captain here needs all the help he can get.”

Coby would have been offended by that statement if it weren’t true.

Chopper made a fluttery little motion, looking from his crewmate to Coby and back a few times. Hesitantly, he said, “Okay Brook. But if you need a break, let me know and I can grab someone!”

A weary smile graced Coby’s lips at the sight of how much Chopper cared for his crewmates.

“You will be the first to know,” Brook responded solemnly. He offered a skeletal hand for Chopper to shake, sealing the deal.

“Alright Brook, I’m going to go help these Marines now.” Chopper nodded and took off, making his way back below deck.

Coby shut his eyes and soaked up the sun in a way that he wasn’t really accustomed to doing. Usually his time was filled with movement, whether it be from training or general ship maintenance, or just doing paperwork, of which there was a surprising amount. Coby wasn’t sure if it was just because he was a young captain or if it was normal for that much paperwork to accrue or if it was because of his status in SWORD.

Coby drowsed to the sound of Brook humming, vaguely aware of the passage of time. He was oddly comfortable, so when time had passed he was almost surprised that his Haki was screaming at him to get ready for a fight and startled to full consciousness.

This startled Brook as well, prompting the skeleton to leap to his feet with the clacking of bony joints and the shing of a drawn sword. He looked around wildly while Coby drew shuddering breaths, staring off into the distance where he could just pinpoint someone arriving. Coby could just about recognize the feeling of the person arriving, and yet he could see nothing. There was a sinking feeling of recognition in Coby’s gut, and he was suddenly regretting agreeing to let Chopper contact one of his colleagues.

“They’re here,” he croaked with a touch of despair.

Brook sheathed his sword and dusted himself off. He looked in the direction Coby was staring, sighting a large patch of sea that was starting to roil just off the prow.

“So they are,” he agreed.

A mast breached the surface first, cutting the surface tension like it was nothing. Quickly following the mast was the sail and then the rest of the submarine in the seconds that followed.

Coby took a breath, and then another, and then another, because of all pirates he wanted to deal with while his crew was as ill as it was, the only pirate he wanted to deal with less than Luffy – who was being weirdly considerate and not on Coby’s ship – was one Trafalgar Law. Making a low pained noise that had Brook looking at him in alarm, Coby resigned himself to the fact that Trafalgar Law was about to be on his ship treating his crew.

“Can you help me stand?” he whispered. “I don’t want to be sitting when he gets on deck.”

Brook’s touch was gentle. “But of course. He does have a penchant for dramatics.” Coby was thankful that Brook didn’t push more, hoping that the skeleton thought it was more to do with the fact that the Heart Pirates were pirates rather than the fact that Coby and Trafalgar Law had had run-ins before.

The Rocky Port Incident had been in the World News for days, much to Coby’s chagrin at the time.

Once he was on his feet again, Coby took care to make it seem like he wasn’t using Brook for support as he stared down the Polar Tang. He refused to appear weak in front of the Heart Pirates. It was going to be a moot point once Trafalgar Law saw his crew, but for a few seconds, Coby let his minor terror of letting even more pirates on his ship while his crew was ill override his sense. Then he heaved a breath and relaxed ever so slightly because his crew was ill and he knew that Doc needed all the help he could get.

There was shouting from the Thousand Sunny – shouting that suspiciously sounded like Luffy. A smile crept its way to Coby’s face, since he knew that, at the very least, Luffy’s alliance with the Heart Pirates would prevent Trafalgar Law from doing anything too drastic. Coby watched as Luffy rappelled from the Thousand Sunny to the Polar Tang, wrapping himself around Trafalgar Law, and he felt more than anything how Trafalgar felt about it – a resigned feeling tinged with amusement that Coby suspected he’d felt almost constantly around Luffy.

There was a short conversation that Coby actively decided to ignore, knowing it was likely Trafalgar demanding information from Luffy about why he’d called Trafalgar to come help with sick Marines. Coby clued in on “Because Coby’s my friend!” and smiled, knowing Trafalgar had just lost the argument.

An eerily-familiar blue glow emanated from the Polar Tang, engulfing the prow, and Trafalgar Law appeared just inside of the barrier of the glow. A chill ran down Coby’s back, and he was, briefly, back at Rocky Port staring down he pirate who’d been stealing Marine hearts and leaving the heartless – but still living – Marines as gifts to be found. Then he blinked and Trafalgar was upon him, staring down at him with a glower.

Coby stared right back with cool, even look. Trafalgar Law didn’t scare him. They’d already had their clash.

“Marine,” Trafalgar said.

“Pirate,” Coby responded.

There was a moment of tension that was broken by Luffy careening from the Polar Tang to the Thousand Sunny while laughing. Coby was barely able to control his smile while Trafalgar heaved a put-upon sigh.

“Brook-ya,” Trafalgar greeted.

“Hello, Law.” Brook didn’t acknowledge the tension between Coby and Trafalgar and Coby was grateful for it.

“Well then, where are the patients?” Trafalgar asked.

“Come with me,” Coby said, turning to go below deck.

“How do I know I can trust you?” Law asked.

Coby paused, took a breath, and whirled back around. “Because, Trafalgar Law, the only reason you’re on my ship without seastone handcuffs on is because a, Luffy trusts you, and b, my crew could be dying,” he snapped.

Trafalgar looked over Coby with an eyebrow up and Coby’s hackles raised. He wasn’t going to fight with Trafalgar unless the pirate made the first move, but he wasn’t going to just take the pirate’s scrutiny either.

“Fair enough,” Trafalgar conceded eventually. He approached Coby who warily relaxed his stance.

Coby led Trafalgar and Brook down below deck where, upon seeing the entire crew laid up in cots, Trafalgar sucked in a breath.

“Right. And they’re all –”

“Still alive, yes,” Doc interrupted.

Doc and Trafalgar stared each other down for a moment before Trafalgar sighed again.

“Alright. Strawhat-ya’s going to owe me for this, but… alright.” Doc handed him a stack of papers.

Coby watched as the three doctors conversed, eyes sliding shut. The last thing he heard before hitting the ground was someone shouting his name in alarm.

#one piece #opfanfiction #opfanfic #coby #coby (one piece)#fanfic #writing #myde writes #dont' worry im working on part 2

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lunnamars · 4 years

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small things

@einfach-antonia didn’t ask, but it’s for her. Hope you like it.

