As One Piece slides into its final saga, now is honestly the best time to get into the series. bc once it ends, fans won't be able to experience the full weight of asking "What is the One Piece?" Without having an answer to that question
It's an experience that's hard to really compare, bc it's a 30 year old mystery that fans have tried solving for decades. One that has a concrete answer that the author has known since he started writing the manga. And it only gets more and more fascinating the more we learn about it.
Oda has already confirmed that it's a real, physical thing too, and not just "the friends we made along the way." And from the little we do know, the answer will blow us all out of the water.
But once the mystery is revealed, you can never live in a time before it was known ever again.
you run your mouth like youâve got something to prove. everything you say has a bite to itâsnarky little comments, rolled eyes, that bratty tilt of your head like you want to be challenged. like youâre begging for a reaction. he lets it slide at first, like he always does. pretends not to care when you talk over him, when you cross your arms and suck your teeth, when you tell him âwhatever, iâll do what i want.â
but thereâs only so much attitude heâs gonna take, especially when itâs directed at him. especially when your voice is laced with that sharp, condescending tone you use to rile him up. the one that makes his cock twitch in his jeans and his jaw clench so tight it hurts.
youâre too proud to notice the way his breath catches when you roll your eyes and call him pathetic for asking you to stay home. too busy being cruel with your mouth to realize heâs already hard, biting back a moan, pretending heâs not picturing what youâd look like choking on your apology.
and by the time heâs got you bent over the bed, hands flat on the sheets and your ass up in the air, youâve forgotten how to be a brat. your snide little smirk is long gone, replaced by a shaky gasp as his cock sinks into your tight, fluttering pussy, the stretch forcing a high-pitched whimper out of you. his hips slap into the curve of your ass with every deep, punishing thrust, and youâre feeling him nowâall the way inside, hitting places that make your knees tremble and your voice crack.
âso mean to me,â he grits out, watching your back arch. âtalk to me like that again, baby. câmon, say that shit now.â
you canât. your eyes roll back in a different way now, lips parted, drool threatening to spill down your chin as you gasp for air between moans. âcanât take it,â you cry, voice catching in your throat, knuckles white around the sheets. âfuckâplease, iâm sorryââ
he groans, the sound raw and needy, hips stuttering just slightly as he watches your body break beneath him. âyeah?â he breathes. âyouâre really sorry?â
you nod frantically, tears slipping from the corners of your eyes as your pussy clenches around him, milking him with every stroke like you mean it. like your bodyâs begging for forgiveness in ways your mouth canât.
he fucks you harder, chasing the sound of your desperate little sobs, the whines that replace your earlier sass. he lives for thisâwhen your attitude dissolves into nothing, when your mean streak crumbles under his weight, when youâre nothing but needy and ruined under him.
âwanna cum,â you gasp, hips twitching, thighs shaking. âpleaseâi need it, need you, iâm so closeââ
he moans, full and unfiltered, and heâs gone. thrusts growing messy, desperate, fucking you through your high even as you clamp down so hard around him itâs almost too much. but he takes it. groans through it. spills inside you with a soft whimper and his forehead pressed against your shoulder, whispering how good you are now. how sweet. how perfect when you finally shut the fuck up and let him remind you who you belong to.
you've been ignoring shanks all day long. it was just a bit of teasing. but now he's being all pouty, ignoring you back, decided to only talk to those who really love him.
