Girl, I’m SO happy I stumbled across your blog—it’s insanely cute and your writing is absolutely amazing!! You’re officially in my top favorite blogs on Tumblr!!
Okay, hear me out: I would LOVE to see you write about Shanks with a Kuja empress (who ruled before Boa), where the most beautiful and strongest woman on the seas falls completely head over heels for him—and he’s an even bigger simp for her!! Like, I just know it would be the CUTEST thing ever!!!
HEAT BETWEEN THE SEA .ᐟ.ᐟ
──★ synopsis !!: a love amidst the sea is never easy, especially for a Kuja Empress who's every step makes men drop to their knees in love. its even harder when love sickness aims for a Red Haired Shanks. but for him? he's had his sights on her since day one.
──★ or, in which !!: a rowdy encounter with the Red Hair Pirates brings Shanks closer to the woman he worships, a fateful thread growing between you and the emperor. so, what happens when an Empress and Emperor start matching energies on the waves of love?
──★ pairings !!: shanks x fem! reader
──★ tags !!: heavy mutual pining, slight crack-fic, kuja empress! reader, reader has that "Shakky affect", small preview, might make a part 2, skanks is downnn badd, lowkey loser shanks, two idiots having no idea how to talk to their crush, lotsss of fluff, usage of "y/n", readers power is not specified, does not follow main anime/manga plot whatsoever !!
──★ word count !!: 4.8k words !!
──★ extras !!: stop this was soo fun to write, but ugh i kinda hate the start, but god i love shanks sm. especially when he's kissing the ground the reader walks on. can you tell i have a type? i hope i did it justice, im sorry if not but ty for the request anyways !!
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©chuugiwara, do not copy, plagiarize or translate my work. thank you ༄.° masterlist ୨
within the grand pirating world, there was nobody on the entire planet that did it like you did. a Kuja Empress that held the title of the worlds treasure. a beauty sought out by many, but forever maintained by none. you weren't just a pretty face on a pirate ship, no, you were far more than just that.
a firm and influential belief in your Kuja culture spoke of many things, but one that passed itself down from generation to generation was seared into your very soul since the day you were born. strength, was the equivalent to beauty. and you were the untouchable queen that reigned over such a title without lifting a single pretty finger.
men and women alike, no matter the time or place, fell to their knees at the mere sight of you. an occurrence that never failed, and one you never got tired of. you knew of the power you held, and you were never one to shy away from it. what could you say, you were born into greatness since day one, and the very world itself would never let you forget such a thing.
hand placed against your hip; you felt the chilled scales slither around your arm and settled itself around your shoulder with grace as you stood forefront of your ship. a soft hiss from your serpent spoke softly into your ears, breaking apart the loud orders called from the women hauling the sails on the ship to catch more speed.
"Empress y/n," the cape across your shoulders shifted as you turned, eyes narrowed to the voice. she faltered, blush on her face to the blessing of having you directly look at her. she fiddled with her hands, sharply inhaling as if remember the matter at hand. "a ship is approaching, and fast!" women scattered around the ship behind her, most preparing their weapons the second the vessel bold enough to steer itself into the way of a Kuja Pirate's ship got close enough.
another voice pulled from the mast, distain written into it. "full of men!" spoken like a vial thing, you gave a soft click of your tongue to that, stepping from your post and moving to see what the commotion was about. if it were a group of men, with the crew you held in your perfect hands; there was no way they would make a move against you. no person in this planet, much less a man, could resist the women of Amazon Lily, especially if that woman so happened to be you.
you shot a grin, stunning even the woman of your crew as you caught sight of the jolly roger flying proudly from the ship that tried to interject your route. the captain had guts, you'll give him that. still, a foolish move. "stand down," your voice smoothened out, the sarong-like skirt that held the symbol of the Kuja woven into it in your favorite color bristled against your legs.
confusion spread through the air, the Red Hair pirates hauling in closer as the snake around your shoulders hissed in distaste to the sight of them. almost as quickly as they appeared, you heard the cheers of the crew foolish enough to cross your path.
a banner, music, cheers, and men swooning as they caught a look at you was the only sight you received. in that banner, the words written in haste made you blink in shock. "Empress y/n, we can give you the world!!"
your lips curved into a sneer, the members of the Red Hair pirating cheering as you leaned against the post of your ship. "how sweet," you laughed out, the women surrounding you steady and firm, weapons aimed precisely on each member. one single move, and each one would be hit. that you were sure of.