"Oe, Tashigi! What are you doing?"

It was almost 3 p.m. and Zoro was looking for the marine to start their daily workout. Tashigi was nowhere to be found — not in their bedroom, not in the kitchen, not in the Crow’s Nest already waiting for him. He looked on every corner of the Sunny and was surprised to see her laying on the floor under Nami’s tangerine trees.

"Meditating", she said with her eyes closed.

"Lying down? I'm pretty sure that's not how it's done", he looked at her from above, an eyebrow raised.

"It's a different meditation."

"How so?", Zoro decided to sit next to her and watch her soft features.

"Instead of focusing on the tranquil wind or the swinging of the leaves and the grass, I'm focusing… on the sound of the water running down the sink while Sanji-san washes the dishes, focusing on the sound of the wind hitting Luffy-san's straw hat while he fishes, or the sound of Chopper-kun's laughter", Tashigi hums and continues, "I'm paying attention to the noise of Usopp-san's hand working on the Clima-Tact and the turning of the pages of the book Robin-san is reading…"

She closed her eyes and tells him more, "I'm concentrating on the sound of Nami-san's pencil scribing the paper, on the screw and unscrew of bolts of a possible new project of Franky-san."

Zoro simply couldn’t tear his gaze away from the peaceful expression Tashigi had on her face while she spoke. It was mesmerizing.

"I'm listening to the soft whistling of Jinbe-san while he steers Sunny and to the low murmur of a possible new song of Brook-san", then suddenly she opened her eyes and glanced affectionately at him, "and lastly, I'm listening to the clink of your three earings, Zoro."

He didn’t know how that woman was still able to make his heart flip even after five years. Maybe she is really a witch as people call her, he thought. Zoro came to the conclusion that she was an enchantress not only because of her unusual ability to bend swords to her will but because she was also able to bend him to her will.

That's the only explanation.

Tashigi pulled him by the hand so he could lay down next to her (and there she goes making him abide by any request she makes) and then hugging him and resting her head in the curve of his neck.

"I'm focusing on the small things that make you all, well… be who you all are. On the small things that made me feel at home."

He understands what she's telling him — after all, she was one of his methods of meditation. He has never told her, but sometimes, he'd just sit close to her and focus on her breathing and on the simple fact of her presence near him. They had danced around each other for so long that just having her there with him was like a real blessing.

And Zoro didn’t even believe in the divine.

"Mmm, aren’t you becoming too soft? Who would have thought that becoming a pirate would turn you into such a corny woman", he sneered because he knew the exact reaction that would come right after. He even lifted his hand already.

"You bastard!", she punched and he defended with his hand, "I'm allowed to be a little sentimental once in a while, thank you very much."

To be honest, Zoro thought she was allowed to do many things — he knew she'd always do good things, so he wouldn’t lose his sleep over that. The swordsman started to stroke her hair in slow movements and Tashigi seemed to calm down. He called her corny, but he was somewhat a softie too. Especially with her.

Or maybe just with her.

(Probably just with her since he wasn’t the type of person to show affection, but he didn’t know what’s with this woman that made him want to hug her every time he could. Obviously he doesn’t. God forbid him staining his aloof reputation.)

But when she’d say things like that, he'd become scared, something would always tug in his heart. He decided to never voice this doubt, but after her speech, he wanted to finally make sure.

"Don't you regret joining us?"

He was scared of her answer. He has always been scared she would break out of this strange spell someday and decide that that life wasn’t for her.

That he wasn’t for her.

"What a silly question. Of course I don’t. Why?", she leaned on her elbow and stared at him like she was talking to a dumb person.

"We're pirates. You've always been, you know… Miss Right. And I'm nothing but a pirate—"

"You are a lot of things, but you’re especially the man I choose to be with, you moron", she said without stuttering, but couldn’t hide the huge blush that crept in her face. Always wearing her heart on her sleeve, he thought fondly.

"Haa… you're really cheesy today, huh?", he shot her a crooked smile. Tashigi just rolled her eyes and leaned in to give a sweet kiss on his nose.

"Just shut up."

For some reason, Zoro liked what they had. And he liked to tease her or to feel her skin on his or to just touch her. It wasn’t a complicated relationship and he had to admit he was surprised in the beginning. She has always been a tough nut to crack (as well as him), but they seemed to fit. In every aspect — from their shared love for swordsmanship to her small figure that fills the right amount of space below his chin to the way he could hold her whole naked body in his arms.

"Get outta here with this chaste kiss, woman", he mumbled in her lips and smiled the most enticing smile he knew she liked. Tashigi blushed even harder and Zoro felt a wave of pride fill him to know he still made her feel like that after five years.

In a swift movement, he scooped her in his arms and spoke in her ear with the huskiest voice he could muster — the voice that he knew was truly effective against her, “Cmon, Glasses, we’re not gonna meditate anymore. We’re gonna do a different kind of training.”

Tashigi bit her lips with something alluring in her eyes. He smiled in a devilish manner and kept walking.

“But it’s in the bedroom.”

#zotash #zoro x tashigi #tashigi #roronoa zoro #opfanfic #fanfiction #lunamars writes

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neverwatchedonepiece · 5 years

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603-604: "Launching the Counter Attack! Luffy and Law's Great Escape!" and "Get to Building R! The Pirate Alliance's Great Advance!"

DING, DING, DING! It’s round two. And you know Luffy ain’t playing this time.

Not a huge amount happened over episodes 603 and 604. Still, the episodes were essential. The story needed a transition phase to tie up the plot threads and set everything up for the final push against Caesar.

Everyone is safe inside the lab, the Strawhats are all accounted for (sans Chopper, who is still in Caesar’s lounge), Luffy is in an alliance with Trafalgar Law and - I never thought I’d say this - Vice-Admiral Smoker of the Marines!

Actually, what the hell am I talking about?

Loads of big things happened.

Including this sweet and juicy nugget of off-island context that has me rubbing my hands with glee.

Juicy Opening Reveal Alert!

Attention: Kidd, Hawkins and Scratchman Apoo are discussing an alliance. This is not a drill.

It started out fairly innocuously. I say “fairly”. The Brokers and Dodgy Characters of the OPverse were kicking back and watching Caesar’s madness play out. Pekoms and Tamago had some lines, so I focused in on them.

“How did those big names get caught by Caesar?” Pekoms asked. “So that’s where they are now. What should we do?”