A/N: i just needed to write something stupid to cool down and shanks is perfect for silly stuff. enjoy the meal.â
CW: f!reader, pouty shanks, silly smut, fun, orgasm control (more or less), oral sex, v sex, teasing, brat taming if you squint
WC: 1,2k
one piece masterlists. â my ko-fi
âHi my beauties⌠missed me?â Shanks murmurs gently, his focus dedicated to your breasts. He nuzzles between them, placing open-mouthed kisses on your soft flesh while his finger plays with your nipple lightly. âYeah, you and your lil friend are the only ones who understand me⌠Why wonât she pay attention to me when you always are such angel fâme?â He asks to your nipples, giving them kisses and light sucks with a faked, dramatic expression of sadness painting his face.Â
âYouâre serious, Shanks?â You scoff, voice thick with disbelief. âAre you that petty and moody for just some jokes I did?âÂ
âIf only she loved me just like you doâŚâ He sighs, brushing your hardening nipples before cupping one of your breasts, enjoying how soft and warm it feels against his palm. âMy lovely girls⌠You would never ignore me, right?â He continues to complain, his fingers playing with your nipple as he keeps mumbling nonsense. His voice is low, filled with mock sadness.Â
âStop pretending Iâm not here!â You grunt, fighting between the desire to send your stupid man to hell and the need to let him keep going because his touch is unfortunately, desperately everything you needâand this bastard knows it. That insufferable smirk on his lips as he fondles your breasts just how you like itâŚ
Screw him.Â
His hand trails down your stomach, pulling down your skirt and underwear in the way. âIâm telling you darlings, sheâs been an annoying brat all day longâŚâ he continues his dramatic monologue, spreading your legs to settle between them. âBut you⌠youâre always talking nice to me. She really needs to thank you because without you, I would send her to bed with a good old spanking. But you⌠youâre kind.. Iâll make you happy, baby.â He whispers to your annoyingly wet cunt. You wished you could be as dry as a desert to piss him off and end this⌠stupid, ridiculous ass gameâŚ
âYouâre being so dumb,â you mumble but Shanks leans in clumsily, struggling to keep his balance and press a kiss on your clit. Â
âMy favorite treasureâŚâ He whispers, flicking his tongue around your clit. âAnd my sweet little pussy⌠missed me too?â He coos softly, shifting his position to brush your wet folds.Â
âIf you keep ignoring me, I swear Iâm leaving this room!â You growl, but the tremor in your voice betrays how much you want to laugh at this whole situation.Â
Finally, Shanks crosses your gazeâbut only for a second. âShh. Iâm talking to her âcause sheâs the only one who deserves my attentionâŚâ He murmurs, his tongue licking your slit up and down. âSo wet and talkative, mh? Tell me what you need from your loyal, gentleman, perfect man.â Stupidly, he waits a few seconds, as if he was imagining the answer of your poor cunt and then, he nods solely. âAw, you want my tongue. Itâs really âcause youâre a nice princess, mh? Because your owner forgot about her tongue for the entire day, do you realize how rude it is to ignore me?â
At last, he shuts up, his tongue too busy circling your clit perfectly like he knows you love it. His mouth is slow, soft, eating you out like if you were a five star meal. Steadily, he licks your slit from bottom to top, flicking around your clit with each pass as your legs tremble in a strange mix of frustration and overwhelming pleasure. âMy lil princess is crying all over my face⌠you really need attention. My girlfriend is so mean to youâŚâ He muffles against your cunt, wiping your juice dripping down his glistening chin.
âI hate you!â You snap, but there is no bite in your words.Â
âYou heard her? She hates me. She hates us. Sheâs so mean, now youâre sobbing down her thighs⌠there, there, Iâll comfort youâŚâ Tenderly, Shanks kisses your clit, driving you mad with desire, frustration. Your eyes flutter close, a tingling sensation in your lower belly menacing to explode into a loud laugh and pleasure at the same time. You bite your lips.
