they hurt you by accident (Straw Hats + Ace, Law, Kaku)
featuring - Zoro x F!Reader, Ace x F!Reader, Sanji x F!Reader, Luffy x F!Reader, Usopp x F!Reader, Law x F!Reader, Kaku x F!Reader
summary - you are accidentally reminded of their strength
warnings - violence, mentions of blood
ZORO
He had meant to hit Sanji.
He really did.
But the idiot had ducked, and you were coming up right behind the cook. And before Zoro knew it, his fist was colliding with your nose.
His eyes widened.
Your eyes widened.
And then you fell backwards, clutching your nose that was now bleeding profusely. And whimpered. Tears filled your eyes before you could stop them. Your bottom lip trembled.
Zoro felt his soul leave his body.
"(Name)!" Sanji cried, turning to Zoro. "You brute!"
Zoro punched him even harder, sending him flying, before rushing to you, picking you up easily. His heavy steps echoed throughout the Sunny as he called for Chopper, sounding...scared? Panicked? Both? Both.
"I'm fine!" You tried to assure him, but your voice shook like you were trying to hold back your pain. "It's just a little blood."
He set you down on your bed and literally carried Chopper to you, dropping the little reindeer medic at your feet. Then he sat down in the corner of your room, like a puppy in a time out.
"Zoro," you called softly when Chopper had bandaged your nose. When he didn't look up, you repeated his name more insistently.
He looked up, and his eyes were pained. Full of guilt and remorse, like he had committed some heinous crime that he couldn't forgive himself for.
"It's okay," you stood up and walked over to him. "I'm fine, see?"
"I hit you," he stated bluntly.
"By accident!"
"I swore not to hit you," he argued.
"Accidents happen," you reminded him. "You didn't mean to."
"Your nose was bleeding," he spoke as if he didn't hear you.
You cupped his cheeks in your hand, guiding his gaze towards you again, "It wasn't your fault. What were you supposed to do?"
"Not hit you."
You groaned, "My point is that you couldn't have predicted you would hit me. And you couldn't have stopped in time. I don't blame you, so there's no reason you should blame yourself."
He looked at you, and you could almost hear the war going on in his head. Then he grabbed you, wrapped his arms around you like he wanted to meld your body with his, and buried his face in your hair.
"I'm sorry."
ACE
The unluckiest deflection of all time.
He was trying to hit an enemy, but one of the other crewmembers stumbled into his path, and the fiery blast ricocheted off that member's sword and hit you.
Your cry of pain and the clang of your weapon hitting the ground almost stopped the commander's heart.
Ace's head snapped in your direction, to see you clutching your burnt arm while ducking away from your attacker's strikes, and his guilt worsened. He quickly took care of that pirate and the one he had initially aimed for, before rushing to your side.
His eyes welling up, "(Name)-"
"It's okay," you quickly reassured him, though you winced right after that when someone clapped you on the back after the fight.
Ace was heartbroken.
He called for Marco immediately, stepping away from you because he didn't trust himself to touch you. He looked like a kicked puppy the entire way back to the ship, and almost jumped overboard when you got there.
"Ace, no!" You grabbed his hat, yanking him back and choking him with the string in the process. "Oops...sorry!"
"No, I deserved that," he pouted. "I'm the worst boyfriend in the world!" He wailed, flopping onto the bed next to you dramatically.
"Because you burnt me by accident?" You laughed. "Key words: by accident. Look, I'm fine!"
He gave you a look.
"I am!" You protested. "Honestly, I didn't even feel it."
"You cried out in pain."
"...I was being dramatic."
Once Marco was finished with your arm, you pulled your sulking boyfriend closer, "Come on, accidents happen."
"I don't want to be the cause of your pain, ever," he looked up at you, his eyes glassy.
Your expression softened, and you wrapped your arms around him tightly, "Seeing you like this is more painful than the actual injury. So can you please forgive yourself? For me?" You flashed him your sweetest smile.
He hesitated, but eventually caved, "Okay...for you. If you're sure you're okay. Are you sure?"
You sighed.
LAW
Trying to surprise Law had gone very poorly.
Honestly, you were more shocked that you actually startled him, but he was on edge after a very intense nightmare he'd had the night before that had shaken him - what it was, he never told you. But it rattled him more than anything ever had, so it must have been bad. Especially for him to have reacted like this to a surprise, which he usually has no reaction to.
He blinked once, twice, wondering if your glassy eyes and watery smile were a figment of his imagination. Because no way he actually hit you...
But there you stood, trying not to cry, smiling through your pain. But your bottom lip trembled, and even the thumbs up you gave him was shaky.
"I'm fine," you reassured him, then sniffed.
And then the first drop of blood hit the ground. Followed shortly by a stream flowing from your nostril. Law's body tensed, and then he was grabbing you and guiding you to your shared room.
"It's just a little blood," you protested.
He didn't say a word, getting to work the moment you sat down. He continued to treat you in silence, a distant look in his eyes that you were not used to seeing.
"Law," you frowned, "It's nothing."
He still didn't say anything, his gaze fixed solely on your nose. He was still rigid, and you could see his body tremble just slightly. Only enough for someone who knew him well enough to notice.
When he was done, he stepped back, opened his mouth to say something...then ultimately decided against it and walked out, disappearing for the rest of the day.
When he finally walked into your shared room again, it was nearing midnight. He had a cup of tea in one hand, and your favourite treat in the other. Again he moved without a word, placing the tea and treat on the table beside your side of the bed.
"Law..." your expression softened, "Thank you, but it really is okay. You did nothing wrong." You sat up slowly.
Then, so quietly you almost didn't hear it, "I'm sorry."
Your eyes widened a fraction, realising how heavily affected he was by striking you - even by accident. You reached for his hand, intertwining your fingers and squeezing it gently.
"There's nothing to apologise for," you told him quietly, timidly, "It wasn't your fault. I don't blame you, so you shouldn't blame yourself. I know you'd never hurt me intentionally."
This seemed to put him at ease, because he slid into the bed next to you and did something you rarely had the pleasure of experiencing - he held you. Just like that, for the rest of the night.
Grounding himself with your presence.
KAKU
Kaku was calm. Reserved. The kind of quiet that made your skin crawl and your heart stop beating.
But in this one moment, he was the most unstable, panicked man you'd ever seen. And it had been harmless, really. Well, almost harmless. Just a small cut on your arm to show for his accidental swing, which had been aimed at a pirate, actually.
But there it was, glaring back at him. A thin line of blood that he was intensely focused on, his eyes wild with panic.
He let out something between a choked sob and a growl. Which you refrained from laughing at, seeing that he currently looked like you'd just told him you were leaving him.
"Kaku, I'm-"
"Bleeding. Right." And he turned to run and get the first aid - yes, in the middle of a battle - to patch up your tiny little cut that you didn't even feel.
"I was going to say I'm-"
"Hurt? I know," he frowned, unnecessarily bandaging your arm. "And it was my fault. I'm sorry."
"I'm fine, Kaku!" You said hurriedly, "And it's a tiny cut that you gave me by accident. There's nothing to apologise for."
He looked like you'd just kicked him, "I gave it to you."
"Is that all you got?" You groaned. "BY ACCIDENT, Kaku."
He spent the rest of the battle distracted by the fact that he had caused you harm. You had to step in a few times to help him, and after the fight you rushed to embrace him.
"Kaku, what happened was not your fault. You couldn't have known that pirate was going to duck. And you couldn't have known I was going to be standing there when he did. So stop blaming yourself because I don't blame you."
He frowned, but as you carried on speaking he slowly relaxed, calmed down, and realised he had, in fact, overreacted.
"I just don't like hurting you, even by accident," he buried his face in your hair.
"I know, but it will happen. Never intentionally, but it will happen. " You kissed his cheek. "Now come on, let's go clean up."
SANJI
He started crying before you did. Literally dropped to his knees and sobbed into his hands, crying a river because he had struck you.
By accident, when a pot slipped from his grasp as he was turning to greet you and smacked you square in the face - splitting your lip. He was devastated at the first sign of blood.
"My love, please forgive me!" He wailed, wrapping his arms around your torso and crying into your stomach.
"What exactly am I forgiving?" You sounded dazed, but otherwise okay. You didn't even realise your lip was bleeding, because you'd had far worse injuries.
"I hit you!" He exclaimed, then recoiled like he was the one who'd been struck.
"By accident," you laughed, pulling him back and running your hand through his hair. "You didn't mean it."
"Chopper!!!" He cried, completely ignoring your reassurance in his panic and self-loathing. He picked you up and ran to the reindeer, plopping you down in front of Chopper.
"What happened?" Chopper asked, before "treating" your bleeding lip.
"I smacked (Name) in the face with a pot!" His eyes welled up again.
"By accident," you added, before Sanji inadvertently made everyone think he was abusing you.
But even when Chopper was done with your very tiny, very insignificant injury, which had taken all of five seconds, the cook grabbed Chopper and shook him frantically.
"Are you sure she's okay??" He demanded. "It isn't going to bleed again?"
"Sanji!" You grabbed the poor reindeer from him, "I'm fine!"
"I'm just making sure, my love," he pouted. "It was a very serious injury after all! I gave it to you!"
"It wasn't-" You sighed, giving up. "Okay, okay, it was. But I'm fine now, see?" You smiled wide. "All good. You can relax, I'm feeling much better and I forgive you."
