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kilannad · 10 months

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As the Stars Burn On Chapter 27

Masterlist. Ao3.

Tower of Law

Lucy groaned at the rough landing, dusting herself off as she stood up. The bridge getting half-stuck and them needing Rocketman to launch them across had not been part of the plan.

“That was fun,” Chimney announced. Lucy was honestly wondering what was wrong with the girl at this point, but they had no time to think about it.

They'd crashed into the bottom floor of the Tower of Law, the tall, white stone building as huge and cavernous on the inside as it was imposing on the outside.

“Listen up!” Laxus called as they all stumbled out of Rocketman. “We're on a time limit, so we need to stop Robin going through the Gates. If they open, we've lost.”

“World Government policy is to keep the keys separate from seastone cuffs,” Lucy added. “My guess is that CP9 has them, so if we want to free Robin, then we need to beat them.”

“Luffy-”

“He's already gone,” Chopper pointed out.

Laxus sighed. “Yeah that checks out. Everyone spread out and find an assassin to fight. Usopp, head straight for the roof and provide cover fire on the Bridge of Hesitation.”

“Getting back the way we came is impossible,” Nami added. “We meet up on the bridge.”

Everyone agreed before splitting up. Lucy paused at a touch on her shoulder, turning towards Laxus.

“No holding back,” he told her.

“And watch your back,” Gajeel agreed.

“Same to you two.” She grinned, tapping them both where their tattoos were hidden. “Straw Hat Pirates don't lose.”

“Gihi. Never.”

☉

“Think she'll be okay?”

“She's stronger than anyone ever gives her credit for.”

“True.” A pause. “Is this what it felt like? When we took her.”

“I don't know. Probably. I...wasn't in a place to care back then.”

Huffing, Gajeel dragged Laxus into a hard, demanding kiss. When they parted, they pressed their heads together.

“You're in a place to care now, Night Light. So let's show them what happens when you mess with us.”

☉

Kaku leaned back in his chair, swords sheathed at his side. Lucci had dragged Franky away, Spandam pulling Robin by the hair as they all headed for the underwater passageway that would take them to the Gates of Justice. It all felt like a fever dream; Straw Hats invading Enies Lobby, declaring war on the world, and now coming, willingly, to fight CP9. It was entirely useless, Kaku knew. He'd never lost, and he wouldn't start now. At the end of the day, the World crushed any who opposed them.

The door creaked open, the slow, steady footsteps of the Oni Hunter coming forward. Kaku was glad he was the one; he'd been admittedly fascinated by the rumors of his skills since it'd come out he'd beat Daz Bones in Alabasta.

“Your swords are already drawn,” Kaku noted. “That's good.”

“What can I say? They're craving blood.”

☉

Usopp ran up the stairs, running through the ammo he had in his bag. He had plenty of metal stars, tabasco stars, and exploding stars, but he had only a dozen firebird stars and even less piercing stars. He'd used his only prototype net star on the giant earlier, so that was out. It had worked really well though, so he'd make more when he got out of here. The stomping of his feet echoed in the tall central staircase, reaching up and down until it felt like there were more of him than he could count. That'd be nice, having a dozen Usopps. He'd have to find a way to make that happen one day.

“Will you run faster?” Sanji complained.

“Oh sure-why are you here?!” Usopp turned, finding Nami and Sanji both following him. He skittered to a stop on one of the upper floors. “You two should be off fighting CP9.”

“Are you joking?” Nami complained. “Those guys are scary! Besides, there's only six of them and ten of us; plenty for the others to fight.”

“I'm here to guard Nami,” Sanji added.

“That's sweet,” someone cooed. A wave of white came racing through a door, slamming into all of them. Usopp gasped as all his strength was sucked away, leaving him weak on the floor. Sanji took the brunt of it, covering Nami with his own body. The woman, Kalifa, stepped out.

Sanji's brief expression of rage faltered. Kalifa didn't hesitate; in a blink, she was over him, her leg flashing down. He brought his leg up, blocking in a sudden gust of air. Usopp pulled Nami out of the way, gasping as some of the bubbles flew off. Kalifa pressed the attack, and while Sanji didn't drop his guard, he mounted no counter, simply letting Kalifa herd him away from the other two.

“Idiot,” Nami breathed, struggling up.

“Too afraid to hit a woman?” Kalifa asked. “So be it.” She leaned forward, bringing her hands up and over his body, bubbles forming as she dragged her hands over him. His skin turned smooth and shiny, like a doll, so clean he glistened in the light. His feet slipped, and with one harsh shove, Kalifa sent him flying over the edge and down below.

“No!”

Usopp scrambled to look down, but just then, the whole building shook, the ground shifting underneath him. It sent rocks and dust flying, hiding the bottom floor from sight.

“On second thought,” Nami growled, standing as she spun the Climatact into her hands, “I think I might have some time on my hands.”

“Oh?” Kalifa taunted. “The blonde didn't do that well against me. You think you can do better?”

“Usopp,” Nami ordered, “Follow the plan.”

“Sanji-”

“Will be fine. You need to do what we can't.”

Taking a deep breath, Usopp nodded. He was the sniper of the Straw Hat Pirates, and they were trusting him with a job. He wouldn't fail them.

“Right. Give her hell, Nami.”

“Oh don't worry. I will.”

☉

Chopper and Lily went running through the halls, stumbling through path after twisting path. “Are you sure you're okay?” Chopper fretted.

“More energy used than damage taken,” Lily reported. “Using aera to increase my speed in my body rather than just my flying speed took more out of me than I would've liked.”

They turned a corner, skittering to a halt as animal instincts blared. Too late.

Pink, thick strands of hair lashed out, hitting Lily and piercing through his thigh. He choked off a scream, reverting forms on instinct to make himself a smaller target. Chopper jumped, catching one in the side and going tumbling down the hall. A huge figure with moving hair and holding a staff stood in the hall before them, wearing the black suit of CP9.

“Yoyoi! I am Kumadori, and I shall shepherd you to the gates of hell!”

☉

Lucy scrambled through the archives room, Shé at her side scanning papers as she handed them to him. They didn't bother actually paying attention to any of it—there'd be time for that later. The whole building was shaking every few minutes, the side effect of whatever battles were happening elsewhere. Lucy knew she couldn't spend too long here, but she'd be damned if she didn't use this opportunity to screw over the government. Especially after what they did to Robin.

“You know, I should be surprised that you're all crazy enough to invade Enies Lobby.” A dagger, long and thin, came spinning through the air. Lucy cried out as, with a sharp gasp of pain, Shé faded away, his Gate forcefully closed by the attack. She dodged to the side as another landed right where she'd been standing seconds before, looking up into a face she'd spotted just once from afar. Vice Admiral 'Chessmaster' Jonathan tilted his head, vaguely amused. “Then again, you did invade Navarone. Starting a bingo sheet, are you?”

☉

Laxus spun away from the rolling ball that was Fukurou. The CP9 agent was huge and round and made good use of his figure to keep them away. He didn't hit that hard, but he could take a punch better than most and was fast enough to dodge what he didn't tank. Gajeel's iron sword bounced off his body, the following kick sending him skittering back.

They exchanged a look across the room. Robin was headed for the Gates of Justice right now, and Laxus would be dead before he let it happen. He'd stood aside once while a comrade was captured; never again. One way, or another, they were finishing this.

☉

Luffy skittered to a halt, looking around at the office. The wall was blown out, and he was sure this was where Robin had been standing with the pigeon guy earlier, but there was no one present.

“Hey, pirate guy!” Chimney called, running up behind him. “There's a secret passage!”

“What?”

“I saw Lucci with Franky, and the other guy dragging your friend, go downstairs, so I followed. C'mon, I'll show you.”

☉

Zoro went crashing through the floor, his perfectly good, respectable swordsman battle broken up by his opponent turning into a fucking giraffe. A giraffe.

Of course, then he landed on top of a wolf fighting Sanji, and things went even more to shit. Maybe there was a requirement to be a zoo animal to join CP9.

☉

Lucy snapped her whip, knocking the trio of knives away as she dodged back. Jonathan held his position in front of the door, making it more than clear that he had no intention of letting her run from this fight. Lucy didn't mind; she had more than a little rage that needed to be let loose. In a flick of her finger, she had a Key in hand, drawing on her magic as she passed it through the air. "Open, Gate of the Monkey. Hóu!"

In a shower of golden sparks, the young monkey boy appeared. He flipped back just in time to avoid another set of flying knives. "Princess! How can I help?"

Great question. Lucy knew that Vice Admiral's were no joke and likely would be considered S-Class by any normal guild standards. A part of her--the old part of her, the one that had hesitated on Skypiea--said that there was no way for her to win this. She was just Lucy Heartfilia and when faced with the strongest opponents, she usually bought time while she waited for someone else to come help. But there was no one else to help; the others were fighting CP9 or saving Robin and she had to be good enough. The time for weakness was past and it was either she stepped up now, or accepted that she would never make it to the end of the world. How to make that translate to a defeated Vice Admiral though?

"Buy me space, Hóu."

"Got it!"

In a pull of magic and energy, bigger and deeper than most she ever felt, a wall of diamond went up around Jonathan. She could hear him hum on the other side, a gentle tap-taping as he tested it against one of his seemingly infinite daggers. That was alright though; whatever Hóu created was as real as him or her. This was the power of Arc of Embodiment; to bring the imagination to life. Their only limits were that of Lucy's magic reserves, something that was dangerously shallow compared to the demands of this ancient, lost magic.

It took a mere dozen seconds for Jonathan to read the situation and come up with a response. Namely; in a burst of noise and piercing energy, a black coated boot shattered the diamond wall, letting Jonathan step through. Too late he realized the trap. The floor below him had disappeared, the room separated into pillars, just big enough for Lucy and Hóu to stand on. Jonathan fell.

Flipping over, he jumped off the air itself, pulling a longer knife from his boot as he landed against one wall, shoving the knife in and holding his position. "CP9 aren't the only ones with training in the six powers," he explained calmly. He tilted his head, eyes sharp. "But you already expected that."

"It came to mind," Lucy admitted. In her hand, Starry River sparked to life, the burning magic of the stars lighting it up brightly. She snapped it out, forcing Jonathan to abandon the dagger he'd planted and moonwalk away. From far below, in the pit of their making, Hóu summoned a geyser of fire that went spiraling up. It caught Jonathan's coat, forcing him to abandon it. It left Lucy gasping with the sudden drain, making it easy for Jonathan's next knife to drag a long line across her shoulder, just above her jolly roger. Cursing, trusting in Hóu, she jumped from the pillar just as Jonathan landed on it. She fell for a few seconds only to be caught on an ice slide that brought her down and then shot her back into the air. She lashed out with her whip, catching Jonathan's arm and then yanking him with her as she landed heavily on the returned floor.

He slammed down, landing off-kilter on one knee, but recovering in record time. He came back up, closing the distance and pulling a long, curved blade, like a short version of a scimitar. She flipped back, her following kick doing nothing. In hand-to-hand, she knew she was woefully underprepared.

Hóu's magic was taking too much out of her, so she did what she had to. "I need space!"

Another pull, long and heavy, and the ground rose in a pillar with a sudden burst of movement. Jonathan cursed, dodging back, head turning towards Hóu across the room. "Ah, I see." Another knife, slim and glinting, fell from his sleeve, flipping easily in his hand. He let it fly, just as Lucy closed Hóu's Gate; he disappeared in a burst of light, very different from Shé's own forced return earlier. Not giving him an inch, Lucy didn't hesitate to call on another.

Taurus appeared with a battle cry, crashing into Jonathan with a bursting slash. He pairied, lips pursed as he exchanged a rapid series of blows with the Spirit. Lucy went rolling to the side, whip wrapping around Jonathan's dagger and pulling it away. He let it go; rolling with the power of her blow allowed him to dodge a vicious downswing from Taurus, the ground rupturing in a series of sharp rocks. As Jonathan stood, a thin, barely there black coated blade whistled through the air, piercing Taurus right through the eye. In a howl of agony, partly Lucy's own, he vanished behind his Gate. Her whip lashed out, too quick to dodge; she drew a long line of blood down his back, staining his uniform. He hissed, but didn't seem slowed much.

"So your ability involves summoning others to fight with you," Jonathan summarized neatly. "Likely in exchange for stamina or energy, as most Devil Fruits do."

"And as a Vice Admiral, you have battle experience, the six powers, sheer strength and stamina, and haki." The last was a guess on Lucy's part; she'd run across the word only twice in her research, but from what she did know about it, it was the closest thing this world had to magic--the power to make will manifest.

"You're very well informed. I don't suppose you'd be kind enough to tell me your name?"

"Lucy Heartfilia, information specialist of the Straw Hat Pirates." She tilted her head. "I'd say it was a pleasure, Vice Admiral, but anyone holding Akainu's favor isn't someone I'm inclined to like."

Something flickered across his face, there and gone before she could read it. Lucy had hit a button, somehow, but she wasn't sure what.

"In this world," Jonathan said without hesitation, "There is nothing more important than upholding Justice."

"And you think this is?" Lucy laughed bitterly. "A woman sentenced to die for the crime of wanting to study history?"

His lips pursed. "For bringing forth an ancient weapon? Yes."

"Is that what they told you? Did you ever wonder if it was the truth, or do all marines blindly follow orders?"

Jonathan hesitated, hand hovering at his side. Then, from all around them, a voice came over the island-wide den den system.

☉

Robin struggled against Spandam's grip, but for all that he was a weak noddle of a man, the seastone drained much of her strength and terror did the rest. Franky was cursing up a storm, stuck across the back of the elephant-sword, Frunfreed, that acted as Spandam's personal bodyguard. At the bottom of the staircase, in an underground room at the end of the secret underwater passage, Luffy was fighting Lucci desperately. Her friends--the ones Saul had promised her she'd find, the ones she'd spent decades searching for only to be taken away--were somewhere struggling to get to her in time. She couldn't, wouldn't, let their hope be in vain.

She managed to headbutt him, taking off down the stairs. If she could just get to Luffy-

He snarled, jumping on her back. She landed hard on the stairs, skidding down them and leaving a shallow line of blood behind.

"You damn woman," Spandam spat. "Do you know who I am? I am the hero of this world!"

"Take your hands off of her!" Franky ordered, struggling on Frunfreed. The sword bashed the back of his head as Spandam shoved a hand in his pocket to pull out a transponder snail.

"Hello? Come in! Damn it, why is no one answering?"

Robin wiggled enough to get her head loose, Spandam's grip tight and painful as it pulled from her hair. A glint caught her eye. Spandam had a small, golden snail in his hand, absently pressing the button as he yelled.

"No," Robin breathed, terror dripping into her veins. "No, tell me you didn't press that!"

"What?" Finally pausing to look, Spandam's eyes widened at what he saw. He shoved it back in his pocket, pulling out another snail; this one connected. "No! I activated the golden transponder; I summoned the buster call!"

"You have to cancel it!" Robin begged desperately. "You have to tell them-"

He slammed her head down, leaving her head ringing. "I don't have to do a damn thing, you bitch." Spandam rolled his shoulders. "I'm the Chief of CP9! I summoned the buster call to ensure your capture, as is my right."

"And the people?" she wondered. "Do you think the maps that erased Ohara showed the people that died? You have soldiers on this island, families!"

☉

Jonathan's lips were a thin, bloodless line. Lucy was shaking, doing the mental calculations. A buster call at Enies Lobby--the closest set of Vice Admirals beside the one directly in front of her, were those stationed at Marineford, barely half-an-hour sail away. To say nothing of if they decided a declaration of war warranted someone higher up. They had to get Robin and had to leave in the next thirty minutes or they were screwed. Worse than screwed.

"Then they'll die," Spandam responded coldly. "This is for Justice! Do you understand? If it takes a thousand lives to save ten-thousand, then those thousand soldiers will line up and die gladly! That is what it means to serve the World Government!"

"Is it?" Lucy asked. She couldn't feel her hand anymore, the grip on her whip so tight that she'd lost all feeling. She barely recognized her voice. "Is this what you call Justice, Vice Admiral?"

His white coat, emblazoned with Justice, was singed and dirty on the ground in front of them. He left it, as he turned on his heel and walked out. "What a pity that I had to evacuate the island and you managed to get away," he sighed.

It was as good of an answer to her question as she was going to get.

With him gone and the timeline suddenly moved far, far up, Lucy brushed her hands against her Keys. Shé, Hóu, and Taurus all sent back feelings of exhaustion but relief for her safety. She wouldn't be able to call on any of them for a few days, though that was probably for the best. Her magic reserves were already low. Stock taken, Lucy took off.

☉

Laxus nudged Fukurou with his foot. He had been an annoying opponent, but between him and Gajeel, they'd managed easily enough. Far more worrisome was the glimpse they caught of Lily and Chopper; they'd clearly won their fight, but Chopper had seemingly lost all control of his Devil Fruit, transforming into a massive yeti-like monster with no apparent care for ally or enemy. Lily had been forced to knock him into the sea in order to calm him down. Of course, this meant that Chopper was officially useless, on account of his unconsciousness.

The buster call announcement had gone out several minutes ago, and while Chimney had left a painted message pointing the way to the underground passage to get to the bridge, Laxus, Lily, and Gajeel had yet to leave.

"The Franky Family might not have a way out," Lily pointed out.

"We'll just have to trust them," Gajeel decided. "We have a bigger issue."

"What?"

"That." Grimly, Laxus pointed to the distance bridge, untouchable due to the massive maze of whirlpools making up the ocean. Coming up from the first tower, a massive elephant with Franky tied on its back trotted out, Spandam dragging a struggling and crying Robin along. She twisted, kicking out at him; he screamed, then, cursing, backhanded her hard enough to send her sprawling.

"Fuck that," Gajeel snarled. "Lily."

Laxus snatched up Chopper as Lily flew Gajeel to the bridge. Laxus put a burst of lightning at his feet to send them flipping through the air, landing with a crash on the Bridge of Hesitation. Lily cut through the chains holding Franky, and with a roar he flipped off the elephant, grabbing its trunk and massive tusks. Its trunk shifted into a blade, but before it could even consider attacking, Franky suplexed it over his shoulder and down into the hard stone of the bridge. Gajeel's first attack sent Spandam skidding back, just as a wall of soldiers stormed up from the other end of the bridge, pulling the chief behind their lines as Robin, finally safe, collapsed into Laxus as he landed.