For your own pride, you canât laugh.Â
And you wonât cum either.Â
Shanks doesnât even bother looking up from between your legs, he just hums against your clit, sending vibration through your sensitive flesh, making you gasp despite yourself. âYouâre such a pretty and gentle girl⌠donât cry, donât cry, you donât need to soak the sheets that much. I'm here, my princess.â He pats your cunt as if he were comforting a poor needy thing as you keep dripping pathetically down your thighs and on the sheets.Â
You need this insufferable, pretty, hot boyfriend of yours, but you will never say the words. Itâs so humiliating, and your ego is already wounded enough. Why is Shanks always so creative when it comes to avenge himself? Yeah, sure, itâs better than being spanked on his lap, but stillâŚÂ
âTell me my angel, tell Shanks what you need from him? His fingers? His cock? His mouth?â He asks to your pussy, parting your folds to expose your aching entrance clenching around nothing. âAw, youâre so empty⌠sheâs really neglecting you. Bad, bad mistress⌠Sheâs even mean to you. Ignoring a princess in distressâŚâÂ
He unbuttons his pants, pulling them down just enough, his hard cock slapping against his abs. With his strong grip, Shanks turns you on your stomach, lifting up your ass high in the air. Teasingly, he rubs the fat head of his cock along your slit. âIâm here, pretty girlâŚâ He says reverently before slowly pushing inside, filling you up to the brim, stretching you wide open around his girth. âSo open for me⌠unlike the mouth of this little minx.âÂ
His hips roll with his long, deep thrusts, his tip kissing your cervix so good you bury your head into the sheets to shut up. Shanks grips your hip with his hand, watching his length disappearing inside you, coated with your wetness. âYouâre so pretty wrapped around my dickâŚâ He pants, his hips slapping against your ass with each thrust. Your drool is soaking the fabric from how hard Shanks is pounding into you, his cock gliding in and out with lewd, filthy, sloppy squelches. âTalking so pretty to meâŚâ Shanks praises your cunt. âTell her baby. Tell her to apologize⌠Youâre gripping me so tight, I know you want to cum, but I canâtâŚâÂ
Your eyes roll back, mind dizzy and totally drugged-out by how good Shanks is fucking you even when acting like a total fool. The wet popping noise when he pulls out almost completely before snapping his hips forward elicits an unwanted moan from your lips, then another, and another. âYouâre sobbingâŚâ Shanks sighs dramatically. âYou love getting fucked, right precious princess? You want to show your dear Shanks how much you love him, right?â He asks to your cunt shamelessly.
Defeated, embarrassed, you muffle against the pillow. âFuck offâSorryâLet me cumâI was justââ Mercilessly, Shanks keeps punching your cervix with each thrust. âPleaseâSorryâNeed toâShanks, for fuckâs sake!âÂ
âAw⌠you remember me now?â Shanks whispers, leaving your hip to circle your clit, his tip brushing against your sweet spot until your arms give up, lifting your ass even higher in the air as your cunt spasms around Shankâs girth, your gushing cunt coating his length and dripping down your thighs.Â
âThere she is. Pretty cunt sobbing for me again⌠You need to be gentler with her, and with your poor Shanks as well.â
Šeustasskidagenda || do not rewrite, translate, modify or copy my content - iâll break ur spine.
straddling his lap, you could feel the way his strong arms draped over your waist, making sure to pull you in tightly. your face was right in front of his, his eyes studying each part of your face with care and consideration. you could feel his hard-on sitting beneath you, twitching to get out.
"you're so beautiful like this," he tells you. "my pretty baby."
his lips press against your cheek, causing you to heat up, both at his touch and his persistent compliments. he knew how to make you squirm, how you were melting for his praise, chasing it with every little wiggle of your hips.
"will you be a good girl for me tonight?" he asks, brushing his fingers behind your ear, making your body tingle with anticipation. you nod, your wide eyes staring into his lustful pupils.
"yeah? gonna sit all pretty 'n let me use your little hole all night long? lemme hear you say it."
"yes," your voice is noticeably smaller than his, easing into his dominate tone, your back arching under his hands.
"good," he huffs, kissing you with a slow and savouring pace. your lips smack, dragging together as he deepens the motion. his hands guide you to grind against him. he only stops to let out a breath, "already being so good for me, 'm gonna make you feel real good, baby. real good."
Hi Tasha, i hope you are well, i love your writing! :D Im too shy to ask this out of anon so please bear with me :,>
Could i please request a shanks x strawhat!reader (fem or gn, up to you) where they train with the red hair pirates during the timeskip before rejoining their crew? Iâve always been curious about this scenario ;-; ofc feel free to ignore this request if you donât like it, itâs no problem :)
Hello anon! Thank you so much for those kind words, you don't have to be shy at all~ But I get it (*/Ďďźź*)
I don't know if you're even still around to see this LOL If not: It was a pleasure having you request something for this blog!!~ Thanks for stopping by and I'm glad I could provide some joy (âżâ âżâ ) If you're still around to see this: I'M SO SORRY FOR TAKING THIS LONG!!! GENUINELY!
