Story Extra Number Five - Phone and the... war?
Note: Guess who's back from the dead lol. I'm alive and well, life just came and gave me too much stuff to do. This story extra was a little warm up before all the serious stuff that's going to happen. Also, btw, this Extra has a little bit of plot in it, just saying.
Story Extra Summary: You spend time with a few of your friends.
Features: Perospero, the Charlotte Commadners (excluding Snack), Daifuku, Oven, Mihawk, Doflamingo, Crocodile, Shanks, Hancock, Ace, Marco, and Thatch.
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As always, the weather on the Grand Line was wonderful. Wonderfully disastrous. It's not often that you would find yourself standing on the deck of a ship, and especially not one of Big Mom's. Namely Katakuri's.
But that wasn't the point. You almost died 200 times, nearly getting thrown off the ship by the bad weather that was constantly harassing the ship. And you would have too, had not Katakuri stuck by your side like a thumb, grabbing you before you could even blink. It's sometimes helpful to have someone who is constantly a few steps ahead of you.
Literally.
Rain, hail, thunder, and snow; the weather on the Grand Line seemed more intense than usual. You're pretty sure that the weather was caused by your bad mood and constant screaming and yelling, but well, who knows. It could have been just an unlucky day. It was a miracle that you had eventually calmed down and didn't destroy the ship. And that miracle happened to be Katakuri.
What a godsend. Though if you weren't getting training from Mihawk himself then the situation would have been most dire. That man deserved some of the credit as well for at least being good at handling you and your fears.
Now, overhead, the sky was beginning to darken as the sun slowly sank across the horizon. The beautiful splashes of colors splattered across the sky as if it were a beautiful piece of art upon the canvas called the sky. Such normal, beautiful pleasantries were one of the things that helped you calm down. A calm that was sure to last as your beating heart came to a slow and steady pace.
And coupled with the warmth of your giant friend, you couldn't ask for more.
With a smile, you kissed Katakuri's cheek softly as he carried you on his shoulder, the two of you staring at the slowly setting sun together.
"We should hang out more often, Kata," you spoke happily, ruffling his beautiful maroon colored locks. Katakuri merely raised his brows, a little torn from safety and you.
From below, you could see the angry and frustrated look that Cracker was giving you. It made you laugh. "And you too, Cracker," you added in amusement.
"Oi oi how come Nii-chan get's a kiss and I don't?!" Cracker grumbled. He crossed his arms childishly with a pout, giving you disapproved side glances. "Totally not fair."
You scratched your neck sheepishly. "Well, do you want one?"
"Yes," he spoke bluntly.
You couldn't help but laugh softly at his behavior. At this moment, you were traveling with the two Charlotte commanders to a highly advanced island called Lux. The island was always bathed in a glow of light due to the electricity being generated and used to light up the city. From what you heard from Smoothie, she said that it was one of the most beautiful places to visit.
Speaking of Smoothie, she wasn't here on the ship at the moment. Apparently Mama had some tasks for her to do. You think that she was helping her arrange a marriage with an influential kingdom. That left you with the two other Charlotte Commanders, which happened to be Katakuri and Cracker.
Snack didn't want to tag along because he thought that having those two would be enough, but you were sure that wasn't really the case. No, you're pretty sure he's a little bit intimidated by Katakuri and Cracker.
Hopping down from Katakuri's shoulder, you aimed for Cracker.
"Catch me Cracker!"
"Oi-" The man groaned as your head smacked him straight in the chest. "What the fuck, Princess?! Are you seriously trying to get yourself killed? What would happen if I didn't catch you?"
You thought for a moment. "Well then Kata-chan would catch me, right Kata?" The said man nodded his head. "See? Oh, but don't worry. I had faith that you wouldn't let me die!"
Cracker gave you a raised brow. "Really? Faith?" he spoke, clearly not very amused. You nodded your head.
"Yep. Oh, and here's your kiss~" Pecking him softly on his cheek, he felt himself heat up in embarrassment. "Are you happy now Cracker?" You closed your eyes, using your observation haki. "I think you're happy."
He was beyond happy. He was feeling ecstatically blissful right now. It was short lasting when he felt a hand smack his back. Cracker inhaled sharply. "Who the fu-"
Looking back, he felt his mood dim. "Oh. It's you."
