Ikkaku couldnโt help it; she perked up at his offer to let her take a ride on his zoan form. She had never really gotten the chance to see it up close, but she knew Keiji could turn into some kind of dinosaur. Not a full-on T-Rex or Allosaurus, but still a big carnivore that would make her the envy of the guys when she told them about this adventure later. That was always worth risking traipsing through a massive spider nest.
โI mean, a flamethrower would be more effective but fuck if Iโm going to say no to a dinosaur ride,โ she said, grinning eagerly. However, that smile did tighten into a slight grimace at his proposition of lighting his sword on fire. Once could potentially argue that it would be safer than whatever high-powered flamethrower sheโd create, but fire was fire, and once it actually started burning shit, both weapons were equally capable of getting out of control and turning the whole jungle into a deadly inferno for both the spiders and themselves.
โWeโll, ah, table that second option for now, yeah?โ she stated, grabbing the flask and shoving it in her pocket for safekeeping. Sheโd give it back to him when they were in the clear. If it were anyone elseโs she might return it significantly lighter, but sheโd seed Keiji drink and had little doubt that what was inside was potentially on-par with her grandfatherโs moonshine, and she wasnโt looking to get hammered until long after their expedition was over.
โAlright, ready when you are!โ Cracking her knuckles, she paused and considered her companions for a moment. โHey, do you need me to hang onto Sherbet while youโre in dino mode? Iโve got a free pocket he can hitch a ride in.โ
His jaw drops at having his plan to burn the webs turned down so quickly. Though he did nothing to stop her from taking up his flask from his hands, he did let out a borderline whine at seeing it out of reach. Even without the incentive to use it as a weapon, it would have been nice to have something to drink every now and then.
Disappointed, he tucks his scimitar away, folding up the torn cloth and returning it back where it came from alongside the lighter he so eagerly brandished.
โFine, weโll go with the dino expressway idea but promise you wonโt laugh when you see it okay?โ
At that question in regard to his froggy companion he brightens up. He wasnโt all too concerned about where Sherbet was going to ride considering when the two flew solo, the little guy would typically prefer to ride atop his head and between his crested horns whenever they went on a run in a good stretch of land. However, he knew that the very prospect of riding comfy in a pretty womans pocket would win over the frog any day over his own given the chance... The little shit.
โOh Sherbet? He usually likes riding on my head but if itโs a gal like you, Iโm pretty sure he wouldnโt mind.โ
Not letting him finish speaking, the frog in question leaps out of of his pocket, already making a beeline for the engineer and ready to be scooped up from where sticky frog feet clung to the boiler suit.
โWell screw you too lil guy...โ He curses the frog under his breathe only to hear an indignant croak in return despite the jab not being very audible to either of them, an aspect of the frog that never ceased to perplex Keiji.
Sighing, Keiji decided to get on with the show, making sure there was enough room for his transformation and so the cheeky little frog was no longer in view. When there was enough distance between himself, the engineer with frog in tow, and the nearby foliage he began to shift. Muscles expanded greatly to fit a much more robust build, his coat following to wrap around the broad shoulders of a carnivorous dinosaur that was frankly underestimated time and time again and undeservedly so.
When he opened his eyes to reveal stunning amber, he tilted his head to look down upon his passengers to be, gurgling out a low guttural groan as he slowly lowered himself to his knees, leaning down until his head rest against the forest floor in preparation to receive the Hearts pirate easier.