This was so much fun to write though. I hope everyone likes it :D
Weak For You
feat. SHANKS
âHey⌠isnât thatâŚ?â
You blearily opened your eyes in response to an unknown voice ringing around you alongside a bunch of chuckles. Your head throbbed in protest as you groggily turned around in attempt to flee from the sunlight that was beating down on you, suddenly coming face-to-face with your own bounty poster⌠held by none other thanâŚâ
An Emperor of the Sea â Red-Haired Shanks.
And thatâs when adrenaline drowned out every bit of pain plaguing you.
Saboady Archipelago â werenât you there⌠literally seconds ago?
You know that youâve been running away from the Navy. It was⌠way after Luffy had punched a Celestial Dragon and fought his way through most marines stationed on the archipelago alongside the âSurgeon of Deathâ, Trafalgar Law, and Eustass âCaptainâ Kid⌠- you could but watch in impressed horror as you saw those three Devil Fruit eaters take down the entire vanguard all by themselves without any trouble. You were still shaken from the brawl that went down in the auction house, arms sore and leg muscles cramping from running around so much. Youâve never seen power on display like that⌠despite being on such an infamous pirate crew. The entire scene was unlike anything youâve ever seen and totally beyond your comprehension. Those three were indeed super rookiesâŚ
âŚNone of this hadnât been a mere dream; this really happened, right? Otherwise, how would you have known any of this?
And thatâs when it clicked â of course⌠Bartholomew Kuma. Youâve been watching him for quite some time, especially because you felt that heâs been trekking you as well as the other high-profile pirate crews. Why he had clones of himself running around everywhere alongside other marines, you didnât know, but as soon as he revealed his paws, you reacted without thinking and pushed Zoro out of the way before the Warlordâs hand could touch one of your best friends.
And with that little touch â feather-light, almost⌠indiscernible â you were flying across the entire Grandline. Your eyes struggled to stay open and you must have lost consciousness from the sheer power of velocity, which made it feel like you were blipped away within seconds.
You owlishly blinked at the glass thatâs been handed to you. An older gentleman with long, greying hair crouched down to you, trying to get you to drink something. You looked down and noticed that your hands were shaking. You didnât even know why; in your head, you were as calm as ever. Rationally, you knew that the other Straw Hats could handle themselves just fine. Hell, most of them were stronger than you! There was no point in worrying. Plus,⌠you could have landed on any other ship. You could have landed at Impel Downâs doorstep!
Shanks was Luffyâs mentor and his greatest inspiration to sail out in search of the One Piece. Clearly, he couldnât be that bad⌠but you were so, so afraid of him. And his entire crew.
These men, they⌠looked like real sailors. Like pirates. Everyone was scarred up and had a thousand yard stare that shot right through you. You were well aware that all of them could read you like a book. Well, it didnât help that you were shaking like a leaf, but⌠you hadnât felt so intimidated by anyone in a long time.
Facing enemies during battle was different, even if they were monumentally imposing, these guys right here⌠were living legends, larger than life and almost mythical. You reckon that youâll be one of the few people â hopefully â to live and tell the tale of meeting them out of the blue.
You squealed when another man â who suspiciously resembled Usopp in a weird way â tilted your head back with a gentle push. You struggled to swallow the water the man wearing a robe, which poorly concealed an enormous gun, made you drink.
They tried to handle you with care, but⌠these were crewmen of an Emperor. They were naturally rough around the edges. You served Luffy, who was as infectiously happy as he was naive. It was⌠like night and day.
You were out of your element here.
The planks of the ship creaked under Shanksâ weight once he started approaching you once more. His trusted crew immediately gave way to his grandiose frame, revealing your pathetic form that sat in front of him.
âR-red-haired Sh-sh-sh-sh-â
âMay I ask you how you ended up on this ship?â, he asked with a smile as he, too, crouched down.
It didnât fit him â to bow his head to another. It somehow looked out of place, even if you didnât know him at all.
âI-I-IâŚâ, you sobbed instinctively, remembering that your encounter with a Warlord led you down this path, âBartholomew Kuma separated us on Saboady. The Paw-Paw Fruit â He touched me and⌠here I am. I donât know⌠if the others⌠are okayâŚâ
The Red Hair Pirates looked at you rather fondly, almost as if you were a fawn⌠or resembled something he had lost long ago. You were shaken, disoriented and helpless, but they viewed you as something precious and worth protecting. Most of Shanksâ cremates snickered amongst themselves or sent a knowing smirk your way.