"Are you alright?" Laxus asked, scanning her. She was bruised and bleeding, her face red and swollen from crying as much as abuse.

"Now I am," she answered. "Everyone else?"

Around them, soldiers started dropping, one after another. With a slight whistling sound, the center of their defensive wall exploded into a ball of fire. Laxus turned and gave a thumbs up--far away, on the very top of the Tower of Law, Usopp saluted with Tabuko, his new slingshot. Then, he returned to giving them covering fire. The tower, already off kilter due to being cut in half at one point--seriously, what was Zoro doing?--groaned as a massive storm of black clouds appeared, bursting from a window and absolutely dumping electricity against whatever poor idiot was fighting Nami. Laxus's stomach grumbled, and he made a mental note to ask her for a snack when she got here. Fukurou wasn't an awful opponent, but he had still used a fair bit of energy already.

"I think they're doing just fine," Laxus deadpanned.

Robin laughed--honestly, laughed--even though there were marines advancing on them, a buster call was on its way, and half their friends were probably still fighting for their lives. He didn't blame her though; the fact that she was here and not out of their reach made something heavy in his chest flutter away.

Gods, what an ass he must have been, to have not even cared when Lucy was taken. To not have a single thought in his head about how she was doing or how to get her back. The shame crawled up again, but he smacked it down. Now wasn't the time. They had other things to do--like get Robin's cuffs off. Looking at them, he saw they were marked with a number five. He turned, splaying his hand to Usopp up on the tower. For a moment, there was nothing; then, with a beautiful arched shot, a key landed in his hand. Some days, Laxus couldn't believe how good with a slingshot Usopp was. Then he remembered he was a Straw Hat and that laws of physics meant fuck all to them.

In a flutter of magic and bending of purple energy, Lucy appeared, Mă gently dropping her down before her Gate closed. Laxus could tell immediately she was short on magic; she usually took the time to say goodbye to her Spirits, except for when every second counted. She was bleeding, her shawl had vanished, and there was a distinct limp to her walk, but she was alive and that was more than he could hope for in this situation.

"Alright?"

"Vice Admiral Jonathan says hello," she told him. He grimaced, knowing as he did the strength of someone that high ranked. He was glad Lucy was the one that had run into him--Nami and Usopp could've been seriously hurt.

"So do the rest of his friends," Gajeel called, drawing their attention to the mass of figures that had surrounded them. There were a hundred of them, likely the guard meant to bring Robin and Franky to Marine HQ and none of them looked happy to see Robin freed, rubbing her wrists in relief. From behind their lines--far, far behind--Spandam shouted.

"Take Nico Robin alive! Kill the rest and do it now!"

☉

It was Alabasta all over again, except instead of fighting a couple hundred angry civilians and militia, Lucy was stuck in the middle of a hundred well trained marines, each set on taking her head. Her whip lit up the air around her, leaving burn marks against various figures as she dodged and weaved. It didn't take long for the mass of bodies to split her up from her friends; there were just too many bodies fighting on one bridge. In hindsight, the only surprise is how long it took for her to go plummeting.

One marine swung her saber, and she somersaulted to avoid the attack; another body came from above, and dived further back. The edge of the bridge shifted under her feet, loosened from the various attacks. It crumbled, and down she went. Someone screamed, but she couldn't make out who, over the sound of rushing water. She slammed down, the cold ocean wrenching the air from her lungs. The pull was immense, the strength of current leaving her no choice. Her hand had barely brushed the Key when Aquarius answered the call. In one massive wave, she sent Lucy and a tsunami worth of water flying.

Gajeel caught her before she could slam into the bridge, cushioning the fall as she hacked up a lung. The water kept going though, Aquarius pulling it back, and back, until it was an immense tidal wave, waiting to swallow the bridge whole. The marines went running.

"Bah, bah, please don't," a rather lazy voice complained. "I'd hate to fill out the paperwork."

The wave crashed down, then froze before it could land. In a single blink, every drop of water stilled, icing over as the temperature dropped, leaving Lucy's breath misting. Frost began climbing Aquarius's tail and she screamed, a pained sound Lucy had never heard from her in all their years together. She forced closed the Gate, swearing to give Aquarius as many days off for dates as she wanted.

Someone landed neatly on the bridge, feet only a muffled thud. Gajeel gently let Lucy to the ground, nudging her back alongside Robin and Chopper's still unconscious form. She didn't blame him; there was no force in the world that could make her think she was qualified for the coming fight.

There, standing nearly ten feet tall, wearing a white and purple suit and the coat announcing his station, was Admiral Aokiji.

#as the stars burn on #one piece fanfic #fairy tail fanfic #laxus dreyar #lucy heartfilia #gajeel redfox #laxus x lucy x gajeel

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pure-kirarin · 3 years

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The rose left unwatered (Law x f!reader)

Heyo guys ! this is my first multi part fanfiction and I hope that you will all like it =w=. No TW for now apart for coming smut in next chapters~ This was originally a request by @soul-stealer-reaper . Thanks for requesting :) originally you asked for a scenario with rough NSFW where Law has a crush on a girl that the government is afraid of and that has high bounty. As this will have some parts, everything you asked for will come in the next chapters so no worries :’) ! I won’t hide that wrote quite freely tho, I hope that it’s fine. Synopsis : You have felt unwanted for so long that you forgot the last time you felt like you belonged. Quite paradoxical, when you are one of the most wanted “criminals” in the new world. You cross paths with Law after joining the strawhats at Fishman Island to “kill some time” and you both feel a weird connection from the moment your eyes met, curiosity, hatred or desire, did it really matter as long as feelings were involved ? ---------------------------

A rose left unwatered will wither, A heart left unloved will rot, A sweet dream left untouched will go bitter, A love left unspoken will be forgot. Nemo - Murder in Venice

The first time that Law saw you, he found you extremely annoying. He remembered that he saw your wanted poster somewhere, with one of the highest bounties that he has ever seen. Seeing such a high bounty made him raise an eyebrow at first, what could you have done to have the whole world on your back ? The second thought that came to his mind was that of detachement, then he flinched at that thought.

The first time that Law saw you in person was after his Allience with the strawhats. You stayed at the ship the whole time, you didn't even bother to follow others to punk Hazard or to help them with their plans. He thought that you were an extremely selfish person and you reminded him of the person that he hated most. That way you had of doing what you wanted without caring about others, the smirk you had on your lips at all times, never submitting, always acting so sure of yourself, it irritated him.

How could someone get such a strong reaction out of him ? He didn't even know, he always eyed you from afar and it was enough to know that you prfoundly, passionately got on his nerves.

You joined the strawhats in the Fishmen Island, finding your way to them and just asking to join. Luffy's simplistic demeanor meant that he accepted right away, not caring about who you were and not flinching at your high bounty.

You made it clear that you were just staying to be entertained, in fact, you didn't want to fight, you didn't want to help anyone, your curiosity was just peaked by Luffy, by that man that defied the world government, by that man that defied everyone at Marineford. You weren't impressed, but you just felt sympathy towards him and wanted to find some company.

You found what you were looking for, in fact, life with the strawhats was enjoyable, you didn't get along with Usopp or Nami. The former thought that you were « too scary » and would kill them in their sleep, the latter hated how little you were willing to cooperate.

You had your own reason, but nobody on that ship was able to grasp your personnality, you just had your own way of thinking, your own internal logic that nobody seemed to get. Who were you ? Why were you there and why was the whole world on your back ? All these questions were provoking Law, teasing him endlessly. His curiosity was growing day after day and you were always there, on a lounge chair enjoying the burn of the sun on your skin, not caring about anything else, not caring about him, not that he cared...did he ? You got on his nerves just by being there, he felt obseverd yet, he wasn't the kind of people to get flustered but your gaze was so intense, feline.

It was a soft night on the sunny, a few days before getting to Dressrosa. On this night, the strawhats decided to gather around after dinner like always. They enjoyed socializing and spending time together, telling stories and playing silly games. It was quite late so Momo was already sleeping. Everyone was on the deck enjoying some drinks and you were on the crow's nest, peaceful.

« Y/N-chaaawn~ » Screamed Sanji, making you look down. « Come have some fun with us, don't stay there on your own ! »

« - Yeah Y/N ! We're all having fun here. » Said Luffy.

You jumped gracefully from the crow's nest just like a cat. You then looked around circularly before taking place between Law and Robin as she silently made some space for you. The atmosphere was light and everyone was enjoying themselves. Zoro was drinking bottle after bottle as Sanji was screaming at him. Usopp was telling you all for the tenth time about how he took down a sea king with his little finger and Luffy and Chopper were captivated by how cool that was.

You were just silently enjoying that sense of peace till Nami asked you out of nowhere

« Oh true Y/N, I actually never asked but I am curious, why is your bounty so high ? What have you done ? »

For a second your expression changed and everyone's eyes were on you. You just decided to tell them some kind of lie and you said that you killed a celestial dragon. Everyone looked at you in awe, killing a celestial dragon means that you had to escape from admirals. You excused yourself then saying you were tired, therefore going to sleep.

After hours of partying Strawhats went to sleep. You got out of the girl's quarter wearing only a night gown. Your thoughts were waltzing since earlier's events and you were looking melancolically at the ocean. The sound of the waves was so calming, you got close to the board of the sunny, placing your elbows on the wooden surface. You didn't notice it when Law came your way, he wasn't sleeping either, his sleeping schedule was always herractic. He was still intrigued by the lie you told earlier and by your overall attitude, something about you drew him towards you like a magnet.

-(Y/N)-ya...You didn't kill a celestial dragon, did you?

His voice was low and hoarse, stealing a murmur out of your lips. Your eyes met his, gray, icy. It was the first time he said your name outloud, actually, you briefly ever interacted since he got on this ship.

-Trafalgar ?..

You were wondering why did he bring this up, he never ever showed interest in you and you in him. In fact, now that you looked at him more in detail, you could say that he was an exceptionally handsome male with soft dark hair and a gloomy but all the more seductive cast of demeanor.

He could obtain any female he wanted at a snap of his fingers. You looked away and added :

-I thought that you disliked me. Why do you even ask ?

He raised an eyebrow, but got back to his stoic expression almost immediatly. He didn't know that it showed. However, you were wrong, he was starting to get intrigued by you, by your high bounty, by the detached way you acted. He was usually the one to observe and analyse people, but something about you...He couldn't put a finger on.

-I don't like lies.

-I have my own reasons...I'm sure there are a lot of things that you want to keep secret.

You hesitated then looked his side. He seemed calm still and just shrugged, ready to go back to his spot but then you added ;

-I lied because I didn't want to involve anyone in this...When I was just a child, I was a part of a dozen kids that were selected to take part into a « government experiment »...I don't want to go into details but...you clenched your fist, eyes fixed on an imaginary point in front of you I am the only survivor of that experiment...Therefore I'm being tracked... We were given power...To this day I don't know its extent...But I know that with just a blow of my fingers I could...you gasped How could a child be granted such a power ? Why did they have to choose for me ? I didn't want any of this....I never wanted to fight, I don't want to fight. I just wanted to be normal, to have a family, to feel wanted...haha...your laugh was bitter I mean, I know that I am the most wanted person you probably met, but I didn't mean it in that way. I hope that this satisfies your curiosity, Trafalgar Law.

Your eyes met, he looked in them, deep, searching for traces of honesty. You were telling the truth, there wasn't a doubt. He liked the way his name sounded out of your lips, it was the first time that he heard these three letters murmured by you. It's as if his first name sounded different, you had that way of saying it, almost like a whisper. You looked so vulnerable in your nightgown, so fragile despite your usual arrogant carapace. The fiery tigress looked like a sweet kitten and he was surprised by the way he just wanted to reassure you. He brushed that thought quickly and added, stoic ;

-I see, why did you tell me ?

-You just asked me to, no ? I just felt like we were a bit alike...Ah. Also, quit asking me questions....This is starting to feel like a doctor examination...Now it's my turn to ask. Why do you even care ? I didn't think that the surgeon of death was such a curious person.

He scratched his chin, hesitating for a second, but then he just said bluntly ;

-The first time I saw you, I thought that you were extremely annoying.

- Ah ? you looked at him with a straight face, but still a bit offended If we're playing first impressions then...

-But I get it now.

He wasn't annoyed, in fact, he was just fascinated. It wasn't animosity that he felt but desire to know more about you. It wasn't that he was making sure that you're not endangering anyone, he wanted to look at you, it was just excuses upon excuses, rationalization for a case of irrational fascination. Now that the diagnostic was there, he could understand his emotions more clearly.

-You are talking in riddles but well...Whatever...Why did you form an alliance with Luffy by the way ? I wonder how you're able to handle all of his energy if you can't even stand mine haha.

-Let me correct you ; I don't hate you. He stops for a moment then he adds. There is a man that I would like to kill.

You turn now, back against the wooden border of the ship. You had an amused look on your face, wondering who was that man that he wanted to take down ;

-Now that's interesting ! Let me guess, who is it ?

-You are quite curious yourself, (Y/N)-ya...

He thought it was only fair, you opened up to him, he opened up to you, but telling you the details wasn't for now.

-So you are using the strawhats ?

-I am not sure who is using who. And what is your reason for joing the strawhats ?

-Luffy, you said with dreamy eyes, it's the D in his name...I have been drawn to people with this letter in their names like a magnet...I don't know...I just believe it's fate...

He was startled by your answer, so you knew about the « D » letter ? He also had this letter in his name...He just added then, with a face that didn't betray his surprise ;

-Oh , a girl like you believes in such romantic stories ?

-And what is a girl like me like ? You added, amused. I mean, apart from annoying.

-...Quit it already.

His tone was stable as always. He didn't show it but he thought that it was cute of you, how you insisted and played along. You faced him, your eyes looking right into his and you weren't one to look down, oh no. Irisis into his irisis, looking for him and digging something into him. He didn't even know what you meant by such a look, once again, feline.

The salty smell of the ocean's water mixed with the odor of your fruity perfume made that moment a bit more enjoyable and he wasn't even the type of person to enjoy chatting.

Check mate, you made up for that horrible first impression. You added then ;

-You avoided my question by the way, why wouldn't I believe in « such romantic stories » ? What do you think you know about « a girl like me » ?

You got a bit closer, amused, and he thought that it was getting a bit dangerous. You had a fake woeful look in your eyes. His limbs were filled to the brim with that ocean perfume of yours mixed with that sweet taste, and for a second it was as if that odor operated some kind of spell over him, because a surprising thought occured to his mind ; what would your lips taste like ? Certainly salty like the ocean and a tad like peaches.

Unsettled and unfocused he said ;

-Shouldn't you be sleeping ?

In reality, he didn't want these thoughts to make a nest out of his head and decided to cut the conversation quite abruptly. Your rocked your body back, almost like a child and rose your eyebrows in a semi-sarcastic semi-dramatic way.

-I'm a bit too old for a bed time don't you think, Trafalgar ?

-Just Law.

-Yes yes ! L-a-w...See you tomorrow ! You're not as uptight as I thought.

-(Y/N)-ya.

He just said your name in a strict way, probably indicating that you needed to go. His tone was firm, stop teasing already.

You looked at him with a diminishing smile, pronouncing every single letter so slowly, stretching his name on your lips so that these three tiny letters seemed endless. You tossed your hair, and something about the whole situation, about your feminine charm, something about the breeze of the night made the both of you feel unbearable tension. The type of tension that happens between a man and a woman at three in the morning, that tension that makes every little detail, every look in the eyes, every brush of the fingers feel indecent.

The eyes of a woman can't lie, his ego was stroked as he thought he had a glimpse of your hidden desire.You turned to go back to the girl's quarters, his eyes still hanged on your silhouette. ----------- I hope that you liked this first part. Please tell me what you think. It is a great motivator to know that I’m writing and being read. <3 I wish you all a nice day !

#law x reader #law #trafalgar law #onepiece imagines #one piece imagine #one piece scenario #Trafalgar law x reader #one piece #one piece x reader #onepiece x reader

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psychedelic-ink · 3 years

Text

Easy Prey // Among Us AU

Pairing: Vinsmoke Sanji x fem!reader

Genre: Angst/horror (kinda not really) NSFW

Word Count: 1982 k

Warnings: Blood, murder, face fucking

Summary: Traveling in space can be hard, especially if one of your crewmates has been replaced by a parasitic shapeshifter. One by one the crew members are being found dead and in the end identifying the imposter is up to you.

“Sanji I really don’t think we should be doing this…”

Your skin burned as his hands greedily explored every crevice of your body. His breath was warm and damp on your neck, nibbling on the soft flesh and leaving his marks as his hands cupped your breasts. Silent moans left you, your mind now feeling numb, you tried to remember how the two of you ended up in the dark corner of the electrical room.

“Why shouldn’t we be doing this?” he whispered, his voice dripping with lust. “We might die at any moment shouldn’t we celebrate that we’re alive?”

His voice was like warm honey, you couldn’t say no to him. Everything he was doing to you just felt so good, your heart threatened to leap out of your chest as he lifted up the upper part of your pink suit, were you really going to go with this? While there was an imposter among the crew? So many had already died, you could be next maybe he was right.

Sanji’s head dipped in the valley of your breasts, planting open mouthed kisses he took your right nipple in your mouth. You threw your head back and shivered. The inside of his mouth was warm, his tongue went in circles around your sensitive nub. You let out shaky breaths as you wrapped his blond hair around your fingers. He hissed when you pulled his hair, your nails dug in his scalp. His mouth felt so good on you, Sanji bit, licked and pulled your nipple, driving you absolutely crazy.

He parted away from you, he had a smug grin plastered on his face. A grin that made your heart skip a beat, your face felt warm and you averted your eyes. He placed his hands on your shoulders and pushed you down, you knew what he wanted and you were happy to deliver.

You stared at the bulge that was visible from the outside of his blue suit. Momentarily your eyes widen, licking your lips, your hands fiddled with the zipper. Sanji took in a sharp breath when you wrapped your fingers around his throbbing cock. He was already leaking with precum, gingerly you licked the tip, tasting him. You enjoyed the bitterness he left in your mouth, you wrapped your lips around the tip, your tongue going in circles. You were enjoying the way he groaned as you continued to taste him.