screams carried from the ship, the men aboard dropping to their knees with hearts plastered in their eyes as if they had been shot already. "to give me a gift i already own." you purred out, mocking their efforts with a sweetness that covered your insult. giggles shifted to your words, your own crew supporting the teasing words against the ludicrous display of affection to their empress.
the cheers seemed to die down, boots clicking against the deck of the Red Force ship. a face you had merely glanced at on the newsletters met your eyes. he held a grin, carefree as if his insolence towards the women of Amazon Lily were merely a joke. you rose a brow, and Shanks let himself watch you shamelessly.
you were gorgeous. enough to scold the man who had been lucky enough to take a picture of you for your wanted poster. he hadn't done nearly as good of a job to capture the beauty in front of him. Shanks laughed. soft, with a dull shake of his head as he kept one arm leaned against the post of his own ship.
mimicking you, the two of you seemed to clash against each other in a cold chill through the sea. enough to make even his men freeze, because no man could look into your eyes and not lose all sense of reasonings. Shanks could see the surprise in your eyes, a quick flicker before you settled yourself before him. the emperor had to admit, even he should have been scolded. no matter how long he had chased for a mere sight of you, what his mind could conjure in adoration for you, was also not enough to capture what his eyes did now. he felt his smile grow, a power between two untouchable captains blazing together and boiling the sea itself.
smoothly, with a coldness that made Shanks shiver in delight, he heard you speak. "Red Hair Shanks," his name was like a sin he would chase for the rest of his life against your lips, and he only smiled harder as if you had just blessed his entire bloodline.
you knew his name. that in itself was a blessing for him. "i suggest you clear yourself from my path." a threat, but one that landed so sweetly the world seemed to jump in a sugar rush. Lucky Roux, with a drumstick in his hand and eyes so wide Shanks was sure his friend was close to falling apart at the seams any second, was the first to speak.
"for a Kuja, you certainly have the heart of a sea beast," your face flushed to that, that smile you saved for Shanks wiped clean off to the pitiful efforts of a flirt. Shanks felt himself grimace to that, swallowing as he slowly turned to you. you rose a brow. the skirt you wore that cut off shorter than any other empress of the Kuja wore shifted as you leaned on your hip. you were waiting for him to correct his crewmates mistake.
quickly, Shanks cleared his throat. "deep as the abyss itself."
translation, please? Shanks was trying to say, 'your beauty is as deep as the abyss itself.'
but that is not what had come from his mouth, and Yasopp gave a cackle to his captain's words. you watched, appalled to the sheer audacity coming from the crew before you. slowly, you rubbed at your eyes as if you were merely stuck in a dream.
quickly, a woman from your crew interjected with ease. "mind your tongue when you speak to our empress!" she hissed out, and Shanks audibly gave a groan to the situation. his hand dragged across his face in absolute mortification. this was not what he had planned at all. he wasn't trying to insult you, god- of course not. he just didn't know how to even compliment a woman that breathtaking. much less one he had been pining for all this life as a captain.
where would he even begin. anything he could say would no doubt have already been told to you for god's sake. "how dare you insult her, you filthy man!" quickly the members of Kuja had turned to you, ready for the orders to cut them down right where they sat.
Benn Beckman gave a chuckle from the crew, seated away as if he held no part in all this. slow, almost methodical as he shot his friend a knowing glance. after so many years of trying to find the woman his captain had stumbled in his steps for, he finally did. and now he had completely blown his chance.
Shanks swallowed, uneasy as he lifted his hands into the air quickly. the women on your ship raised their weapons, ready to fire before you quickly shot your hand out. you gave a quick tut to Shanks, a small grin against your lips that made the Red Hair pirates falter in their amusement to their captain's lack of flirting skill. "i take it you already know what to do," you hummed out, and Shanks watched you throw him a bone. a mere smile, but a smile that was only meant for him. "isn't that right, Shanks?" he flinched to the sound of his name, a nervous chuckle slipping out as he gripped the railing tighter.
he shot you a glance, before looking back to the deck's planks. no person would get away with insult a Kuja woman, regardless if it was truly an accident or not. yet here you were, giving him a chance to redeem himself. "mind reminding me, empress?" the title came from his throat, low and sensual as you tapped your index finger against your ship's railings.
waves crashed against the hull, the sun beating down on them mercilessly as if punishing them on your behalf. you let out a quiet scoff, "apologize, of course." before the words could even finish ringing through both crews, the Red Hair pirates had already fallen to their knees, apologies flying through the air as the women of your ship smirked in satisfaction.
your eyes never left Shanks, and despite the apology from him that never met your ears, there was a steadiness in the look you two shared. as if never wavering in your presence, steady but so sure in himself. as if Shanks had trained his entire life to be able to gaze at you. if only for a mere moment.