You werenât in the mood for fun and games, though.
âRed-haired Shanks⌠Sir!â, you squeaked, suddenly standing up on wobbly legs as you wiped your cheeks dry through your sniffles, not even realising that the silver-haired man steadied you ever so slightly, âIf you get me to the next port, I will be in your debt forever. I can work! Please! Just let me stay for now. I have to go and make sure Luffy is-â
...And thatâs when the entire crew erupted into laughter.
You could do nothing but stare at their captain with glassy eyes, swallowing your frustration with clenched fists.
âDonât worry, (Y/N)!â, Shanks chuckled, ruffling through your hair with mischief dancing in his deep eyes, âLuffy will be okay. You can stay for as long as you like, especially sinceâŚwe wonât reach a port anytime soon. Make yourself comfortable in the meantime.â
At that very moment, you couldnât have known that Shanks was planning something that went beyond your very imagination â something that will shift the entire world order. Just as naively as Luffy would have reacted, you nodded with a smile and introduced yourself to the crew, one by one.
You went to bed peacefully â Beckman, Shanksâ First Mate has kindly insisted that youâll take his room for the time being â and lived comfortably. The Red Hair Pirates provided everything and all you had to do was clean. Well, you were explicitly told that you didnât have to do anything⌠but you needed to do something to keep you busy, otherwise youâd cry at the state of affairs, still not knowing whether your entire crew was even alive!
Lucky Roux made sure you ate great meals and Yasopp â Usoppâs actual dad! - taught you some card tricks in case you were bored.
They treated you phenomenally, but, at the same time, babied you to a horrendous degree. You werenât allowed to read the newspaper, you werenât allowed in the navigation room⌠you couldnât read any books, not even in secret. Shanks always caught you when you sneaked away from any âpartyâ⌠it was creepy how he was seemingly able to read your mind. Youâve gotten suspicious over the past two days, especially since youâve been sailing non-stop⌠without any course correction.
You were no navigator, but youâve learnt to watch the stars rather carefully during your long travelsâŚ
You had a bad feeling about all of this.
Technically, you were supposed to meet the Straw Hat Pirates tomorrow! Damn it, Rayleigh likely coated the Sunny already and now everyone would have to wait for YOU⌠and Zoro, probably, but mostly you! Luffy wouldnât enter the New World without his entire crew and you had no idea where the Hell you were.
Still, when you tried getting a spyglass from somewhere on deck in the dead of night, the Captain appeared. The Captain, not your Captain.
Like a phantom, he haunted you. Despite the peculiar circumstances, you didnât sense any ill intentions whenever you talked to him. In fact, that man was almost frighteningly sweet.
On the third day, you were getting antsy, especially because Shanks sent you below deck.
âMake sure there are no rats or mice anywhere!â, he said cheerfully, sweat dripping down his temple.
You deadpanned, nodding with a wide stare.
You didnât buy any of his excuses anymore, but⌠you obeyed. Instead of looking for mice on the humongous Red Force, though, you searched for a newspaper. Something was wrong, very⌠very wrong.
And just when you were sifting through cabbage and potatoes, you heard it.
War.
You were afraid to take a peek â but how could you not? It sounded like a portal to Hell had just opened up above you. There was slaughter everywhere.
It was as if your body froze in protest, so much so that you couldnât even tremble in fear. Your entire nervous system had centralised itself in that moment; you could hear your very own heartbeat drumming in your ears, your eyes zeroed in on every little creak around you despite the carnage that was happening above you on deck and your senses sharpened to a point of hyperawareness⌠you were entering survival mode.
It was very likely that you werenât going to survive that day, but you had to try â for Luffy, for Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Franky and for Brook!
There were waiting for you to join them on Sabaody⌠trying to get one step closer to achieving their dreams.
You couldnât cut that journey short!
Mustering up all your courage, bravery and fierceness, you grabbed an abandoned sabre that gleamed in the dim light from the oil lamps around here and put a hand on your chest⌠just to feel that you were still alive and well.