"Oven! Daifuku!" you called out, wriggling out of Cracker's grasp to greet the two males who were evidently taller than you. Seriously, the Charlottes had such unbelievable genes where most of the family were super tall.
Oven was the first to greet you, picking you up by the sides to spin the two of you around. His smile was a little contagious, and you couldn't help but laugh. Oven was a little brash; his attitude toward most other people other than his family was a little cruel. It was somewhat how he treated you at first when you had made another surprise visit after Doflamingo had taken you to Whole Cake Island.
But now, just seeing how he acted around you now, so carefree and happy... You couldn't help but laugh jovially at this character development. It was beautiful to see the beauty of what people were truly like inside their hearts.
Kindness and small things like these were what you truly lived for.
"Oven you look nice with a smile on your face." He halted his movements to stare at you. A small blush began to form over his features, and his immediate reaction was to drop you.
Now this would have been brushed off easily by you had Oven been a normal sized person. But as the Charlottes come, they were not exactly "normal sized". And Oven happened to be a little over sixteen feet tall.
You cried internally as the wind brushed past your face. How could fate be so cruel when all you did was compliment the man???
Your sorrow was subsequently halted when Katakuri caught you. He gave Oven a look of disapproval, shaking his head.
"Oven, be careful," he scolded.
"Yeah Oven, be careful," Cracker mimicked distastefully. "You stupid piece of shit. You almost fucking dropped Mama's favorite guest."
"Who also happens to be an honorary family member," Daifuku added. "And has relations to the other yonkos and shichibukai."
Oven suddenly looked flustered, sighing in defeat. "Okay okay, I get it!" he grumbled. "I'm sorry. I won't drop the little Princess next time."
The brothers turned to you for your response.
"Ah..." You laughed a little. "Don't worry about it! It happens all the time!"
"All the time.. Huh?" Cracker mused. "Alright, give me names, Princess. I'm going to have to talk to those idiots. Dropping you? Ridiculous."
You blanched. "Uh... I was kidding?"
"You don't sound too sure, Fairy-chan," a familiar voice spoke from behind.
You turned around to see your favorite candy dealer, Perospero, the oldest of the Charlottes. He stood off to the side, leaning up against the wall with his large candy cane in his hands, watching you with an amused smile. "Mama wouldn't be exactly happy to hear something like that happening to you, perorin."
You put your hands up in surprise. "No no no! It's all fine! Besides, they were technically accidents, and besides! We're on a trip to a new island! I've never even heard of this place called 'Lux' before."
Ah, that was right. The reason why you were on this trip in the first place was to form a diplomatic relationship with the ruler of Lux.
Well, not you in particular. You were just a tag along. No, Katakuri was originally going by himself until you showed up. And then everybody else started complaining about how they wanted to go, so now here you were with Oven, Daifuku, Cracker, and Perospero. Who knew they were such clingy people?
"Ah, it would make sense that you've never heard of it, Fairy-chan." You cocked your head to the side in confusion, furrowing your brows.
"Huh? Why?"
The candy man beckoned you over with his hand.
Looking up at Katakuri, he hesitantly put you down, letting you rush over to Perospero's side, looking up at him expectantly.
"Lux isn't an official island, so it isn't officially recognized by the World Government, perorin." Your eyes widened as he spoke. "It's a massive ship."
Your jaw dropped. "A large ship that could classify as an island?! How do they generate all the energy to power the ship?" Your eyes widened. "And if the ship is able to carry magnetic energy, does that mean that the whole thing is made out of metal?!"
He gave you a sly smile. "Their energy source happens to be weather powered, made by their ingenuity. And we happened to be looking for ways to improve our islands. With their technology, we will be able to better To To Land. That is, if we are able to form this treaty, perorin."
You nodded your head in understanding. "That makes sense. So how are you guys going to be making this treaty?"
The brothers all met eyes briefly, before Perospero looked back down at you sweetly. He patted your head with a soft smile.
"By marriage."
---
"Woah! Look at those lights!" You eagerly pushed Cracker a little forwards, pointing at the brightly colored lights of all sorts of colors. The whole island was lit up as if it were Christmas, and not a single place was dark. It looked like nothing you've ever seen before. Just what kind of place was Lux?