“We wait a bit and see how things play out,” Tamago answered.

This was a teeny tiny scene. But it was interesting. Why? It revealed Pekoms and Tamago know Caesar by name. Maybe Caesar introduced himself to his audience and I missed it, but if he didn’t, then that’s interesting.

After that, the action switched back to Kidd, who had also been watching Caesar’s broadcast. Kidd has earned himself a 470 million bounty, which is impressive. His right hand man, Killer, has a 200 million bounty. Less impressive. Kidd seemed happy Luffy had finally made some moves. He switched off the feed. “You’re not the kind of guy who wants to play an arms dealer, are you Killer?”

Not sure what Kidd meant by that. Does he mean Killer’s not interested in what Caesar has to offer? Or that he doesn’t want to get involved with an obvious head case like Caesar?

They walked off through their extra edgy hideout complete with gloomy paint job and atmospheric candelabras (lol). They discussed Law and his shenanigans on Punk Hazard. Kidd couldn’t believe they were all there together. He thought Law had lost his mind when he became the World Government’s lapdog. But now... Law was definitely up to something. Kidd does not want to fall behind, so they’d have to make a move too.

Upon opening the door an explosion boomed them right in the face. It was Scratchman! At first I thought, is this an assassination attempt? Then the camera panned to Hawkins and I thought.... okay, so a team-assassination attempt?

Nope. Killer had called them to Kidd’s hideout to discuss forming an alliance.

This is cool. I like this seemingly random development. Oda has made a good move here showing the other rookies in the Worst Generation are also working hard behind the scenes. They’re in the New World now. The Yonko are a-callin’. If they don’t team up, they’ll be destroyed. (R.I.P. Gangster Pirate dude and dinosaur guy. Still not sure what Urouge is up to.)

I kind of hope their alliance works a little more smoothly than the Strawhat/Heart Pirate alliance does at the moment. xD

Just Get Out of the Damned Cage, I Don’t Even Care Anymore...

There are a few teething problems but I’m sure Law has now realised that Luffy is a major loose cannon and will learn how to point him in the right direction. Maybe. At some point. In the distant future. (Ahh, that golden moment when Robin and Franky straight up told Law not to turn his back on Luffy because he’ll be off like a rocket, yelling their secret plans at the top of his lungs.)

Law’s cunning plan from the episode 402 cliffhanger was revealed. It was surprisingly simple and dangerous. But then if it’s not dangerous, is it really a good One Piece plan?

Absolutely not.

Law asked if anyone could set the nearby broken ship on fire. Franky obliged.(That fireball was badass, by the way. Just need that on record.) Once the rising smoke had obscured Caesar’s view of the cage, Law revealed his sneaky ruse. While he had freeloaded at Caesar’s house, he swapped most of the seastone chains with normal ones. Law broke free from his and freed Luffy, Robin and Franky.

Once he had failed to convince Luffy to stop cheering like a madman, Law dealt with a spot of business.

Smoker and Tashigi. They knew too much. They knew Joker’s real identity. He had their destiny in his hands. I knew he wouldn’t kill them (not evidence for that, I just didn’t think Oda would go there) but I was not prepared for what would happen next.

Law unshambled them and struck a deal: he would spare their lives because if they made it back to Marine HQ it would make life difficult for Vergo. In exchange, Smoker and Tashigi were to FORGET everything they had heard about Law and Joker. This was not a favour. It was a condition of their release.

Now, this had me bewildered. Why, if Law is no longer working for Doflamingo, is he still protecting the guy? If Doflamingo goes down, then surely Vergo will also go down and the whole operation will fall to pieces? Unless what you guys hinted at is bigger than I thought and Doflamingo has so many side hustles that some Marines being mad at him is small potatoes.

At any rate, the deal was accepted, despite Smoker’s pride, because of Tashigi’s sense of duty and practicality overcame it. She basically said, “Yes, untie us for the love of god. We need to live because if we don’t, we can’t save our people from Vergo and we can’t rescue Caesar’s experiment kiddies!”

So the deal was done. The neatness of Law’s plan was totally ruined when Luffy bent the bars of the cage and pinged out in a fit of enthusiasm. Then Franky basically turned to Law and said, “Yeah, I’m gonna pass on the plan. I’m off to look after Sunny.”

Then he farted himself out of the plot.

I think I just made a new sentence there.

Deal done, Law roomed them all to the back door, whereupon the sneaked inside the lab and pulled a Very Important Lever that meant the Fodder Marines outside did not die a horrible, painful death from Caesar’s chemical weapon.

Yay!

And there was this great, dramatic reveal moment.

Look. Look at this Beautiful Shot

While Luffy, Law and Smoker stood with their backs to Caesar’s bemused minions like total badasses, the poison gas rolled over the island.

Zoro, Sanji, Brook and Foxfire still hadn’t caught up to the dragon. However, Sanji because super motivated by tits and found a sudden burst of speed. The only thing was, the dragon wasn’t quite good enough on its own. It was tiring too.

Luckily, Nami and Usopp rode up on the back of Brownbeard and caught Brook just as he fell off the dragon. They all leapt on Brownbeard’s back (dragon included) and galloped to the front door.

Which was rapidly closing, as the Marines had all scuttled safely inside!

Indoors, the Marines squinted. What was that white, powdery cloud in the distance approaching at speed?

It was the rest of the Strawhats trying really damned hard not to die.

Zoro and Kinemon teamed up to slash the doors and force their way in. I thought it was majorly dumb at first (to be fair, so did most of the other characters). But the Fodder Marines patched up the hole with a speed that makes me think they’ve missed their calling and should be flipping houses instead.

Still think the gas would probably seep through those gaps but maybe Caesar’s got some wicked air filtration system going on. I mean, it is a state of the art lab specialising in chemical weapons research.

Have I Left the Stove On?

There was a moment after the Strawhats reunited where the action cut to a shot of the devastation Caesar’s weapon had wreaked across Punk Hazard.

If you thought the island was screwed before, it’s beyond help now. Utterly Pompeii’d. Every inch of it is covered in petrifying, poisonous ash. There is nowhere on Punk Hazard that is now habitable. Caesar took immense pride in this achievement. Some people just love destroying stuff, right? The only thing that survived outside was a single DDM protected by a bubble for Caesar’s broadcast.

Brook’s ghostly form confirmed it. Going outside would be a Bad Idea.