He looked satisfied with that, and you had to refrain from sighing exaggeratedly.
LUFFY
Sometimes Luffy forgot his own strength. And most of the time, it was you who usually reminded him - in the most painful ways possible.
Take today, for example.
You were busy minding your own business, happily reading a book out in the sun. Maybe your mistake had been wondering where Luffy was and what he was up to, because moments after that disaster struck.
Quite literally.
He was practicing slingshotting himself across the ship, but calculated wrong - big surprise - and ended up shooting you and himself through three solid floors of wood on the ship.
"Luffy!" You groaned and tried to sit up, falling back down when your muscles screamed and your head spun. You didn't even register the exactly blood dripping from your nose.
"Oh, (Name)!" Your doofus boyfriend just grinned at you. "Hi!" Then he noticed the blood, and his eyes widened, "You're hurt!"
"You don't say," you grumbled sarcastically, trying to get up again only to fall face-first onto the floor again.
"Sorry!" He shot to his feet. "But Chopper will fix you!" And just like that, he grabbed you and - you guessed it - slingshot you both out from below deck.
By the time Chopper saw you, you had multiple bruises and a gushing nose.
"What exactly happened?" Chopper scratched his head, rightfully confused. "We've been on the ship the entire day!"
"Ask your captain," you shot your boyfriend a glare, before letting the crew's tiny doctor fix you up.
After you returned to reading, you noticed the ship had become unusually quiet and uneventful. Curious, and a little worried, you went to search for your boyfriend.
Finding him in the kitchen with Sanji, learning how to make your favourite dish - though the cook already looked exasperated. You smiled to yourself and went back to your book. Food was always Luffy's apology, but the gesture was sweet.
USOPP
The irony in this is that Usopp tries so hard to be careful with his explosives, but somehow when making them one almost always explodes - usually in your face or his.
Today was no different.
"(Name)! Come look!" Your boyfriend called, sounding pleased with himself. "I found a new explosive to add!"
That in itself should have told you to stay away, but you were curious. And curiosity always kills the cat. Unless the cat is Luffy, and just bounces back.
You indulged your boyfriend, and paid for it.
Because within seconds of your arrival, the explosive did what it was meant to do - too well. You were both blasted backwards, ad you hit your head on a nearby tree.
Oh, yes, you were also on a new island and didn't know a thing about it or any of the things on it. Hence the explosion.
"Now that...is a good explosive," you mumbled in a daze as you sat up, completely oblivious to the blood trickling from your forehead.
But Usopp noticed, and promptly fainted. Whether from the sight of the blood, or the fact that he had been the cause of your hurt, no one could tell.
When he woke up, you were fine and looking down at him worriedly, but he sat up and engulfed you in a hug that almost broke your bones.
"Woah, what's this for?" You laughed, but returned his embrace.
"I didn't know it would explode like that!" He answered, then started rambling about how if he had known, he would have kept you on the far side of the island.
You laughed, "Usopp, it's okay. I kind of took that risk dating you."
But he wasn't listening, already coming up with a fake story to tell the others when they inevitably asked why you looked so beaten up - even though you didn't, he was just paranoid.
"Nami's going to see right through it!" He wailed, "And then Luffy is going to kick me off the crew for abusing you-"
"Usopp!" You stopped him, laughing harder. "I'm fine. You're fine. No one is kicking anyone off the crew, and certainly no one thinks you abuse me."
He looked up at you, "Okay, but the story is still that we fought off a pack of fire-spitting..."
tags ; slightly obssessive/yandere behavior / kinda unhealthy relationship behavior (?) / some of these are kinda cute and lwk sad tbh / suggestive / fluff / angst
characters ; sanji / trafalgar law / roronoa zoro / captain koby / eustass kid / killer / portgas d. ace / charlotte katakuri / dracule mihawk / kaku
a/n: yandere!reader is kinda underrated. been posting a lot lately. most of these have been in my google docs and collecting dust. this was originally a fem!reader one, if i forgot to replace any female pronouns with gn! ones.. please let me know!!! also, requests will be open again soon!!! <3
𝜗ৎ at first, sanji mistakes your possessiveness for intense devotion and thinks it's sweet.
𝜗ৎ he secretly enjoys how you glare at anyone who flirts with him because, in his mind, "they never stood a chance anyway..."
𝜗ৎ if you start cooking for him before he can cook for you, he'll pout dramatically and insist it's his job to spoil you.
𝜗ৎ every time you cling to his arm in public, his face turns tomato red.
𝜗ৎ whenever another person compliments him, you're smiling politely... while mentally deciding, they don't deserve to look at him.
𝜗ৎ you collect tiny things he throws away. burnt matches, old recipe notes, wine corks, broken buttons. your room has a little box labeled "sanji."
𝜗ৎ you'd always steal one of his dress shirts before he wakes up. sanji pretends to be confused about where they keep disappearing, but he's already started buying extras in your size.
𝜗ৎ you always know when he's overworking himself. somehow, you appear with food, a blanket, and a lecture before he even realizes he's exhausted.
𝜗ৎ you've memorized exactly how he takes his coffee. if someone else brings him one, you're already handing him a "better" cup before they even reach him.
𝜗ৎ notices you've memorized his favorite wines, cigarette brands, and recipes, and he can't help smiling.
𝜗ৎ if someone insults you, he'll defend you immediately... even if you're clearly the one causing problems.
𝜗ৎ if he accidentally calls another person "dear" or any cute nickname out of habit, you spend the rest of the day glued to his side until he laughs and reassures you.
𝜗ৎ law notices your obsession almost immediately but pretends he doesn't.
𝜗ৎ he finds it strangely comforting that someone always knows where he is.
𝜗ৎ if you quietly organize his books or medical supplies while he's asleep, he'll never admit he appreciates it.
𝜗ৎ he'll sigh every time you call him, "my captain," but never correct you.
𝜗ৎ if you scare off someone bothering him, he'll simply glance at the terrified person and continue reading.
𝜗ৎ you've become frighteningly good at reading his moods. one glance at his eyes, and you already know whether he's angry, tired, or pretending he's fine.
𝜗ৎ you unconsciously mirror his sleep schedule. if he's awake studying anatomy until 3 a.m., so are you.
𝜗ৎ every notebook you own has tiny doodles of his tattoos hidden in the corners.
𝜗ৎ you know exactly which books he's reread the most, so you secretly repair worn pages before he notices.
𝜗ৎ everyone assumes you're psychic because you somehow know where the captain is at all times.
𝜗ৎ if he disappears for too long, your thoughts spiral immediately. by the time he returns, you've imagined fifty different disasters..
𝜗ৎ he's completely oblivious for months.
𝜗ৎ if someone insults you, he'll defend you immediately... even if you're clearly the one causing problems.
𝜗ৎ everyone else realizes you're obsessed before he does.
𝜗ৎ once he figures it out, he shrugs. "...could've just told me." like an idiot.
𝜗ৎ doesn't care if you sit beside him during naps.
𝜗ৎ lets you clean and sharpen his swords because he trusts almost no one else.
𝜗ৎ if someone calls you creepy, he'll bluntly answer, "they're bothering you. that's all I care about."
𝜗ৎ you quietly collect the sake cups he's used and wash them yourself.
𝜗ৎ every scar on his body has become familiar to you. you could trace them from memory with your eyes closed.
𝜗ৎ you sit through every nap he takes, refusing to wake him even if your legs fall asleep.
𝜗ৎ if he gets lost, everyone knows you'll somehow find him first.
𝜗ৎ you've learned to sharpen swords just because you wanted to understand something important to him.
𝜗ৎ when he's injured, you hover so much that chopper has to physically push you out of the infirmary.
𝜗ৎ poor koby panics the first time he realizes you're glaring at every marine who talks to him.
𝜗ৎ tries to reassure you over and over that you're the only person he's interested in.
𝜗ৎ gets incredibly flustered if you hold his hand in front of everyone.
𝜗ৎ if you memorize his schedule just to "accidentally" bump into him, he'll blush every single time.
𝜗ৎ secretly keeps every letter and little gift you've ever given him.
𝜗ৎ loves hearing you call him "captain."
𝜗ৎ you remember every promotion date, every accomplishment, every tiny victory he's ever mentioned.
𝜗ৎ you keep newspaper clippings about him folded neatly in a scrapbook.
𝜗ৎ every bruise he gets makes your chest ache more than it hurts him.
𝜗ৎ if someone criticizes him unfairly, you remember their face forever.
𝜗ৎ you never interrupt when he's talking about his dreams. you just stare at him like he's hung the stars himself.
𝜗ৎ every letter he sends gets reread until the folds start wearing out.
𝜗ৎ thinks your obsession is HILARIOUS.
𝜗ৎ brags that his partner is "scarier than half the new world."
𝜗ৎ if someone flirts with him and you immediately step between them, he starts laughing.
𝜗ৎ actually likes how fiercely protective you are.
𝜗ৎ gives you his oversized coat whenever you're cold.
𝜗ৎ calls you ridiculous while letting you monopolize all his attention.
𝜗ৎ everyone thinks you're fearless, but the truth is you're only fearless around him.
𝜗ৎ you've learned the names of every machine on the victoria punk just because he gets excited explaining them.
𝜗ৎ you instinctively stand beside him whenever a fight starts, even if you know you should probably hide.
𝜗ৎ if anyone laughs at his inventions, they suddenly find you standing right behind them with a blunt weapon in your hands.