The skies were dark overhead, allowing the illumination to shine at its brightest. It was simply magnificent. The lights were so bright it made the sky brighter.
You turned your head to eagerly face Cracker. "Have you been to Lux before Cracker?"
"Yeah, plenty of times before." He grinned down at you mischievously. "You know they got a lot of sick stuff here. We should get you one."
"Like what?" you asked curiously. You huffed when he didn't answer, only moving his hand to ruffle your hair up. Seriously, people had a thing for messing up your hair. Like, why?
Cracker grinned down at you with knowing eyes. "You're totally going to love it. Oh, but I'm sure Nii-san would want us to form the 'diplomatic relation'-" he made an air quote gesture before continuing, "before actually going out and exploring the place. Wouldn't want the little Princess getting lost. If you did, Mama would kill us."
You sweatdropped a bit. That definitely wasn't too far off from what she would probably do. In any case, you knew Cracker was right. All the fun stuff could be done after the important stuff was out of the way.
"Okay. Well I can't wai- GAH!" You yelped in surprise when you were suddenly swept off your feet and into the arms of Katakuri.
You felt your body shaking at his terrifying actions.
"KATA!" you yelled, punching him lightly on the arm. "You scared me! What if I had a heart attack?"
"You wouldn't," he replied.
"Well, what if I did? I would have died!"
Katakuri stared down at you, his arms holding onto you tighter. "Do not dwell on the 'what ifs'. You did not die."
Your lips formed a thin line before you pouted, turning to look at Cracker. "Cracker! Kata's being boring."
An imaginary spear had been stabbed through Katakuri as you dangled from his hands, your own hands making movements to Cracker. Cracker was attempting to stifle his laughter behind his hands but was failing. Eventually he had busted out laughing, slapping his leg aggressively at the hilarious situation.
"Did you hear that Nii-san?" he wheezed. "You're boring. I guess you're not the 'perfect brother' anymore!" Katakuri gave him an unamused stare.
Cracker waved him off. "I told you you should stop being so serious all the time. Princess is going to get bored of you eventually. And that eventually is now."
"I am not boring," he grumbled through his scarf. Cracker gave him a raised eyebrow, nudging him with his shoulder.
"Oh really?" he spoke in intrigue. "And just what about you makes you 'not boring', huh, Nii-san? Because if I recall, all you ever do is work on your island and complete tasks for Mama. None of that really seems 'not boring' to me."
Oh Cracker was really milking this now. This was just amazing. Who would have thought that you would be bold enough to call Katakuri (who also happened to really like you) boring? It was just laughable.
What was even more laughable was that the man was trying to come up with a comeback as to why he wasn't boring, but was clearly failing.
You patted Katakuri's arm in reassurance. "Don't worry Kata. Even if you are boring, I'll still hang out with you because I love you. Why else would I hang out with Cracker?"
"PPHT! HAHA DID YOU- WAIT PRINCESS?!" Cracker looked at you in surprise and displeasure, very clearly offended by your statement. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"Exactly as spoken, Cracker," Katakuri spoke in amusement, tenderly giving you affection. "And I just know exactly how I can prove to you that I am not... boring."
"First thing before we leave, we should-" Perospero, paused furrowing his brows as he did a 360 around the ship in confusement, not spotting you, Katakuri, or Cracker anywhere. Trailing behind him were Oven and Daifuku, who halted in their footsteps, also looking around for the trio.
Perospero pinched the bridge of his nose, eyes flickering over to the wooden joint connecting Lux and their own ship. Standing guard were a few chess soldiers communicating to each other before nodding their heads.
"Don't tell me..." he muttered under his breath, hurriedly stomping over to the chessmen. The chess soldiers stiffened in position when they saw the oldest brother approach.
"Did you happen to see where my two idiot brothers and Fairy-chan ran off too?" he asked them. The men nodded their heads.
"Katakuri-sama wanted us to inform you that he will be gone and would like you to be in charge of the exchange."
Perospero felt himself facepalm.
From beside him, Oven shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Where did those three run off to this time?"
Daifuku huffed from the railing preparing to go on a mini mission. He paused for a moment, looking back at the duo who were now most likely going to be in charge of this task Mama had assigned.
