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at1nys-blog · 8 months

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The Prince at sea

Pairing: Akagami no Shanks x Nefertari!Buggy

Summary: Buggy, is Vivi's brother, snd is going to be the next King of Alabastra. But he knows he was not meant to rule a kingdom but to seak adventures at sea

Shanks lived a life filled with adventures and stories to tell but he feels like something is missing

A/N: a friend of mine asked me to write a ff about Shanks and Buggy and remembering I saw a picture where Buggy and Vivi were related i decided to use that idea and write this. Everything is the but: Shanks and Buggy being younger than from the original story; Roger is still alive hence the crew is still there.

Masterlist

It was in moments like those that Buggy thanked his younger self for his curiosity.

Back in the days, when he was still an innocent and naïve boy, he regretted having eaten that devil fruit but now? Now he was excited to use his powers and escape the castle.

The best part of it was being able to deceive Pell, Buggy never thought that being able to tear his body parts into pieces was the best way to escape Pell’s hawk vision, but here he was.

Dressed in all black Buggy scattered his body parts in different directions and once he was safe from preying eyes he walked down to the city.

Even thought the time was late in the night, the prince noticed a few people still out, playing some music while other danced or simply kept conversing. He likes this atmosphere and wished, in different occasions, to be part of that world and not the one he was born into.

Buggy knew it wasn’t his fault, nor was his family’s. Is not like they chose for him to be born in royal family, nor that his spirit was tied to the sea. It happened and that’s all.

Buggy wouldn’t have noticed the time he arrived in front of the tavern if the man behind him didn’t push to get in himself. The prince was only able to see he was wearing a straw hat and the color of his hair: red. Buggy thought of fire burning with brutal force you are drowned into it. That red was so…

-Are you coming inside?-the owner of the straw hat spoke getting his attention. Buggy noticed the guy was holfing the door open for him.

-uhm…yeah.- the prince answered covering at his best the hood of the cape to hide his face. He didn’t recognize the man but that didn’t mean he didn’t recognize the prince. -thanks.- he added entering.

What he found inside was nothing knew but having a first hand experience was a totally different thing.

The music was a mix of what he grew up with and something new, more chaotic. Yeah, chaotic would be the way to describe it for Buggy. It was very chaotic but in a nice way, his ears were not affected by it. In all honesty he liked how the different melody were somehow complementary to each other.

Once again someone pushed him, and once again the prince saw the red hair half hidden by the straw hat. He was intrigued by the guy, who was he? Where is he from? Why is he in Alurna? How long would he stay? Would he be an ally or a foe? Millions of other questions filled Buggy’s head but he didn’t have time to ask all of them. He had to get a room and some supplies for the journey ahead.

-…thank you very much. At the back tor the camel right?- he heard and looking at the waitress behind the counter he saw her nodding with a blush on her face. Was the man that attractive to blush?

-great. My friend here will pay for both.- it took him a second to realize what was happening.

-WHAT?- he turned to face the young woman. -no, we are not friends. I don’t even know the guy. Don’t listen to him.- when he turned to ask the man to apologize for the inconvenient he was already gone. -I guess I have to pay for the both of us.- he scoffed but he knew the waitress wasn’t going to let him go until getting her payment.

Buggy walked upstairs defeated with less than half the money he left with. Yes, he was the prince, and yes he was able to pay for someone else but if asked he didn’t know how to explain that much amount of money.

-…so how much do I own you?-the red hair with the straw hat surprised him.

-let’s see, a room is 6.000 berries for night. Each meal is around 500 berries and 1.500 if take out. So, saying you stay one night, having one service for dinner and breakfast, counting in three take out meals for at least, let say… three days? Yes three days makes nine take out meals your total would be…- before Buggy could come to the total the guy owned him, he reminded the undercover prince for the price of the alcohol and a camel.

-right.- he answered with a roll of his eyes. He didn’t stand the man a single bit, how can women blush at his single words? That was a mystery for later, or never. Buggy didn’t care.

Thinking about the additional fees he decided to overcharge whoever decided to play with him.

-the total would be 280.000 berries.- he smirked. He knew he didn’t have that much money, and he didn’t care as much as he was supposed to. He wanted to play with the red haired man too.

The foreigner checked his pockets and the money sachet and concluded he, indeed, didn’t have the money to pay him back.

-I have 150 berries, is okay?-

-you know what, is okay, keep the money. Good night sir. I might see you for breakfast.- he said and locked himself in the room.

The morning came too early but Buggy couldn’t wait to get to the beach. It had been too long since he went there the last time and it wasn’t to have fun or dreaming about new adventures and islands, it was to welcome to Alabasta a ruler of some kingdom he forgot the name.

-Good morning.- the prince was able to avoid slapping him on the face as an instinct. -so I had all night to think of a way to pay you back.-

Please don’t say in nature. Please don’t say in nature he thought. He had heard some of the women, and men, using it as a way to pay their debts or to get a simple ampoule of spice.

-you see, the universe provided me…-

-STOP IT HERE I DONT WANNA HEAR IT- the prince covered his ears but even like this he could hear the man next to him laughing. He uncovered them slowly, painfully slowly, and looked at the red haired man confused. What was that funny to laugh?

-Oh lord, you should have seen your face. Don’t worry, I was kidding.- he said sanding a wink at Buggy. -on a more serious note. I want to pay you back and I might have found a way since as of now I am out of money.-

-well you still have 150 berries.- looking at the expression he made the prince understood that was a lie. -what is your idea.-

-since is pretty clear to me you can’t defend yourself I will accompany you wherever you are going.-

-is not a long journey and the desert bandits don’t attack in daylight.- he really didn’t want to stay in his company. What if the stranger was to find out his true identity and kidnaps him? He wanted to leave the castle, yes, but not like this.