𝜗ৎ you've gotten used to the smell of metal, smoke, and engine grease because it reminds you of him.
𝜗ৎ sometimes you fall asleep in his workshop just to be near him.
𝜗ৎ killer notices your unhealthy attachment early but approaches it gently.
𝜗ৎ never laughs at your fears.
𝜗ৎ quietly reassures you without making you feel ashamed.
𝜗ৎ lets you braid his hair if it calms you.
𝜗ৎ if nightmares make you cling to him, he'll stay awake until you fall asleep again.
𝜗ৎ he becomes the one person who can consistently ground your emotions.
𝜗ৎ you can recognize his footsteps before anyone else.
𝜗ৎ you never pressure him to remove his mask. to you, he's beautiful exactly as he is.
𝜗ৎ you've become an expert at fixing tears in his clothes because he comes back from battles with new ones every week.
𝜗ৎ when he's quiet, you don't force conversation. you simply exist beside him.
𝜗ৎ you've memorized how he likes his tea without ever asking.
𝜗ৎ every compliment he gives you gets replayed in your head for days.
𝜗ৎ ace accidentally encourages your behavior because he's naturally affectionate.
𝜗ৎ loves surprise hugs even if they nearly knock him over.
𝜗ৎ finds your jealousy amusing until someone genuinely upsets you.
𝜗ৎ if you collect little keepsakes from your dates, he'll treasure the fact you kept them.
𝜗ৎ constantly reminds you that you don't have to compete with anyone because you're already enough for him.
𝜗ৎ gives you forehead kisses whenever you spiral into overthinking.
𝜗ৎ you've started carrying marshmallows because you know he likes roasting random food over his fire.
𝜗ৎ every wanted poster of ace somehow disappears from places you visit.
𝜗ৎ when he falls asleep mid-conversation, you instinctively pull his hat over his face so the sun won't bother him.
𝜗ৎ you've counted every freckle on his cheeks more than once.
𝜗ৎ you have a habit of absentmindedly playing with the beads around his necklace while talking to him.
𝜗ৎ understands insecurity better than most people.
𝜗ৎ never mocks your clinginess.
𝜗ৎ quietly places his scarf around your shoulders if you're anxious.
𝜗ৎ lets you watch him during his private donut breaks because he trusts you that much.
𝜗ৎ if you insist on matching outfits or colors with him, he silently goes along with it.
𝜗ৎ his siblings are shocked by how patient he becomes around you.
𝜗ৎ you've learned dozens of donut recipes hoping one day one will be worthy of him.
𝜗ৎ you instinctively straighten his scarf whenever it slips.
𝜗ৎ nobody notices how often you're watching him because
𝜗ৎ you're very good at pretending you're looking elsewhere.
𝜗ৎ if he praises something you made, you'll think about it for months. hell, maybe even decades.
𝜗ৎ you always save the biggest portion of dessert for him.
𝜗ৎ you can't fall asleep unless you know he's safely home.
𝜗ৎ mihawk notices every obsessive habit without saying a word.
𝜗ৎ finds your constant presence... tolerable.
𝜗ৎ eventually, your footsteps become part of the castle's silence.
𝜗ৎ sometimes pours a second cup of tea before you even ask.
𝜗ৎ if you fall asleep while following him around, he'll place a blanket over you without waking you.
𝜗ৎ his version of affection is allowing you into his solitude.
𝜗ৎ your favorite sound is the soft scrape of his chair across the floor in the morning.
𝜗ৎ you've learned to enjoy silence because it's the language he speaks best.
𝜗ৎ every flower around the castle gets watered because you noticed he never lets them die.
𝜗ৎ sometimes you simply sit across from him for hours without speaking, completely content.
𝜗ৎ you've started reading books you don't even like because he recommended them once.
𝜗ৎ you unconsciously slow your footsteps so they match his pace.
𝜗ৎ he gets so embarrassed when he catches you staring at him.
𝜗ৎ tries to act professional but fails whenever you compliment him.
𝜗ৎ loves when you help polish his swords or fold his clothes.
𝜗ৎ if you wait outside after every mission just to greet him, he'll smile before he realizes it.
𝜗ৎ finds your handwritten notes tucked into his pockets throughout the day.
𝜗ৎ quietly starts leaving little wooden carvings where he knows you'll find them.
𝜗ৎ every wooden carving he absentmindedly leaves behind ends up displayed somewhere in your room.
𝜗ৎ you've started learning carpentry just so you can understand the way he thinks.
𝜗ৎ if he smiles at you unexpectedly, you spend the next hour trying not to smile too.
𝜗ৎ you know exactly when he's lying because his ears turn the slightest shade of pink.
𝜗ৎ every compliment from him feels like a prize you've won.
𝜗ৎ you secretly keep a tiny notebook filled with all the funny things he's ever said.
𝜗ৎ you laugh at his silly 'unfunny' jokes that the rest of the cp0 members don't even understand.
𐔌 ᛝ taglist .ᐟ : @chocolateshortcakesblog
this fic is written by qwehwa 2026 / please do not feed any of my work into ai, copy, plagiarize, nor translate them into any other language— i will snap your neck.
Okay, but bonten with like a SUPER soft gf. Like, we talk like cry on every sad movie ivies with an animal to be specific). Takes things other says to heart. Often like cry over small things and stops to pet EVERY single animal she sees.
Feel free to ignore if you don’t feel like doing this one 😭 I know it’s lowkey weird.
Note : no way it's so cute don't ever worry !! I love it, thank you sm ! I dispatched it between all the characters. I hope it's fine.
m.list | rules
Rindou never minded more than that the fact that you cry a lot. He loves it a lot and it makes him chuckle and laugh more than anything else. He's always there to wipe your tears away when you cry when the dog dies in the movies, or when you tear up at any inconveniences. You wear your heart on your sleeve, you're sensible, the opposite of him, and he cares and loves you for that.
Yet he's the first one to draw a radical line the second you get hurt, in any way, by someone. It's silly and fun until some abuse it and use it against you or to hurt you. He will find who did this, who made you cry and will burn their house down.
Sanzu sighs a lot when you decide something was wrong when he, in fact, didn't care. Yet his heart always skips a beat when he hears you speaking louder than you usually do, mad at people treating him poorly. He listens to you for a while before he finally steps in and holds your hands when he's feeling cheesy, or your elbows when he's a bit tired or high.
"Babe, it's really nothing. Don't worry yourself like that, you'll get wrinkles." He honestly makes you laugh every time, or at least confort you that he doesn't care about anyone's opinion besides yours. And oh how much you love and care for him everyday, he can't even doubt it. He wished you'd stop hurting yourself over things like this, but recognize that your sweet nature is definitely what he loves the most about you.
Ran laughs at you when you get offended for nothing. It can be about something going your way to work to you spiking your coffee on the counter. It's his own comic relief of the day when you're stroming around, a deep frown on your face making you look like a small, angry animal but still defenseless. His laughter always makes it worse, without mentioning his venom filled remarques, to make fun of your overreacting nature. To the point you can cry and not speak to him for hours – but for sure mentioning it all to Rindou.
Ran hates it when you team up with him, because you wouldn't talk to him but Rindou would, on the other hand, mention you and everything you told him to Ran. He's always making the first step to you and apologizing with probably a hundred wroth bouquet and your favorite snacks – promising you he'll never do it again, when he will most certainly do it again.
Seeing you enjoying small things about life is the reason why Mikey kept you around at first, you reminded him of his younger self and his friends at that time. Every time you stop to pet a stranger's dog, a small smile shows on his lips, one you rarely get to see even if you're always the reason for it.
You listen to him so carefully the few times he does talk to you, it makes him feel alive again. You're doing most of the talking and you're always so sorry to take this kich when that's what he loves about you. He makes sure to tell you that he likes it from time to time, just to be sure you won't stop. Your heart is so soft and warm, welcoming him every time you see him again with new facts you learn and an unconditional love that overflows everywhere, and he gets the chance to be showered with it every time.
Kokonoi gets used to you stopping all the time the second you catch the glimpse of a stay animal. So he instinctively adds ten minutes to every trip you two have to do, even if it's only to walk to his car because there's a few stray cats in the parking lot and he's sure you're gonna stop or even wait for them to walk out from their hide spot.
But he just can't bring himself to get impatient when your eyes light up at the sight of the small cats. The way you jolt in joy when their cold nose finally touches your hand, and you look up to him with the softest smile he ever had the chance to witness. Yes, you're usually late, but he just had to snap a picture of you with the white kitten and everyone is accepting the fact that those ten minutes of your happiness are worth the delayed meetings.
Kakucho's always there to rub your back when you cry in front of a movie. He never sees why you cry particularly, but always listen thoughtfully to what you have to say about it. He brings you tissues, sometimes even wipes your nose for you and lets you dive into his arms when a character you like dies. He can't help but tell himself how sensible you are every time, but also how he loves that. You bring him back to his human nature and what it is to be emphatic about normal things, far from his rough life where his life is at risk every time he steps outside the door.
To that, he hopes he'll never be the reason for your tears, and that he'll always be there to wipe them away and shush you down.
Sorry its rather short, tell me if you want a particular hc with one or a whole os.
Sorry to bother but wanted to request - if I could - headcanons for the reader getting jealous with the monster trio, shanks, lucci, and kaku? If not that's okay and I love your writing!