Your breath hitched when Sanji placed both hands behind your head and pushed your forward. Feeling his cock at the back of your throat made you gag, he seemed to enjoy this since you could hear him let out loud moans. Your eyes watered, Sanji snapped his hips, thrusting into your mouth as if he was fucking your pussy. Spit mixed with precum dribbled down from your chin. You tried to relax your throat but he was giving you no room to breathe. His hips continued to mercilessly snap forth and back. Your chin ached, despite your mouth being strained you couldn’t help but moan as he fucked your throat. You felt wetter with each thrust.

“-ah fuck, your mouth feels so good,” he panted. “You like it don’t you? Being used like a fleshlight?”

With half lidded eyes, you looked up to him and groaned when you saw that he was staring down at you. He wrapped your hair around his fingers and buried himself deep into your mouth, he came right down your throat.

Sanji’s cum tasted bitter and felt thick as it slid down your throat. His hand held you in place as he continued to splurt his seed into you. Not wanting it to go to waste, hungrily, you swallowed every bite. When he finally released you, you coughed and took in deep breaths.

You looked back at him only to see him smirking down at you, his eyes dark by lust, you knew he was far from done.

That is until the alarm went off. The alarm that you feared the most. The alarm that signalled that someone was found dead.

Lowering your helmet back down, you glanced at Sanji. For a moment his eyes flashed a hint of annoyance. But he was quick to hold your hand and pull you towards the cafeteria, you dismissed the look as your paranoia playing tricks on you. A soft smile tugged at your lips. You were happy that he was with you.

When the two of you arrived your heart stopped. Only Nami,Usopp and Robin sat around the table. Nami was biting her lip clearly trying not to break down then and there. Usopp looked pale and was shaking. Robin seemed calm as always but she was clearly bothered as she didn’t look at you.

“I-I saw Zoro,” he whispered as he made eye contact with you. “He was impaled.”

“İmpaled?” you asked, trying to wrap your mind around it.

Your legs trembled and you were hardly able to take a seat. Zoro… he was gone, along with Luffy, Chopper, Franky and Brook. They were all gone.

“Where?” Sanji asked, breaking the silence.

“He was in medbay.” Nami answered.

“I was with Nami.” Robin said. “Where were you Sanji?”

“I was with y/n.”

“T-That’s true.”

Why were you hesitating? It was the truth. Fear engulfed your heart as the conversation continued.

“That means only Usopp was alone then?”

“W-Wait!” Usopp stuttered. “Don’t look at me! I’m the one who reported it besides we don’t know when he was killed.”

“I just asked a simple question.” you could feel the smugness radiating from Sanji. “Why are you suddenly so on edge?”

“Because you’re clearly blaming me!” Usopp shouted.

“Robin asked a simple question and I just stated a fact. You were alone weren’t you?”

“I...was.”

“Well after that outburst I vote that Usopp is the impostor.”

“I..agree with Sanji.”

“Nami?!”

You hated how Usopp genuinely sounded and looked hurt. You couldn’t believe that it was him. But maybe it was?

“I think that Sanji is the impostor.” Robin said.

You felt your blood freeze when she said that. Sanji squeezed your hand reassuringly, snapping you out of your shock momentarily.

“I think it’s him too!” Usopp shouted, crossing his arms in front of him.

“Then that leaves only y/n.” Nami said, looking directly at you.

All eyes turned to you. Usopp was sweating and Sanji just seemed a tad bit nervous. Darkness fell upon you. Who would you choose? Your friend or your lover? Which one was the imposter? Sanji was with you the whole time. Sanji’s thumb grazed the top of your hand, you could feel the warmth he radiated. He felt so secure, so safe. You just wanted him to hold you and never let go.

“Do I have to choose?” you asked.

“Yes.” Nami’s voice was ice cold.

Swallowing you looked down at the table. You felt cold.

“Usopp,” you took in a deep breath. “Usopp is the impostor.”

“What!?” he screamed. You bit your bottom lip, it felt as someone was squeezing your heart.

“You heard her,” Sanji’s voice made you shiver, it even sounded colder then Nami’s. He stood up, ready to kick Usopp out. “Get off the ship impostor.”

“N-No! It’s not me!”

Usopp’s pleads didn’t stop Sanji from grabbing him and throwing him out. All of you watched as he wiggled in the endless voice of space soon to be motionless. You couldn’t look much longer and buried your face into Sanji’s chest. Nami touched your shoulder.

“We should go and do the repairs.” she said, clearly starting to regret her decision.

You slowly nodded. Sanji followed Nami to the navigation, you were going to tag along but you were stopped, when you turned you noticed that Robin had held your hand.

“You made a mistake.” she simply said and left you.

A chill went down your spine among hearing those words. But you knew she was wrong. There was no way you sent Usopp to his death by claiming that he was an impostor. Your stomach churning you went to navigation. Your hands felt cold and sweaty at the same time. You felt absolutely sick.

“Y/N RUN!”

With full force Nami bumped into you. Knocking out the breath in your lungs the two of you fell down. You took in a deep breath, trying to comprehend what was going on you managed to open your eyes. You could see Nami’s terrified face through her helmet. Her eyes wide, cheeks glistening with her tears, you held your breath as your pulse quickened.

Breathing became easier when Nami was lifted, she shouted as she was being lifted by two black tentacles, at least you assumed there were tentacles. Nami kicked the air and tried to free herself, you stood there frozen with fear.

The last thing Nami did was reach out to you.

Blood dripped down, staining your pink suit with red. You couldn’t take your eyes off of her, a sharp object had gone through her chest, warm blood pouring down from her wound, her body now dangling, lifeless.

“N-Nami?”

Her body fell to the ground with a loud thud as an answer. You crawled towards her, your hands trembling, you shaked her again and again and again. Nami never woke up.

“Y/n-chan I don’t think she’s going to wake up.” you hear the voice of Nami’s assailant hum.

Tears dropped down from your cheeks as you leaned over your friend’s corpse. You clutched her spacesuit, hoping that this was all just a bad dream. Knowing that your wish would never come true you straightened up and faced the killer.

“Sanji.” you hissed. “It was you all along?”

“That’s right.” he replied with a smile.

He took a step closer to you and you jumped back. Sanji chuckled when he noticed the fear in your eyes, he feed off of your fear as he took another step. You were frozen with fear, your breathing short and uneven. He stood right before you and with a quick motion he tore off your helmet and threw it to the side.

“You were so blindly in love.” he cackled. “You just made it so easy.”

“Since when have you been imitating him?”

Surely it shouldn’t be that far in time. Sanji kneeled down, his suit stained with blood, he took off his mask as well revealing the wicked smile he had. He was truly enjoying this.

“Since you lot left Pluto.”

“Pluto…?”

That meant…

“You started to fall for “Sanji” after that, right?” he asked, grinning. “You never fell in love with him though. You fell in love with me.” his eyes flashed and became red momentarily.

You felt sick. Sanji never fell in love with you, Sanji never cuddled you, Sanji never comforted you. It was all…that thing, the impostor, the alien. He placed a hand under your chin and lifted your face so that you would face him. You hated that he looked like Sanji, your body betrayed you as your cheeks started to heat up.

“I really don’t want to kill you,” he said, sighing. “Thanks to you I managed to kill everyone and it’s really fun to play with you but I’m not sure how you’re going to feel after this.”

“I feel nothing.” you lied.

“Is that so?” he shrugged. “Then that makes my job easier.”

His hand came down on your throat, his nails digging into your skin. Your eyes watered, slowly but surely your windpipe was getting crushed. The impostor that was wearing Sanji’s face flashed you a toothy grin.

“Thank you for making me experience human pleasures y/n.”

Before you blacked out you wished you could warn Robin. You wished you hadn’t sent Usopp to his death. You wished you could warn everyone before any of this happened.

You wished you could’ve saved the real Sanji.

But all of your wishes quickly drowned into eternal darkness.

#one piece #one piece x reader #among us au #among us #sanji vinsmoke #tw blood #tw murder #demonetized #burntwritings #sanji x reader #vinsmoke sanji #vinsmoke sanji x reader #angst

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sanjisock · 3 years

Text

puddles

ao3

i. arlong park

It does not take long for Sanji to learn that Zoro is a man who does not do things in halves.

He watches in fascination as Zoro faces Mihawk without a single moment’s of hesitation — cut in half, bleeding all over the deck, but his sword stays true still. Zoro dreams, not of being a great swordsman, but of being the greatest; either you are, or you are not.

Sanji can understand that. It is not quite different from his own, if you look at it in the right ways — you either believe in the All Blue, or you don’t. It either exists, or it doesn’t. You can’t bargain with faith.

But Sanji isn’t the same kid with the iron mask all those years ago who had nothing to lose; he has Zeff now, and a debt as heavy as a lost limb that he could never even begin to repay. He knows how much a dream can cost. He knows how much love — true love, the kind with complete and utter devotion — can cost.

Cocoyashi Village is in celebration, and Sanji finds himself tucked into a corner of the party together with Zoro, somehow untouched by the cacophony. They’re still sizing each other up, barely knowing one another past a fight and a promise to a captain. But Zoro has trusted him easily in that very fight, and right now there’s a spark in the air between them, something not entirely different from attraction .

Zoro takes a large gulp from his bottle and gestures back at the ship. “You coming?”

This could be something , Sanji thinks. Wants to try, if he’s being honest.

But Zoro is a man who does not do things in halves — he is not a man who tries . If Sanji takes the leap, this is it — they either are, or they aren’t. And if they aren’t — Sanji isn’t sure a crew as small and as tight-knitted as the Straw Hats can handle a break up, especially so early on in their journey.

(Sanji isn’t sure a heart as weak as his can handle a break up).

“I’ll catch up later,” he shrugs, scrambling for an excuse. He suddenly feels like he’s ten again, terrified and running away. “Been wanting to check out this one recipe from that guy over there.”

“If you say so,” Zoro takes the dismissal in stride, and dumps the empty sake bottle into a barrel as he stands up to leave.

Sanji watches him disappear into the night.

ii. enies lobby

The Mosshead has been giving him the nastiest look ever since the ship sailed away from Water Seven, so Sanji isn’t particularly surprised when Zoro stops him on his track on the way to Usopp’s workshop.

Zoro eyes the colorful drink on the tray in Sanji’s hand like it’s challenged him into a duel, before finally grunting, “you need to stop treating Usopp like that.”

Sanji’s eyes unwittingly follow Zoro’s gaze on the drink he made for Usopp — it has five colors, three different fruits, and a whip cream on top. Entirely too flashy for the male crewmembers, usually reserved for important occasions. Sanji feigns obliviousness, still. “Like what?”

“Like he’s going to break anytime soon,” Zoro says.

“You mean nicely ?” Sanji snarls back. “Like a normal human being? Not everyone is like you, Marimo. Some people have emotions. ”

“It’s insulting , is what it is,” Zoro retorts, his whole body leaning into Sanji’s personal space, like a challenge. “There’s never a need for you to coddle him. Usopp made his decisions as a man back then, and he had to learn the consequences for it — ”

“And he has learned , Zoro,” Sanji cuts in, feeling exhausted all of a sudden, the fight leaving his body in a snap. He sighs. “Look — I get that it’s your thing, protecting our pride as a crew and all. I was on your side, remember? But it’s all in the past, and Usopp’s got your message, loud and clear.”

Sanji thinks of a little boy with the iron mask, who were forced to learn all his lessons the hard way; and what comes out next is, “I’m the cook of this ship. Let me feed him.”

Let me take care of him , he doesn’t say, but it means pretty much the same thing.

There must’ve been something in his voice, because Zoro seems taken aback; all the tension bleeds out from his shoulders, and he’s now looking at Sanji with an unreadable expression.

There’s a moment of silence, stretched long enough to the point of awkwardness, before Zoro says, “ — didn’t mean to. I mean — quite a lot of shit went down, just didn’t wanna see you — don’t overexert yourself.”

Sanji blinks. “What are you saying .”

“All this talk about taking care of people,” Zoro says, hand rubbing the back of his neck in a rare display of — what? Embarrassment ? “Why wouldn’t you let me —”

Zoro pauses there, sentence trailing off into nothing; but Sanji has always been good at reading Zoro, and he hears the words anyway.

Why wouldn’t you let me take care of you .

Sanji thinks of the party in Cocoyashi, and then hundreds of moments after that — quiet moments in the galley when Zoro helped him wash up the dishes, playful banters that Zoro could only keep up with. Countless enemies they fight side by side, together, the way he feels his heart beat in sync with Zoro’s from across the battlefield.

“Cook —” Zoro puts his hand on Sanji’s shoulder then, and the touch burns , like an electric shock; it jolts Sanji back from his thoughts, a reminder of the reality between them, the way they would fight as hard as they love, and what would that leave him, in the aftermath?

“Let me go ,” Sanji says before he can stop himself, and practically runs to Usopp’s workshop.

iii. thriller bark

“You’re a dumbass ,” Sanji says.

“Hn,” Zoro says, not arguing for once.

“I’ve always known you have moss for brains,” Sanji continues, fully aware he’s rambling but unable to stop himself, “but who would’ve thought you’d be this dumb. What kind of complete and utter idiot would be so fucking reckless against a warlord for the second time in his life.”

Zoro hums noncommittally.

Sanji tightens the bandage across his torso with a little more force than necessary.

Zoro makes a pained grunt, and Sanji winces at the sound; they’ve roughhoused each other countless of times before, but this is the first time Zoro can’t take something Sanji dished. It shouldn’t be surprising though, not after the wounds he has taken from Bartholomew Kuma —

“You need to learn to pick your battles,” Sanji rambles on, because he’s suddenly hit with the realization that if he stops talking he might actually cry . “Or at least employ some strategies. Ever heard of those? That’s what people with brains usually do when they fight instead of simply waving some pointy sticks against the enemy. Raise your hand a bit —” he moves to the wound on Zoro’s arm, taking greater care to make sure he’s as gentle as possible, a silent apology for the earlier mishap. “Right there. Yeah. Anyways, I was saying —”

“Sanji,” Zoro says, and Sanji stops.

It’s so unfamiliar — the way Sanji’s name rolls off Zoro’s tongue, shaped by his deep voice. It sends a shiver down his spine, Sanji’s heart suddenly rattling against his ribcage.

When he looks up, Zoro is staring back at him with half-lidded eyes, something other than pain marring his gaze.

Longing .

Sanji feels his throat dry all of a sudden.

“Sanji,” Zoro says, voice low and rasp, but steady. And then: “stay.”

Sanji drops the bandages in his hands. He can’t do this — not when he’s staring at the very reminder of what it would cost . The idea of losing Zoro, as a nakama , has already torn him from the inside; he can’t imagine what it’s like to see Zoro’s lifeless body on the infirmary bed, as a lover.

He remembers standing in front of her mother’s grave, feeling like he’s coming apart at the seams, and wanting to tear up the stitches; wishing he could just unravel after so much hurt .

“Zoro,” he says, feeling like he’s on the verge of a panic attack, “I — I can’t —”

But when he dares himself to finally meet Zoro’s eyes, the Swordsman has lost consciousness again.

Sanji flees the infirmary.

iv. zou

He flips BIg Mom’s invitation to the tea party over and over again, staring at the words etched on the paper.

Groom: Third Son of the Vinsmokes, Sanji.

The words settle unpleasantly in his gut, and he swallows, trying to calm himself down. He’s no longer the same weak kid with the iron mask; he’s now a Straw Hat, and he’s going to settle his issues with his pathetic excuse of a family once and for all.

That’s all.

...so why does it feel like this isn’t going to end well with Zoro?

Thoughts of the Shitty Swordsman appear in his mind, unbidden. A scowl, definitely — maybe a few scathing words to accompany the look. Something about Sanji and his self-sacrificial tendencies — as if Zoro has any right to lecture anyone about that — or maybe some diatribe about trusting the crew to take care of one of their own.

Which is not what this is about, at all. Of course Sanji trusts everyone in the crew — trusts Luffy to be able to take care of himself. But this is his problem, and he’s the only one responsible to fix it. There’s no need to trouble everyone with a little family problems.

(So why does it still feel like he’s running away?)

v. whole cake island

“First of all, the captain of my own ship came all this way to track me down,” he says, raising a finger for emphasis, “only for me to insult and hurt him to the best of my ability despite no resistance from him whatsoever. That means I cannot go back to your ship right now.”

Run , he remembers being ten, hearing Reiju’s voice through the prison bars. There is no turning back. Your mistakes are final.

“Second of all,” he continues, “the shitty geezer who saved my life and the home where I was raised are being held hostage in case I don’t play along. That means I cannot escape from this wedding.”

Run , he remembers thinking every time he catches sight of Zeff’s leg. This is the cost of your dream. This is the cost of your love.

“Third of all,” he says, voice rising even higher, “the evil family to which I’m related to is walking into Big Mom’s trap, and they’ll all be slaughtered in a matter of hours. They’re scum of the earth to whom I owe nothing but my hatred but I cannot bring myself to abandon them to their fate and run away!”

Run , he tells himself. Your love worths nothing. You are not worth anyone’s love.

“For these three reason,” he says, eyes avoiding Luffy’s. “I cannot return with the rest of you.”

There’s a bright sunburst of pain against his cheek, and the momentum of the punch throws him against a tree bark, shattering under the impact.

“Tell me how you really feel ,” Luffy yells. “What do you want, Sanji?”

For the first time in his life, Sanji stops running.

(i. wano)

Sanji didn’t notice at first, with all the flurry and chaos of the fight against Kaido; but once things have settled down, it occurs to him that Wano is a spring island.

The air is tinged with the kind of heat that barely tips over to unpleasant, uncomfortable without the unbearable fever of summer. Even the nights are wearily humid, which is why he decided to stray away from the celebration feast into the forest, and finds Zoro training alone, swinging his new sword against the wind.

They have not had a moment to themselves ever since — ever since . All of their conversations have mostly been in the heat of the battle, and Sanji isn’t quite sure if they simply did not have the time, or if Zoro has been avoiding him.

It doesn’t matter — here they are, gravitating towards each other still. As if fate herself has weaved a path for them, time and again.

He thinks he can still hear Luffy asking, in the rain: what do you want, Sanji?

“Zoro,” he says, and faces him, head on. “I am in love with you.”

He thinks Zoro would’ve been surprised, once upon a time; maybe if Sanji dared to say it under the Alabasta moonlight, or bathed by the campfire light in the Sky Islands; but now, it feels superfluous, almost redundant. It is no longer the truth that matters between them.

Zoro finally turns to meet his eyes, and sheathes his sword into its scabbard. “What do you want, Cook?”

