Akeno has held the lives of many pirates in her many hands. It was never something she felt guilty about before, especially when pirates were the reason that her son was taken from her. But ever since her encounter with the Lion Pirates, a heavy guilt weighed on her heart. An all too human emotion for a woman of her caliber. Her spider trackers watched their every move, watching them search high and low for Masahi. From the top of her cave, she and the rest of the Lion Pirates all were provided a big screen experience of their journey.
Like everything else she did, Captain Shoko searched for Masahi with a passion and tenacity she’s never seen from another. A tenacity only seen from-no. The two of them couldn’t have been related. Just a coincidence, right?
When that week was up and Shoko plus her two people showed up empty handed, it was the first time Akeno could feel her heart drop and crack. Not just for herself, but for Shoko and the Lion Pirates too. What she knew she was about to take.
Over 20 years later, with the help of her son, the navigator of the Reaper Pirates, she gets to say sorry. With more than just words. Looking down at the spot beneath her feet, she closed her eyes and dropped the webs to her target. Feeling the webs of Masahi’s drop to that same spot, every ounce of love poured through those webs. His special way of getting to say thank you to Shoko.
In a cast of smoke, a presence began to form before their very eyes. The once large circle of smoke to the shape of a large woman, a lion woman Akeno recognized. As the smoke and mirrors faded, a loud, boisterous laugh filled the cave, Akeno’s eyes widened at the sound. It wasn’t a coincidence after all.
“Etsuko Nakamura,” Masahi said in a daze, watching her slowly strut towards Shoko. With a crack of her knuckles, Nakamura pulled Shoko into a tight hug. A feeling Shoko hasn’t experienced in 30 years.
“Good to see you again, little sister,” Nakamura greeted, never pulling apart as she kept hugging. With a small smile, Akeno listened to the sounds of Shoko’s sobs of joy. She watched from above as they all reunited and out of the corner of her eye, she watched Masahi pressing his arms close to himself.
“Go say hi, baby, I know you want to,” Akeno encouraged Masahi and with a wide grin, Masahi hopped down to great Nakamura. Her heart swelled as she watched the reunited family all mingle with each other. Reaper Pirates and Fujiwaras alike.
Glancing at the hidden spot where The Pride now rests, a token of getting to meet one of the best women she’s ever known. Compared to everything she took from her, this was one of the smallest things Akeno could take.
If Akeno could take, surely she could give back?