Luffy is a double-edged sword when it comes to your possessiveness. He has many admirers so there’s no shortage of suitors to raise your ire but then he’s so oblivious to all of them that you can’t really get upset over it for long.
The most annoying ones are those who don’t grow dissuaded by his obvious lack of interest in them or outright declarations of love to you. It’s not subtle that you’re dating. He does nothing in his life subtly and he often pulls you in for a random kiss, especially if you’re looking moody thanks to his new admirer.
Sometimes, if you’re feeling particularly jealous, you may even drape yourself against his arm, glaring daggers at the person in question and if they don’t get the hint, you can easily perch yourself in his lap and he will not mind. If anything, he’ll likely cackle and continue with what he was talking about.
He won’t realise that you were jealous unless you (or, more likely, Nami) mentions it. After that, he will not stop teasing you for a few days because what do you have to be jealous of? It’s not like he’s ever going to even look at somebody else. He values loyalty above all else and even though the teasing is annoying, it’s reassuring too.
Zoro
Zoro causes your jealousy to flare more than even he knows because though he may shrug off most of his admirers, his tendency to ignore them rather than straight up denying them can be frustrating.
Some of them get far too touchy and given how your relationship is spoken more in moments of quiet comfort rather than loud declarations, many don’t even realise that he’s with you. This can become quite tiresome when some even assume that you’re similar to them and see you as some kind of competition.
When they get you very on edge, grab him and pull him closer to you, an action that he’ll fall into on instinct alone. He comes into your space easily with eyes only for you and an interested smirk on his face. If the only person around to see is an annoying follower, he has no problem with your distraction.
If you admit to your jealousy later, he’ll be very confused. What do you have to worry about? You know that he is yours. It doesn’t matter how many fools throw themselves at his feet, he’ll never look for anybody else. He reassures you but mentions if this is how you react when jealous, he rather likes it. You slap his arm for the implication.
Sanji
Jealousy will not be an uncommon foe of yours when you’re with Sanji. Honeyed words fall from his tongue constantly, even if his true love is reserved only for you. Most ignore his advances but there are those odd few who find him enigmatic.
Most of those are woman he’s not actively charming and that makes it all the worse because it means they’ve seen glimpses of your Sanji, not the façade he puts up, and they will be quite stubborn. They take his loving words to you as being the same as the ones he shares with others and won’t think you’re anything special.
Drag him in by his tie and stick your tongue in his mouth to completely turn his brain off and make it very clear that you’re not putting up with anybody else trying to move closer to him. He genuinely won’t know what to do but he has never been one to deny you anything that you want even if it makes others uncomfortable.
He will realise your jealousy only days later when he feels the same emotion and will undeniably apologise to you out of the blue quite loudly. If you’ve already forgotten about the incident, don’t worry too much about it, he will apologise regardless and promise to try harder not to make you feel such a ‘horrible’ emotion in the future.
Shanks
There is no denying that you will face jealousy with Shanks, almost every time you dock at an island and the crew traipses through the town. He’s too charismatic for his own good and he draws every interested eye to himself.
While it’s good for free drinks and free meals, it’s the worst for your jealousy that will only grow worse the longer you remain in one place. Anybody who looks hard enough can see that he’s yours (after all, his gaze never strays from you for long) but some are pointedly blind when they want to be.
Eventually, you always grow tired of the flirtatious remarks aimed to him and will perch yourself in the most undeniable seat in the building, his lap. The crew will laugh at your obvious claim every time and he will chuckle too; a hand wrapped tightly around your waist and a kiss pressed to your throat.
Of course, he knows you’re jealous. He’s no fool when it comes to anything, let alone you, the person he pays the most attention to. He will tease you about it when you’re next in his quarters, asking if you really need to worry when you stay here. The answer is always no but you’ll still envy others when they get to close. He is yours, after all.
Lucci
Jealousy, the kind you feel toward others not toward birds who get more matching clothing than you, is rather uncommon when you’re with Lucci. He simply puts forward a far too intimidating front for others to dare approach.
Those who are persistent enough won’t even be aptly awarded for it as his tendency to ignore others in public is quite strong. You can sometimes be included in this if he’s working and that tends to give others the wrong idea. They don’t see the way he lingers a step closer to you than he needs to.
You have to choose your timing when you prove your point otherwise it won’t work. Wait until he’s got nothing important to do and make sure there’s nobody highly ranked around and you’ll get away with pressing into his chest, whispering promises that make him hum in appreciation.
He recognised your jealousy immediately but he will never acknowledge it to you unless you mention it first. He tells you that you’re being foolish for thinking that he would ever show an interest in another but if it genuinely upset you (more than simple annoyance) you may find his words to others grow sharper and more dismissive the next day.
Kaku
It’s surprisingly easy to get jealous when you’re with Kaku – especially if you’re doing anything that requires you to be undercover. He’s too smooth with his words and people often trip over themselves for him.
Despite this, he isn’t shy of informing them that he’s happily taken if they’re blunt enough to flirt directly with him, but some don’t see that as a dissuasion even on the rare job where your relationship can be flaunted. They see you as a simple hurdle in the road and that is never appreciated.
If you turn your jealousy into physical affection, he is never going to turn you away and might even indulge you in it. He will gladly call you by the same saccharine nicknames you toss to him and may even make pointedly loud dirty promises in your ear when his suitors are nearby. They’ll get the hint then.
He won’t mention your jealousy unless you bring it up and he’ll reassure you that it hardly bothers him. If anything, it flatters him that you so clearly don’t enjoy others trying to take his attention from you. He’s always happy to remind you that his care won’t ever stray.
Synopsis: Kaku (who couldn't make it more obvious that he's completely and utterly smitten with you) comes to the rescue when you get stood up on a date.
Word Count: 7k
Tags/Warnings: No Reader Pronouns, Baker!Reader, Fluff, First Date, Angst
Song: If Only My Heart Could Speak (Acoustic Session, Live from Nashville) by Cody Fry
Notes: 13 year old me was so completely and utterly in love with this man it wasn't even funny
Paulie always wondered silently whether Kaku knew what he looked like when he was talking to you. In the past, he noted the times when Kaku’s attention immediately abandoned whatever task was in front of him the moment you stepped into the vicinity. Paulie stopped blinking at the numerous occasions Kaku gradually floated toward you before getting swept up in conversation for as long as any of the foremen would let him. But this was an amalgam of all the moments he’d been trying to ignore if he’d ever seen one.
Because it was times like these in particular—when Kaku was so leaned over the chest-height fence he was one motion from jumping it altogether—that Paulie thought for sure that Kaku had to have some awareness of the way he looked.
Kaku’s tools lay forgotten to the side as he leaned against the fence, his arms crossed over the top. His boot wedged between a section where the chain-link had deteriorated, and his heel absentmindedly moved back and forth like a wagging tail. A plastic bag with the remains of a wrapper and a container hung from his wrist. A light smear frosting was still smudged on the side of his mouth.
“You’re really not going?” You huffed, swiping the sweet speck off his skin with your thumb.
A light chuckle teased from Kaku’s lips, his head tilted to the side. “They’re just lights,” he hummed, his eyes softening as he watched your tongue poise for argument.
“They are not just lights,” you argued, a deep pout forming on your mouth as you wiped your hand on the sleeve of Kaku’s jacket. He didn’t seem to mind. “Water 7 lights up once a year—”
Kaku couldn’t help himself. “Oh, so you mean it happens every year,” he interjected, his closed-lipped grin spreading.
“Kaku!” you scolded.
He didn’t even flinch as you swatted him on the arm, laughing his hardy boyish laugh at the playful annoyance. Instead, the light smack only melted him more. If he leaned any harder over the fence, he’d break it.
“We live on a beautiful island that lights up once a year. You’ve lived here, how long? Five years?” you debated. Kaku nodded once, the corners of his mouth still slightly upturned. “And you’ve never been to the lights festival.”
“I’ve always been workin’, darlin’,” Kaku hummed.
“That’s because you work into second shift like a workaholic.” You rolled your eyes. Kaku would never tell you he only takes the extra shift because it means he gets to see you on your walk home from work. “But even that’s not an excuse, you know. I know what time the yard closes, and you could make it if you wanted to. You just don’t want to go.”
“Are you inviting me to go with you?” Kaku probed, his heel still waggling back and forth.
Your voice stalled as your lips parted and closed. Kaku pursed his growing grin as you looked away. “Well,” you started with a flavor of nonchalance that should have served as a warning, “I figured I’d tag along with some of the foremen. But since you’re working, I guess I’ll tell the guy who invited me earlier that I’ll go with him.”
Your words swiftly wiped the smile off Kaku’s lips.
“Wait, what?” He blinked.
“Kaku!” Paulie’s voice cut through the yard, booming over the sounds of tools and woodworking. “Stop flirting and give us a hand over here!”
Kaku’s ears just about turned red.
“Well, I’ll tell you what everything was like tomorrow,” you sighed. You bid him goodbye for the day, turning on your heel with a newfound mission.
Kaku had no idea who asked you to attend the festival, but the idea of you tracking him down to say yes haunted him for the rest of the shift. Who was it? Did he know him? And if he did, how unethical would it be to apply his skill set to… remove your date for that night? Kaku was hardly the reckless sort, but the thought crossed his mind. He was certainly skilled enough to pull it off, but he quickly dismissed the idea.