You nodded once, maybe twice and walked upstairs again, opening the door to a sea that was dipped in red with lightning hitting the ocean at every angle. Thunder rumbled through the air and the salty breeze crackled in anger.
The planks of the Red Force were bloodied, too.
You looked up with a gasp as something zoomed past you, straight into the air.
And you watched in horror as Shanks, in all his glory, intercepted KaidouâŚ
A few days ago, youâd seen an Emperor of the Sea for the first time in your life, now youâve seen two â and they were fighting to the death.
There was a short burst of energy and then â
â everything went black.
You snorted at the memory.
âSomething the matter, (Y/N)?â Shanks grinned, eyes half-lidded in relaxation as he watched the float of your fishing rod with careful precision. Somehow, youâve established a strange routine where Shanks and you were usually the first ones to wake up â despite his terrible hangover most of the time â and you felt bad for Roux after helping him out when you were on your first dinner duty, so now⌠you fished before the sunrise while Shanks watched in amusement, every morning.
âJust thinking about when you knocked me out cold.â You replied nonchalantly, hiding an amused smile from him.
âBecause Iâm so handsome, right?â He chuckled, smirking in utter relaxation.
He knew what you were talking about, of course he knew â he was Shanks! The very same who could predict the Summit War of Marineford and its outcome. To this day you didnât know how he knew; he just wouldnât tell you, neither would Beckman⌠Youâd once almost gotten Roux to spill the beans by batting your eyelashes and touching his thick forearms as you watched him go beet red, but Shanks appeared in that door frame like a ghost to shut him up.
ââŚYeahâŚ, right.â You replied before rolling your eyes.
Months ago, you would have nodded at him with doe eyes, still viewing him like a mythical creature, like a hero, but you knew this man nowadays. Every saccharine whisper was just a distraction. Shanks was just a man⌠an annoying one at that.
âYou wound me.â
âAs if anybody could.â You shot back with a triumphant smirk, happy that he let out a disgruntled noise that was lodged in the depth of his throat.
You sighed, shaking your fishing rod with a mocking pout. Shanks â because he was so unlike Luffy â ignited a spark of rare confidence within you⌠maybe because you could rely on him so much to train you properly. You knew what Luffy was capable of, but he didnât seem to know, which meant, subconsciously, you always had to push yourself to succeed⌠no matter what. Your faith your Captain was as strong as ever, but the Straw Hat Pirates protected each other while Shanks was like the patron saint of his own ship, overseeing everybodyâs safety like it was second nature. His commanders were just as capable as him, but Shanks was aware that he was the best. You knew that he had a lot of pressure on him⌠maybe thatâs why learning from him was so much fun.
Shanks couldnât help but let out a chuckle when you gasped beneath his sturdy frame. Seconds ago, youâd been duelling for the first time. Youâd watched Shanks and Beckman cross blades multiple times and started emulating the Captainâs swordsmanship in secrecy â one of your arms tucked behind your back and trying to perfect your technique, one hand at a time. The red-haired man had a dominant hand by choice, you could still perfect your dexterity and become ambidextrous while handling a sword. That thought was your trump card.
Youâd smirked at him cockily, for the first time you felt different in his presence, like you had power over him. Youâve carefully watched his expressions and monitored his stance like a hawk⌠and just when you went in for the kill â
â bonk.
He used the back of his sword to strike the crown of your head before manhandling you into submission, not even using his blade once.
You whined at him to unhand you immediately, thrashing around in his grip. With just one hand, he pressed down on your wrist while his knees dug into one of your thighs from behind, pinning you down properly.
And the worst part was that he didnât even bask in his victory.
He stopped subduing you once you verbally yielded, patting your shoulder and ruffling through your hair like the damn menace he is.
âOH MY GOD, LOOK AT THAT THING! HAHAHAHA- WEâRE FEASTING TONIGHT, (Y/N)!â
Absent-mindedly, you reeled in your catch and noticed that whateverâs taken your bait was quite large. Luckily, youâve gotten stronger physically, started filling out the sleeves of your shirt. You felt proud to call yourself a Straw Hat Pirate at this point, feeling like youâre finally worthy of standing next to him. Besides, the Red Hair Pirates showed you that you could be a damn good asset without possessing any Devil Fruit powers.