The same question, again. He’s been running away for so long, he’s forgotten what truly matters, before the risks and the tragedies and the costs . What he truly wants .

The answer to that has always been simple.

“I want us, Zoro. Together. In whichever way you’ll have me.”

Zoro walks up and stops, right in front of Sanji. “You have me ,” he says. “You’ve always had me. It’s you who’s always —” Zoro pauses, gritting his teeth, frustration written all over his face.

“I know,” Sanji says, heartbeat rising up his throat, his ears, his mouth. “Zoro, I —”

“I need to know ,” Zoro says, hand a hair’s breadth away from Sanji’s own, but not quite touching. “I need to know if you will keep running away from me or not.”

Sanji takes the offered hand and closes the distance between them.

It is a short kiss at first, only a cling of lips — and then he feels Zoro’s free hand drifting up to cradle his face as Zoro leans in for another kiss, and another, little dips of kisses, as if Zoro needed the constant reassurance that Sanji is here, with him. And Sanji can give him that, owe him that much — he breathes into the kiss, chases Zoro’s lips and mouths at the curve of his smile.

“This is it, right?” Zoro says when they part, forehead still pressed against one another’s. “Because this is it for me, Cook.”

Sanji thinks of Zoro, who doesn’t do things in halves. Either they are, or they aren’t. And for once he realizes — not the fear or the risk, but how much of an honor it is, to be loved by this man. Entirely and all-consuming.

“This is it,” he tells Zoro, and squeezes Zoro’s hand. “No more running away.”

#opfanfic #zosan #roronoa zoro #sanji #one piece

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mysticaltigersorceress · 4 years

Text

Insubstantial

This is a piece I did for @nakunakunomi 's Trope Writing Challenge. Somehow, the prompt generator just smelled the angst on me, I nearly died laughing when I got the prompt xD.

The trope was: Confessing your love to someone unconscious/in a coma, only for them to wake up.

Random Word I had to include: arrangement.

Hope you enjoy, and #sorrynotsorry. I at least decided to end happily.

Length: 1.9k

Warnings: reader gets injured (not described in detail, but blood mentioned), angst

Summary:

Ao3: over here uwu

Usopp would be the first to (quietly) admit that he was a scaredy-cat. Did it ever hurt to err on the side of caution when living such a dangerous life? (He would argue that no, no it did not.)

But when it came to you, there were so, so many things that scared him. Not that you were scary, you were just– Oh gosh, everything you did set free kaleidoscopes of butterflies in his stomach; a simple smile meant just for him was enough to stop and restart his heart faster than any battle or foe ever had.

He wanted to tell you so badly that he lo– lov– liked you, very much. Usopp had rehearsed hundreds of scenarios in his head where he told you how he felt. Of course, he had also envisioned what your response may be. Some days, he imagined telling you poetry he wrote for you and you would swoon over his words, showering him in adoration and begging him not to stop. Other days, he imagined you laughing at his silly serenades but accepting them anyway, perhaps even making up a ditty of your own for him.

Oh, who was he kidding? At the end of the day, you didn’t reciprocate his feelings, not in that way. He didn’t want you to hate him for trying to force something that wasn’t meant to be. Your relationship was fine as it was right now, wasn’t it?

Usopp would crack jokes he just knew would make you laugh (and nearly got strangled several times by the crew for some of his pranks), and you would tease him and make references to inside jokes with him. He would save your favorite snacks for when you would help him tend to his pop-green garden, and you would steal his hat while you worked in the sun. Usopp even strayed further into battlefields than he normally would like, just to make sure you always had backup. And even then, you would always watch out for him to make sure no one got too close to him, saying “a sniper always worked best with distance, right?” The unspoken arrangement he had worked out in regards to how your relationship worked was something Usopp decided he could live with. Perhaps it was not perfectly ideal, but good friends would just have to be good enough.

Until it suddenly wasn’t good enough.

Until suddenly, you were crumpled on Sunny’s deck, life slowly seeping out of you, hit by an unexpected attack.

An attack you had shoved Usopp out of the way of.

It wasn’t enough as he scrambled across the deck to you, whilst the Strawhat Pirates rained justice upon those who dared harm their nakama.

It wasn’t anywhere near enough as he screamed for Chopper, clutching you desperately in his arms, trying to get some form of consciousness to register in your expression. Pressing his hand then shirt to the wound, anything to try to staunch the bleeding.

Everything he previously thought was enough for him felt wimpy and hollow as you lay limp in the infirmary, breathing ever so shallowly. Chopper had to eventually kick Usopp out for repeatedly panicking, thinking your breathing had stopped.

The words and feeling that he normally tucked away in the back of his mind now screamed relentlessly at him as he collapsed outside the infirmary with the rest of the crew, waiting for word of your condition. He nearly totally cried when Chopper said you were stable for now.

Day after day was spent by your side, coming up with a million reasons to stay with you whenever possible, a million excuses more as to why he always had to be there. All of the reasons were technically true, however, he never said his biggest reason of all.

That he lo-

lov-

Of– of course he was worried about his nakama, you had saved his life! He wanted to be there when you woke up, to thank you (and perhaps to smack you upside the head for doing something so foolish). To ask you why you would let yourself get hurt for him, when you had so many strong nakama around you. If you, perhaps– no. You were his nakama after all. That's all it was. Concern for a fellow crewmate. Nothing more.

He'd tinker by your bedside, quietly narrating his actions (and occasionally making up your responses as well.) He could almost picture exactly how the exchange would go when you woke up. You would open your eyes, groggy but feeling considerably better. You'd see him there and ask him if you had your favorite snack in his bag (which he totally did) and cheekily ask if he’d been worrying this whole time about you (which he totally had been). Usopp didn't like to think he was that predictable, but maybe you two just knew each other that well.

So when he walked into the galley to hear the words, “They may or may not wake up”, he was filled with a fear and a fury he had not felt so strongly since he was told they had to continue on their journey without Merry.

“What do you mean they may not wake up?” Usopp growled, clenching his fists in a feeble attempt to keep his hands from shaking. Chopper jumped guiltily at Usopp's question, and he could feel the eyes of the crew turn to him.

“They’re in a coma, Usopp. They could wake up in a few days. Or it could be weeks, months, years.” Chopper spoke reluctantly. “We have to be ready in case they never–”

“DON’T SAY IT!”

Choppers face creased worryingly. “We don’t want it to happen, but–”

“BUT WHAT? You’re just going to give up on your nakama!?” Tears were forming in the little deer’s eyes as Usopp yelled.

“Usopp.” Usopp froze as his friend and captain called his name. No other words had to be spoken. Usopp opened his mouth, but his throat was tight. None of the words felt right. There were too many of them. They were too harsh. Too painful. Too little for everything he needed to express. So he ran out.

He walked into his little tinkering space only to walk straight back out again. He was quite sure attempting to work on any project would simply leave him more frustrated than he already was. He tried to water his Pop-Greens, but the garden was so empty without you there. Before he knew it, his feet had carried him back to the infirmary. He sighed as he let himself in, head hung low; you would probably be upset at him for yelling at Chopper like that. It wasn’t Chopper’s fault you were in a coma. He needed to go apologize to Chopper, to everyone.

“Usopp.” Usopp startled at Franky’s voice, not having noticed the cyborg when he entered. The heavy weight of Franky’s hand settled on Usopp's head before he could try to escape or squeak out an apology. “They’ll wake up when they’re ready. And we’ll be right here waiting for them.” He then ruffled his hair and walked out, shutting the door softly behind him.

Usopp dug his nails into his palms until they stung, furiously straining to hold back the emotion slipping through every crack. His cheeks were soon soaked and he tasted blood from biting his lip in his attempt to stay quiet. A soft sound caught his attention and his head whipped in your direction.

You were still laying exactly as you were before, quietly breathing. Something about seeing you calmed him, despite all the bandages and IV’s. He was able to let all the racing thoughts drift to the back of his mind, and sunk exhaustedly into the chair beside your bed.

A single hand rested atop your sheets, and he found himself taking your hand into his. Your hand was so limp. It was so easy to imagine you were– no! You would wake up, and when you did, oh no, what if you lost your memory, or what if you couldn’t make a full recovery? Or–

“No! Damn it!” Usopp cursed. He wasn’t going to imagine the worst. For once in his god-damned life he was going to be positive! He was positive you would recover! He was positive you would smile again! You would remember him, you would remember the crew! You would get back to perfect health, and you would live out your dreams! You would... be happy to see him.

Usopp rubbed his thumbs against the back of your hand. There was still a little scar there from when one of his plants nipped you, back when he first planted his Pop-Greens, when the crew reunited in Sabaody after two years apart. The quiet moment you both had in the Sunny’s garden was something he held onto dearly and thought about frequently. You had listened so closely as he told you about his new plants and time in the Boin Archipelago. A certain flower caught your eye, and before he could warn you, it bit your hand. Of course, it had to be one of the poisonous ones, and just as Heracles’n had taught him, he sucked the poison out of the wound and spat it to the deck then wrapped it with bandage. For a fraction of a second, there was something he couldn’t quite identify in your eyes, but then he told you that you should have Chopper look at it just in case. As you walked away, something in him screamed to tell you how he felt, but just as usual, he let you walk away. He let himself act cowardly, despite all his declarations otherwise.

And now, more than ever, he regretted the words he frequently swallowed. And, maybe, just once, since you were asleep, he could say them. It would be good practice, to see if they fit right in his mouth. If they fit right, being said to you.

“Y/n… Please, wake up. We miss you… We need you.. I– I need you,” He gazed softly at your face, before lowering his head and holding your hand to his forehead. “I know I’m a damn coward, but please wake up so I can tell you at least once to your face, whatever you may think. I– I–”

Usopp cursed himself for stumbling over these words. Why was this so difficult?

“You’re– you're everything to me. You’re my friend. You’re my sunshine. You’re confusing and addicting and I always want to be with you, and I want to make you as happy as you make me. I just– I– I love you.” Usopp finally whispered. “And it’s a stupid dream, but I hope you love me too.” Tears flowed freely down his cheeks again, and he squeezed your hand tightly.

And something flicked his nose.

Usopp jerked up in shock to see you wearily smiling at him.

“Aww, you missed me?” You croaked. Usopp began openly sobbing and yelling incoherently. Softly chuckling, you weakly tugged him closer and moved the hand he held to his cheek and brushed it lightly. “I’m sorry I made you worry.” You then pulled him toward you and hugged him as best you could, and (after getting over his shock,) he wrapped his arms around you as well, holding as tightly as he could without causing you pain.

You found your eyes welling up from the emotion in his declaration, and tightened your hold on him. “I suppose I'm a coward for not telling you before, but I love you too, Usopp.”

#one piece #usopp #god usopp #usopp x reader #cliche with hazel #my writing #mvwriting #one piece fanfic #reader insert #one piece fanfiction

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joggysimps · 3 years

Text

Tulip has a nightmare

Word count: 1,148

As the title says! Tulip has a nightmare and she looks for Usopp in hopes of some comfort. Aka, my attempt at writing fluff.

This is an old fic I touched up and decided to share here again. I posted it when I first wrote it, but took it down because I got embarrassed about it. Let's see how long it lasts this time.

Note: they're not in a relationship yet in this fic!

"Usopp.." came a small whisper. "Usopp..!" a shaky voice was gently, but desperately trying to get him to wake up.

Two hands reached out and carefully shook the shoulder of the boy. "Wake up...!" the voice called out again, to which he finally reacted with a small flinch.

"Huh? What, what is it.." he squinted, slightly raising his head to face..

"Tulip?" despite the darkness and the disorientation that came with just being woken up, it didn't take Usopp too long to recognise her. His crewmate was standing closely to his bunkbed, quickly taking a few steps back once he was finally awake. "What's up? Something wrong?" he asked while rubbing his eyes. His voice still didn't sound fully sober.

"I just... wanted to talk."

"Talk...? Can't it wait til morning?" Usopp yawned "I was having a nice dream.." he said half jokingly.

Tulip's shoulders stiffened. She didn't know what to say. Maybe she shouldn't have woken him up for such a stupid reason.

Usopp didn't really know what to make of all of this, but he was starting to have a feeling that there was more going on than his friend wanting to talk in the middle of the night just for the hell of it.

So he finally gave in.

"Alright, alright, we can talk," he looked around the room, "but let's not wake the guys up." he tied his hair up with the rubberband around his wrist, and got out of bed. He stretched his arms and legs one last time and he was finally ready to leave.

"Whadd'ya say we go to somewhere more quiet?"

Tulip nodded with a tiny smile, and with that, the two of them left the bedroom.

Just a few minutes later they were already sat down on the couch in the aquarium bar.

The room was quiet, peaceful, and almost completely dark, apart from the blueish light coming through the big aquarium in the wall, which was softly illuminating the two of them from behind.

"So, you wanted to talk." Usopp, now somewhat more awake, finally broke the silence.

"Yeah."

"Why didn't you wake Nami or Robin up tho?" he leaned his back against the couch to try to get himself cozy.

Just like the boys, the girls also share one bedroom. It would make sense for Tulip to wake them up first. Or at least, that's what Usopp thought.

"They, uhhh.... I couldn't... They wouldn't wake up."

"You're a bad liar, you know that?"

"That's rich coming from you."

"Hey!" Usopp's reaction finally got a small chuckle out of Tulip.

"Did you only wake me up to make fun of me?" he continued to tease her, but as he looked over, her smile was gone, and she seemed to be lost in her thoughts again.

"Alright, what's wrong?" Usopp scooted a bit closer to her. "And don't try to tell me it's nothing! I mean, I know the Great Captain Usopp is charming and all, but I'm sure you have another reason for waking me up so early."

Tulip finally gave in. "I had a nightmare." she hung her head down before taking a quick glance at Usopp.

Gosh, this was so embarrassing.

She didn't intend on telling him, but he probably wouldn't have left her alone until she did. It's not like he was gonna laugh at her for this, he's not that kind of person. Yet still, she couldn't help but feel stupid for doing this. She's not a kid anymore for crying out loud, she's 18, she should be able to deal with nightmares alone! And she usually can handle them, but this time it was different. This nightmare was able to upset her just enough for it to have a lasting effect even after she jolted awake in bed in a cold sweat.

She needed someone to talk to, someone to comfort her and calm her mind, and the person who did that best - let it be intentionally or unintentionally - was Usopp.

But now that he was sitting here in front of her, despite this being what she wanted, she felt really stupid about herself.

He worriedly tilted his head and raised an eyebrow, "A nightmare? What was it about?"

"It's... Stupid. Really. I'd rather not tell you." surely it can't be all that stupid if it made her this upset, but he didn't push it more. Instead, he got a better idea.

"Well, what if I told you a story?" he smiled.

"A story?" she looked up, thinking for a moment. Usopp's stories were always full of wonder and creativity and all kinds of nonsensical adventures. Tulip loved listening to them.

She nodded, "I'd like that."

"Great!" he rubbed his hands together and got himself a bit more comfortable on the couch. "Have I ever told you the story about the time I found a giant monster goldfish at sea?" Tulip shook her head. "Aha, it's a real exciting one! The thing was so big that at first I set foot on it thinking it's an island!"

The next ten or so minutes went by with Usopp talking about the story, throwing in whatever exciting things he could think about in the moment. Tulip eagerly listened to him all the while, drinking up his every word, even while knowing very well that none of them were true. But that wasn't what really mattered anyway.

The tale that her beloved sniper was going on about had the exact effect it needed to have. His sweet words about monster goldfish, swordfights and adventures eventually helped wash away the anxious thoughts from Tulip's head, and soon enough she found herself being slowly lulled back into sleep by his voice. She layed her head on Usopp's shoulder, who for a second got taken aback by this, but decided to continue until she fell asleep, even if after this his words nervously stumbled into each other here and there.

Eventually, Tulip's eyes shut close, and her breathing became quiet and monotonous, which Usopp could clearly feel on his collarbone, sending a slight nervous rush through his body every time he felt the warm air from her nose reach his skin.

He sat like this for a few minutes, thinking if he should get up to let his friend sleep peacefully alone. But as he looked down at Tulip, with her head resting on his shoulder, and one of her hands gently holding onto the sleeve of his pajamas, he didn't really feel like leaving.

He carefully layed on his back as a small sigh left his lips, letting the girl gently fall onto him, with her head now resting on his chest and her right arm hugging his shoulder. He placed a hand on her back, and after taking one last, long glance at her face, he closed his eyes, and slowly he too drifted back into sleep.