He tried to push the thoughts aside, focusing on the board in front of him. He patted his pocket, then the other one. Kaku continued to stare down at the board as his hands searched his toolbelt, and just when he turned his attention to the ground—
“Behind your ear, Romeo,” Lulu gruffed as he passed by.
Kaku’s hand immediately shot to the pencil behind his ear as Lulu continued, flagging down Paulie, who was headed in the opposite direction. “Help him,” he mumbled. “The kid’s down bad.”
Paulie blinked, his head craning over his shoulder to get more information out of Lulu, but he had already disappeared somewhere into the yard. Paulie glanced warily at where Kaku stood, pencil in hand, as he measured a plank on a sawhorse. Paulie continued to glance him over as he approached, folding his clipboard under his arm.
“Hey, bud,” Paulie grumbled around the cigar between his lips. His eyes followed Kaku’s markings. “Rough day?”
“Doin’ just peachy,” Kaku muttered back, snapping his measuring tape back into the reel.
Paulie frowned. “Kaku… That plank isn’t six feet. It’s not even five. What the hell are you doing?” His gaze returned to Kaku’s face, watching the scrunched look of shock wash over him.
Kaku glanced at the plank, then his hand shot to his measuring tape, unfurling it slightly before his eyes closed with a sigh. He’d measured from the wrong side.
“I take it that your conversation earlier… You know, when you were at the fence. I take it that it didn’t go well?” Paulie asked slowly. He didn’t like prying into these things. He didn’t want to pry.
“He fumbled, that’s what he did!” one of the workmen shouted over the noise, turning half the yard’s heads.
Kaku didn’t look up from his plank, already halfway through erasing his earlier pencil markings. His ears burned pink.
“Hey, guys—come on, now—” Paulie winced, holding up a hand in the general direction of the workman, but the others had already smelled blood in the water.
“We’ve seen him trippin’ over his own shadow all day,” another builder interjected, wiping his hands on a rag, “Thought you were gonna topple that fence for sure, Kaku.”
A few surrounding workmen chuckled in the way they typically did when they were shooting the shit around the yard, gradually lifting their attention from their tasks to glance mischievously amongst each other.
“Which one of you idiots asked before him?” one of them hollered, putting a boot up on a nearby stack of planks. “Whoever it was, Kaku’s buyin’ him a beer for doin’ his job for ‘em!” he yelled, waving his dirty rag in the air like it was a goddamn yagara race.
A dull roar erupted. Someone whistled. A few vulgar comments were exchanged before Kaku straightened his back, squaring his shoulders in an attempt to look unbothered.
“Alright, that’s enough,” Kaku said sternly, his usual chipper exterior having been lost since he trudged back from the fence. An uncharacteristic exhaustion had gotten to him. That much was clear as he shot the workmen a look that wasn’t quite a glare, just deeply done. And to a lack of surprise, Kaku’s word was enough.
“Hey, man, you know we’re just givin’ ya’ a hard time.”
“Relax, bud.”
The rest of the workmen resumed their activities, moving on rather quickly as the regular bustle of the yard resumed. Kaku turned back to his plank and promptly jotted down the wrong measurement again.
Paulie blinked down at it.
“Yeah, no,” Paulie said, shaking his head. “With all due respect, you’re useless like this. Go home.” Paulie unceremoniously swiped the pencil from Kaku’s hand.
Kaku’s forehead wrinkled as he frowned. “What? I can finish—”
“You couldn’t finish the alphabet right now.” Paulie shook his head. “You don’t need to be on this shift anyway.”
Kaku took a slow, labored breath, refusing to let the tension he held in his shoulders manifest on his face. He set his pencil down softly. A cloud of sawdust flew into the air as Kaku clapped his hands together.
“Yeah,” Kaku said steadily, still somewhat lost in thought as he began to wrap up his things. “I think you’re right.”
Paulie nodded. “Get some rest. Tomorrow will be better.”
Kaku nodded back, offering a slight, close-lipped smile. It was the most normal he’d appeared all afternoon. “I’ll be right as rain in the morning.”
They didn’t exchange another word as Kaku walked out of the yard. The sounds of machinery, tools, and shouting had long since become white noise to him. The sun was just beginning to set, casting a cotton-candy hue over the sky.
Just as he was about to exit the yard, he met Lucci’s eye. Kaku offered him a nod, but received none in return, and continued passing.
“We’ll talk about this later,” Hattori cooed, and Kaku nearly stopped in his tracks right there. But Lucci continued his work, brushing silently past him.
***
When Kaku returned to his apartment, he’d hardly taken his boots off before he realized he didn’t want to be there. His hand paused at the zipper of his jacket, his gaze glazing over the quiet darkness of his living space, which stood in stark contrast to the restlessness that ruminated inside him. And so, he quickly relaced his shoes, placed down his tools, and exited.
Kaku took a running start, jogging from his front door to the street, before taking off down the street. He took his usual route around the city, his long-legged strides eating the pavement in steady, rhythmic measures as he jumped over canals and then rooftops.
He’d known you about just as long as he’d been living on Water 7. After his initial grocery run to stock his newly acquired apartment, he must’ve sat in your bakery for hours. He’d placed his bag of groceries on the table, leaning in his chair with a plate of the best castella he’d ever tasted in his hand.
Kaku would never forget the way you smiled at him from behind the counter, the conversation flowing between you from the moment you asked, “Oh, you’re not from around here, are you?”
Yes, he sat there at the table right next to the case for hours, watching as you took orders and interacted with customers, and in between, you still found time to continue speaking to him as if the conversation had never been paused.
To boot, the bakery wasn’t too far from the yard. More of Kaku’s paycheck disappeared into your bakery than he’d comfortably acknowledge. You probably acknowledged something similar, because it wasn’t too long before you were dropping by the only section where the walls around the shipyard were low enough to have a conversation over, a package of sweets in hand. And, boy, did you make a mean banana foster.
He was selling the role of Kaku, and if someone as stunning as you decided to gift him a little treat now and then, Kaku wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Or at least, that was how he justified it.
But it was moments like these—when he saw you standing alone on one of the bridges near the outskirts of the city, dressed up and alone—that it took a little more effort to convince himself.
Kaku, the Galley-La foreman, sweet on the owner of a nearby bakery. It rounded the disguise out nicely. A convenient fiction. Too convenient.
He was already leaping over the canal before he could think. The sound of his feet landing on the stone road caused you to turn instinctively. You blinked, your expression morphing in the time it took you to lay eyes on him and before he spoke. Your gaze widened slightly in surprise, then you glanced away with a flicker of sheepishness before you returned to him with a soft relief that washed over your face.
“Evenin’,” Kaku said, tipping the tip of his hat. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.” He glanced subtly around. “Just… saw a familiar face.”
That was it. That was the excuse he’d settled on. It definitely wasn’t because he had simply seen you, and his body moved on its own.
“You didn’t,” you sighed, absentmindedly checking the road behind you from over your shoulder as if you still half-expected someone else. “Turns out my date wasn’t much of one.” You blinked for a moment before turning your attention back to Kaku. “You’re out early.”
Kaku rubbed the back of his neck. “Paulie let me off not too long ago.”
You let out an amused huff, your lips finally forming a slight smile. “And you just let that happen?”
Kaku shrugged, stepping toward you, unable to help the way in which he matched your grin. “I had a feeling.”
You raised a brow. “You had a feeling my date was going to stand me up?” you quipped, shaking your head. “Don’t tell me you killed him!”
Kaku’s breath hitched a beat. Killed him? Only in the abstract sense that Kaku, the foreman, would think about rearranging someone’s teeth after they disrespected someone as kind and beautiful as you. But he wasn’t supposed to think that way. Not as this version of Kaku. Not out loud. Not the way he had already thought about it earlier.
And then you laughed, and the very sound dispelled any tension in the atmosphere like a warm pan melting butter.
Kaku snapped himself out of it, huffing a slow, easy chuckle to harmonize with yours.
“No, no,” he said, shaking his head, “Didn’t lay a hand on the guy. Tempting, though.”
An ember of pride flared in his chest upon hearing you laugh.
“Now, as long as you don’t mind walking with a guy who’s covered in sawdust still—” Kaku offered you a crooked half-smile, patting his shoulder in emphasis as a small cloud of sawdust erupted from the fabric. — “I’ve never seen the lights before.”
Your face lit up as you breathed in a light gasp. You immediately grabbed Kaku by the hand, whisking him off into the city.
***
The two of you didn’t get too far before you slowed your pace. The city didn’t transform as much as it softened under the lights. The streets were the same. Familiar water flowed through the canals, and citizens and tourists alike filled the streets that ran along the stone buildings Kaku walked past every day. But tonight, everything was illuminated in warm, golden lights from string lights that hung between rooftops.
“Did they really put light under the curb this year?” You knelt, glancing over the edge of the walkway into the illuminated water. Sure enough, there were lines of waterproof lights that ran along the under-lip of the walkable streets, casting a magical glow into the water. “That’s so cool!”
“It’s…” Kaku started. The lights, if he were to be honest, were very pretty. But… he wasn’t paying attention to the light. In your excitement, you didn’t seem to notice the way he stared at the glowing spark in your dark pupils; he could hardly see anything else. Part of him felt guilty. He was hardly listening to you. “It’s very pretty.”
Only when Kaku spoke did you turn your glittering gaze to him, an innocent, captivating look in your eyes as if he’d just told you the very secrets of the universe.