Inside, a lot of guns were pointed at the Strawhats and Brownbeard (Brownbeard was just pleased the Marines had remembered his name. Awww...you’re infamous now, Brownbeard. Just like Luffy. Enjoy it!)

Once the plot threads and outstanding issues of the whole reuniting scene were dealt with (Law unshambled Nami and Sanji and also told Smoker not to let his men stand in the way of the pirates), the plan to fight back against Caesar and escape the hell of Punk Hazard began.

As Law had been a guest at Caesar’s Weird Hotel, he knew the layout of the labs. They were in the foyer of Building A. To escape, they must force a path through to Building B, the large central area. There, they would find a gate at the back leading to Building R and a door marked R-66. Behind that door, is a passage to the sea that would be unaffected by any poison gas.

Law declared he’d rather not have to create a massacre, but could only give everyone about two hours. To anyone staying longer than that, Law could not guarantee their safety.

And the idiots still tried to attack the Strawhats, so I don’t have much hope for them.

One of the most interesting scenes here was the one between Zoro and Luffy. While fighting Marines, Usopp updated Zoro on what had happened. Caesar had soloed everyone with his de-oxygenation trick. Even Luffy had fallen for it. Zoro took that hard. He had flashbacks to Sabaody, to everything he had trained for in the past two years. What the hell? How could Luffy just lose like that?

Luffy (who had hatched a secret plan with Robin I know nothing about yet because Oda did let us hear it), was heading for the next room. Zoro caught him before Luffy barged his way through.

“LUFFY! GET A GRIP. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF THE NEW WORLD!”

And Luffy replied, “YEAH, SORRY. I WON’T LET MY GUARD DOWN AGAIN.”

Then he tried out a hilariously dumb UFO move on the Fodder Marines and Zoro performed a mental facepalm.

I liked that glimpse of the relationship between Luffy and Zoro there. Sometimes, even though Zoro has his moments, he’s always there to give Luffy a kick up the arse and deliver some home truths on occasion. And because Luffy respects Zoro, he will take them on board and acknowledge them. But of course he’ll still have a damned good time and try out dumb moves on fodders because when else can you do that, am I right?

He Did Not Leave The Stove On

In the lounge, Caesar was about to take a special delivery from the Bad News Fairy.

One of the nice things about Caesar is that he is not a total dumbass. He looked at that cage. He noticed there were no petrified bodies clawing at the front door. He *knew* something wasn’t quite right. He asked Monet and Vergo. Vergo actually hypothesised that the Strawhats had broken free and helped the Fodder Marines escape too. But Caesar ignored him.

Then the Bad News Fairy arrived. A minion burst through the door. “Master! All of the enemies have entered the lobby with Strawhat Luffy in the lead!”

You all probably remember Spandam and Enel and those golden freakout faces. Caesar is giving them a run for their money. I love how he can shift seamlessly from twirling round the room in joyful glee, to “wait a minute....” suspicion, followed by shrieking outrage.

Two in-universe hours, Caesar. That’s how long you have.

Can’t wait to see what nasty tricks you’ll pull in your increasingly futile attempts to cling to power in Punk Hazard.

And they will be futile, because if there’s one thing we all know about Luffy, it’s that he always, always learns from his mistakes.

He is going to kick your ass and kidnap you.

At least he recycles?

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petite-neko · 7 years

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An Interesting Proposal

Fanfiction: An interesting Proposal Story Summary: If anybody told Smoker that he would have a casual conversation with his boss at a pirate's wedding, he would have thought them beyond insane. Characters: Smoker, Luffy, Law, Tashigi, Sengoku, Garp Pairing: LawLu Rating: T Warnings: Swearing, alcohol use, A/N: I had this written awhile ago, but I finally typed it up and edited it xD

Read on Ao3

There was something unusual as of late. And by unusual, Smoker really did mean unusual.

Mugiwara no Luffy was missing.

There was no sign of him. It had been weeks since anybody had heard from this rambunctious supernova. (And how he hated that term. It was as if they were trying to praise him. A pirate!) And, knowing Mugiwara no Luffy, there was just no way somebody like him could go without hearing about the idiotic or crazy things he was up to.

And to make matters worse, there had been sightings of his ship, but the rambunctious captain was nowhere in sight. And even the Polar Tang that typically followed the Strawhats’ ship was gone. And to make things even more confusing, Nico Robin – the devil child – was also gone. (While it wasn’t too difficult for that woman to disappear from sight, it was the timing that was unusual.)

There were rumours of course. Ones of Nico Robin and Monkey D. Luffy eloping off somewhere. About how there was a fight and the Strawhats and Hearts pirate alliance was over. Or even the craziest of things involving Robin and the Hearts pirates. Typically either a kidnapping or another mention of eloping.

Smoker, however, knew better.

No, there were no eloping or potential kidnappings, and he doubted that there were any disputes of any kind.

For he had caught the captains far too many times making out in some elusive place. (Typically forests. Why forests, he didn’t fucking know. He wasn’t being paid to figure out why pirates made out in forests, just to capture them, and evidently while making out in said forests.)

If anything, it was Mugiwara and Trafalgar that were probably off eloping, in his opinion anyway.

Although that begged the question: just where was Nico Robin? For some reason, Smoker knew if he found Mugiwara no Luffy he’d find her.

Mugiwara no Luffy wasn’t the type of person to abandon his crew or friends after all.

.xxx.

When Smoker had a lead that there were two men who resembled the two captains, he followed it.

Of course their ship – the Thousand Sunny – was nowhere in sight, but after weeks of sheer nothingness… Well Smoker couldn’t just turn it down.

(And besides, Mugiwara hadn’t been spotted on his ship anyway so it wasn’t a sure dissuading sign anyway.)

After wandering the villages, he finally did find the couple. (Oddly enough, not in a forest – and yes, he checked there first.) No, they were in a tailor’s shop. Apparently Trafalgar Law was being measured for something.

The tailor was just putting away the tape when he stormed into the shop, jutte at the ready.

“Ah! Torao!” Mugiwara piped up when he saw him, pointing at him. “We gotta go! Smokey’s here!”

…How he hated that god damned nickname.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Trafalgar had grabbed Mugiwara by the collar. (Don’t fucking start making out god damn it!) “Room.”

He was not going to let Trafalgar use his powers to…

“Shambles.”