#selfship #oc x canon #f/o #selfship writing

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wellfine · 4 years

Text

Hey so I rambled for like a million words on Sanji’s and Zoro’s and a little bit of Luffy’s characterisation re: living for the sake of other people vs. yourself inspired by @eastdemons recent very good character analysis so I tucked it behind a read-more to spare you all

(WCI spoilers)

realised/remembered that Sanji as a child went seamlessly from being born to exist for the sake of others (his biological family), to wanting desperately to exist for the sake of others but being rejected and treated as though his very existence were a nuisance no matter how hard he tried, to finally finding a sort of unspoken crude acceptance with the Baratie and Zeff which was conditional (in his own mind) on him existing for their sake instead, that he finally had a target to project his rejected desire to be useful onto, to finally have a reason to exist and a tangible benefit he could point to - “if I weren’t here, then the Baratie wouldn’t run as smoothly, cook so nicely, defend itself so strongly”

and sure, tethering himself to that one floating restaurant meant he could never actually go out and achieve his own dreams but he was used to that, he had already accepted from childhood that his life never belonged to him, that he existed for the sake of others and self-sacrifice was naturally a part of that to the point he didn’t even consider it “sacrifice” any more but rather just the natural order of his birth. Like how you know to queue at the supermarket because that’s what your parents taught you. I don’t know if he ever even would’ve registered on a conscious level that that’s how he thought of himself? You could argue that a lot of the Straw Hats (maybe even all of them, in their own way) believe that sacrificing yourself is "natural” to do when your convictions are on the line, like Luffy’s acceptance of his fate at Loguetown, but Sanji’s is different. The Straw Hats might say, “it’s only natural to risk yourself for what you believe in,” but Sanji believes “it’s only natural that I would sacrifice myself for others.” The others all may have a sort of “put your money where your mouth is” attitude towards self-preservation (even Usopp and Nami), but moreso than any others I think Sanji says “no, the rest of you, sit down. None of you get to sacrifice yourselves, that’s foolish. Only I may die for the drama of it all”

So even at age 19 it’s not until Sanji meets the Straw Hats that he even considers the choice of living his life for himself, based on what he wants, and not what others want or need from him. Like obviously he cared about Zeff and the Baratie and he did genuinely want to see it succeed, but it wasn’t his life’s goal. He was trying to make it his life’s goal but you could see the look on his face when he talked about All Blue and traveling for his own sake. And then a bunch of smelly weird pirates crash into their restaurant and confront him with the idea that “hey, you know, your life belongs to you, and you actually have, you know, CHOICES you can make, and it’s okay for you to prioritise your own goals and live your life the way YOU want to”

You could argue that this is a recurring theme with all the Straw Hats - “personal freedom” is probably one of, if not the most prominent theme in One Piece - where most of the crew has felt like they’ve been held back from living the life they want to lead before joining the Straw Hats. Some were held back by external influences (Nami with the Arlong Pirates and Marines, Robin with the Marines again, Brook by Hogback), some by personal obstacles (Usopp’s struggles with his own cowardice, and fear of leaving the comfort of his seemingly safe village for the risk but allure of the sea). There were other members who were held back by a sense of social obligation, too - Chopper to Dr. Kureha and his memories of Hiluluk, Franky to Galley-La in general, the Franky Family, and his memories of Puffing Tom - but those were also slightly different. Chopper, who was still just a kid, all things considered, needed “permission” from his parental figure to leave home, and Franky, conversely, needed to be sure that his adoptive family-figures would be fine on their own. Sanji and Zeff obviously have a father-son relationship but Sanji didn’t need Zeff’s specific permission or approval, nor did he need reassurance that the Baratie would be okay without him - because he already KNEW he had both those things. Zeff is implied to have been trying to get Sanji to leave for a long time. What Sanji really needed was someone to tell him that he would be okay. That he could exist outside of the construct by which he defined his existence (his usefulness to Zeff and the Baratie). That this was a thing he was allowed to do. That God wouldn’t smite him where he stood if he dared to get out of bed in the morning for his own sake, and not someone else’s. And that came from meeting the Straw Hats - all of them, but Zoro a little bit more, and Luffy most of all.

Of course he still struggles with that even after joining the Straw Hats LMAO and the poor dude has a self-sacrificial streak longer than his legs. But now I’m gonna pivot into talking about how Zoro and Sanji contrast against each other in this exact regard

Of all the Straw Hats, Zoro (and I’m still not 100% up to date with the current Wano happenings so maybe we have more insight into why Zoro is the way he is but I still don’t think it could totally disrupt anything I’m about to say) is the person who is least able to identify with where Sanji is coming from but also somehow, the most?? Because Zoro is a paradox of both living fully and wholly for himself in the moment but also being someone who has dedicated his entire life to living out someone else’s dream. Like, yeah, it’s his dream, too, but it’s been made clear throughout the series that the force behind his terrifying drive is his oath to Kuina, not just his own desire to be the strongest swordsman.

But I’m not sure Zoro sees a distinction there? And I’m not sure it’s even relevant to make the distinction in the first place? Kuina has passed away, so Zoro’s own interpretation of what her dream would’ve been, how to fulfil it, and what their promise to each other means is, essentially, his own free will. Often times in fiction when you see a character living in another character’s memory they basically model themselves around what they think the other person would’ve done, but not Zoro. He doesn’t model his fighting style after Kuina’s (quite the opposite). He doesn’t train how he thinks she would’ve trained. He even went ahead and defined the parameters of their “dream” all on his own - defeating Mihawk (is that how Kuina would’ve defined “becoming the strongest swords[wo]man”?). He is, undeniably, living life however it naturally occurs to him and pursuing whatever he wants to pursue.

But Kuina is still also undeniably a fixture in his life. He still wields her sword (fingers crossed for Wano). He still thinks of her and is still driven by the bond and oath they shared when they were younger, and he still considers her father to be his mentor. He would say that he wants to become the strongest swordsman because it is his dream and also because he’s doing it for Kuina, and they would both be independently true.

And so all of this culminates into Zoro not understanding Sanji’s perspective one tiny little bit, lmao. You’d think he would because on the surface they both live for another person’s sake but when you get deeper into it they’re opposites, as is usually the way with those two. Sanji is someone who presents himself as a “lone wolf”, sort of - the strong, cool, independent “Mr. Prince” who is often separated from the other characters, working on his own. But he’s not. He defines his entire existence by his utility to others and the capacity for his sacrifice to them. That’s why he keeps TRYING to sacrifice himself for others even when it’s pretty unnecessary lmao. And Zoro is someone who readily claims to be living his life for the sake of another person, but then doesn’t give a second thought to how that person might have lived their life. He can live his own life while also living FOR someone else. That’s not a contradiction at all in his mind. Zoro has made it no secret that he would leave the Straw Hats if he had to in order to pursue his own dreams and I genuinely still think he would, as loyal as he is to Luffy (which, btw, Luffy would unequivocably support).

And so it’s why Sanji can’t understand why Zoro would fight against Mihawk knowing that he would lose, because in that moment Zoro was living blisteringly for his own sake and nothing else, because throwing yourself into a fight you KNOW you will lose simply because it’s what you WANT is the culmination of “living your own life”. To Sanji, that makes no sense, because Zoro could still live and be useful to others. Sanji completely understands dying to protect others and so thinks dying because of your own resolutions would be a “waste”. And it’s why Sanji left so easily in WCI, and why Zoro couldn’t/can’t understand that, because to Sanji it made sense in what he still believed to be true in his mind - that he ultimately only existed to be useful to others, and that his brief sojourn with the Straw Hats had been fun, but that leaving them would be inevitable, because it was too “selfish” on his part to dare to live life for himself and that the universe would correct itself eventually. He still thought that it was wrong of him to live his own life. He still, on some level, thought that his life belonged to someone else. And at least, like this, he could save the people he actually cared about (the Straw Hats) along the way, making the best of a foregone conclusion, in his mind. I genuinely think even after everything the SHs went through together it wasn’t until he saw Luffy still waiting for him that it finally clicked in Sanji’s mind that he was the sole owner of his own life and that he had a choice in what he dedicated it to.

Speaking of Luffy, I think he 100% lives his own life for himself only, even more than Zoro - he sacrifices himself for others, but only because he wants to because he personally likes those people, not because he thinks it’s the “right” thing to do - but I also think he deeply understands and appreciates Sanji’s mentality in a way that Zoro doesn’t/can’t. I think Luffy learned from Shanks that the way you act/the things you do have a broader impact on the world around you, and so living life “for yourself” is something you have to do mindfully and consciously of how that will affect other people. And I think he learned about the idea of being expected to live for the purpose of others from Sabo and Ace, and the subsequent rejection of that idea. So he fully embraces the notion of living your life for yourself only, but he does so being aware of the implications that has for the other people in your life.

I don’t know if this makes any sense or if it’s still coherent at this point I have written (checks) almost 2000 words about one piece and I’m a litte embarrassed but you know what I'm just gonna hit ‘publish’ without proof reading thanks for coming to my TED Talk i’m sorry if any of these paragraphs just stopped mid-sentence as I hopped to finish off some other sentence

#one piece #long post

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whirlybirdwhat · 4 years

Note

Prompt: fusion (like two characters fusing with each other) please?

This one was fun! It’ll be up on ao3 tonight! No romance in this one, just pure platonic love. And Also Pacific Rim elements more than Steven Universe because like why not have to bare your entire soul to someone to fuse with them then ultimately forget that moment of vulnerability as the fusion falls apart as a semblance for how close you became in that untouchable moments. Also, pac rim names are cooler than ship names as fusion so heck yeah anyway!!!

*formatting will be weird after immediate posting, so apologies to those who are met with this block of text before i fix it. No warnings do apply, in case the tags don’t work!

Characters include straw hat pirates, asl brothers, and shanks as major parts/fusions

soul shines like gold (lets make it shine like the sun) (ao3)

(I can’t become pirate king without my crew! Luffy says, and after three years of sailing (after a day in the presence of their captain), the rest of the crew echoes it in turn. People fuse to become strong, but why can’t they fuse to become free?)

——

Usopp was minding his own business when he came up on the deck of the Merry, giving a hesitant hello to the sleeping figure on deck.

“Hey Zoro.”

“Mmph.”

Wait.

That wasn’t Zoro.

Usopp whipped his head around to stare at the sleeping figure on the deck – one he hadn’t seen before, but had a startling familiarity to them.

Four arms, two sharp-toothed mouths, dark sun spotted skin, a familiar straw hat on the head and swords by the side, gladiator sandals and dark trousers, with an open vest and a green belt.

Usopp couldn’t see the hair, but he would bet ten belli that it was some dark shade of green, and that there was a sloping scar underneath the eye.

Luffy and Zoro fused?

Fusion was not unheard of, even in the east blue. The weak banding together to fight the strong – now that was a theory the East could agree with. But to do so casually, to simply take a nap and bare your soul to another… that did not happen so leniently.

Fusion - the art of merging with another being so completely that you became one, two (or more) souls creating a body of power and might if done right. The cost being that one will was usually dominant, and thus typically happened only in battle, when the will was to win.

Eh. Just another quirk. Better introduce myself.

He tapped the fusions foot. “Hey, I’m Us-“

The head tilted up, revealing four eyes, two closed and two wide open like his captains, a scar sloping beneath it as Usopp had thought. “We know. King’s Sword,” The fusion said in a rumbling raspy voice.

Usopp hid a flinch.

There was power in that tone. And the fusion was still looking at him expectantly.

“So, uh, when did you first fuse?”

“First day my parts met. Luffy grabbed onto Zoro and suddenly I was.”

“That’s it?” Usopp squawked. “Just like that?”

“Of course. Luffy is the man who will be pirate king – Zoro’s captain. Why wouldn’t he trust him to create me?” King’s Sword said it like it was fact, and Usopp supposed it must be, to them at least.

Zoro and Luffy were so cool… And the name too.

(Fusion names were odd. Fusions with children and people who were undecided of goals and such tended to have actual names, a simple merging, but as the parts grew, so did their character, creating a defining name for their fusion. The pattern tended to be for every fusion that wished it but… it was rare, to have it before your twenties.

Luffy’s trait must be King.

Usopp wouldn’t expect any less.

(And Zoro was obviously sword – seriously, the guy used sword as his signature!))

“Would you like to try?”

Wha-

“What?” Usopp’s eyes went wide as King’s Sword stood up and offered him a hand.

“Would you like to fuse? See what it’s like?”

They said it in the same tone of voice that Luffy said when he said “Get on. You’re coming with us, aren’t you?” Like it was already fact, despite Usopp having only ever fused with his mother before when practicing fusion dances.

Doubt fell away.

“Sure.” He grabbed King’s Sword’s hand, and pulled himself into the dance.

Steps forward and back twisting in and out of tandem with the fusion, his hands flying up in down in chopping motions as his hips shifted back in forth. King’s Sword was everywhere he wasn’t, towering and fluid all at once. In one final movement, his hand shifts to be clasped around King’s Sword’s forearm, the fusion doing the same in turn.

The world grew bright, and Usopp became one with Luffy and Zoro.

A fifth eye opened, brilliant brown the color of unwavering oak trees.

King’s Sharpsight, they decided their name to be, had been born.

Hair, long and gently curling fell over shoulders tied by a bandana under a straw hat. A single sword had been replaced by a slingshot, and a backpack lied over their shoulders. Gladiator sandals lied under overalls with a green sash around the middle, and a red vest underneath them. Shoulders were bare and dark, and their face had a longer nose and five eyes. Two mouths still smiled, less sharper than before, with a bigger hint of mischief towards them.

King’s Sharpsight was slightly smaller than King’s Sword, but just as stronger.

“Wow!” They said, looking at their hands and peering at themselves in the reflection of the galley’s window. “I look great! This is going to be awesome!”

All five eyes look out at the world as hands fiddled with their own rubbery texture. “Amazing… Hey! Maybe Nami wants to join!”

She doesn’t, but she does take the time to talk to them (their first conversation!! Cool!) and show them the canon, which in typical fashion, they aim precisely at the one thing that could cause the most damage.

A big ol’ rock with two bounty hunters underneath it.

As the fusion falls apart, Usopp realizes that he doesn’t feel any less or more. He just feels… happy, as if he had gotten to know his friends more than he did already. As if he had gotten to hold their dreams and hopes in a palm, with the upmost trust.

(Because Luffy did not do anything but trust his nakama. If he asked you to do something, you did it, because anything else would be a betrayal of that trust, even if it would completely okay to him.)

(Because in a fusion, everything becomes one – bodies, souls, hearts and minds.

Which meant, memories became one.

King’s Sharpsight knew of little girls who never grew up to be great swordsman and mothers who died waiting for a man who was never coming home. They knew of brothers dead and living, and grandfathers who didn’t care for impossible dreams and wills. They knew, but didn’t think it was special, because this was just the experiences that shaped them, not anyone else.

And when they fell apart, the individuals did not remember the memories of before only the familiar comfort of I know.)

Usopp hoped they would fuse again one day, perhaps in battle, to see what they could truly do, when three minds became one.

(King’s Sight, Weather Sight, Sharpsights, Cook’s Sight, History Sight, Metal Sight, Healing Sight, Music Sight, Sea Sight, King’s Crew – Usopp fused and became one with his crew, and closer and closer and closer, until fusing was a way to talk without talking and love without speaking.)

Usopp, who had never merged before, learned to dance in pattern and fuse, like he belonged.

(It was a great feeling)

The first time Luffy fused was with Shanks. Gramps had always told him he was to young for it, as he showed him what it was like with his closest marine companion.

Shanks had only laughed when Luffy asked him to do it, and swept him up in his arms without question, throwing Luffy into the air and catching him on his shoulders. A warm light overtook them in the midst of Makino’s bar, and then there was Child Captain, standing proud and short and scarred.

(For Luffy did not know he would be king yet, did not have his dream, and Shanks knew who he was and who Luffy was so he took the lead.)

(Later, Child Captain would become Straw Hat, the bonding focus between their two parts.)

Child Captain was rambunctious and unstable, lasting only for a minute, but enough to give Luffy a taste of what it felt like to be not alone for the first time – to have a part of you that would never leave, like everyone else did eventually.

The next he fused, for Makino had banned Luffy from fusing with anyone else because fusing tired children, was with Ace.

Accidentally, and in battle, where Luffy’s clumsy movements went in tandem with Ace’s and the outstretched hand for Luffy to rocket with created Brother’s Sun – who quickly went supernova and fell apart the minute they were created.

Ace didn’t speak to Luffy for the rest of the day. And Luffy didn’t come back to the treehouse that night.

Sabo was the one to fix it, the only one who had had an explanation of fusion besides Luffy.

(Sabo, the nobles had said, fusion is for the fighters, for the rough housers, not for people of our esteem. Take note of that, alright boy?)

“Ace,” Sabo said to his brother. “Fusion just means you – at the very least – care for each other when you do it accidentally like that. And when you do it purposely that means you love each other, right? We’re brothers, aren’t we?”

(Sabo’s a good liar, but it doesn’t mean what he says isn’t true. In the Grand Line, marines and pirates’ fuse to become stronger, to fight without restraints. It’s not always a thing of love and beauty, but of pain and despair.

Sabo’s sure that isn’t the case with his brothers though.

Did you know that when men drink together they become brothers? This way our bond can never be broken!)

“Yeah,” Ace says quietly from where he’s curled at the foot of a true. “Brothers.”

Sabo decides to take a risk, and sticks out his hand. “Come on. Let’s do it, and find Luffy.”

Ace takes ten seconds to respond. Sabo counted – it had felt more like infinity. “Okay,” is the final quiet response, and they join hands.

The dance is quick, rushed, but put together in the quiet moments of their fights. Sharp movements flowing with wide arms, a final double hand clasp that brings them together chest to chest then –

Warmth.

And Elder Brother breathes in the jungle air.

Tall, black stretched blond with glowing freckles and wide eyes, they smile with two mouths and four eyes. Sturdy boots rest upon their feet with shorts and a simple tank top upon their chest, arm holes wide to make room for four arms. A fancy jacket is wrapped around their waist, and twin pipes rest upon their back. Goggles hang around their neck, shining in the dim light, and every step is filled with power despite the softness of childhood to their face.

Elder Brother goes forward, because they aren’t complete, not yet.

Luffy is found on the cliffsides of Goa, looking out into the distance like he always does when the ocean is in view. The only time that he can stay still.

“Luffy,” Elder Brother rumbles in a child pitch. Luffy gasps and turns around, not even hesitating to recognize his elder brothers.

“Ace! Sabo!” He calls then starts crying. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to, I’m sorry-“

“Elder Brother,” the fusion corrects him gently, “I’m not upset. C’mon.” Four arms open wide, and their young brother wastes no time to lunge into their embrace and fuse.

The sun shines upon the fusion laughing happily in the sea breeze.

ASL, they call themselves, like their own dream, their own flag.

Six armed, four-legged, strong as a monstrous child could be, with a straw hat upon their head and three pipes on their back. Gladiator sandals dig into the earth and simple childish shorts and tanks are slung across ASL’s body. The fancy coat, now tattered and torn, rests upon their shoulders like the captain’s coat they all envision themselves to have in the future.

Together, ASL thinks, as brothers, at last.

They charge for the city, ready to use their new height to buy their way into a free meal, a troublemaker as always.

The strong did not stand alone – this was a rule the most powerful of the seas knew. Emperors had big crews, some close, others only underlings, and Marine Admirals had countless underlings beneath them.

There was strength in numbers, yes, but most importantly was the close bonds formed with your closest circle.

For only with them, could fusion emerge – the dance of souls between each other, so that one being could form.

A dangerous art, and only for those who could trust (or who had no choice) to be lead along.

In the place of those once separate bodies would be one – ten times more powerful and ten times more useful, especially in battle, when one’s opponent would outlast you.

A common tactic in battles was to divide and conquer, so no fusions could form and something resembling equal footing would be allowed. Marines often used this, in favor of fusing as most pirates did, the marines claiming equality and the pirates truly uncaring of rules.

They were pirates after all.

Any advantage in a fight

There are legends, passed down and shifting over time, that the fusion between the King of the Pirates and Dark King Rayleigh was one of the most powerful to walk the earth and only rivaled by that of Garp the Fist and Sengoku The Buddha (and perhaps only because the latter had a devil fruit.) The fusion, called King’s Treasure, had seldom been seen, but was said to tower over giants and kings, to trample islands and swim the ocean as if it were a lake.