Shanksâ eyes sparkled at the beast that desperately tried freeing itself from your hook, but you wouldnât give up, even if the rod had been cutting into your palm.
âMy! I think weâll have to open that bottle of rum tonight. This will be good for morale.â
He leaned in closer, pushing a strand of hair away from your ear to whisper with his husky tone: âGood job.â
You nodded wordlessly, determination burning in your gaze.
Youâd quickly come to realise that Shanks loved to praise people. Heâd see Roux lift a damn bison with one arm and heâd sent him a cheeky wink and something like âI could eat a horse, but a bull will do.â⌠and the crew would act like he was a comedic genius. At other points in time, you were struggling with your chores and Beckman would kindly help you out, wordlessly taking a whole bunch of dishes from you with a glare as he made you fetch his cigarettes â as if he needed you to do that. Shanks would always appear right away and pout that he wouldnât be your favourite anymore if Benn kept this whole thing up. At the same time, he fondly looked at you when you were struggling to help Beckman out anyway.
The only thing you heard was the flutter of his cape.
Shanks couldnât help but watch you with lidded eyes, feeling something like⌠reverence for you. Yes, thatâs it.
Small moments like these â those are what made you special. Your ambition was great, but your personality was that much better. Usually, strength causes people to rot, chasing an unattainable dream that would drive them mad. Heâs seen what itâs like in other pirates. Was that why he chose to be dormant right now, opting out of the race to find the One Piece? Who knows. He dared not to ponder these things; he sincerely believed that he wouldnât like the answer heâd come up with. Pure souls like you rare pearls amongst the empty shells wasting their lives away by the shorelines Shanks has been calling his home ever since he was a mere chore boy on the most legendary crew ever known to mankind. He was an Emperor, he was Red-Haired Shanks. He was destined for greatness, as if it was predetermined⌠and heâs seen the same thing in you.
You were the only person who couldnât see your shine. Such a rare treasure, a one in a million, really.
Youâve come such a long way ever since heâd seen you in the papers. Your bounty poster featured someone who was⌠scared, unsure about what the world had to offer â you hadnât found your place back then. Heh. Nowadays, you looked relaxed, almost at ease in his presence.
Rotten souls would become sickly-sweet with him to gain favours with a pirate of his calibre. After all, even the underworld knows that Shanks is capable of driving a hard bargain⌠worst of all: He has the strength to back it up.
You?
Youâve gotten cheeky.
Oh, how he yearned for you to turn your gaze upon him these days, even though you stared at him, wide-eyed and meek â non-stop â when you first got here. That stare used to make him nervous, afraid of having to life up to his own image, now your gaze makes him feel powerful.
In fact, it disarms him.
âYield, Shanks.â
Shanks eyes locked onto yours and he couldnât help but gulp audibly. There was⌠something about you. He didnât know when it happened, but it must have been very recently⌠youâve been here for months, lived amongst the lively crew and trained under everyoneâs watchful eyes, but Shanks â oh, he saw you in a vastly different light now. You were turning into the person you were always meant to be, and you owned it.
Your triumphant smile made his stomach flip, his smile wobbly and unsure â an uncanny expression. He had to suppress it before it became too obvious, fearing for his pride because someone would certainly think he shuddered in fright.
But⌠oh no. No, he didnât. Desire pooled low in his soul, burning him up from the inside out.
âYouâve grown dull, Captain!â Yasopp laughed from the sidelines as Beckman shook his head, his silver-grey hair blowing in the windy breezeâŚ
And yet he couldnât stay mad at their belittling attitudes, their teasing remarks were just background noise when all Shanks was able to do was glance at his own sword in your hands â heâd been cocky enough to suggest that heâd be able to best your improved swordsmanship with his bare hand. Well, if it concerned any other opponent it would certainly remain true, but one heady look of yours had his knees buckling. He adored you... and that was dangerous.