His jutte ended up attacking a damn rock.

“Mugiwara! Trafalgar!” He hollered out before rushing on outside. He wasn’t going to let these pirates get away!

Oddly enough however, neither pirate seemed interested in fighting him today… No Trafalgar was just using his Room to keep moving them away from him. And considering that both captains were capable with Haki (especially Trafalgar being able to defeat Vergo…) it baffled him. It wasn’t like in Paradise when Mugiwara couldn’t attack him…

“Oh!” It was Mugiwara who piped up again, being dragged from behind by Trafalgar and their linked arms. “Smokey!” His other arm moved, tossing something at him.

It wasn’t laced with Haki so it couldn’t be an attack… and instinctively, he caught it. It was a piece of paper…

“Luffy-ya did you just—” Trafalgar sounded pissed. Irritated. Annoyed.

“Shishishi!” But Mugiwara was just laughing. “Of course, it’s Smokey after all!” Totally ignorant to his… boyfriend’s agitation and turned back to him. “We’re getting married in a week, and you’re invited!”

…They’re getting what?

And did they just—

“Shambles.”

(It was said with great irritation, that Shambles.)

…And they were fucking gone. The Polar Tang. Of course. It was all making so much fucking sense now. They were planning their wedding and they were using the Polar Tang for subterfuge and who better to use than Nico Robin for such things….

Fucking pirates. Mother fucking pirates. And they had the fucking gall too…

He opened the crumpled piece of paper and there it was:

You are invited to the wedding of Trafalgar D. Law and Monkey D. Luffy! Bring food, you’ll need it. Please meet us at…

Really? Really?!

.xxx.

“But sir! You have to go! It’s a wedding invitation! You just can’t refuse!”

Smoker groaned. Of course Tashigi would say that.

When he had returned to the ship he had been furious. He slammed the invite on the table, ranting about how insulting those pirates were by sending him this invite because he couldn’t just go there with ships to capture them. (That was just cowardice and had no honour.) And so they just basically told him that he can’t chase them down for at least a week.

And of course Tashigi…

“…they had thought of you while doing so! I mean we’ve been chasing them this long it only is right that we see this important event in their lives!”

Sometimes he wonders why he even kept her.

“You’re not going to shut up about this until I agree to go.”

It wasn’t a question; he already knew the answer,

“Nope! Now what are you going to wear? We need to find you…”

Smoker let out a large sigh. Just what had he gotten himself tangled up into?

.xxx.

The damned suit Tashigi had stuff him into was uncomfortable and stuffy and no matter what he said about this being a pirate’s wedding, she insisted that they dress appropriately.

And when they walked in, well he momentarily had forgotten about the suit.

To say he felt unnumbered was putting it lightly.

This was probably the most wanted area in history. Trafalgar Law and his crew. The Strawhats. If that wasn’t enough, the fucking Red Hair pirates were here too. Oh and the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates were here to see Ace’s little brother get married.

…How many fucking people did these guys know?

There also was a huge list of pirates that had escaped Dressrosa the same time of Doflamingo’s fall. A few of the warlords…

…And was that the fucking Princess of Alabasta in disguise over there?

(Never mind the revolutionary army for a moment.)

Tashigi went to put the food on one of the many tables when Smoker nearly had a heart attack as he continued to inspect the area.

Garp was to be expected but Sengoku? What the hell was Sengoku doing here?

“Now behave sir, like you promised.”

(Even if he brought the entire fucking Navy here, he wasn’t too certain they’d win. No wonder why Luffy was so confident in giving him the invite.)

(Not that he’d even consider ratting them out anyway, and Mugiwara would have known that too.)

“…I don’t know what I was expecting…”

“Smokey!!!”

Mugiwara had just… catapulted himself over in his direction, and Trafalgar had appeared next to him, sighing.

“I told you he’d come Torao!”

“I hope you realise this changes nothing.” Smoker spoke with annoyance. Why was he even here? He had better things to do with his time than to spend it at a pirate’s wedding…

“Shishishi I know! Thanks for coming!” And then the couple went off in some other direction.

Smoker sighed before he sat down next to the only other Marines in the area.

“Smoker? What brings you here?”

That was Sengoku. “No fucking idea. This brat decided it was a brilliant idea to invite the Marine who has been on his tail since Logue Town. You?”

(Who would’ve ever thought he’d have such a casual conversation with the ex-Fleet Admiral at a pirate’s wedding…)

“Trafalgar Law is my son’s son. I guess. And Garp dragged me here.”

Sengoku had a son? He had no idea. Although it must be some indirect bonds binding them as family.

(He glanced at Sabo.)

Yeah something like that.

Tashigi was talking to Nami. Probably about those children from Punk Hazard.

“So why’s Tashigi here?”

Smoker sat back and unbuttoned his shirt – these were fucking pirates dammit – and lit a few cigars. “She insisted on ensuring I’m ‘on my best behaviour’ as she puts it.”

…Great Garp and Sengoku were laughing at him now.

“How is any of this funny!”

“Nah, nah son.” Garp said through his fits of laughter. “I was just remembering back when I was your age and chasing Roger all over the place.”

He grumbled. How he was ever going to survive the wedding… well it would be a miracle.

.xxx.

Things were crazy as the pirates often made them. Sabo had come over and virtually interrogated him about Luffy before wandering off. Nami had tried to blackmail him with a picture before Garp scolded and threatened her.

Tashigi and Roronoa got into a verbal spat again – she had too much alcohol in her system – and she was the one trying to make sure he was behaving properly? Pah!

Mugiwara would occasionally pop by and ask a few questions before getting distracted by other things.

What really got him though was when Red Hair came over and just… laughed at the prospect of the Marines being at a pirate’s wedding.

It took the grooms, Sabo, and Sengoku to stop the spat between Garp and Red Hair.

That definitely would have ruined the wedding.

When everything was said and done, Smoker took a rather intoxicated Tashigi away from Zoro before getting onto their ship.

The last thing he wanted was to be around a bunch of hung over pirates.

“He shaid he wash gunna…”

“Enough about the damn swords Tashigi. Go drink some water and get to bed.” He groaned. The party was still going on; he could see the bonfires as they sailed away.

“So how was it Smokey?”

He could only groan again. “Chaotic.”