Shanks was sure you would never know of the fact that you had searched for you for years, a fact he would never let reach a woman as perfect as you. both shameless and impressive at once, Shanks kept that tale to him and his crew alone. to you, as quickly as it came, you felt the pass of your hearts race slip away and into the air.
within his eyes, and the scar that adorned his face from a battle you had never seen, there was an apology. even if he hadn't voice it, it was one he meant completely. that was enough for you.
you nodded once, turned on your heel as Shanks let out a breath. one he didn't know had been trapped in his lungs to begin with. you had quite literally, taken his breath away. the worst part of it all, wasn't that you would never know. or that Shanks had ruined his chance at making a good impression with you after dedicating so much of his time looking for you. no, the worst part was watching you sail away from him. because something in him knew it could very well be the last time he ever encountered the woman he had yearned for all this time.
Benn Beckman stood next to him, the sight of the Kuja ship long since gone into the horizon, your figure slipping from Shanks' grasps once more. slowly, Benn gave a low puff of his cigar into the salty sea air. with a pitiful pat on his friend's shoulder, his words came out easy. "well," he started, treading light. "there's plenty of fish in the sea." he chuckled out, but Shanks wasn't laughing.
he shook his head; lips pressed into a thin line to the joke that would have made him laugh before, but not now. "there isn't a single woman who could compare." Shanks admitted, and for once, there wasn't a humorous tinge to the air. Shanks was completely, and utterly serious. something that almost never happened. the tense air seemed to fall apart, as Shanks let out a low groan as he turned back to his shit.
"as deep as the abyss itself." he mocked himself, pinching the bridge of his nose with a painful smile. of course, that was the first thing he says to the woman of his unyielding passion. leave it to Shanks to make a fool of himself. no matter how much he tried to practice on other women, when faced with the real thing; let the earth have mercy.
because a woman like you could ruin it with a simple lick of your perfect lips.
he crouched against the deck, his hand covering his mouth as if scared he would say something else to embarrass himself. "Yasopp," Shanks called out, muffled and quiet, but the mentioned man already knew what the tone meant. the sniper shot his longtime friend a knowing glance. "im not shooting you, Shanks." Yasopp breathed out, tucking his rifle away from the captain's eyes. to that, Shanks gave out another groan as the Red Force took off once more. there goes his plan of putting himself out of his misery for his insolence against you.
the world seemed to find two captains who truly had no business being anywhere near each other funny. that, or Shanks was the luckiest man in the world. sure, there were cannonballs being launched in the air with precision, only to be returned to the sender with a simple kick.
if Shanks thought you were stunning when you simply breathed, he didn't even know what to title how you looked when you fought. you moved like you were dancing, enjoying yourself as you sunk another ship with a mere steady flick of your hand.
water splashed over the deck from the wreckage, Red Hair pirates keeping a safe distance from the fight to not get dragged into the commotion.
they were merely passing by, honestly. the log post pointed at a neighboring island, and the Red Hair pirates settled with using it to refill on supplies before setting off once more. no man aboard his crew could calculate running into a fight so soon, much less the captain's dream girl at that. your ship was pointed in the opposite direction from theirs, the battle clearly meant to take nobody but you down. Shanks breathed out, wind blowing tussles of his crimson hair back as he squinted to the air shooting into his eyes and drying them from the sight.
another blast, aimed towards you in the air. before Shanks could order them to get closer to aid, you were hit from the air. the cape around your shoulders shielded you from being seen, as if he wasn't supposed to see you fall from your tower.
teeth grit together roughly, and before Benn could even interrupt his captain, Shanks had crouched to the floor before shooting through the air with precision. his own cape flew through the air, eyes narrowed and tracking the sight of your fall. you were headed directly to the sea, no doubt the ship who had attacked knowing of the deal you made for power.
you felt your side burn from the blow, brows furrowed as you landed roughly against cotton. you let out a grimace, seeing the same face that dared berate you so shamelessly. you bit your tongue, Shanks keeping you firm against him as you flew from his ship to yours.
your women were still fighting, most enemies fallen aboard your ships decks the second you two had landed against it. your lips parted, wound searing your skin painfully as Shanks cradled you like a lifeline to him. he didn't let you stand, much less raise a finger to the battle before you two. "im fine," you bit out, answering an unasked question. your hand placed against a chest firm enough to warm your skin like a fire. Shanks knew you were trying to stand, the way your face twisted in annoyance was proof of that. he nodded, firm, eyes narrowed to the sight as he hauled you to sit against his shoulders with ease.
you blinked from the move, keeping a tight hold on his shoulder to not fall. his arm came to his sword, and as easy as he appeared, so did his words. "of course you are." smooth like silk, a flutter beating in your chest like a wave of nausea. "i wouldn't doubt it for a second." you felt your face burn, breath coming out in a shaky wave that never dared appear before this.