“Well, we definitely need to see the city square,” you exclaimed as you stood.
Kaku continued to stare only at you—only at that growing star of pure joy that blazed in your eye as you grabbed his hand to lead him down the way. And perhaps for a moment, it was just the two of you occupying that walkway on the outskirts of town. All the festivities were farther inland, and even as music played in the distance and the water rushed by you, Kaku could only hear the quiet.
For just a moment, as you pointed at the simple lights along your path and held your hand in his, it seemed like you and Kaku were the only people in the entirety of Water 7. If you had told him such a thing, Kaku would have believed the fallacy in an instant.
The corners of his mouth turned upward, pushing his face to crease dimples into his cheeks.
“I can hardly wait,” Kaku breathed, and he meant every word.
He followed next to you as you led the way. Hell, he probably would have followed you to the ends of the earth if you asked. But for now, the “ends of the earth” would have to settle for being the illuminated city square on the island of Water 7.
Lights covered every building in the city, from churches to schools to restaurants. The types of lights varied by district, and there was certainly every type of light currently available to humanity. Lanterns, fairy lights, bulbs, electric and gas lamps of all kinds, and sometimes a combination.
The elementary school was lit with fairy lights and paper lanterns along the entrance. Ships made from popsicle sticks were displayed in the windows. The school doors were open. Parents and children alike carted in and out. What appeared to be an art show of children’s artwork was taking place in the lobby. Carts giving out candied fruits and sweets were parked just outside.
“Wow, color me impressed,” Kaku mused, looking up at the little boats in the windows. “These look a lot better than the ones I used to make when I was a kid.” He nodded a few times, seeming to glance over the tiny armada as if they were actual ships.
“Of course, you made tiny boats as a kid,” you hummed, bumping his shoulder playfully against yours.
Kaku hadn’t thought about it before. There wasn’t much time to be a kid on Guanhao, but the little he remembered outside of training was those tiny boats. He’d make boats out of nearly anything.
“Newspaper, popsicle sticks, anything I could get my hands on,” Kaku said, twisting his story just enough to sound normal. “I used to go to the sea every day to see how long my design would float before going under.” He nodded almost nostalgically, breathing out a tiny huff from his nose.
“So, the whole shipwright thing was fate, huh?”
When he looked at you, you already had your attention on him. The glint of the fairy lights reflected like stars in your dark pupils.
Part of him always wondered the same thing. He was still somewhat young for an agent, and this was his longest undercover assignment thus far. So, when Kaku received word that he was going to be assigned to this island and work as a shipwright, his heart nearly beat out of his chest.
Because his one interest outside training—the one thing he needed to put to the side for the sake of his training—was going to be his profession for the foreseeable future.
A spark of that giddiness flashed across his eyes as he nodded. “Yeah, now that you say it, I suppose it was.”
“I think that’s really lucky,” you said, watching the golden glow of the school cast out onto the pathway. “I don’t think everyone gets to do what they wanted to do when they were kids… but you did. That’s a real hero story, right there. From popsicle sticks to… oh, whatever it is you use in the yard.” You held your palms outward in emphasis as if you were imagining the title of a new comic.
“I don’t know, we might still have some uses for popsicle sticks on some of our ships.” He shrugged teasingly. “Might have to be the new innovation.”
“I’ll alert the media.” You winked at him, and he nearly turned as red as the lanterns around you.
Children continued to flit around you, sparklers in hand. The rush of the canals in the background had long become white noise to you both.
“Did you always want to be a baker?” Kaku asked, his hands clasped behind his back as the two of you floated toward one of the food stalls.
“I think so,” you considered, crossing an arm over your chest and touching the knuckle of your index finger to your lips. “I really liked baking when I was younger, but, uh—okay, you have to promise not to laugh.” You turned to him suddenly, clapping your hands once.
Kaku immediately blinked in apparent shock.
“Promise not to laugh?” Kaku wondered aloud, his dimples still ever-present.
“Promise not to laugh,” you repeated, turning to extend your index finger with emphasis.
Kaku held a hand over his heart, slowly blinking as he leaned slightly forward. “I solemnly swear.” He bowed, ever the gentleman.
You seemed satisfied with that answer as both of you moved up in line. You squared your shoulders, hands clasped together. “When I was really young—” You tilted your head to the side. — “I got it in my head that I desperately wanted to be a government spy,” you admitted, shaking your head a few times.
If Kaku had been drinking something, he might’ve spat it out. The look that flashed across his gaze was more evident than any semblance of emotion Kaku had ever let slip before. In all five years of living undercover in Water 7, he’d neveraccidentally let his thoughts show on his face. That was a fundamental skill that was drilled into him during his time on Guanhao. A core, absentminded tool he never had to check twice.
And yet, there he stood. A whole lifetime of training, undone by one simple sentence.
But it wasn’t enough that your words had pierced the blink spot in his training. No, the worst had to be the way you noticed his expression flicker, cocking your head to the side again.
God, he watched you notice.
His lips parted to recover.
“I just… didn’t expect that,” he laughed softly. A signature Kaku laugh. Friendly. Light. Definitely not a government agent laugh.
“I know I don’t really look the government spy part,” you continued, looking absentmindedly at the lights around you. “I mean, what would I do? Smuggle secret messages in pastries?”
Kaku’s composure fluctuated as you moved up in line. The fact that he could list at least ten bakery-based dead-drop methods in that moment was beside the point. He had to nod. He had to agree. Say something. And that something was not—
Hollow buns with messages inside.
Messages printing on the bottom of cupcake wrappers.
“You… might be surprised what counts as spy work,” he forced out another breathy laugh, trying not to make it sound too obvious he was speaking from experience.
Messages disguised as decorative writing.
Burnaway pastry paper.
“Oh, so I could be a spy?” you snickered with a disbelieving roll of your eyes. You lightly knocked Kaku’s shoulder with your own.
Menu codes.
Flavor codes.
“Can’t let down that inner child of yours now, can you?” Kaku offered, just as the two of you reached the counter. “Do you happen to be hungry?”
Recipe ciphers.
Order phrases.
“I’ve been waiting for festival food all day,” you confessed, and that was all you needed to say.
Kaku leaned an elbow on the counter, facing you with a sweetly mischievous expression as he told the vendor, “One of everything, please.”
You gaped at him a moment, somewhere between shocked and impressed. But just as you were fishing out the proper amount of berries, Kaku paid the entire cost in full.
You pouted slightly. “Okay, you have to let me pay you back for that.”
Kaku pretended not to hear you as he received the first of your snacks—a very ornate bouquet of candied fruits. “Hold this for a sec, why don’t ‘cha?”
You playfully shook your head, receiving the fruits in concession. “I’m going to pay you back next time,” you declared as Kaku handed another festival snack to you.
“Right, right, sure thing,” he teased, having no intention of ever letting you do such a thing.
Messages written under eggs in a carton.
Ciphers decorated into bread crust.
***
By the time the two of you had received your snacks, Kaku wished he had brought his toolbelt along. It turns out that one of everything was a lot of food. And so, you trekked down the street to find a good spot to camp out and eat some of your cargo.
You found a set of stairs to sit on, which overlooked a few intersecting canals. Your strategy appeared to be to make the rounds of all the snacks, trying to keep things somewhat even as your favorite dwindled slightly faster. Kaku, however, was trying to hide just how much candied citrus he’d inhaled.
Yagara bulls swam through the water, carting their little boats. Their reins were decked with colored lights, and many of them wore different costumes. You spied a few wearing pirate caps and a handful more wore masks, horns, and animal ears. You saw some in the distance that appeared to have been dressed up as Galley-La foremen.
You stood back up, touching Kaku’s arm lightly as you pointed. “Hey, uh, do you think that one’s supposed to be you?”
Kaku absentmindedly leaned toward you to follow your line of sight. The yagara bull wore a white Galley-La hat and a lopsided orange-and-blue shawl around its long neck. The reins were decorated with fake tools like a belt. But the real striking detail was the long, papier-mache nose that sat on its snout. You looked toward him with an almost tentative smile.
He looked at the bull for a moment, and then the corners of his lips flickered upward. A wide grin broke out over his mouth, and then he barked out a sharp, sudden laugh. Another broke loose, even louder this time, and before he could stop himself, Kaku doubled over, his hands blacked on his knees. His shoulders shook as an ugly, shrill sound halfway between disbelief and pure delight tore from him, loud enough to startle a passing dog.
“Oh—oh, come on,” he gasped, gesturing a whole hand toward the bull. “Look at it! Look at that!”
You laughed with him, yours far softer than Kaku’s. You were far more invested in Kaku’s complete collapse over the yagara bull. He was always rather chipper but mostly work-oriented. But now, as Kaku struggled to straighten out, still choking on his own laughter, you found yourself laughing harder at him than at the bull.
This wasn’t the polite, sunny Kaku you knew from the yard. In fact, you didn’t think you had ever seen him this undone. Perhaps he came close when he visited your bakery, but never like this. He was already young as it was, but something about his laughter almost made him look younger, lighter, and boyish.
“You know—” You grinned, taking your chances as Kaku was just beginning to regain his composure. — “I think you need to go over and say hi.”
The expression of realization took over Kaku’s face in an instant. His eyes widened, and he gaped slightly.
“C’mon.”
You grabbed his sleeve again, making for the nearest bridge. Kaku followed like he had no control over his own legs, grinning like an idiot the whole time as you weaved through the crowd. You waved your free hand to flag down the riders.