A fusion is, of course, the voice of two wills surging into one. The Will of D and that of a Conquerors could never be a small fusion after all.

In modern times, when Whitebeard and Roger have fallen (who were said to have fused exactly once, and never again, as Whitebeard rarely fused) fusions were much more visible, striking fear into every soul.

Big Mom made a habit of fusing with her compatible children, trying to create more creatures to add to her menagerie with her children’s powers. Kaidou’s men were often ordered to fuse, to overcome any odds. Red Force, the force of the emperor Shanks and any one of his men, could be seen in a smaller state, partying on any given island.

The last time any Marine Admiral had fused had been at Marineford, when the clash of giants had cause Whitebeard to fuse, springing the giant admiral and pirate fusions to life.

The Strawhats are a legend now. Or rather, King’s Crew, the Strawhat crew fusion, is a fusion legend (though that isn’t to say the Strawhats don’t make headlines every other week.)

For every member of a crew to have a bounty is incredibly rare. To have more than five in a (stable) fusion is even rarer. To have the entire crew in one… well, it’s unheard of to say the least.

When King’s Crew rises from the ashes of the battlefield, gods learn the meaning of the human fear.

(for when emperors’ wills collide, one must dominate, leading to one will bigger than the other. But when wills become one – when dreams become one – fusions such as King’s Crew occur, shaking the very dirt of the Earth for centuries to come)

And what a Beautiful fusion they were.

Unbelievably tall and towering over giants, with rainbow black hair that stretched down to their low back. Seventeen eyes, some closed and some open, the widest being that of their Captains, and not all on the face, scattering across shoulders and necks. In place of one eye was a sloping scar, familiar to all who knew the face of Strawhat.

A smile, stretching wide across their face, sharp-toothed and half-feral half brilliant. Dimples and freckles decorate cheeks that are slightly too see-through, as if to see bone lying beneath them. Six arms and four legs extend from their torso, dangerously half metal, fire and strong muscle. Their feet are clad in black roman sandals as black shorts are slung about their hips, and bracers decorate their clawed hands. A half skirt, made of the Straw Hat flag, ties around their waist with a wide-open slit, while their chest has only an open, printed suit vest covering it, displaying the mass of scars in the center of the chest. Spiraling tattoos of oceans and friends and jolly rogers scatter over arms as the ever-iconic straw-hat rests upon their head.

Magic seems to surround them. Fire at their feet, rubber in their skin, a demon in their heart, fur running down their back with metal and bone, extra limbs at any moment and a storm trembling overhead. Gentle fish scales slide over shoulders, glinting in the moonlight.

Demon would be the word for them, if that was able to encompass all that was King’s Crew.

Another word would be legend.

But the Straw Hat’s prefer just to call it love.

(A fusion, in its truest sense, is a symbol of a friendship beyond friendship, of a love beyond love. It has been corrupted, to mean power over the weak, for the sea is dangerous to those alone, but those like the Straw Hats, like King’s Treasure, know the truth.

To fuse is to place your soul in someone else’s hands and trust that they will regard it with nothing but love in turn.

This is why the Straw Hats fuse, and why King’s Crew is nothing but an act of loyalty and devotion to something greater than themselves.

This is fusion.

Love.)

King’s Crew, while stable, is bold and daring and rash. They are unhesitating, unwavering, and treat every decision as if fact.

They will win the battle.

They will sail to the end of the Grand Line.

They will become the pirate king (greatest swordsman, great warrior, will map the world, find the All Blue, the True History, an old friend, the cure to any disease, see the ship of dreams to the end of the line, find adventure in a world of hardship.)

They will do that.

Because with their crew, there is nothing King’s Crew can’t do.

(I can’t become pirate king without my crew! Luffy says, and after three years of sailing (after a day in the presence of their captain) the rest of the crew echoes it in turn. People fuse to become strong, but why can’t they fuse to become free?)

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animeimaginesscenarios · 5 years

Text

Sacrifice| Straw Hat Crew Part 1

Drip....Drip...Drop....

Drip...Drip...Drop..

Drip...Drip...Drop....

How long has it been since you’ve been in this cell. A few days, Weeks? Months? You didn’t know. Everyday felt so tiring and slow and long.

Your head hurt to much, your body hurt to much everything seemed to hurt to much , slowly your senses managed its way back into you, but it even hurt to just think. You winced at yourself as a cough came from your throat.

Even though your eyes weren’t open, you were sure your body was filled with scratches and dried blood and even bruises. You slowly opened your eyes as you painfully looked down.

The bruises were everywhere, through the small crack of moonlight she saw the black and purple bruising, your head against the hard concrete as the chackles around your wrist that made it turn red and swollen, You wanted nothing more than to cry, but it would hurt.

You closed your eyes again just wanting to sleep. This time you don’t even open it, not even when you heard shuffling from outside alongside with loud voices and screams of pain as someone was crying.

You didn’t open it not because you were scared to see what will happen, but because it will hurt to much to just open them.

•••

“Oi, Brat!” You slowly opened your eyes, You sat up and looked behind you.

“My, My Darling! It’s already going to be sundown, were you that tired?.” You didn’t replay as you looked at him, Staring at him with disgust as he gave you a smile that you just wanted to wipe off him.

“Not much in a talking mood? That’s ok.” He said grabbing a stool near him as he sat down on it, even from where you were sitting you could smell the reek of alcohol from him.

He scratched at his unshaven beard and tilted his head to look st you.

“You know, it’s been a whole month since you’ve been here, and we haven’t even seen sight of your friends.” He said as he then put his chin on his right hand.

“Do you think... they’ve forgotten about you?” He asked. You looked down not replaying as you heard him chuckle.

“Maybe they did! Maybe they’re glad that your gone! I mean.. isn’t it strange? They haven’t even came to save you.” He hopped off his chair as he bent down to your level.

“Were you really apart of their crew?” You glared at him for what he said.

“Woah! No need to look at me like!” He said laughing at the end.

“A whole month.” He repeated.

“How much longer do you think you’ll last? I gotta admit some of my patients don’t even last a whole week. Maybe my torturing methods are getting old.”

“You know what I think is the worst?...Hm? Fine I’ll tell you.”

“Solitation.” He said his voice going serious.

“How long...” He looked out through the small window in the right side of him.

“Do you think it will take you to break if I left you in this dark, cold cell to die.” You felt your chest tightened at his words, as you tried to focus on your breathing which began to become ragged.

“Humans need company...Even though they don’t show it at times, they crave for it, they crave for love and warmth and affection, but they crave for someone else’s presence even more, they go crazy for it, but maybe you hate me so much you’d prefer to be alone,hm?” He said looking at you, You didn’t meet his eye as you stared straight in front of you trying to distract yourself from his words.

“I’d always thought that’s how death would be like....A cold dark cell, unable to move or do anything. Nothing but the sound of your own thoughts until you go a little crazy. Just stuck in your conscious.” He smiled at the end.

“Death isn’t like that at all...” You croaked out.

“Let’s make a bet on that....” He said standing up.

“I’ll show you what the the legendary Blood Beard can do to break you...”

•••

“I gotta say I’m suprised you’re not dead yet.”

Your throat ached.

“I guess you can handle pain very well...”

“But I’m getting bored of waiting...I’m a very patient person Y/N, to patient actually, To the point where I’m done!” He threw a table from besides him as it came in contact with the wall, a loud snap coming from it.

“We’ve discussed this before, but I’ll tell you again... I could set you free, You could get out of this dark place....if you tell me everything about the straw hats especially, Straw Hat Luffy.” You didn’t move from your spot. Back facing the cieling as the taste of blood went down your chin, Your chest going up and down begging you to just rest and breath.

“I won’t....I won’t tell you anything....” You choked out through blood.

“Damn Brat!”

His foot came in contact with your back slamming it harder than a cannonball. You grunted. He repeated the action over and over again. He probably was about 200-300 pounds heavier than you, so this man was basically crushing you.

You grunted as you held back a scream. Your body becoming numb to the pain. He stopped as you heard him panting out of breath.

“Tch. Don’t think it’s over yet.” He said as he picked you up. Slamming you on the chair beside him as he picked up some rope and tied you to it.

“So, are you read to talk yet?” He asked. He got angry at you as you didn’t respond to his question.

“The Straw Hats are weak! Who puts crewmates in front of them! Who would sacrifice their own life to just save theirs!!” He screamed at you, you flinched at his words before you coughed and looked up at him.

“...They would.” You said. His eyes widened at you before walking over to a table behind him, You hanged your head down again. Your body aching. Screaming and moaning at you. Telling you that you needed to just stop whatever you were doing because they couldn’t handle this anymore. You wanted to listen, but refused to tell this man anything about your friends.

“You know Y/N....You have very beautiful eyes...What will happen if I just ripped them off, Will you scream at me to stop and tell me, or would your loyalty refrain you.... I’m curious really.” He said as he scraped a sharp metal against the walls. You painted but didn’t say anything. You heard as his slow footsteps came over to you until he was in front of you.

His hand quickly went to your face, You hissed in pain as He squished your cheeks together. He softly ran the cold object down your cheek and neck until it reached your collarbone.

“Last chance.” He said.

“.......I won’t tell you anything....” You spat out.

“Then your completely useless to me, I don’t care if I have to go find another friend of yours and torture them the same way I did to you...I gotta admit I’m impressed by your loyalty, I reminds me of when I was young, but they’ll betray you like they did with me, They’ll make you trust them, Giving you warmth and a family you’ve never had, and then they’ll stab you in the back.....I’ll kill Strawhat Luffy and his entire crew, You going first.” He said smiling.

There was a few moments of silence, and even though your face aches a small smirk crept on your face, you started to chuckle which then turned into a loud laugh. Like you found this the most hilarious thing in the world, and you couldn’t stop not even when it felt like someone was stabbing a knife into your cheek because of how much you were laughing or how your throat was just making you wheeze.

“What the hell is so funny to you!?” He yelled.

Your laughter slowly died down, as you slowly turned to look up at him, His facial expression had a confused and suprised look. You smirked even wider.

“I don’t think you know who my crew is. Well I’m sure you’ll meet them sooner or later...but are you suprised? Did you expect me to beg? Scream? Cry? Well I’m not....I’m not going to beg my life for someone like you! A low graded pirate! You can insult me all you like but don’t even say a single word about them! My crew is going to be the strongest in this whole entire world! And don’t even say say you’ll kill Luffy! Don’t you know who he is? Luffy...Is the next Pirate King!” You screamed it at him. He looked at you shocked.

“You can drown me! Kick me! Punch me! Stab me! But I won’t tell you anything! So go on ahead and kill me right here and now! But don’t think for a single second that I’m scared of someone like you!” You yelled. His face slowly turned to anger as he raised the small metal knife.

“You piece of...” He bought the knife down as you kept your stare on him.

Zoro...Nami...Usopp...Sanji...Chopper...Robin..Franky...Brook...Luffy....I think this is the end for me...I wanted to spend more time with all of you...I wanted to see all your dreams come true, so I’m sorry to say I probably won’t be there...but I hope you can all move forward...Everybody...Please...Live!

And suddenly your whole world went black.

•••

“Oi, You mind moving?” You asked the male in front of you.

“Eh?” He turned to look at you giving you a clear view of his face. A scar under his left eye was the first thing you saw. A confident smile and a strawhate that made you had to back away so it wouldn’t hit you.

“Sorry!” He said as he took a few steps behind as you went over and picked the piece of metal, inspecting it. You left a strong stare in your back as you looked to see he was still looking at you.

“Uh. Can I help you?” You asked. He didn’t respond as he kept looking at you.

“I don’t think your from here. What’s someone like you doing in a junkyard like this?” You asked.

“I’m looking for my crewmates, but I think I lost them.” He said looking around almost reminding you of a child.

“Crewmates? Are you a pirate?” You asked picking up another piece of metal.

“Yup!”

“Well Mr.Pirate. The exit is that way, you can keep going straight and you’ll probably get to town, a tip from me don’t stop if a merchant is trying to sell you something, trust me.” You added. You thought that would have been the end of the conversation but since you didn’t hear any footsteps retreating you looked to see he was staring at you hand.

“Hey, Your kinda freaking me out when you don’t say anything.”

“What are you doing?” He asked, you were taken back as you looked back to you hand to see the piece of metal in your hand.

“I’m collecting old ship parts for an engine i’m building.” You said proudly. “Not to brag or anything but I’m the best shipwright in town.” You said hands on hips proudly smiling.

“Oh yeah?”

“Yup! Look at some of these designs!” You took a piece of blue paper from your back pocket unfolding it and then handing it over to him. He took it as he stared at it.

“Amazing isn’t it! My grandpa has been teaching me since I was 5! I’ve repaired ships for pirates and even old abondned ones! Not only that but I’ve got ship designs that I’ve been dying to make! I’m actually in the process of one right now! It’s gonna be my biggest masterpiece!” Stars in your eyes as you poured your heart out to the stranger in front of you. You looked to see him tilting his head as he looked at you.

“S-Sorry, Did I bore you, I tend to do that a lot.” You said now embarrassed rubbing your neck, suddenly he grinned as he put the paper in half.

“H-Hey! Careful with that!” You said.

“I’ve decided!”

“Decided what?”

“I want you in my crew!” He grinned confidently. His request sounded more like a demand to be honest, You stared at him shocked.

“E-Eh!? As if! I’m not joining some pirate crew! I don’t even know who you are!”

“I’m Luffy. Monkey D Luffy!” He said proudly.

“Luffy? I felt like I’ve heard that somewhere before.” You said his name echoing in your head as you placed a finger to your chin.

“Really?”

“No.” You said walking around him.

“C’mon! It’ll be fun! Your looking at the future pirate king!”

“Pirate King? As if.”

“My crews really cool. We have a swordsman! His name is Zoro, He’s pretty good with the sword! And we have a navigator! Nami! And a shooter his name is Usopp!”

“Not interested.”

“We have this cool ship! Her name is the Going Merry!”

“....Listen! You don’t even know who I am! So why don’t you and your crew go find someone else to bother!” You yelled at him, He blinked before smiling.

“Then what’s your name?”

“It’s Y/N...Wait no forget that!”

“Y/N, join my crew!”

“Don’t call me Y/N! And I’m not joining your crew!”

“C’mon, If your im my crew then I won’t ever need to worry about Merry, Because I have someone like you!

“You haven’t even see me! How do you know if I’m even good.”

“I don’t!” You were taken aback before smirking.

“Luffy, I’m not going to join your crew.” He ignored your comment as thought it went one ear and out the other.

“If you join my crew! Then this whole world won’t stand a chance!l

#monkey d. luffy #One Piece #Anime #Zoro #One Piece X Reader #Nami #Robin #Chopper #Sanji #The Going Merry #X Reader #Fanfiction #Ace #WhiteBeard #Straw Hats

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lululawlawlu-writes · 5 years

Text

Softly Stained with Spring Part 2: Dreams

note: This fic was written for @lawlu-week!!

rating: T (maybe M)

tags: canon universe, fluff and angst, hanahaki

The entire fic so far is also on AO3.

______________________

Rosales, Law had told him, is a perpetual spring island with perfect weather year round and flowers constantly in bloom. Although, much like Law himself, seeing the island in person is infinitely better than thoughts or hearsay can really convey.

From the Sunny, Luffy can already spy a bunch of flowering trees along the shoreline, smattering the area with a virtual rainbow of colours—colours Luffy didn't even know trees could come in. A sweet scent dances on the breeze, something flowery and light. Pale pink petals of the fragile cherry blossoms rain down on them as they near the docks, sprinkling the ship. If the scenery is alone this beautiful, Luffy can’t wait to see what kind of elaborate restaurant Law is going to take him to—hopefully something with a hundred different kinds of meat.

There's a small building off to the side of the docks, adorned with a colourful sign that reads 'welcome center'. It looks more like a gardener's cottage than an actual welcome center. It’s got window boxes overflowing with bright yellow and orange flowers and the walls look nearly covered in carefully manicured ivies and morning glories with their purple buds huddled in on themselves as they wait for the warmth of the morning sun.

‘Robin will love this,’ he thinks off-handedly, hopes Usopp will find some kind of fun new plant to show him later.

Luffy knows they've been spotted when four people file out of the building, walking down the dock, waving to them. Although there’s an adrenaline-rush that comes with landing on islands unknown or marine-occupied, Luffy has to admit it is nice in a different way for them to be received with such a warm welcome. Hopefully they’re the kind of people to be generous with their food. And hopefully they won't interrupt his meal trying to capture him for a bounty or anything—there’s a certain charm in that.

“We’re going on ahead!” Luffy calls to his crew stretching out to snatch up Law from the deck, jumping out onto the dock before the rest.

“Welcome to Rosales, where dreams come true,” the locals echo each other as they offer them crowns woven with an array of different coloured flowers, and thrust pamphlets into their hands. All of them are chattering on at once about the attractions that their little island offers to visitors.

Luffy isn't interested in any spas or gardens though. He came here for food and Law has assured him that he called ahead on the den den mushi to reserve a place just for the two of them at a buffet restaurant that will not disappoint. He’s still holding out hope for a ton of meat--that would be the dream come true.

And he’s going to go eat somewhere with Law! He has Law all to himself all day. Law—just being with him is like being in a dream itself. Law makes every experience better by being there—even mealtimes—especially mealtimes because he always feeds him food he doesn’t like. Luffy’s heart feels high and happy just thinking about it and he can’t wait to get to their promised destination.

“There’s gonna be meat, right?” Luffy asks, looping his arm in Law’s, pulling him along at his own pace.

“You have nothing to worry about,” Law tells him, “so long as you stick to the plan.”

That doesn’t answer his question. And as much as Luffy likes being free to do as he pleases, the way Law said that, it feels like he’s being sneaky or something.

“So,” Luffy struts our in front of Law, turns to walk backward so he can look at Law face to face. “There’s gonna be meat if we go where you planned,” he surmises, looking at him for confirmation.

He thinks he catches the faintest of smiles on Law’s lips but that’s all he needs—it must mean he’s right.

“Let’s go, Torao!” Luffy cheers, giving Law’s hand a quick tug. He lets Law’s hand slip easily from his own, sprinting out ahead on his way into town along the stone street set out before them.