"but how dare an insolent man like me, let an empress falter in her steps."
once a simple flutter in your chest, burned brighter in a fire that scorched your skin without mercy. there was a pause in your breathing, as if struggling to come out as a bead of sweat lined your skin. you blinked, quickly, and even then, the enemies that scattered across your ship were wiped cleanly to the floor. wind pushing passed you as the only afterwords to such an act, the remaining ships surrounding yours falling apart as the jolly roger you had seen just two days ago parked itself next to yours without so much as permission.
the air rang thick, heavy with the stench of battle. your hands gripped against Shanks, his shoulders tensing to the feel of your nails digging into his skin without a care.
love taps, Shanks reminded himself.
you breathed out, as if air wasn't passing in your lungs like it should have. carefully, his sword slipped itself back into isolation, his arm helping you move off him with tenderness that only made that sickening feeling in your throat burn hotter.
your side was injured, dark blood dripping against the cloth as it clung to your form like a second skin. even so, you moved quickly from him. the warmth of your presence now gone as you checked on the women aboard.
awkwardly, Shanks glanced back into his own ship. Yasopp fell back from the crow's nest, rifled tucked away as he moved to stand next to the men of the Red Hair pirates. his brows furrowed, and Lucky Roux was the first to shoo him off, the rest following as if to tell him 'go talk to her already!'. he gave a small chuckle, shaking his head as he turned to look back at you.
your eyes were already on him, hand tenderly holding your side to hide the sight from your crewmates. silence filtered through the air, crackling as you walked closer to him. there was a second of silence, before ever so slowly, your lips formed into a rather cute pout. "i refuse to thank you for saving me."
quiet, but Shanks felt his stomach flip in him to your tone. you turned your attention to the floor, and Shanks clicked his tongue to hide the excitement to the sight of you. out of everything he had wished to see from you, a sight as shy as the own you gifted him was enough to send him spiraling.
calmly, he let out a soft sigh. he clutched his shirt playfully, eyes closing in on themselves. "you wound me empress," he laughed out, and you felt your lips twitch to the sound, rolling your eyes with no ill intent as you kept pressure against your own wounds.
peeking an eye open to you, he couldn't help the melt of his heart to see you smiling at his jokes. he could tell you wanted to laugh, and Shanks desperately wished you would. just for a few seconds, that's all he wanted. for now, that is.
if he got more than just a few seconds, who was Shanks to complain.
you turned to your crewmates, a few women with minor injuries sitting as the rest tended to their wounds. though not life threatening in the slightest, a wound to them was a wound to you. "for saving my girls," you breathed out, heart squeezing in your chest as he turned to look down at you. you clenched your hands, willing yourself to get it together.
"you do, however, have my eternal thanks." you mumbled, and Shanks practically lit up to that. nodding dumbly as the members of his own crew slapped their heads in their palms. the captain felt his skin prickle, as if feeling their judgement to his excitement as a simple thanks from you.
Shanks was not going to apologize in the slightest.
he'd rip off his other arm if it meant you'd hold it.
he gave a low whistle, rolling his shoulders back as he gave a grin to the sky above. "quiet empress, you should never thank a single soul." your hands shook from his cockiness, face red as you turned away from him quickly to save yourself the embarrassment of having him see you like that.
your skin felt hot, too hot for your liking as you cleared your throat into your fist. "right well, now that that's settled," you squeezed out, your heart racing impossibly fast in your chest as Shanks took the precious seconds to admire the way you stood. sure, it was as normal as anyone else would stand, but you did it with so much grace it was almost hypnotizing.
"i wish you a safe passage on your journey." there was a soft whine in your throat, as if your heart killed itself to even think about him leaving. your brows furrowed, a flush on your face as you kept hidden from the man who had aided you.
who also just happened to be very attractive. and worshipped the ground you walked on, and made sure to always address you with the highest respect. and god- he really was attractive- you slapped your hand over your mouth, a slow shake of your head as Shanks frowned to your words. he was silent, not saying a single word as his heart stuttered painfully in his chest. there was a moment, just a second where we wanted to grab you again. to beg to stay in your company just the slightest bit longer.