-Oh come on, I am plenty funny. You could use a laugh every now and then.-

-I said no- he simply replied.

-okay okay, you don’t like a commedian. I know a lot of stories.- he tried but Buggy didn’t care. -I have set sail a lot. I really have stories to tell.-

Now this was something he was interested in. The red haired guy took his silence as a good sign.

-okay, but I have one condition. We don’t ask for names.- that was the only thing that mattered. Not exposing his true identity.

-Can I at least ask to see your face?- silence again.

-Not here.-

Two hours in the desert were starting to take a tool, not on Buggy that for sure. He was used to the heat, it wasn’t anything new.

-You want to stop a little bit?-

-if we do, we become easy targets for the bandits.- the prince thought that was a good idea to teas his new companion.

-Oh my bad, I guess I overestimated you.- that touched an open nerve. The red haired scoffed. Buggy was in wait for an answer, anything, something in him was craving to hear his voice. The man just licked his lower lip for a brief second, which wasn’t unnoticed by the other one. -okay then. But you know I don’t understand why you proposed to protect me if you can’t take a few bandits.- he hoped to get a reaction but once again he failed. No answer, just a click of the tongue.

His mind starter to travel, going places it never went before. Now he understood why women blushed in his presence, he did because it had the same effect on him.

-Okay maybe two minutes. There.- the man pointed at a rock where they could take shelter for a couple of minutes, as promised. The red haired took place in the shadow the rocks casted and took off the cape, using its fabric to create a little of wind. Buggy on the other hand didn’t dismount from his camel. He was fine there. -if you don’t want to draw attention get off that damn animal and come here.- never in his life a commoner, a town folk told him what to do and he did but with him… Buggy felt different, his guts were telling him to listen to that, very attractive, man. His body acted on its own, getting off the camel he walked and once he was protected from the heating sun, took seat next to him.

The read haired kept him words. They stayed there, in silence for only a couple of minutes and then headed once again to their destination. It was only when they went back on tracks that the man asked his first question: where were they headed?

-the bitch side. I used to go there as a kid before my mother died. I want to see it one more time before is too late.- Buggy answered. He wanted to go there before being crowned king, he had to.

-is never too late to see the sea.- inquired the foreigner.

-it is when your job takes away all your free time.-

-what is your job?-

-is complicated. I don’t like to talk about it.-

In between questions, answers, jokes and teasing comments the duo was almost there, Buggy recalled another two or three hours of travel.

Once again the hours were spent talking about nothing much; sometimes they would stop to eat a little bit of what they had with them until they finally saw the sea.

Buggy’s eyes turned into two shining starts, that was clear as water. The red haired smiled, since the first time he met him, he never saw him like that excited to have the sea in front of his eyes.

He wanted to comment on that, tease the younger one a little bit but decided to let him be. He wanted him to enjoy the moment. Sitting on the hot sand, soon to get cold, he kept an eye on him. He looked how he played with the dry sand, taking it in his hand and letting it free a second after, looking how it went back to its place grain by grain.

Looking around the beach the foreigner was surprised to notice the familiarity of that shore. He was sure not far away from where he was standing, Roger had docked the ship.

-OHY SHANKS YOU ARE FINALLY BACK.- someone screaming from behind the trees got the duo’s attention. -We thought you were dead man.- he added.

Looking better from where the voice was coming from Buggy noticed a ship. It wasn’t much noticeable in between the greens of the leaves but he could tell it was a ship, and if it had been docked there it meant one thing.

-you are a pirate?- the question rolled out his tongue so easily.

The pirate tried to find a way to explain himself but he looked more like a fish gasping for water. Buggy felt that behavior was due to the fear of having to escape and never come back so he spoke one more time. -Don’t worry I won’t call you out to the City Watch, trust me.-

The two looked at each other for a couple of seconds but it felt like hours. The sea was not interesting anymore, the red haired’s friend was never there to start with now, it was just the two of them and a promise to not say a word about pirates.

It was just them until…

-Shanks move your ass back on the ship, Roger wants to talk to you.-

-Eye eye coming, just keep an eye on him. I think he is royalty or something like that.- he said in a too loud of a tone.

-I am not.- Buggy screamed, trying to sound confident in his sentence but his voice betrayed him.

-Yeah, whatever makes you sleep at night handsome.- he answered and then turned to his vice captain and asked once again to look out for the guy.

It was when the pirate was out of Buggy’s sight that he went to ask if there was a piece of paper and a pen he could have use. He scribbled something and once it was folded he went inside the little hut and then left to let loose the two animals that walked them there. The pirate watched confused, but if it was true that he was from the royal family he didn’t question his behavior. Who knew what was he going to do if questioned his doings.

-now, can I talk to your captain?- the vice captain nodded, still very much confused but let the boy on board and called for his captain. The owner of the ship came in seconds, followed by Shanks on his left.

-I want to join your crew.- he simply said making everyone laugh.

-fine with me.- answered Shanks the red haired pirate, he remembered how the boy’s eyes sparkled at the sight of the sea and how interested he was when he mentioned his adventures.

The captain laughed some more and then declared he was happy to have a new crew mate.

Vivi Nefertari knew what had to be done, her brother had left clear instructions if he wasn’t to return the next day. She was to tell where he told her he was going; she was going along with the guards and she was to check the hut by the beach. She was the one to find the letter because in Buggy’s eyes she was the perfect ruler for the kingdom and Vivi knew. She knew Buggy was meant for the open sea,for the excitement, the fear of the unknown and why not for the experience of true love.

Buggy never stopped thinking about his old live style, he never stopped thinking about his family but now he had a new one. A one he found by accident thanks to a bold man with hair like fair that now had control over his heart no matter what.