The scent of something meaty catches him on the breeze, enticing him away from the main road. Luffy follows his nose, lets it guide him up a hill into a wooded area. The path winds through the trees, but is well worn—enough that he’s sure to not get lost or catch his feet on any roots. His mouth waters at the thought of what kinds of meat this place will offer them. He half-expects there will be flowers involved and he's not really sure if he wants to eat those, but if Law says they're good to eat then he'll give them a try. It's all really exciting and Luffy can't wait to check it out.

But when he reaches a clearing in the woods, it’s not a restaurant awaiting him at all. It doesn’t even look like there’s any food even though the meaty smell is so strong, so promising it’s starting to make his mouth water. All that’s there is a circle of tall stone statues that look like people, flowers set in front of each of them. In the center of it all is a small structure of elaborate woodworking which houses nothing but a giant golden bell.

A pang of hunger rolls in Luffy’s stomach, churning out a low growl. There’s gotta be something making that delicious smell. He lifts his nose, sniffing around in the air, letting his feet wander to the left a little, then to the right, but he can’t locate whatever it is that’s teasing his stomach.

“Hey, Torao, where’s the- Torao?” Luffy looks around the clearing, but Law’s nowhere to be seen. He just did what Law didn’t want him to again, didn’t he? He ruined the plan. Law isn’t going to be happy. He hopes Law is still going to want to take him to the restaurant, hopes Law isn’t going to be tired of him and not want to be around him anymore. What if Law got mad and went back to the ship and he’s not going to-

Pain strikes him like a bolt of lightning through his chest. Luffy falls to his knees, the pain unforgiving. He’d thought this wouldn’t happen anymore. It hadn’t happened since Law had arrived at his ship but now it’s back. His fingertips clutch at his chest. Something inside threatens to continue stabbing at him unless he forces his breath shallow to better bear the shocks it sends through his body.

He eases himself to the ground fully. Maybe Law won’t be upset or anything if he waits for him, and Law did say rest would make him feel better. He lies down beneath one of the statues—one that looks like a sweet old lady—the kind of lady who would offer him food unconditionally.

But that meat smell, it’s just relentless. He can smell it even stronger than before. He reaches up to grasp the flowers at the statue’s feet. Maybe if he just smells the flowers instead, it’ll keep his mind off of meat until Law catches up with him. He pulls in a breath, taking in the scent of the flowers.

The flowers! It’s the flowers! The flowers smell like meat! Luffy pulls them back to study them carefully. They don’t really look like meat, but they are deep crimson—in a way like bloody, raw meat. He sticks his tongue out, gives one a cautious lick before shoving the entire thing into his mouth.

He downs an entire fist full of the flowers before he starts to feel sick to his stomach.

“Be careful,” the old stone lady seems to caution, “a dream come true may actually be a nightmare.”

“What are you talking about old lady?” Luffy asks, his eyebrows scrunched together. How is she talking without moving her mouth? And come to think of it, why does she sound so young?

“I think she means, those flowers might taste pretty good, but they’re poisonous if you eat too many,” Law speaks, learning over him. “You good?”

It’s Law! He really did come and he’s not mad!

“I think your friend is as good as dead,” a young woman says, leaning over him from the other side, her long hair falling over her shoulder. Her arms are full of the meat flowers but the smell of them just makes his stomach turn now. She places a hand on Luffy’s forehead. “He’s been cursed already,” she comments.

Icy shivers suddenly flood his body and he goes deathly cold for a split second before the sensation is gone. It’s a strange sensation. This lady is even stranger and not in a fun way.

“I don’t care about curses or whatever,” Luffy says, brushing her hand off him.

“He’s pretty resilient when it comes to poisons,” Law supposes, “but he shouldn’t have eaten them.”

“They’re an offering for the gods anyway, not him,” the woman grumbles, replacing the flowers he’d eaten.

“The rock people are your gods who eat flowers?” Luffy asks, sitting up a little too fast. His stomach churns with a warning. “That’s weird,” he comments, taking short breaths to keep his snack from coming back up.

“Of course not,” she scoffs, “these sculptures are a tangible representation of the gods, not an actual manifestation of them. And the flowers aren’t meant to be eaten. Not unless you want to die.”

Luffy’s either too sick to focus on understanding what she’s saying or she’s making up words. He does know without doubt he is starting to salivate a lot more than usual.

“Let’s go,” Law commands, holding out his hands to help Luffy up “We’re going to be late.” He seems bothered but it isn’t a gesture meant to put distance between them, so Luffy takes his hands.

Law pulls him up a little too quickly. Actually, a lot too quickly because Luffy’s snack takes one more turn around in his stomach and decides it really doesn’t like all the movement going on in there.

Law takes a quick step to the side, out of the way, to let Luffy void his guts onto the ground in front of them.

Viscous crimson liquid pours from his mouth. His body heaves, expelling more than he ever thought his stomach could even hold. Luffy really thinks he might die. All he can see is red. The acrid taste of iron, of blood and bile, sticks on his tongue. But Law just mercilessly swats him on the back, makes his stomach convulse again, his body heaving dry because there’s just nothing left.

Luffy wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, wonders how much of it might be blood and how much of it is because of the meat flowers.

“Guess you learned your lesson,” Law says, looking completely unbothered by what now looks like the remnants of a murder scene.

The young woman does seem pretty bothered by it. “Get out of here before you desecrated this holy place any more,” she barks, coming back over as if to chase them off.

“Don’t worry, we’re going,” Law tells her, taking Luffy by the wrist.

“You still want to go eat?” Law asks, looking down at him, the sunlight speckling his face through the trees, “There’s a ton of actual meat waiting for you.”

A ton of meat waiting for him--this island really might make dreams come true. “Yeah!” Luffy chirps. “I’m actually pretty hungry now that my stomach is empty.”

“I thought so,” Law chuckles low and subtle.

#lawlu #10 Days of LawLu #10 days of lawlu 2019 #softly stained with spring

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iduns-golden-apples · 5 years

Text

Odds and Ends and Family - Secret Santa Entry 2018

This here’s my entry for the @onepiecesecretsanta2018 event, dedicated to Con @condraws! Happy Holidays to all who read this, especially Con!

If there is one thing that’s become difficult to adjust to, it’s the fact that true silence can never be found on the Sunny. Jinbe knows this very well, and it’s all the more obvious as he’s watching Brook fret over the strings on his guitar. While the instrument itself isn’t being used outright, the skeleton is humming while he’s adjusting the strings.

It’s strange to watch the one who’s supposed to be on night watch as well be completely absorbed in something else entirely, but if it was truly a problem, then the musician would have stopped long ago.

Since he’s so freely fidgeting with his instrument, this likely means that he manages to keep watch through other means than just keeping an eye out. Though, Jinbe muses if it would be eye socket instead, since the skeleton doesn’t have any eyes to speak of.

Eventually, Brook stops humming. He places the guitar against the wall of the crow’s nest before turning around to look at the fishman, tilting his head in lieu of making any sort of facial expression.

“Could I ask you a question about your previous career?” Brook asks, briefly reaching up to adjust his hat. The gaudy crown reflects the moonlight, but only slightly.

“I don’t see why not.” Jinbe replies, blinking. He’s a little curious, since this is the first time the musician has brought up the topic. What are his reasons?

“Very well, thank you for indulging my curiousity. I heard from Sanji that you were once a part of Fishman Island’s royal guard, and I can’t help but want to know more, as a fellow former military man.” Brook says, chuckling a little as he returns to his seat. Crossing one thin leg over the other, he then waits for an answer.

“It’s not too interesting of a story, really.” Jinbe replies, sighing. He eyes the musician for a moment, and notes that he is still waiting for an answer. There’s no escaping this one, it seems.

“I joined the military in the hopes of making some difference, and actually put my strength to use for the sake of the people, rather than myself.” Jinbe says, looking out the window for a moment or so before continuing.

“I formally resigned after Fisher Tiger’s raid on Marie Geoise, to join him as a pirate. So, I suppose I acted a little selfishly back then.”

“Perhaps, but it led to many good things, did it not?” Brook asks, tapping out a faint rhythm on his leg as he speaks. “You’ve done many things that most couldn’t even dream of, and that was before you came to be one of us.”

“In any case, I’d like to know about your own time in the military, if you wouldn’t mind sharing.” Jinbe says, more or less stopping the discussion of his deeds in particular right then and there.

Brook tilts his head, and then laughs.

“I’m afraid that I can’t recall much of it, but I’ll try my best!”

What Brook does end up sharing is mostly stories of playful ribbing and pranks shared between young recruits, and not so much about his career. However, he does share his reason for becoming a pirate, much like Jinbe.

“There was a man I loved, you see.” Brook says, pulling out his violin.

“Is that so?” Jinbe asks, blinking. He hadn’t taken the skeleton as someone who’d found love before, with how fond he was of asking intrusive questions.

“Yes, though it’s probably hard to believe!” he answers, chuckling heartily as he tests the strings. “Even so, I did love him with all of my heart, and I still do. I just don’t know whether to hope that I meet him again in this world, or on the other side.”

“Does that distinction really matter?” Jinbe asks, reaching into his sleeve to pull out a thin pipe. Lighting it, he puts it to his lips and takes a drag, waiting for Brook to finish thinking.

“... I suppose, it really doesn’t. We’ll all go there one day, after all… But, I guess I’m a little impatient. It has been fifty years, after all.” Brook muses, and then turns his focus to the pipe. “Didn’t Chopper ban you from smoking?”

Jinbe at least has enough sense to look a little guilty as he exhales a small plume of smoke, and then puts out the pipe. “He did. So, I’d appreciate if you kept this a secret from him.”

“If you entrust that pipe to me, then my lips are sealed. Though, I don’t have any!” Brook happily exclaims, and swiftly takes the smoking pipe from the fishman’s hand to tuck it away into his skull.

“... Well you snatched that choice right out of my hands.” Jinbe says, and grins as he shakes his head. “My lungs will thank you, in time.”

“As they should. It’s not good to smoke!” Brook replies, and starts to play one of the songs he picked up on during their time on Fishman Island.

It’s a calming song, reminiscent of waves lulling against the shorelines. It tells the story of children going to gather sea shells, to hunt the elusive green room, and to laugh together.

Their watch finishes without trouble, and when the time to change shifts comes, Brook heads down first.

Jinbe looks out at the slowly rising sun, and sighs.

It feels like coming home again, even though it’s only the start of a new day.

---

It’s not often Usopp finds himself in the Sunny’s library, but sometimes, he finds the time to slip in and read something. Other times, he only seeks the quiet to be able to sketch in peace. This is more so the former than the latter, as he leafs through a yellow-paged novel to find where he left a bookmark the last time he read it.

But alas, he finds no trace of it, and frowns as he puts it back on the shelf.

“Looking for something?” A voice suddenly asks, and he can’t help but jump before he spins around and comes face to face with Robin.

“Don’t scare me like that, Robin… But yeah, I can’t find a bookmark.” Usopp says, and sighs.

“I see… That’s a problem.” she muses, and takes out the very same book he was leafing through moments ago to flip through it. “Are you sure you didn’t just dog-ear one of the pages?”

“After that look you gave me the last time I did that? I wouldn’t dare.” Usopp replies, taking a peek at the pages as he watches her quickly turn them.

“Old habits die hard, as they say.” Robin says, and stops at a page that has indeed been folded in one corner. “Is this the part you’d reached?”

He blinks, and skims through the first two paragraphs before begrudgingly taking it from her. “... Yeah, that’s the one. Sorry.”

“It’s a well-loved story, so don’t apologize.” Robin replies, and picks out another book from the shelf. “I’ve read it a few times myself, so I’m a little attached.”

“Really? Then, what’s your favorite part? I’ve already read it once before, so I’m not afraid of spoilers or anything.” Usopp asks, quickly slipping in a bookmark before righting the folded page and closing the book to plop down on the couch as Robin takes a seat.

“Hm, that is a good question.. I suppose the part where the protagonist has to face that manifestation of his inner demons. The imagery used in that particular chapter was delightfully morbid, but still fitting to his character and worldview.” Robin says, and looks over to him. “And yours is?”

“Obviously, the part where he manages to reconcile his personal issues and step up to help the group move forward. I really liked seeing how far he’s come, you know? Makes me hope that I’ll be able to do the same, instead of falling behind.” Usopp says, and sighs as he leans back against the couch.

“If you’ll let me be honest for a moment, Usopp, I think you’ve already gone far beyond what you once were. You’ve done many things for us, and for yourself.” Robin replies, and smiles softly as she watches him. “So, try not to get too hung up on your weaknesses. You have strengths as well, some that the rest of us lack.”

“... You sure about that?” Usopp asks, before he can stop himself.

“Yes, I’m sure. You are needed, that’s why you’re here. That’s why we’re all here, with him.” Robin answers, closing her eyes briefly before looking at him again.

“... You’re right about that. Without us, God knows he’d never get anywhere.” Usopp replies, snorting a little before getting up. “Thanks, Robin.”

“You’re welcome. Do come back if you want to talk some more about that book.” Robin says, and opens her new catch to start reading.

“I will, after I’ve done some trimming.” Usopp replies, and starts to leave the library. Though, he pauses in the doorway, and turns around.

“Beware the doodle on page 44, that’s Luffy’s doing.” he says, and then closes the door.

Robin blinks, and flips to the described page to find a small doodle in the margin. It’s of a strange clock with a face, but the style is unmistakably Luffy’s.

“... I’ll see if I can find the answer to this mystery in the preceding pages, then.”

----

“Franky, what the fuck is that?” Zoro asks, staring at the odd contraption that Franky is currently holding in one of his gigantic metal hands.

“A Super automatic blade sharpener, of course!” Franky replies, beaming with pride as he puts it down in front of Zoro. “Both Sanji-bro and Brook-bro didn’t want to let me test it, so I’m getting kinda desperate.”

Zoro looks between Franky, the machine, and his swords once before shaking his head.

“Put that thing anywhere near my swords and I’ll cut you.” Zoro then says, completely ignoring the look of disappointment and mild heartbreak that crosses the cyborg’s face.

But, to his credit, Franky doesn’t push, and instead sighs before sitting down on the deck.

“Can I at least ask why?”

“It’s a matter of principle, for me. My swords aren’t just tools, but extensions of myself and my will. So, I have to take care of them myself, and make sure that they won’t break or chip before I reach my goal.” Zoro answers, crossing his arms over his chest with a huff. “I’m sure that your gadget works just fine, but I don’t want to risk anything.”

Franky is silent for a few moments or so, and then nods.

“Okay, I get it now. I guess it’s the same for Brook-bro and Sanji-bro, then?” he asks, blinking.

“You’ve seen how the cook is with his knives, he’s got some specific way of sharpening them without the help of a machine. Though, I don’t really know about Brook… His sword is really old, so it might not stand up to the machine very well.” Zoro says, sighing. “It’s already sharp enough for his moves, too.”

“I see… Guess I’ll have to repurpose it into something new then.” Franky muses, already running wild with various ideas now that he’s gone through the potential list of users.

“Can’t you use it for the Franky Shogun’s sword?” Zoro asks, closing his eyes as he leans back against the railing.

“It’s too small for that, but I could rebuild it so it’ll actually work! Thanks for that Super Idea, Zoro-bro!” Franky replies, and grins before getting up to his feet.

“No problem.” Zoro replies, and watches him go.

It’s not so bad to talk to the shipwright like this, though it could do without the weird gadgetry. There’s obviously some interest in putting his skills to use in ways besides repairing and upgrading the Sunny, even if that energy sometimes is put into the wrong place.

It’s admirable, at the very least.

----

“Nami, can I see your hand?” Chopper asks, standing next to the sun chair that Nami usually occupied during the more warm strings of weather during their travels.

“Sure, but why do you ask?” Nami asks in response, pulling up her sunglasses before sitting up straight and offering her right hand to him.

“You do a lot of writing and drawing for your maps, right? I just want to check that you aren’t straining your hand and wrist needlessly.” Chopper answers, carefully inspecting the navigator’s hand. “Are you left or right-handed?”

“Ambidextrous, actually.” she replies, and holds out her left hand once the doctor finishes looking at her right.

“I see… Do you use them equally, or do you favor one for certain tasks?” As he speaks, he inspects the other hand as well, and maneuvers her arm and hand to see if anything seems off.

“I try to use them equally, but I mostly end up relying on the right for a lot of the finer details.” Nami answers, and waits until he’s done before pulling her hands back. “How do they look?”

“Mostly fine, but try to let them rest every now and then. Your work is important, but it shouldn’t go before your health if you can avoid it.” Chopper says, and sighs a little.

“Okay, Chopper.” Nami replies, and smiles softly as she looks at him. “Though, I think you should do the same sometimes. Both Robin and I have found you sleeping in your books, you know?”

Chopper blinks, and quickly tugs his hat down to hide his face.

“S-Sorry! I just get caught up in research, and.. Forget to do other things.” he says, quite thoroughly embarrassed at having been found like that.

“It’s okay, I just want to make sure. You’re our only doctor, after all.” Nami replies, and pats him on the head. “So, if you promise to not get so caught up in your books, I’ll promise to rest my hands more often. Got it?”

Chopper slowly lets his hat rise back up, and then nods.

“It’s a promise!”

----

There are few constants in Sanji’s life, but he knows those constants very well. The smell and taste of cigarettes, the feeling of a knife in his hands, and the ever-returning sound of Luffy asking him to make something long before anything resembling breakfast, lunch, or dinner is close.

Usually, he kicks the captain out of the kitchen without batting an eye (or dropping his cigarette), but this time, after seeing the look Luffy is giving him from across the counter, he doesn’t.

Instead, he passes over a plate of failed experiments. They could’ve become decent compost for the flowerbeds, but as it stands now, it’s better that Luffy eats.

Call it an unfounded fear, but he really, truly doesn’t want to see Luffy emaciated again. Not in the way he was when he found him during the worst day of his life.

Sanji takes a drag of his cigarette to stave off those thoughts, and shakes his head a little before he feels a pair of rubber arms wrap all around him, and the weight of Luffy being thrown into his back.

“I’m gonna need you to go back to sitting on the other side of the counter, before I throw you out.” Sanji says, but nonetheless returns to his chopping. His arms are still free enough to do that, which is a surprise.

“Nah, I’m comfy like this. And I get to watch what you do up close, so it’s all good!” Luffy replies, and Sanji can practically hear his grin.

The cook rolls his eyes, and then swiftly whacks one wandering rubber hand away from the waiting pieces of bacon.