The riders seemed to understand, waving back to you as they pulled over to the edge of the canal. As you grew closer, it became clear that Kaku wasn’t the only one who’d had his likeness stolen by a yagara bull.
Yagara Lucci sported a top hat, a goatee, and angry eyebrows. Yagara Paulie wore goggles on its forehead. A fake cigar was strapped to the cheekpiece of the reins. Tilestone and Lulu were also there, cheekily donning their respective facial hair and work belts.
“Oh, now that’s just mean,” Kaku mused, beaming through every word. He caught more details up close: the little tools shoved into the toolbelt, the way the hat was cut to accommodate the bull’s crest, and the excessive length the creators gave the nose.
A group of kids no older than ten sat in the boats, each driving their own bull, which were now stopped in a loose line. The one in the boat pulled by the Kaku bull stared with wide eyes at Kaku (the man), hitting his friend on the arm without looking.
“Dude, dude, it’s the guy! It’s the real guy!”
“Do you like ‘em?” A girl missing front teeth waved enthusiastically as she stood. She gestured to the entire ensemble of bulls. “We made ‘em ourselves!”
Kaku stepped forward, hands on his hips and grinning widely. “Heh, that’s me. That—that’s me as a yagara bull,” he wheezed.
You pressed a hand to your mouth, hardly stifling a snort. “They… got them all. That one looks just like Lucci.” You pointed to the very angled eyebrows that resembled mirrored sevens more than facial hair.
Kaku squatted down so he was eye level with the kids. “You all made these?” he asked, his voice light but undeniably impressed.
“Yeah!” the group chorused, their boats rocking on the illuminated water.
“What? No way!” he teased, turning toward the Kaku horse. He glanced it over, evaluating it as if it were a real ship. “That’s some craftsmanship.”
“It’s true!” A boy in a Galley-La hat exclaimed. “I painted the hammers and the hats and—and the name tags!”
“I made the eyebrows!” A little girl with dried paint still on her hands shouted.
“I also made the eyebrows!”
“And the beards!”
“No kidding!” Kaku bellowed, gaping with exaggeration. “Did you paint the eyebrows on the Lucci’s bull? That thing looks meaner than the real one.” He gestured toward it, and the yagara bull flashed a sinister-looking grin.
The girl who’d done it giggled. “I made the beard too!”
“Well, you got it spot on.” Kaku offered her a high five, and she gleefully accepted. “Excellent work. We might need all of you down at the shipyard to help us.” He went down the line, stretching whichever way he needed to give each kid their well-deserved high five.
“Okay, I have to get a picture,” you said, pulling out a photography snail.
Kaku sat at the edge of the canal, the bull bearing his likeness right behind him. It rested its muzzle on Kaku’s shoulder as the kids gathered around as safely as they could with paper lanterns in their hands.
“Smile!” you said.
“What are you talkin’ about? I haven’t stopped smiling since we got here!” Kaku grinned, and you snapped the picture.
Kaku laughed again, finally standing to his full height, and once both of you bid farewell to the children, you continued to see the rest of the lights. And for the briefest moment, as the night darkened around you and the lanterns only glowed brighter, Kaku forgot entirely that he was supposed to be undercover at all.
***
The two of you stayed out far later than either of you had anticipated. You continued to walk the city even as vendors began packing up their stalls before taking a water taxi across the canals, even though Kaku could have leaped the two of you over them with less than a step of a running start. And at the end of the night, you ended up back at your bakery.
It was the first building Kaku had seen in a while that was dark inside, save for one running security light around your cash register. You fished out the key, unlocking the door to an establishment Kaku had stepped foot in a million times before.
“Still have some room for some castella?” you asked, smiling at him gently as you held the door open.
Kaku could have eaten all the candied fruit in the city, and he’d still have room for your baked goods.
“Always,” he said, and you entered the bakery together.
“I don’t have much left out front,” you admitted, your head tilting to the side with a somewhat sheepish expression. “I didn’t think I’d sell out on a festival day, but it seems like people really had a taste for sweets today.”
The air inside still carried the warm scent of flour and butter, clean and sweet. Most of the display cases were wiped clean, the trays stacked neatly behind the glass. It wasn’t an all too unfamiliar sight to Kaku. Sometimes, if he made it too late, you’d already be sold out. But…
You walked toward the counter, circumventing the cases. Kaku stood in the middle of the shop, breathing in the space. He’d never been here after dark—you always closed before then—and in the hush of a world winding down, the bakery felt strangely ethereal, like a place suspended outside ordinary time.
“Stay right there. I set something aside earlier,” you said with a lifted finger before disappearing into the kitchen.
“You set something aside for me?” Kaku mused with barely restrained joy.
“I thought I’d give it to you tomorrow!” you called, your voice muffled as the swinging door flapped back and forth in the doorway.
He heard the faint clicking of a door and the rustling of parchment. Kaku glanced around the bakery, which suddenly felt a lot smaller than it usually did. He wiped his clammy palms on the sides of his pants, internally blaming his proximity to ovens as the reason his collar suddenly felt so warm.
When you returned, you were balancing a warm loaf of castells on a small wooden board. The thick pieces were fresh and steaming, already filling the air with a delicious fragrance. You set down two plates on his usual table along with utensils.
“Tea?” you asked softly.
Kaku hardly trusted himself to answer you. He nodded far too many times before he did. “Yes, yes, please.” His voice cracked.
If you noticed, you didn’t say anything.
“Tea it is,” you said, returning to the kitchen.
Kaku sat down, running his hands over his knees. He was a goddamn agent for heaven’s sake, and he needed to start acting like one. He looked up, suddenly infatuated with the elegant patterns on your ceiling tile.
“Anything interesting up there?”
Kaku’s heart jumped. When he snapped out of his trance, you were standing across from him, eyes also on the ceiling. You’d already set two teacups on the table. A warm teapot was braced in your hands. Hell, maybe you could be an agent after all.
“No, uh…” Kaku tried to shake himself out of it. “Nice tiles,” he opted.
You laughed, though not at him. “I always thought so,” you said, sitting down. “I think the last tenant was married to a tilemaker. Or maybe it was the last landlord?”
You served Kaku a slice of cake on a delicate plate, then poured him a cup of tea.
“That’ll… That’ll do it,” he said, and having officially run out of things today, he took a bite.
Kaku nearly groaned at the flavor. No matter how many times he had your baking, he’d never get used to how amazing your pastries were.
“This is…” He needed a second to regain himself. After two goddamn words. “This is unfairly good. As usual.” Kaku took another bite, somehow having already made it halfway through his already generous slice.
You laughed gently, lifting your teacup to your lips.
The bakery felt very small. It felt smaller with you sitting so close. The two of you alone. And for a moment, you ate together in silence like the world around you had fallen away. Perhaps Kaku would have liked that version of reality.
“Can I ask you something?” you asked carefully, glancing off to the side.
Kaku stopped mid-bite, almost as if he were a school kid who’d just gotten in trouble. He blinked once. “Of course,” he replied, already sorting through possible scenarios in his head like a Rolodex.
You sighed, setting your fork down as you leaned both elbows on the table in front of you. You looked him straight in the eye. “I always thought you weren’t interested,” you said with all the nonchalance in the world. “At least, not in me, anyway.”
Kaku nearly short-circuited.
Never in a million years did he expect…
Your chest deflated as you glanced off to the side again, this time settling your cheek in your palm. “You’d come in all the time, sure, but I never knew if you were just being… nice? Friendly? Everyone’s always talking about how friendly you are. Or I never knew if it was just that you liked sweets, so I just started bringing you some in case I was—oh… You know.” You removed your face from your hand, waving your fingers in a circular motion as you tried to put your thoughts into words. “Imaginging things,” you settled on.
“Imagining things?” Kaku repeated, his gaze dropping to his half-eaten castella. He scoffed out a slight, bitter laugh. Here you were in front of him, talking about imagining things when you’ve read him better than anyone had in a long time.
“Trust me… If there was any imagining going on… it was on my end.” He let out another sharp laugh, one that dulled and faded in the sweet air. “I wanted to be clearer. I—” He looked up at you, his hands gingerly cupped around his plate. — “I just… had to be careful.”
He had to suppress the way his chest twinged. Not because he was an agent. Not because he was supposed to be able to hold back his emotions. No, it was because you were sitting across from him, and when you stared over the table, you saw Kaku, the cheerful foreman who worked at the Galley-La Company.
You saw the shell he’d been telling himself for years he’d crafted to perfection. You brought that version of him his favorite food and kept that version of Kaku talking at the fence, and God, you wanted him, too, and you had no idea what was going on just beneath the surface of this city.
“Careful of what?” you teased. “Scarring me off?”
Those words marked the umpteenth time Kaku let the silence invade the space that should’ve been taken up by his clever words. His entire lifetime had built him up to be able to control any conversation, but tonight, silence was getting the better of him.
Tonight, you insisted on pulling things out of him that he wanted to keep tamped down.
Because for a second—just a split second—Kaku wondered what the world would look like if he told you everything then and there. He wondered in which ways the universe would contort if you ran away together that night and hid away on some faraway island where not even Rob Lucci could find you. But the thought was fleeting. Just as fleeting as those newspaper boats in the sea.
“Yes,” he answered truthfully. His lips parted, then closed.