Every single night since then, heâs been fantasising about you. Kissing you, loving you, having you â if he were a lesser man, heâd make you his subordinate immediately. Sadly, he was never meant to be your Captain. Luffy was destined to navigate you through the Grandline and show you what life had to offer; he would be the one to get you in trouble â not Shanks, never him. His freedom was⌠restrained by his own design, his own choice. He could explore the world if he wanted, search far and wide for the One Piece, but what was the point?
After all, being at the very top, being King of the Pirates⌠heâs seen how that journey ended for the man heâs respected most in his life â drawn and quartered in a public square for all eyes to see.
And Shanks could helplessly watch in horror as his father figure died in front of his eyes at the hands of a Navy.
Was he really ambitious enough to defy those odds and go for it anyway⌠just for the heck of it? He didnât know.
You were worth the thought, though.
âYou shouldnât have jumped in front of me, ShanksâŚâ
âAh, whatâs a bullet wound to a man like- OW! HONGO! YOU DAMN-â
The shipâs doctor adjusted the compressor heâd put on his Captain to stop the rapid blood flow. It wasnât the worst thing heâs ever seen, but that fool of a leader knew better. He knew it, you knew it, everybody knew it.
Your Observation Haki was getting better and better, but you still had trouble with the Armament type. Youâd heard the gunshot from miles away, already sensing it coming your way but you hadnât perfected your technique yet, sitting stunned when Shanks suddenly stood in front of you with a smile that shone as brightly as the sun did. He had the skills to shut down entire fleets with just a look, but chose to protect you physically. Why? You still had no idea.
And you felt monumentally guilty about it.
You chewed on your lower lip as Hongo sent a dirty glare towards the Captain, running off to change his gloves and wash his hands.
âYouâre so loud.â
âI didnât say any-â He wanted to protest, but you stopped him with a pout, tears in your glassy eyes.
So vulnerable, so precious. He was glad that you ended up on his ship.
âYour blood, no, your heartbeat, Shanks.â
Shanks laughed heartily, not a bit embarrassed by your observation. Rather, he found it quite sad.
âYou donât have to use your Haki for me. Rest well, my friend.â
Your eyes shot up, surprised that youâd been caught red-handed. He knew that you had to make sure he's survive this; you needed it mor than he did at that moment.
You wouldn't have been able to stomach another loss.
âI wonât get hurt again, I promise. Iâm capable of protecting the both of us, haha!â
And then he sympathetically said sweet nothings to you when you broke down at the foot of his bed, crying into his sheets without any shame.
You were carrying so much, wanting to save everyone from harm.
...Kind of like he did.
Shanks stared at you as you packed up your fishing gear. The crew would awake soon, awaiting the next dawn with a smile and, in many cases, a gruelling hangover. You probably werenât even aware that youâve captivated him. You were so⌠perfect. Like a fresh diamond, your brightness was almost blinding. From your dazzling smile to your beautiful eyes that went as deep as the ocean â you were amazing. Itâs almost a crime to know youâll suffer a lot on your journey through the entire Grandline, after all, you deserved a life nobody at sea would be able to hand to you, but it was almost relieving to know that you didnât crave pointless luxuries â you wanted an adventure. You sought to be free and live with your chosen family.
The Straw Hat Pirates.
Right⌠how fast these years have passed.
He sought your gaze again and you couldnât help but giggle at his star-struck, half-lidded expression once you felt his stare burn through you. He chuckled, too, but it didnât sound convincing at all.
Shanks dreaded having to give up this⌠routine with you.
Life was surprisingly easy when you were around.
But⌠he couldnât keep you, not when you still had a dream - right after after he threw his away. Ah, how cruel fate could be, huh?
âMay we meet again, (Y/N).â
âIâm still here, Shanks.â
âYeah⌠you are indeed.â
âYouâre so dramatic.â You chuckled and he couldnât help but hear a subtle quiver in your voice.
He squashed that observation as soon as it manifested in his brain.
Shanks shouldnât allow himself to hope when youâve got places to be.
But⌠sigh⌠why did he tell Benn to set sail for Saboady yesterday�
âIâll miss you, Shanks.â You said, resting your head on his shoulder.
He drew in a shaky breath, not daring to utter a response. It would pale in comparison to his complex feelings on this matter anyway.
He opted to gently kiss your hair instead, a ghost of a touch but a promise all the same.
One can still dream.
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