Some part of him felt happy for Katakuri and Cracker.
Since you had come into their life, the two had noticeably changed. Cracker had been significantly kinder (unless you were involved then he would be extremely competitive and brash, like a little puppy attempting to gain the approval of his master), not to mention he didn't walk around in that crumbly armor. Katakuri on the other hand was happier. He could tell by the crinkle in his eyes that he was smiling underneath that scarf whenever the two of you conversed.
It was cute to see his older brother that way. Katakuri had always been a pillar amongst the family. He was stoic, strong, an icon. So to see him look so relaxed enough to let you ride on his shoulder was saying a lot.
Maybe at first Daifuku and the family were obligated to treat you kindly, but you were steadily growing on them. You were kind, silly, albeit a little dumb and naive sometimes (not to mention manipulative), but you had a special place within their hearts.
People had always seen the Charlotte family as something to be feared. They were the children of Big Mom after all. Even in Totto Land. They may have given the people a place to be happy, but with Mama's hunger pangs, it always shrouded the land in fear.
But you, you didn't see them that way. You saw them for who they were. Your friends, your family. You helped them with their problems when others thought it was miniscule. Maybe it was because you didn't process fear the same way as most people would, but it didn't matter. Whatever it was, it made the family happy to have you by their side.
And there wasn't anything that they wouldn't do for you.
---
Your jaw dropped as you stood in front of the large store. It was brightly lit, and through the large glass panes you could see that the interior had a marble floor with gold trimmings. Along the walls were counters with people behind them selling flat box looking devices, large and small. Every customer was neatly dressed, and the whole thing just smelled rich.
You felt a little out of place just by staring at it all. Nevertheless, you were curious, excited even, to see just exactly what the place was.
Your hands never left Cracker's, nor Katakuri's as you quickly dragged them inside. The glass doors automatically slid open sideways, and you felt your eyes sparkle in excitement. Just what kind of place was this?
"Look at her, she's practically glowing!" Cracker whispered to Katakuri. The larger man nodded in response, ducking his head under the doorway to get through. The top of his head brushed the ceiling a little, and he had to bend down slightly to avoid the lights.
Seriously, he was too tall. It was convenient enough that the store could just about accommodate his size.
"Hahaha, I guess you really aren't boring!" he laughed, nudging his brother with his elbow. "Who would have thought that the Katakuri would skip something so important just to prove me and Y/n wrong?"
"Be quiet, Cracker."
"What is that?!" The duo's attention was switched back to you when you pointed at the small devices in people's hands in awe.
They were small, thin box-like things that were brightly lit, emitting a light that seemed to show moving pictures. The people seemed to be absorbed in those tiny screens, chattering amongst themselves as they pointed at each of the devices, laughing to themselves. It was a little strange and a little cool at the same time.
You were curious. Was this what Cracker had been talking about earlier?
"Oh, that's called a Snail Phone," Cracker said, tugging you to the counter. "They're not as common in the Grand Line because not a lot of people gain access to Lux. They're like regular snails except they're much smaller and portable and have many useful functions. We're going to get you one of those."
Your eyes glazed over to the price and you felt your heart drop.
"Cracker, Kata... I think they made a typo. That's a lot of zeros..." You counted them with your fingers. "One, two, three... You could buy so many sweets with all that!"
You turned to face the larger men. "Are you guys really going to buy that for me? But it's so expensive!"
Katakuri poked your cheek affectionately. "Nothing is too expensive for you."
"Yeah," Cracker agreed, chiming in. "Besides, we're rich. We could probably buy out this whole store if we wanted to."
Please don't do that... You sweatdropped.
Cracker walked over to the counter, leaning a part of his weight on it. You're a little surprised to see that it could even support his weight. The clerk behind it stiffened in slight surprise at the size of the two men, before greeting the commanders with a smile. It was a wonder as to how they were even walking comfortably inside.
"Hello! How may I assist you today?"
"I want one of those," he pointed at the phones. "One in" he paused for a moment "F/c."
The lady nodded her head in understanding, the smile plastered on her face widening. "Of course!" she spoke happily, face a pale pink. The lady's heart hammered in her chest as her eyes darted from Katakuri and Cracker.