if he could, would you let him? would Shanks be fortunate enough to breath the same as a woman like you? there was a painful heat between the two of you. with your mind reeling in endless thoughts of the man who swayed your authority. a captain who fought to protect it and stand by your side yet still let you take charge the way you liked. a man who both protected and submitted all at once, more than that, he did it with pride. as if kneeling to you was a privilege only he knew of.
your face only burned hotter to that thought, the sound of his retreating footsteps and presence making your heart cry out for him to stay. you wrapped your pretty hands around it, squeezing its loud mouth shut because you were not going to let it embarrass you like that.
it only took a few seconds before the Red Force moved to the distance. in the opposite direction, farther and farther from your yearning heart that longed to see him just once more. you frowned, slowly turning to watch it carry the man who seemed to fool your stupid heart with his smile.
there was a moment where your chest weight heavy, as if air was toxic without him. like the air was pointless to breathe if he wasn't by your side. from the distance, you watched the flash of crimson move through the mass of men on his ship, before his face came to see you off from the end of his ship. he was smiling, hard enough to see despite that distance that carried through you two like a sharp knife. you felt your heart jumpstart, the air suddenly passing through your lungs like it once had before meeting Shanks. his arm moved to the air, giving you a wave as your chest thrummed in delight to the sight. against your better judgment, and amidst the bodies lining your deck that had fallen for their own foolish thought of harming you; bodies that Shanks had cut down for their sheer audacity alone, you waved back. shyly, with a flutter in your chest that numbed the wound on your side, and a small quirk of your lips that made Shanks playfully clutch his heart from his furthering ship as if you had shot it with your smile alone. you let out a small giggle, cheeks flushed as you two stood bidding an endless farewell. until neither of you could see the other, you stayed.
"then," Shanks smiled out, a mug filled with alcohol in his hand splashing around as he jumped to his feet. "she smiled at me!" the crew that had gathered around him cheered as loudly as they could. celebrating as if this was the first time Shanks had told them such a fact. this was the tenth time within the last three days he told them you smiled at him.
Benn let out a low cough of smoke to the excitement on his friend's face, shaking his head as if the entire ordeal was ludicrous. perhaps it was, but who was the first mate to ruin such a feeling. Shanks was never one to settle down, not for anyone or anything.
that was a fact known by anyone who knew his captain's fierce name.
but a woman who sailed the seas with a power as great as her beauty? not even Benn could deny the truth. it sounded close enough to Shanks' soulmate, if such a thing existed. two people who let the life of a pirate run wild, with strength and power that could clash against one another without breaking a sweat was hard to find, after all.
Shanks still replayed the memory in his mind like an endless loop, a stupid smile big enough to part the seas as he let out a soft sigh to the thought of you.
your cheeks were flushed, eyes softening so much Shanks never thought they could hold something other than complete authority over the world. more than that, it was a sight meant for him, that he was sure of.
"i think its safe to say im smitten," Shanks admitted, shaking his head as he chugged another cup to celebrate. not the fact they had won another battle, no, they were celebrating the fact that Shanks had gotten a smile from his dream girl.
"you think?" Lucky Roux coughed out, sharing a cackle with the rest of the crew as Shanks let the moment simmer in.
amongst the chatter of celebration, the ring of a transponder snail run and cut through the silence as if announcing the emergency without saying it. heads turned, eyes narrowed, and yet Shanks was the very to stand. calming the rest of his crew, he moved to answer, only for a voice clipped in agitation and worry to blast into his ears. "i don't care who you are. hand the snail over to the Red Hair captain."
Shanks blinked, taken aback from the other end as he gave a light scoff with a laugh to cover it up. "a proper greeting would be nice," he breathed out, setting his empty mug against the railing as he studied the transponder snail with detail. "but im listening."
the moment the Kuja symbol had formed, words shot through the air and settled painfully heavy above the bustling of energy celebration. "empress y/n is ill," Shanks froze, jaw clenching tightly together as he gripped the transponder snail hard enough for it to flinch.
"you need to turn your ship around now!" a woman ordered out from the background of the line, the sound of footsteps rushing back and forth with orders being yelled into the palace of Amazon Lily. a list of medicine, ice cold water and a cloth. his eyes narrowed, turning sharply to his crew before a ring of mugs were shot to the floor and feet moved to turn the ship around.
another waver, and Shanks felt his heart drop to the tense words ringing into the transponder snail. "please," for a woman that lived on Amazon Lily to beg someone for their help, much less a man, Shanks felt his breath hitch. whatever was occurring, whatever had happened in the time he last saw you; was serious.
his teeth grit together, rough as suffocation slithered through the space he stood in. the phone clicked, a simple breath being shared into the tense news as the Red Force moved to bring Shanks to the empress that had caught his heart with ease.