He would give them a week before he started his manhunt again. The couple deserved a honeymoon after all…

#monkey d luffy #trafalgar law #lawlu #one piece #smoker #tashigi #sengoku #monkey d. garp #luffy #tlaw #petiteneko:story #fanfic:aninterestingproposal #onepiece

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lunnamars · 4 years

Text

copycat

In the midst of all the suffering, in one last effort, her eyes met his and she smiled. A sweet smile she reserved only for him.

(and as a reader kindly told me, I should be putting a side note of my babies being kinda OOC. I'm okay with it in this story, but so all of you know)

It was her blood pouring out nonstop and what it represented that kept him from thinking rationally.

If there was one thing Zoro was proud of, it was his ability to analyze any situation and be able to stay calm on critical occasions. Just like this one.

The difference was that he was doing quite the opposite of what he was trained to do because it was her blood pouring out nonstop and what it represented that kept him from thinking rationally.

Zoro's hands were red and sticky from pressing the wound on Tashigi's back. The bright red blood, the strong smell of iron and the sound of every drop running down his hand and dripping on the floor were starting to make him sick, his stomach twisting as if his body wanted to throw out everything he ate or drank in the past forty-eight hours.

It was her blood pouring out nonstop and what it represented that kept him from thinking rationally.

Tashigi was already in a half-awake and half-sleepy state, but Zoro couldn't, under any circumstance, let her close her eyes. One hand continued to press the wound to her back and the other held her face. Now it was the bright red blood, the smell of iron, the sound of every drop dripping on the floor and her face dirty with the fresh blood that was in his hand that made him sick again, but she needed to pay attention, she needed to look at him.

“Oe, four-eyes, don't you fucking dare to die on me.”

The words were harsh, but the situation was critical and he was unable to stay calm. With every desperate step from Chopper, every weeping from Nami, every yell from Smoker, every gasp from Robin, every curse from Sanji was making the swordsman lose his fucking mind. With each passing minute, it was as if all those noises were slowly muffled and only Tashigi's shallow breathing remained.

Her eyes didn't seem to focus on anything and neither did his. He could only hear her whispering disconnected phrases and every time Zoro told her to not be stubborn at least once in her god damn life because if she kept talking, more blood would come out and God (or any divine entity that exists in this world) knows he was about to lose all sanity.

“I… hurt… Smoker-san… guys… I…”

“For the last time, just keep quiet, four eyes. I’m just asking that of you, damn it. Can you fucking do this just once?”

Zoro really didn't want to swear that much, but all of his brain efforts were focused only on making that woman not close her eyes and, at the same time, continue to stop the blood until Chopper managed to do something.

After getting out of her stupor, Robin also started using Hana Hana no Mi to help him with the task. Because he only has two hands and no one was stopping the blood that spurted from the wound in Tashigi's chest.

Zoro was never a religious man and he doesn't even believe in anything divine, but what he wouldn't give now for his prayers to be answered. Please don't let her die, please, please.

But how do you survive a sword through your chest?

He doesn't know anyone who has survived. But who knows, maybe Tashigi will be the first.

Tashigi. Honored captain, defender of justice, admirable swordsman, co-leader of the Navy revolution, war heroine, daughter of Wano, Kuina's older sister.

The woman who has no regard for her own life if it meant protecting others.

The woman who just sacrificed herself to save his life and his crew’s.

The woman he argued the day before and said so many bad things was now on her knees in front of him with a sword stuck in her chest and blood spurting everywhere.

Tashigi was losing consciousness and was losing fast.

“Hey, hey, hey, just keep looking at me, Tashigi.”

She did, but he could see that her eyelids were getting heavier and heavier.

Please don't let her die, please please.

The lips that he wanted to kiss so much but didn't have the courage now were stained red and heaven knows how he preferred it to be lipstick and not death. Every time she tried to say something, she ended up spitting blood and his face was already soaked, but Zoro couldn't, for anything in this world, care about it.

Robin released him from the task of stopping the bleeding and he managed to put both hands on Tashigi's face to force her to look at him. His hands were completely painted red and he hated to wear her blood - hands, arms, face, chest, everything. It didn't suit him well and he was really about to lose his fucking mind.

She blinked heavily but was managing to maintain eye contact and Zoro let himself be hopeful. Chopper ran around, trying incessantly to control the situation, but the swordsman could see how his little paws were shaking and how his eyes were red from crying.

If Chopper said there was no solution, it was because it was the end.

Please don't let her die, please please.

Not her, please, please.

There was so much he still wanted to say, she couldn't leave now. He wanted to say good things, not the bad things he spat on her face. Instead of saying that she would never be as good as her sister, he wanted to be able to say that she became so strong that she became his rival and that he was so proud of her that the feeling couldn’t fit in his own the chest; he wanted to say that she was an incredibly strong woman and that standing her ground after everything she had been through in life was admirable, but instead, he called her weak.

He vomited so many mean words because uncontrollable anger washed over him when she volunteered for a suicide mission. Wano's war was nearing its end, but they lost so many people in so many bloody battles. Zoro did not want to lose her. My God, not her.

Death, take someone bad, not her. She's too good. Please.

He hurt her. It was the first time that Tashigi didn’t argue back and Zoro found it very strange. But if that was what it took for her not to go out the door and return in a coffin, it would be worth it. She might hate him for the rest of her life, but she would hate him alive.

"After all, I thought you didn't think that way about me anymore. Too bad because I don't think the same about you anymore."

Zoro never saw such sadness overflow in her eyes as at that moment. Not even when she told her story to the Straw Hats - and that sadness was similar to what he saw so often on Robin's face. But what she expressed right after hearing his angry words was as if someone was putting a knife in the swordsman's heart and spinning. She knows that pain now.

“Oe, four-eyes, you're doing well. Just keep looking at me, okay? If you keep doing well, how about I let you train with Wado or Enma? You are now like a sword goddess here in Wano, right? They all obey you, so what do you think?”, Zoro knew he was being a blabbermouth, but he needed to keep her awake and maybe talking about swords could keep her focused on him.

“Sandai… don’t… obey me… you… only master…”

“I know. You found her for me, remember? Do you remember, Tashigi?”

The swordsman looked at Chopper out of the corner of his eye and saw the little reindeer crying copiously on Usopp's lap. Then, Zoro realized that he had no solution. That was the end.

His heart just stopped beating and he couldn't think of anything else. His mind was empty with just a white noise in the background.

No no no no no. Please don’t.