This wasn’t supposed to happen. He wasn’t supposed to let it happen. It wasn’t supposed to get this involved.
A moment passed, and Kaku just thought.
You didn’t say a word.
The lie he’d been telling himself crumbled like the strawman it was, because Kaku should have known that having a well-known crush on the local baker wasn’t something he could ever keep that way. And it had never seemed clearer that everyone else knew it too. Lucci. The guys at the yard. Perhaps even you did to a certain degree.
But there was a time he’d have to leave and never come back. It wasn’t a matter of if, but when he might have to do irrevocable damage to this island and disappear. Maybe it was a cruel fate that your date stood you up that night and left you with him, a man who was about to overstep a line that shouldn’t be crossed.
“I don’t want to mess this up,” he blurted, knowing very well the decision he was making.
Perhaps tonight—perhaps for this job—he could bend the rules.
He could let Kaku the shipwright win.
And the consequences? Well…
“I am…” His eyes flickered from the table, back to your eyes. Kaku leaned forward, his forearms braced on the table. Serious. Vulnerable. “I am interested. Very interested,” he breathed.
You couldn’t help the bashful grin that widened your lips. Your fingers brushed the edge of his plate, close enough to touch his. A small brush. A small allowance.
“Then… don’t stop being interested,” you said softly, never taking his eyes off you for a second.
Kaku’s chest tightened. He knew better. He knew this wasn’t something he’d be able to walk away from… But he was tired of walking away from things that felt good. He was tired of scrounging for scraps to make boats, only to hide them beneath the ocean waves. He was tired of waiting for an assignment where he could fudge the line between work and joy.
He was tired of pretending he couldn’t have this.
In the warm quiet of the empty bakery, surrounded by the scent of tea and his favorite cake, he let himself fall just a little.
Just enough for tonight.
Just enough to reignite the lie that he was allowed to have this.
Allowed to have you.
Thank you to all who liked, reblogged, followed, and supported. Your support means so much and is greatly appreciated.
I feel like Yandere Katakuri wants kids but would use IVF with his sperm because he's afraid of hurting his Darling. Corazon would respect your choice no matter you want. Doffy is giving you a baby whatever you want one or not. Crocodile it's hard to say. Buggy maybe. Rob Lucci would probably do that to control you. Paulie wouldn't. Kaku? Yes he wants kids. Ace and Yamato (they're a package deal): would want kids but if you're scared then Yamato could be the surrogate.
I agree with Katakuri doing IVF or artificial insemination for his darling because that's literally the only way to do that without killing them if they're a normal size. Katakuri would be extremely doting throughout the pregnancy and is openly excited about the baby.
Corazon wouldn't force you, but he gets this longing look in his eyes whenever he sees someone with a baby in public and looks like a kicked puppy.
I have touched on Doflamingo as a dad here. In a scenario where he chooses to have a kid with his darling, it is not optional or up for debate. You should just be grateful that he's "blessing" you with the opportunity to help continue his bloodline.
Crocodile is very on the fence about it. On one hand, the idea of raising a child has basically no appeal to him, but at the same time it feels like a shame to not have an heir to pass down his life's work and achievements to.
Buggy staunchly says that he doesn't want or even like kids, but then he has a whoopsie-baby and now being a dad is his entire personality.
I firmly believe that Lucci is the most child free looking man I've ever seen. He has zero interest in having children of his own, and he's strong enough to not need a baby to control his darling.
Paulie is another fence sitter. He wouldn't mind having kids, but he's hesitant to bring it up. He gives me girl dad vibes and would be a complete push over for them.
Kaku is dying to have a family of his own, but he's at least flexible with how he acquires it. He would be just as happy to adopt children as he would be to have biological ones.
Ace is terrified of reproducing. If he has a biological child, it was a genuine accident and he feels like he's going to have a heart attack when he gets the news. Yamato is very neutral on children. He likes them, but he was fine with not having any after seeing how stressed out Ace got when the subject was broached.
!!Hello, good afternoon. Excuse me, I loved the story of the reader who has the ability to read stones. I don't remember his name. But can you make one where he escapes from CP9? The harem would be Lucci Kaku.Kalifa and Jabra But there the reader escapes but before he leaves them a gift I leave it to your imagination Please I would love to see one
glad u loved it! its not much but i hope u like this!!
Secrets in Stone
When CP9 stumbles across a mysterious stranger who can read poneglyphs, their mission turns from capture to chaotic obsession.
CP9 x gn! reader
Tags: fluff, flirty, chaos
a/n: this js me trying to write ffs, this is experimental and for fun only, so expect this ff cringe and oc
word count: 828
masterlist | ko-fi
: 𓏲🐋 ๋࣭ ࣪ ˖✩࿐࿔ 🌊
The day was supposed to be simple.
You perched atop a crumbled temple ruin, legs dangling over the mossy stone, casually brushing dust off an ancient poneglyph slab. The symbols glowed faintly under your touch, and you tilted your head thoughtfully before speaking aloud in a clear, ancient tongue.
A bird cawed somewhere above, startled into flight — but otherwise, the jungle remained eerily quiet.
Unbeknownst to you (well, actually, you had sensed them miles away — you weren’t clueless), five very unwanted visitors were lurking nearby.
“This is it,” Spandam whispered, waving his arms like an overexcited tour guide. “The ruin where the said energy signature came from! Move it, CP9!”
"Tch, keep your voice down, idiot," Lucci muttered, hands stuffed lazily into his pockets, but his eyes sharpened in the direction of your voice.
"Huh? You hear that?" Jabra’s ears twitched as he sniffed the air dramatically. "Someone’s already here!"
"Impossible," Kalifa adjusted her glasses, heels clicking softly as she moved through the brush. "No civilian could've bypassed the government’s perimeter."
"Unless they’re better than you," Kaku quipped with a cheeky grin.
Kalifa glared. "You wanna test that theory, Giraffe-boy?"
They emerged from the dense foliage like a pack of chaotic hyenas, just in time to see you — calm, glowing faintly under the light of the poneglyph — speaking it aloud.
Dead silence.
You finished the last line, tapping the stone gently as if saying goodbye to an old friend. "Huh. That was easier than last time."
Then you turned casually, meeting four wide-eyed CP9 agents and one screeching Spandam.
"Wh-WHAT?! Another one who can READ THEM?!" Spandam screeched, practically foaming at the mouth.
He turned to his agents. "Capture them immediately!! They're government property now!!!"
You dusted off your hands, unfazed.
"…Tch. Was hoping to avoid this."
You rolled your neck until it cracked and lazily picked up your weapon of choice — a strange-looking whip, glowing faintly with ancient runes.
.
.
Lucci blurred forward with Soru, fingers twitching with deadly Shigan precision. But you sidestepped smoothly, your own body flickering with a power that looked suspiciously like Soru — but faster, a custom technique you called "Phantom Step."
He grunted in surprise, landing where you were, not where you are.
Kaku came next, flipping into the air with Rankyaku, sending a blade of compressed air slicing toward you.
You spun your whip, the ancient runes shimmering. With a casual flick, the whip shattered the air blade with a crack that shook the ruins.
Kalifa tried to close in with her Awa Awa no Mi powers, bubbles already forming between her fingers, smirking.
"Don’t worry, I’ll make you nice and clean," she purred, blowing a kiss laced with shimmering soap bubbles.
You blew her a kiss back — and in the same motion, snapped your whip to dissolve her bubbles mid-air.
"Sorry, sweetheart," you teased coolly. "I don't do bubble baths on first dates."
Kalifa stammered, cheeks flushing pink.
And then, Jabra — sweet chaotic Jabra — lunged at you in hybrid wolf form, snarling, fangs bared.
"You won't be so cocky once I chew your—"
You ducked under him mid-sentence, used Phantom Step to appear behind him, and flicked his ear with two fingers. "Down, boy."
Jabra yelped, skidding face-first into a wall.
"WHAT ARE YOU FOUR DOING?! CAPTURE THEM!!" Spandam shrieked again.
The CP9 agents stood there, battle-ready… but weirdly hesitant.
Because now that they’d actually seen you — how you moved, how effortlessly you dismantled their attacks, the cool confidence radiating off you —
…it was way less about capturing you and way more about "holy shit, they're hot."
"They're… impressive," Lucci muttered under his breath, narrowed eyes lingering on the curve of your mouth when you smirked.
"No kidding," Kaku agreed, grinning wide.
"I wanna wrestle them," Jabra said immediately.
"Pervert," Kalifa and Kaku said in perfect unison.
You stretched lazily, letting your whip dangle at your side. "Look," you said, voice dripping with casual arrogance, "I don’t have time for government clowns. I got bigger stones to read, if you know what I mean."
Jabra visibly wagged his tail.
You decided it was time to leave.
But not without a little gift.
Later that night, when CP9 regrouped at their makeshift camp — bruised, flustered, and thoroughly bewildered — they found something waiting for them in the center of their campfire:
A small, folded piece of parchment.
On it: a crude little doodle of all four CP9 members getting their asses handed to them by a stick-figure version of you, labeled “ME :)”.
And underneath, in neat cursive:
"Catch me if you can. - (Y/N)"
Spandam combusted from rage.
The others?
Lucci stared at the note for a long time, a smirk twitching at the edge of his lips.
Kaku burst out laughing, clutching his sides.
Kalifa looked like she wanted to be mad, but was mostly trying to hide her blush.
Jabra immediately declared he was “in love.”
