♯. HOW TO ACCIDENTALLY BECOME A PIRATE 101 (⟢)
❯❯ SUMMARY: After having one to many drinks and waking up to the sound of waves instead of silence, you discover that joining the red-haired pirates by accident might have been the best (drunken) decision you’ve ever made.
⤷ NOTES : stuff took longer than expected but I got it done with a lot of procrastinating !! A few grammar errors but pls enjoy <3
TAGS : Gn!reader ⸝⸝ author doesn’t know how to tag (·•᷄∩•᷅ )
The first thing you heard was the steady slosh of water. At first, you thought it was just your head playing tricks on you, a leftover echo from all those mugs of booze and rum that had passed your lips the night before. But listening further, you realize the sound was too loud—too real to just be tricks of the mind.
After all last, night had been such a blur, to say the least; loud laughter and spilled drinks are all you can really remember .
You shot up instantly, hands instinctively going to your head as a silent headache thums. “..The hell?!” You definitely weren't in your usual room hell, were you even on land?? Taking a good look at your surroundings you slowly realize that you're in a ship's cabin.
A very nice yet messy one at that. Paper and books are scattered around the room as you lie in a large king-sized bed, a trunk with clothes that weren't even yours, and multiple empty bottles of sake on a desk.
A million thoughts swarmed in your mind trying to figure out just what the hell happened last night?? “Oh no, oh no. Tell me I didn't—”
The door swung open before you spiraled any further, and in strode a man with fiery red hair and a black jacket loosely thrown across his shoulders. A bright smile was plastered on his face as if he were waiting for this moment.
“Morning sweetheart!”, the mysterious man drawled, his voice strained and rough from drinking. “ Didnt expect you to be up so soon.”
You blinked at the red-headed man, and confusion spread across your face. “–Wait? Where do I know you from?” You blinked once again and rubbed your eyes. “CAPTAIN RED-HAIRED SHANKS??!” Your face flushed with embarrassment, the one night you decided to have more than one drink than usual just so happened to be the night you ended up on a emperor of the seas ship.
Shanks burst out laughing, clutching his stomach as tears pricked at the corners of his eyes in amusement. “You remember my name after all! I guess last night wasn't a total blur.”
“W-what happened last night!?” your voice a pitch louder “–what the hell happened?”
Shanks tilted his head, scratching the back of his head trying to recall last nights events to the best of his ability. “Well for one, you drank half the crew under the table, tried to arm wrestle Yasopp–lost by the way–then gave a very lovely speech about how all pirates are the same !”
You groaned, burying your hands on your face in embarrassment. “Is that all?”
“Then,” he continued, clearly amused by your mortification, “ I asked you to join my crew and you said yes,” he said, beaming down at you. Your head snapped up so fast you swore you just heard something crack “WHAT?!”
Shanks grinned like a fox, his sharp teeth gleaming “Welcome aboard darlin' ”
You sat there in stunned silence, and the weight of your actions dawned on you. Surely he made a mistake right? We were all drunk last night.
“I saw something in you. Drunk or not, I wanted you to be a part of my crew as soon as I walked into that bar. Don't worry you’ll fit right in with us!” The sudden seriousness in his tone started to actually make you believe him. Perhaps this could change your life, open new opportunities, and bring new adventures.
You thought it was some joke, a stupid bar banter you’d laugh about in the morning before going back to your quaint life. Outside you could hear the sound of the crew working–boots on wood, laughter in the air, and the sound of the waves softly hitting the hull. It was noisy but felt so alive.
And for the first time in a long time, you didn’t feel the sting of loneliness in your chest.
“ You’ll learn quick enough. Besides, it's not like you’re boring company! Especially with the show you put on last night!”
A few of the crew from beyond the door cheered in agreement, clearly amused by their new recruit’s meltdown.
You sighed, rubbing your temple. “I need a drink.”
Shanks handed you a tankard of water without missing a beat
The sea breeze that rolled in from the open porthole carried the warmth of the crew’s laughter from above without a care in the world.
Maybe this wasn’t how you expected to join a pirate crew. But as you glanced at Shanks who was grinning like a child, you couldn’t shake the feeling that somehow, you were exactly where you wanted to be.
The sunlight that streamed from the porthole felt foreign. You were used to being able to draw curtains to block out the sun. Now all you could do was squint at it like it wronged you personally.
The Red Force was very, very real and alive so early in the day. A handful of the crew were enjoying breakfast at random spots on the ship while others did their morning chores.
You stood near the railing, eyes half-lidded from the brightness, the sea breeze combing through your scalp, tossing your hair behind you.
“Still think it’s a dream?” Shanks asked, appearing beside you with a mug of steaming coffee.
“If this is a dream, it’s a weird one. You keep showing up in it.”
He laughed softly, handing you a mug of coffee.
Behind you, the crew was already bustling with life. Yasopp was cleaning his rifle, humming something off-key. Lucky Roux was carrying a mountain of supplies on one shoulder while eating a drumstick with the other hand.
All while others went about their business, a few sending you a curious glance.
“Everyone is way too calm about me being here,” you took a long sip of your coffee “isn't this weird for them?”
Shanks scratched the back of his neck before answering “ Eh- they trust my judgement”
By the time the sun started to set you had already been shown a good majority of the ship by Yasopp. After that, you were left to observe on your own. And by then you were able to understand how the crew worked how they worked together, organized supplies, and how every now and then a few of them would slack off and enjoy a bottle of rum or two.
And as nightfall hit, the crew decided that a new crewmate was a good enough reason to celebrate. As if they don’t party enough
The sky stretched full of stars and barrels of rum were rolled out and someone started signing a tune off key.
Which then led to everyone else joining in and had everyone stomping and dancing around.
Shanks,already tipsy, raised his mug high “To our newest recruit!”
The crew raised their mugs and bottles high.
Your cheeks warmed, and you couldn’t help but laugh. “Alright, alright,” you said, holding up your drink. “To my new crew, then — even if I didn’t mean to join you!”
That earned a round of howls and laughter. Benn lifted his glass toward you, his cigarette hanging limply in his mouth. “Too late now. You’re one of us.”
And as the night went on maybe it didn’t matter if you planned any of this, maybe you found home by accident.
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