Zoro was sure that he must be looking like a maniac, with extremely wide eyes, frowns and a completely unformed smile. Smiling might make her endure a little longer, so he tried, but it was in vain.

Tashigi could no longer lift her head and Zoro could feel the life being drained from her. He held her face tightly as if that simple act could prevent her existence from leaving this world.

“C’mon, four-eyes. Hold on a little longer…“

“Ro… ronoa…”

“Come on, there's still so much for you to do-”

He felt someone's strong hand on his shoulder, but he felt no comfort at all. This person didn’t want to say that everything would be okay - the gesture was asking him to accept and let go.

No, no, no.

“Zoro. There's… there's nothing else we can do.”

Sanji's voice sounded as choked up as his. Zoro was sure that the cook was crying and then realized that the blood that was running down his face didn’t come from an injury. It was his own tears melting it.

Tashigi spat violently again and he understood that she wanted to say something.

“G-guys, I…“

Zoro already had a scold on the tip of his tongue, but Nami grabbed his arm. The girl bit her lip to keep from crying, but she was failing miserably. She sobbed desperately in the same way as Robin and Chopper. Sanji, Usopp, and Franky wept silently. Torao watched with a frightened expression, not knowing how to react and Smoker did the same.

Zoro didn't even want to think about Luffy's reaction when he found out.

Over the past few months, Tashigi has stood by the Straw Hat by Smoker's order to fight on behalf of the Navy revolutionaries for Wano - her home that has been denied to her for so many years. The captain was extremely suspicious at the beginning of the alliance, but Luffy always manages to unite any type of person and Tashigi was no exception. She fought alongside them and for them.

Her courage seemed to know no bounds.

That's probably why it didn't take long for the crew to fall in love with her and consider her one of them. And being considered part of the Straw Hats meant that she’d have all the treatment that anyone in the crew did. It meant that they would all protect her no matter what.

So where did they messed up so that Zoro was holding a nearly dead Tashigi in his arms?

“Guys… t-thanks for t-taking care… of a weakling like me…”

Zoro couldn't believe the words she had just said. She was dying and that was what she thought? How idiotic were they to make this woman so kind to think that until the last seconds of her life?

“No, Tashigi-chan!!! Y-you're not weak!! If it weren't for you, this war wouldn't be w-won!!”, Nami screamed and with eyes filled with tears.

“Y-y-you're our m-m-mate, Tashigi-chan!! I don't w-w-want you to go!”, Chopper cried like a baby and it was almost impossible to understand what he was talking about.

“Y-you are o-one of the m-most brave person I have ever m-met, Tashigi!!”, Robin's voice was completely choked.

They all gathered around her, hugging her and holding her tightly, trying to keep her there, with them. Everyone hoping for some miracle, anything that would make her not leave them.

Zoro continued to hold her face while everyone cried and sobbed hysterically. In the midst of all the suffering, in one last effort, her eyes met his and she smiled. A sweet smile she reserved only for him.

She whispered with great difficulty, but no one seemed to hear.

Zoro did.

“I-I… I re-really wanted… to be more… than… a copycat for you… Zoro.”

The swordsman's eyes widened and his heart ached as if it was squirming inside his chest. But no, he wouldn't let it be that way. He had been a coward all these months, never admitting any feelings for her and always admiring her from afar as if the mere thought of getting close to her was wrong.

And now what he has left is a feeling of guilt and regret.

He could have lived so many things in the past few months, but he had been a coward.

He wouldn't be a coward now. She deserved much more than his cowardice.

Zoro leaned in and kissed her lips. Their foreheads touched and whispered in a shaky voice.

“You’re anything but a copycat to me.”

She was almost gone, he could feel it. He kissed her again.

“You are everything.”

She was crying silently, but couldn’t speak anymore. The only thing he had in those last moments was her smile.

"You too."

Zoro opened his mouth to speak, but the sparkle in Tashigi's eyes had already faded. He only held the shell where she lived and he never thought he’d feel so much pain in his life.

It was unbearable and suffocating.

Zoro howled and cried desperately along with his companions. He hadn't cried like that since Kuina's death and even so, now it was so much more. He didn't know how to stop and he didn't even know if he wanted to stop.

His head was heavy, his body ached, his chest looked like it was going to explode, he couldn't feel anything but suffering, but he was able to hear clearly when Luffy cried out Tashigi's name in anguish.

“Zoro, her funeral is today. You coming?”, Sanji's voice was so hoarse that if it weren't for the years they spent together, he wouldn't have recognized the cook.

Zoro remained silent, his eyes fixed on the waves breaking lightly in the ocean. Probably a considerable amount of time had passed because Sanji spoke again cautiously.

“I think she’d like you to go.”

It had been three days since Tashigi's death and Zoro had entered a cycle of monstrous violence. No one survived against his swords and no one was able to stop him.

Not even his crew.

The captain's death raised indignation inside everyone's chest and even those who had given up fighting decided to step on the battlefield once again. The woman had become a symbol of resistance and neither Kaido nor Orochi would be able to contain the rebellion.

Because this war had taken a woman pure and just. There was no way to forgive that.

Since then, Zoro has survived on sake. He didn't eat, he didn't sleep, he didn't say anything, he just fought. Until Sanji decided to stop this rampant train of self-destruction before it was too late. The cook confronted him ("You're doing everything contrary to what she wanted!! She died to save us and you want to kill yourself!? Fuck you, Zoro!!") and this resulted in a nasty fight between them. Not even Luffy was able to intervene.

Sanji always had that collected manner about him, but he was also in a rage, just like Zoro. The swordsman noticed by the abrupt way he spoke and the bad words he used. But he also realized afterward that Sanji's real intention was to get him to expel all the accumulated anger before it grew to alarming levels. It was better for him to blow up on Sanji now than to blow up on the entire crew. They wouldn't stand a chance against Zoro's bloodlust. Then the cook withstood all the blows, returned all the attacks, sometimes allowed himself to be a punching bag and other times he just screamed at him. Sanji was trying to tire Zoro at all costs.

When neither of them could stand it anymore because of so many injuries, Zoro let out a cry so painful that Sanji ended up hugging him. He understood the swordsman's despair because Tashigi had become a great friend of the cook. The tiredness won and the two could only cry. Soon after, the two felt Luffy's embrace and tears and when they least realized it, the entire crew enveloped them in a huge hug.

