ย ย ย ย ย ใ ๐๐๐๐'๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐. ใ
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย @cathiief
ย ย ย ย ย ย Stealth was always Kid's most apparent tactical downfall. He wasn't built for it, nor did he ever have the slightest inclination to try and improve it. Everything about his person contradicts the art of being surreptitious; a towering, heavy-footed man, who demands the attention of all around him without ever needing to verbally introduce himself. Everything about him is loud, both audibly as well as visually.
Still, it might have been less awkward for him to attempt to break onto the Sunny cloaked beneath nightfall, as if that cover would suffice in concealing his presence. There's no need to be sneaky when Luffy was openly welcoming to have him climb aboard, never once questioning his motivation for why he was here.
It was embarrassing to be allowed into their turf with so little resistance. Anyone would think they were on amicable terms. At least if he had been caught breaking in, it would have solidified his position as their opponent further.
ย ย ย Well, whatever. He came with a purpose, and his intent is to fulfill his task and promptly depart.
ย ย ย ย ย Apparently the Cat Burglar was presently away from the ship, and wherever she was, that was exactly where Kid wanted her to be. He didn't need her to be the one catching him. Watching him. Asking what he was up to.
ย ย ย There was a reoccurring theme the two had adopted that he intended to prolong โ specifically, the ongoing trend that when one intended to give the other a gift, it would not be delivered in person, and would be waiting for the recipient to return without any trace of the gift giver.
ย ย ย ย ย Reaching Nami's citrus orchard without intervention was surprisingly straightforward. The Straw Hats should be more wary of him, Kid thinks. They should be more mindful of what their rival is up to on their ship. Yet, nobody seems particularly concerned about his presence, and he reaches the rows of fruit-bearing trees seemingly without arousing concern.
ย ย ย It's been some time since he was last here, and yet the trees remain the same; still flourishing, branches still heavy with the weight of hefty fruits.
ย ย ย One particular tangerine sits at the forefront of a central tree. It's picturesque; vibrantly colored, perfectly round with unblemished, waxy skin.
A metal hand cups the base of the fruit, bounces it up and down while it remains attached to the branch in order to confirm it isn't on the cusp of falling.
ย ย ย ย ย When the tangerine passes this test, Kid deems this to be a worthy location to leave his gift.
ย ย ย A pinwheel crafted from shiny copper.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย The pole is stabbed directly through the tangerine, spraying a mist of acidic juice into the air in the process. Just enough distance between the head of the pinwheel and the body of the fruit is left to allow it to freely spin in the wind, while still remaining suspended in the air. She'll notice it sooner or later.
If the pinwheel had been made of a naturally magnetic metal, crafting it would have taken him little more than a few seconds. He would have done it without even needing to look at his work.
ย ย ย Yet, copper is not magnetic, and he decided against using his awakened abilities to force it to take on a magnetic state. He had made it manually, with his bare hands, without any need for otherworldly powers or special abilities.ย
ย ย ย ย ย He had thought the color suited her, and had gone through the extra effort for that reason alone. Perhaps there was some connection to be made about the conductive properties of copper and its usage in crafting lightning rods, but his choice in material hadn't been that deep.
Kid had wondered about her tattoo before โ the pinwheel on her upper arm. It wasn't really his business why she chose that design, and he didn't expect her to explain it to him. Still, it was probably reasonable to assume she liked pinwheels for whatever reason, and now she owned another one.
ย ย ย ย ย It was supposed to be a birthday present, initially. He hadn't forgotten. In fact, he had made the present in advance with the intention of meeting his deadline and giving it to her on the correct day. The fact that he was unable to attend any birthday party she may or may not have had was outside of his control; a series of hold-ups that had made visiting her and her crew impossible up until now. It was late, but there was no helping it.
Before he leaves, he will help himself to one of her tangerines as payment for making the journey out here. Painted fingertips reach out to yank another fresh fruit from a neighboring tree, but then he halts, arm still outstretched.
The sight of an already fallen mikan catches his eye. It must have dropped while Nami was away, or she likely would have already noticed it and harvested it.
The impact has dented it slightly โ still just as brightly aromatic as the others, yet not quite as pretty.
ย ย ย The damaged tangerine will go home with him. How perfect they look really makes no difference to him when he intends to devour it anyway. Had she been there and decided to willingly give him one, he suspects it probably would have been this one simply based on its subpar appearance.
This isn't him being considerate towards her orchard. He just wants this one because it's a little bit bigger than the rest of them.