“Did you think I wasn’t going to notice that?” he asks, putting out the cigarette in an ashtray as he speaks.

“I’m hungry!” is Luffy’s only answer to that, and there his hand goes a-wandering again towards the bowl of bacon, leaving Sanji with half a mind to tie the rubber man’s fingers together in knots.

“You literally ate five seconds ago!” Sanji retorts, but nonetheless passes him a piece of carrot over his shoulder.

“Yeah, but that wasn’t enough!” Luffy replies, still clinging to the cook like a stubborn rubbery koala.

Sanji’s only response to that is a sigh, and he shakes his head again before finishing up the remaining preparations. It’s not easy to maneuver around the kitchen with Luffy hanging off of him, but he manages.

And, after a while, Luffy is surprisingly quiet as he watches Sanji cook.

Then, he speaks up.

“You know, Sanji.. I’m really happy that you’re back.” With those words, Luffy rests his head on Sanji’s shoulder, perfectly content.

“You’ve said that.” Sanji replies, biting his tongue for a moment as he stares down at the frying pan.

“Yeah, but it’s still true. You’re my cook, and your food is the best food I’ve ever, ever tasted. So, I’m happy that you’re here.” Luffy says, and grins against his shoulder.

Then, he untangles his arms from around Sanji and heads out of the kitchen, as if those words hadn’t just left the cook speechless.

“... What the hell am I supposed to say to that?” Sanji asks the silence left behind, but he still smiles as he returns to his life’s work.

He wouldn’t want to be anywhere else than here, on this ship, and with the people that he loves.

---

The Strawhat Pirates are known for being ferocious and protective of their members, with the captain himself being the very first to throw himself into battle for their sakes.

But, this is born from love, a love that clearly ties them all together, even during the days where the waters are calm.

They’ll all find opportunities to simply be, and come to new insights regarding habits and all of their little quirks.

And even with all of their differences in dreams, physique, talents, and skills, they’re all still a whole.

One might even say that they’re family.

#onepiecesecretsanta2018 #strawhat pirates #op #one piece #hope these little scenes will bring some joy during the holidays

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nearlyso · 5 years

Text

Luffy's Wish

On some island, somewhere in the New World, at some point in time...

"Hey, Zoro, how'd you make that thing glow!?"

Zoro held the orb at arms length, tilting it skeptically as it warmed his hand. Luffy was bouncing on the balls of his feet, trying to get a better look at the mysterious glass ball.

"I didn't, I just picked it up," Zoro frowned, tossing the ball to Luffy.

Luffy caught it easily, but was disappointed to see that the orb lost its warm red glow the moment it left Zoro's hand.

He tried holding it out the way Zoro had done, but to his disappointment nothing changed.

"Oi! What the hell are you doing!?" Zoro yelped in surprise, gaining the attention of their fellow patrons and the shop owner.

Luffy, to Zoro's dismay, was testing out the orb by pressing it against every part of exposed skin on Zoro's body. The swordsman had quite enough of this game by the time Luffy rested it flat on the tip of his nose and erupted into a fit of giggles.

"Shishishi! Zoro, you look just like Buggy!"

"Like hell I do!" Zoro growled, snatching the orb back from Luffy's clutches.

"If you break that thing and we get chased off this island Nami's going to increase my debt tenfold, so put it back where you found it and let's head back."

Luffy was ready to protest heading back to the ship so soon when someone suddenly came between himself and Zoro.

A middle aged woman was gaping at the glowing orb in Zoro's hand. She snatched it from him, and then quickly handed it back, gasping when its glow instantly returned.

"I never thought I'd see this happen twice in my lifetime!" the woman exclaimed, grabbing onto Zoro's wrist excitedly.

"You must buy this orb! It's glowing for you, it will grant you any wish you ask for!"

"A wish!?" Luffy exclaimed, but Zoro was already glaring at the shop owner and pushing the orb back into her hands.

"Listen lady, this guy may not look too bright" Zoro started, giving Luffy's head a gentle bop, "but I wasn't born yesterday. I know what you're up to."

The shop owner shook her head vigorously, "You don't understand, it's very rare for the orb to react. For whatever reason, it's chosen you! You must take it!" She pushed it back into his hands.

"So I buy the orb and make a stupid wish. Nothing happens, so you tell me it might take a while. We leave with this worthless thing and you put out a new one for the next sucker who walks through that door. That's how it works, right?"

The shopkeeper looked torn between being offended and excited. She looked between the orb and Zoro and seemed to make up her mind.

"Take the orb as a gift! Then, when your wish comes true, all I ask is that you return the orb to me."

"And some of whatever I wish for, right?"

" I wouldn't refuse a donation, of course!"

Zoro was about to shove the orb back into the woman's hands and walk out when he felt a tug on his sleeve. Luffy was looking up at him with that look.

Zoro sighed.

Zoro held the orb out for Chopper and Robin to see. The four were back from their respective trips into town and stood on Sunny's deck.

"A wish!? That's so cool, Zoro! What are you going to wish for?"

"Perhaps you should wish for your sight back?" Robin suggested, "If you lose your other eye, you'll be completely blind."

"Ahh! Robin's right! That's a good wish." Chopper agreed.

"Although, in many tales involving wishing on an object, the wisher's words are twisted. You may end up with three eyes. Or, perhaps you will turn into one giant eyeball."

Zoro ignored Chopper's horrified cry and looked to Luffy.

"I won't lose another eye."

"Mm, I know. Zoro..."

Chopper, Robin, and Zoro stiffened at Luffy's sudden change in tone. He was standing, arms crossed, with the serious look he usually reserved for enemies.

"This isn't an order, so you're free to refuse, but-"

Zoro smirked, flapping a hand in a say no more manner.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. But don't be disappointed when nothing happens."

"It's going to work."

"Only one way to find out."

Zoro looked down at the orb and thought his wish, just as the shopkeeper had instructed. The orb glowed brighter, then died out completely.

An hour later...

"You actually made it back before us? Wait, where's Luffy?" Nami asked, looking around the ship. She was part impressed, part suspicious, because nothing ever went this smoothly for her when it came to those two, and she refused to believe this time was any different.

"Watching the sky," Zoro yawned, nodding his head to Sunny's figurehead. Sure enough, there was their captain, sitting more attentively than Nami would have ever believed possible.

Curiosity got the better of her, and against her better judgement, Nami approached the figurehead.

"Luffy? What are you looking for?"

"Oh, Nami, you're back! Hey, what's the weather going to be like today? Anything weird?"

Nami looked at the sky in confusion. The day was clear and she didn't sense any changes that might indicate an approaching storm.

"Weird? What makes you-"

Nami was interrupted by the sound of something wet and heavy smacking down on the deck.

Soon, the sound surrounded her, and it wasn't long before one of those wet, heavy things made contact with her arm.

She shrieked, running for cover as more of the disgusting objects poured down from the sky.

Safely under cover, Nami looked on in disbelief as her captain ran around the deck in absolute delight, gobbling up as much...meat? Was that...was that MEAT falling from the sky!?

"That was very kind of you, Zoro."

Nami jumped at Robin's voice. She was surprised to see most of the crew standing beside her. In her panic, she'd never even realized that it was a giant hand she had taken shelter under.

"It's not like I thought it'd really work." Zoro admitted, rubbing the back of his head.

"Oooooi, you guys! There's plenty, come on! Ooooiii!" Luffy hopped up and down, waving a piece of meat in each hand. He expertly caught a steak in his mouth and swallowed it whole.

"Where...where is it coming from? What the hell is going on!?" Nami demanded, looking at Zoro.

"It's raining," he shrugged, bending down to grab an empty pack from the previous shopping trip.

"Raining? Hey! Where do you think you're going?" Nami cried, close to pulling her hair out in sheer frustration.

"I owe a lady some meat." He explained, as though that made the situation any clearer. He held out the bag and caught a mix of what looked like sirloins, mutton, and poultry.

By now, the meat was ankle deep.

"Oh! Zoro-san, I will accompany you! As much as I enjoy watching Luffy-san have his dream come true, I don't think I can stomach any of it myself! Oh! Even though I don't have a stomach!"

Brook's laughter followed the duo off the deck and into the town.

"Hey! Zoro! Brook! Get back here!"

Nami looked on helplessly, feeling less and less in control of...well, anything, by the minute.

"Don't you think we should stop Luffy-bro? If he keeps it up, he not going to fit through the doors." Franky asked, looking on in concern for the damage hailing pork loins could do to his ship.

"We probably should. After all, I may be mistaken, but I don't believe our swordsman was specific enough with his wish."

"Huh?" Usopp asked, shaking himself out of the shock of seeing what could very well be one of his tales come to pass, "what do you mean, Robin?"

"Look closely, I believe that meat is-"

Before she could finish her thought, Sanji (who had been forgotten in the kitchen in the midst of the fiasco) dashed past the group of them and into the rain of falling meat.

"LUFFY, YOU IDIOT! PUT THAT MUTTON DOWN BEFORE I KICK YOUR ASS!"

Luffy noticed Sanji on his way to ruin his dream meal and was already on the move, eating and running at the same time.

"IT'S RAW, YOU IDIOT! LET ME COOK IT FIRST!"

"Nnnn weeeeeah! 'Ss fynn!"

"LIKE HELL IT'S FINE!"

"Raw! Ah! Luffy, stop! You're gonna get worms!"Chopper exclaimed, racing after them.

"Wa...wait! Chopper, wait! There's venison! You're stepping in venison!" Usopp screamed, rushing out after him.

Nami, Robin, and Franky watched as their captain, cook, doctor, and sniper romped through the food filled deck.

"Franky?" Nami asked.

"Huh? Yeah Nami-sis?"

"How big is the new freezer?"

Meanwhile...

"Zoro-San? I may be mistaken, however, I'm pretty certain we've come this way a few times already. Are you sure you remember where the shop is?"

"Like I said, it's not far from here. It's just up ahead."

"Zoro-San?"

"What!?"

"Your meat bag is leaking."

#forgot i never posted this here #opfanfic #opfanfiction #luffy #zoro #one piece fanfiction #one piece #luffybellawrites

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arkus-rhapsode · 5 years

Note

I was wondering if you were planning on doing EZ reviews. I personally think if you get past the Erza clone and the similarities in looks with some characters that the story is very well and actually has a better plot than FT did.

So I’m going to give my surface level response on this and I will be fair on my stance like I usually try to. In the most general term, I don’t really review a series I don’t care about. If you notice I haven’t done a review of Black Clover in a while, its mainly cause this current arc is something I don’t really care about and it would feel like a drain on both me and my audience to here that each week. I’m sure my audience and EZ fans probably don’t wanna hear me belly ache about the series week to week.

This series really does show me that its made for people who like Hiro Mashima’s work. And if you do, more power to you, but your probably not going to enjoy my usually dissecting review style.

So right here I’m going to give my thoughts on the series to this point, and I wanna start positively. I do agree that the plot to Eden’s Zero is much better structured than FT’s once you get past the Elsie stuff. The four star shine robots plot to get to Mother actually seems like a good plotting out of how to take this story. It really reminds me of finding the four rave’s.

I also think I’ve mentioned this back in my former reviews, but the setting to is also interesting too, and forces world building. Though, I’d like them to experience the world rather than Witch just read of a synopsis of the world. Yeah having an internet in the world does kinda kill the sense of adventure.

And I will also say that I’m happy that most the cast has motivation unlike most of FT.

And with that we lead into my problems with the story. First as I mentioned, the the plot does have better structure once you get past the Elsie stuff, the problem is that before that the pacing and plot seems really really slow, very confused, and then introduces such a high concept like time being eaten and going to other worlds in the past. While I do appreciate Hiro trying for a slower pace in the beginning, he’s doesn’t use it interestingly. He could take this time to explain the government or how these cosmos work? Is there king of space? Could the cosmos be cut up like the blues in One Piece? Or how about my biggest question, WHAT THE FUCK IS ETHER GEAR?! No we need more time travel and friendship!

Then there’s the first arc with this whole sister stuff. I will give credit that Rogue Out as villains aren’t too bad. Jin is obviously the best because he might heel turn, the sumo looking guy isn’t overtly evil, which was nice, and I could kinda get into Sister’s whole thing of just doing what she is paid to do as a motivation. But all villains except them are the usual Hiro Mashima bland weirdos with no characterization.

This Illega guy, I was expecting maybe a twist with him and why he has a collection of girls was maybe something subversive. Maybe he is trying to bring back tourism to his planet and by kidnapping B-cubers he was going to make them make the planet more entertaining, I mean Rebecca had a whole chapter praising them as coming up with fun things to do. Maybe he has a child who has an ether gear that made them look human and left him after the planet got closed off saying they’ll become a B-cuber, so he’s kid napping B-cubers to see if that one is her and that stuff that makes them stone should make his child reveal her true form.

No, he’s just a creep who likes turning women into furniture. Because… And that guy Wise’s intro arc who is just a common thug with his leg fetish brothers.

So I can’t call that story well done. If it takes till the Elsie arc to actually get to the plot actually moving forward and that this current arc is this bland and boring arc with everything being in the morally black, its not interesting.

How about the characters? Well, Shiki I’ll at least be fair, is actually gotten better than Natsu mainly cause he’s trying to be proactive. I’ll even give his gravity power at least seems to have more creativity than the generic fire dragon magic. But he’s such a confused and bland character. I mentioned this in my review chapter 1, Shiki’s strongest aspect is his social awkwardness and how that related to being raised around machines in a fantasy park. But he wants Shiki to be like your usual big damn hero whenever the time comes for him to look cool.

I recently watched an interesting piece on how My Hero’s Deku and Black Clover’s Asta represented two different types of shounen protagonists and ways to take a story. With Deku being a representation of the protagonist who needs to grow physically and emotionally into the pillar of his world that can inspire and fufil his dream, while Asta already is the pillar of his world who already can inspire and needs to earn recognition. Both of these types of protagonist are fine, but Shiki is trying to be both of them and it results in none of them. He seemingly needs to grow into a person who can actually get a ton of friends, but he also is apparently the kid who will rock the universe. It just results in a confused character, why does he act like such an idiot when he’s completely competent in action scenes?

And what makes him endearing? Say robots have a heart? Dude all the robots in this series have shown the ability to make expression and have emotion. We saw an android walk the street in chapter 2! Why do machines act like Shiki just told them the word of god after he says they have a heart, they all emote. Look at Pino and especially Witch, they’re displaying a range of emotion. Its not like they look like a cyberman who talks mechanically.

He’s just confused and unfortunately falls always back into that friendship shit as his only motivator instead of possibly addressing the trauma or adding a layer on how he won’t lose other people and what that feels like for him. The only time it really felt like he was living up to that emotionally stunned guy, was when he was beating the shit out of Illega to the point that Pino needed to shut him off, because I’m sure this kid can’t handle the emotion of anger quite yet in this situation.

Rebecca I think is worse though. I don’t know why people like her other than her design. Her personality is essentially jelly that can be morphed into whatever you want to fit the situation. She’s perverted in some scenes, but then doesn’t like perversion? I mean, she gets two guns in her hands and looks like a moron shooting randomly. Like is that badass? Is this what a female character has to do to be considered cool now?

I don’t consider her a rip off of Lucy, because Lucy actually had a character. Had a personality. No she is more a rip off of Elie from Rave, right down to the shooting shit up part. Only Elie made sense cause she was actually really unhinged thanks to the fact that she had no memories. But she got over it! She developed. Outside of her one past flashback with Happy, nothing about her is that interesting. I’ll also give her that she now just gets ether gear and its something she clearly can’t control yet, so there is room for improvement.

Wise, is actually an okay character. He’s got a cool concept of a guy from the past who is an inventor living in the future. I think his only weakness is that his ether gear is stupidly OP.

Pino is… Just and ornament that looks cute. You want your daughteru character to latch onto Shiki, here. Hell, I have bet going with a friend of mine that Pino will get some upgrade and she’ll have the body of a hot teenage girl. Its not that I hate here idea of having her memory erased, but the more I see of her and to more I hear about this robots have a heart makes me wish Michael came along.

Yeah, missed opportunity, cause Michael is not only a foil to Shiki and his adoptive brother, but he also doesn’t have a humanoid face. Meaning he doesn’t get convey true emotion so he actually seems like a robot. He actually seems like he’d have a character arc about discovering wanting to be more and more human. People would call Shiki weird calling a robot his “brother” and Michael never thought about it and we know there are multiple models of Michael. Imagine how fucking devastating it would be to see yourself mass produced. Imagine he actually gets to the point that he wants a humanoid face, because he wants to emote.

No we get Pino, who basically is Carla, but lacks any of thee enjoyable sass. Because we didn’t have enough sidekicks on this cast. Also we learn EMP is how to shut off ether gear, great, this is like if Usopp just had sea-prism stone on him at all times.

Then there’s Homura, she’s awful too. I’ll at least give Rebecca that she’s likable, but Homura she is personalitiy-less and has the worse character gimmick I think I’ve seen. Its not funny, its dumb. She can also use this ether gear too, and its a sword that was apparently passed down-its fucking 10 commandments. She also just walked into this story, like wha…? I’d be fine if she was like hunting the Eden’s Zero ship and watched it take off on Bluegarden, but no, Homura just came along cause she conveniently met Wise.

I’ll give her credit that the sword fighting looks cool, and I understand why people might like her cause that actually seems like something badass, but as a character she just feels tacked on.

Then there’s witch who is basically just the older sister character.

Elsie is not awful actually. She actually is a lot different from Erza and I actually would like to follow the space pirates more than I would want these random travelers. Also quick question, why do they still have the Eden’s Zero looking like a pirate ship? I mean, it looks cool, but these fuckers are not pirates, not even close. Oh wait, I know! We needed to rip off captain Harlock some more.

I’m not going to even talk about the potential love square with Shiki, Rebecca and Lavilla/Labilla, possibly Esie and Homura (?) cause one credit to FT was it wasn’t a harem, and Rave used a character like Celia and Beruka to more add an extra layer to the relationship of Elie and Haru. SO hoping Hiro avoids that.

So yeah if this rant has probably showed you, I don’t think EZ is all that great. But if you like it, fine I get that. I just have no interest in really talking about it week to week as even though I got down on FT, the beginning of the series was still something I enjoyed and I wanted to talk about how the current stuff had turned out. But EZ has no, beginning I liked. So I just don’t feel like I should be talking about it week to week.

#ezero #edens zero

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