Zoro didn't know how much time they stood there in that way because everything looked like a blur, but when he came down from his numb state, he noticed Sanji was holding out a large plate of food for him.

"Please, Zoro, eat. Things are going to get harder now because her death was a huge blow to us and we’re going to need you."

That was the day before. The two ate together and Zoro needed to thank him because Sanji had been, in fact, very patient and, despite suffering too, was willing to help him. Despite always bickering with each other, the swordsman knew that Sanji was a very valuable friend and one who understood him the most.

“I'll go.”

Sanji nodded and kept silent. After a while, he spoke again.

“They’ll grant her the maximum ranking. It should be Vice-Admiral, but they want her to be remembered as an Admiral.”

The cook lit his cigarette and after just one drag, Zoro snorted.

“As if she’d care about that shit.”

“Yeah.”

Tashigi never cared about ranks and Zoro knew that. The only thing that mattered to her was protecting people. For her and Smoker, ranks were just names to inflate empty people's ego.

“Come on, Zoro. Everyone must be waiting for us by now.”

“Yeah.”

Halfway he stopped and Sanji did too when he realized that Zoro wasn’t following him. He looked confused and his expression was one of inquiry.

“Sanji.”

Zoro noticed that the usual eye covered by the blonde bangs widened for a fraction of a second, but then he just nodded, telling him that he was paying attention.

“Thanks.”

Sanji smiled slightly and turned away, walking towards Sunny's exit again.

“Come on, moss head.”

The funeral was pompous, but it had great honor in the whole ceremony. Zoro couldn't say what it was, but he felt as if everyone present had a huge regard for Tashigi. Hiyori asked for the woman to be buried in her country of ancestry and the Navy granted the request. Luffy asked Smoker for him and Zoro to carry her coffin and the Vice-Admiral had no strength to deny it. Thus, Smoker, Rear-Admiral Hina, Luffy, and Zoro were the last to see Admiral Tashigi's face before she was delicately delivered to the soil.

Zoro was so numb that he didn't even feel his fingertips. Beside him, Nami and Robin were crying profusely - the first hugging Luffy as if her life depended on it and the second had the face hidden in Franky's neck. The two were the ones who became closest to Tashigi and Zoro could imagine the pain they felt for the loss of their friend.

He knew it well because he had lost a friend, a rival and the only woman he loved (and would love) in his entire life.

After the whole ceremony was over, Zoro waited patiently for everyone to say his last goodbye to Admiral in front of her tombstone so he could say some last words to her.

I don't know if there’s this afterlife shit, but if it does, I hope you’ll listen to me, Admiral Four-eyes.

All of the Straw Hats were gone and the last one in front of the tombstone was Smoker. Zoro decided to approach.

Smoker probably noticed the swordsman's presence but chose not to recognize it. The two remained in heavy silence and neither moved. Until suddenly, the marine looked at the sky and grunted.

“You know, that idiot was completely head over heels for a pirate.”

This caught Zoro's attention. Smoker lit only one cigar.

"She did some crazy shit because she said she needed to reach and overcome the damn pirate. She trained her finger to the bone and whenever I asked why he, she always replied that it was because he was the best swordsman she had ever met.”

Smoker took the cigar out of his mouth and held it between his fingers. Zoro bit his lip because he didn't want to collapse in front of the other man.

“She also told me once that he and his crew saved her and made her see how wrong we were.”

Zoro clenched his fists so hard that he was afraid of tearing his hand. Smoker continued.

“She said that this pirate was different. That the bastard and the crew were different and that she’d protect them at all costs.”

The Vice-Admiral continued to stare at the cigar in his hand.

“Tashigi usually had a bunch of imbeciles drooling over her, but she never gave them the time of day. She told Hina that although she hated the fact, she had already been swept off her feet in Loguetown.”

Zoro's shoulders were shaking and his eyes started to water. Smoker sniffed but the swordsman gave the marine privacy. He took the cigar and put it in the base of the tombstone. The pirate seemed to have lost his voice during the Vice Admiral's monologue, but now, in the silence, he seemed to find it again to make one last request.

“Smoker. Can I have Shigure?”

The man answered nothing, just took the sword from his back and handed it to Zoro. The swordsman held Shigure with both hands and for some reason, he could feel Tashigi. Now you’ll be with me, four-eyes. Smoker rubbed his face and turned to go. Before actually leaving, he seemed to hesitate, but stopped and put a hand on Zoro's left shoulder.

“Stay safe, boy.”

And with that, he headed for the exit of the cemetery, leaving Zoro with his chest hurting more than the healthy limit. He sat down, crossed one leg on top of the other, rested Shigure on his thighs and meditated, focusing only on the presence of Tashigi and the longing that suffocated him. He doesn't know how much time he spent there, in that position, with the wind blowing through his hair and swinging his three earrings, but meditation helped to calm his heart.

When his breathing seemed to ease, he decided to throw words at the wind.

“Seriously, how stupid I was… do you forgive me, Tashigi?”

Your sister was my friend, but you were… the most important woman to me.

Zoro looked at the sky and remembered the day when the two decided to have a truce and how Tashigi slept so close to him that she was able to warm him up in the cold night.

“Is there such a stupid thing as another life, Tashigi?”

Zoro covered his face with his left hand and swallowed all the misery.

“Can I meet you in another life?”

The swordsman fought bravely so that no tears would even come out, but judging by the sight that turned into a blur, he must have failed miserably.

“My dream is for you too now.”

Zoro decided to stay for a while, but he knew he was just delaying the final goodbye. Nothing would bring her back, but Shigure would stay with him forever. He even wondered whether his body would support the weight of yet another sword, but he would manage. Finally, with swollen eyes, he untied the black bandana he always carried on his arm and stuck it with a knife Tanto in the base of the headstone.

He got up and headed for the exit. Life needed to go on and it's not like he was going to forget about her. He didn't even know how it would be possible to forget her.

Me too, four-eyes. Since Loguetown.

This time, I wanted to go full angst because I woke up in that vibe hahaha and this fic is test for me to train that style. So if anything feels out of place, I apologize.

Again: everything happens after Punk Hazard, but with headcanons related to the current canonical arc.

A quick reminder that English is not my first language, so forgive me for any mistakes.

#zoro x tashigi #zotash #roronoa zoro #tashigi #opfanfic #fanfiction

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