People like them weren't a common sight in Lux. Most pirates weren't permitted past Lux's gates unless they had a referral personally written for them by the King himself. Besides, it's also not everyday you get to be face to face with such hot men. Her eyes drifted to you, eyes sparkling in awe at all the selection.
Or a cutie like you.
A smile was on her face as she handed Cracker a box, along with a case and a screen protector.
"What's that clear thing?" you asked, pointing at the screen protector.
"It protects your Snail Phone from breaking," she answered as she slid over a business card. "If you happen to need a new one, you can call this number right here and we'll send one over for you."
Cracker dug into his pockets for his wallet briefly before Katakuri slammed a hard cash onto the counter. Your mouth grew dry at the pile of money. Was that all seriously in his pocket? It was understandable, you supposed. Katakuri was a large man with large clothes, of course he would have large pockets too.
"We're done here," he spoke cooly, dragging you out of the store, leaving Cracker with the items.
"Oi Oi! What do you think you're doing, leaving without me?" he grumbled, stuffing the stuff in a bag and hurriedly grabbing it by the handles. "Why are we even leaving so soon? I wanted to get a new Snail Phone too, especially when Daifuku broke the screen."
His footsteps halted as someone blocked his path. Oh. He realized it now.
"My my, so this is where the great Katakuri ran off to when he was supposed to come greet me at my home."
You paused in your spot as you were face to face with a beautiful man with piercing gold eyes. He looked like the embodiment of light itself, with glistening long white hair that reminded you of winter snow that trailed down to his back with small gold streaks. His skin was pale and soft looking (but not pale enough to be a health concern), and the jovial smile on his face radiated warmth. His eyes met yours, and his smile seemed to stretch wider.
"Ah, so it's because of a cutie." He chuckled to himself as he took a bold step forward. Leaning down (you now realized he was very much taller than you, but not as tall as Cracker), he pinched your cheeks, inspecting every corner of your skin.
"So even the mightiest of men needs someone by their side," he mused, his warm hands brushing over your neck gently. An involuntary shiver racked your body as his touch lingered.
"Ah~ She really is something," he said in approval, moving back to his original position. Your hand immediately went to clasp at the area between your neck and shoulder, confused by his actions.
"Who are you?" you found yourself asking. The man blinked at you, before he busting out laughing. You felt a little uneasy as Katakuri's hand had found your shoulder, and was now pushing you gently behind both him and Cracker.
The man before you was bothering Katakuri, but why? Was he someone powerful? You shook your head, eyebrows furrowing at the man. Regardless of what it was, there was something about him that felt... familiar.
"To think that you were out shopping for one of my products..."
Products?
The man waved his hand at the lady who had served you. "Hannah, give the man his money back." The lady at the counter nodded her head, quickly setting Katakuri's money back onto the counter.
As for the man, in a blink of an eye, he had appeared by Cracker's side, grabbing the bag in his hands with a sly smile.
You blinked in confusion when he suddenly appeared in front of you, gently handing you the bag.
"Consider it a welcome gift from yours truly." You couldn't move as he grabbed your hand and gently placed a chastise kiss upon it. It was warm. His eyes twinkled in something akin to kindness as he watched you, and you couldn't help but smile a little bit too.
From around the room, you could see people watching your little spectacle in awe. Turning your attention back to him, you could see that mischievous sparkle in his eye. Just who was this man?
"Sweet girl, allow me to introduce myself." He righted himself back up, before giving you a short bow. "My name is Luxas, and I happen to be the King of Lux."
Your eyes widened. Oh. This was the man they were trying to form diplomatic relations with.
"And you, little angel," he pulled you flush against him, leaning his head down close enough for his breath to fan your face. "I want you to be my bride."
---
Katakuri was feeling rage.
No, not just Katakuri. Everyone who had come upon this little trip in the first place was angry. Yes, everyone had come to Lux in somewhat high spirits (you mostly in particular), but now this was just ridiculous.
His hands clenched tightly into fists as he glared at the room he was currently standing in. It was richly furnished, with dark wooden floors and pastel blue walls with gold trimming. There were comfortable, soft, plushy chairs of leather surprisingly large enough for them to sit in, with a coffee table placed right in front.
Or perhaps there was.
"ARGH!"
