Written by: @gr8estwulfluvreva
Title: Even Mountains Fall
Ever since he was a child, Eustass Kid had dreamed of becoming the next Pirate King. He wanted to prove everyone wrong. That the little brat with a mane of red hair who’d come from nothing, could be something. He would do it by himself, but Killer had advised that they get some allies to take out the big players in his path; given how things went last time the crew was up against the Red Hair Pirates. And Killer always had Kid’s best interest in mind, since they were brothers.
He didn’t like having to rely on anyone else, especially Scratchman and Hawkins but out of the Worst Generation, Kid thought they were almost equal to him in terms of prowess. Almost. Hawkins’ ability to see outcomes in the future and the percentages of surviving were an invaluable asset. Scratchman, meanwhile, could attack from a distance and disorientate enemies with his devil fruit.
That didn’t mean he had to enjoy their company.
Scratchman was annoying and insisted on partying when there wasn’t anything to party about. Yet. His enthusiasm rivaled Strawhat’s that much was certain but unlike Strawhat he was always suspicious about hidden snipers and tricks. Definitely smarter than Strawhat, that’s for damn sure.
Hawkins was weird, and a little creepy. He was damn near always in the library of the stone castle the Kid Pirates called a base. Always shuffling and reshuffling his cards or reading a book by candlelight. Kid himself never really enjoyed books, didn’t see the appeal, but when it came down to it, he’d much rather be around Hawkins’ quiet self than Scratchman’s boisterous personality.
Kid liked the quiet, it allowed him time to think and he was able to produce much better drawings and blueprints that way. Which is why he was sat a little away from Hawkins at the table in the library. The former shuffling those tarot cards he had an abundance of. Neither said anything to each other and the only noise in the library was Kid’s pencil scratching against the paper as he sketched improvements for his metal arm; which was requiring maintenance as of late.
He paused for a moment to stretch, allowing his muscles to relax from being hunched over his blueprint. One of the downsides for having a massive prosthetic arm was the strain on his muscles, hence the improvements he was planning.
While he was resting for the moment, Kid regarded his companion at the end of the table. Kid had a certain taste for people and Hawkins was well within that category. Slim but not unfit, lean but muscled, and the long limbs were something Kid very much appreciated. The mechanic loved himself a pair of sexy legs. He didn’t even mind Hawkins’ mannerisms that much and found the other’s ability to know the likelihood of an outcome interesting. And the tarot deck had a unique design.
He forced his thoughts away from that path, knowing what mood it’d put him in, and instead focused on his arm. The stump ached occasionally, and phantom pain accompanied the nightmares he had of a time he’d much rather forget under the stupor of rum. Red Hair would pay for this, dearly. Kid would rip off the Yonko’s other arm in retribution for the one he lost. He hated the time lost when he was recovering, being delirious with fever and weakened from the battle. That was time that could have been spent propelling himself forward, toward the title of Pirate King.
And yet it was a lesson that Kid needed to learn. He wasn’t ready then for the next level of experience and strength the Yonko presented. He needed to take a step back and reassess the choices laid out in front of him. He knew he needed more power on his side, hence the alliance with the On Air Pirates and the Hawkins Pirates.
Once more the mechanic regarded Hawkins and thought about his skill to know the percentages of a result. Kid didn’t need to know the outcome of their future battle with the Red Hair Pirates. He was certain of his victory. Now that he had his allies, Kid would carve out his place in the world as the King of Pirates. After all, even mountains fall.