From the other side of the room, Cracker threw his hands onto the coffee table, successfully breaking it in half with a snap. But even then, it could not quell his anger. He was furious. Furious that Luxas had the audacity to say that he wanted to marry you, but because of the fact that he used you as a trading pawn. It was either he got to marry you, or they didn't get what they wanted.
It was bad.
Meanwhile, pacing around the room was Perospero. He nervously nibbled on his lip as he contemplated his choices. He had obvious priorities; you and this treaty with Luxas. However those same choices now overlapped with each other and he was finding it difficult to choose which one was more important.
Or rather, much more simply, how to tell Mama why they couldn't form a relationship with Lux without her blowing up and getting angry that the man had the audacity to want to have you as his bride.
Because obviously she wasn't going to be happy to hear that. And if she did happen to hear it, Lux would most likely be at the bottom of the sea. No, it would be a miracle if it were even still intact.
And right now, you happened to be having a little outing with said man. A private one.
They could only hope that you were making smart decisions as they were desperately trying to find a solution.
.
.
.
"So tell me a little about yourself." The tea cup in your hands clattered softly as you placed it on it's saucer.
You plucked a small dessert from the large varieties piled upon the dishware in front of you. As of this moment, you were having a small tea party with Luxas in the gardens because he apparently wanted to get to know you a little better.
After you had rejected his proposal earlier in a flustered manner, he had simply laughed it off with a wave of his hand, tugging you out of the shop. His pace wasn't too fast, and you think he wanted Katakuri and Cracker to follow after him. For a little while, he had made small talk with you about his inventions- well, he said it was more so his best friend's 'inventions' -and all the wonderful topography they had on their little 'island'.
Before long, in view was a large building you assumed to be his home. It was blatantly large, not comparable to the castle on Kuraigana's, but it was still quite sizely nonetheless. The walls were pristine white, briefly reminding you of Luxas himself, with a metal gate that swung open when he strutted through. You didn't sense anyone around, so it was hard to tell what mechanism it was exactly.
He had walked at a brisk pace, occasionally looking back at Katakuri and Cracker who trailed behind with a gloom over their heads. Luxas pointed at small things in his garden for you to see, like small critters and the koi pond he had, and it was a little weird to think that he had just asked you to marry him just earlier.
In the sky, the stars twinkled down upon the earth, shimmering like glitter. It was hard to believe this place was a ship. Ah, but you were getting a little off track.
Focusing your attention back on him, your lips downturned slightly.
You could tell the man had ulterior motives, but he was masking it with his laughter and charisma. It was strange though. He didn't seem to want to hide anything but he was doing it all the same. It was a strange contradiction.
"Myself?" you echoed. "What do I even talk about? I don't think I've ever been asked this question before."
He nodded his head in understanding, taking a quiet, dignified sips from his cup. "You can say whatever you'd like. Something simple perhaps, for example, I enjoy spending time with my family."
"Family?" You felt a little confused. "Are you married?"
Luxas chuckled, shaking his head. "No no, we're nothing of the sort. Actually, we aren't even related." He looked thoughtful for a moment, staring off to the side. "I'd say we're more of a... dysfunctional family. We don't often all see eye to eye and it often creates disputes between ourselves. But we all do care about each other. Or at least, I care about them."
"Huh..." The white haired man cracked a smile at your response.
"And what about your own family?" He turned towards the door, nodding his head. "And the people you came in with; the Charlottes. What do you think of them?"
You were quiet for a moment. "Well... I really care about them. They're my friends and family." Your lips downturned slightly. "I've never met my real parents, but I'm okay with that. When I'm with my friends-"
Your thoughts drifted to everyone you've met.
"-well, it just makes me happy. To see people smiling and to know they're smiling because of you... I guess that's something I like to see." You leaned forwards in your seat, resting your chin on your hands.
"And well, it's kind of my dream."
Luxas picked up the teapot to pour more tea into your small cup, closing his eyes as he waited for you to continue.
You fidgeted slightly in your spot. "I know a lot of people don't have the nicest childhoods, and there are people who aren't treated kindly. It's because of that that people are the way they are. Marines and pirates... I want to make this world a safe and happy place for everyone. I want people to be treated with the respect they deserve.
"Fishmen, nor any other race should be treated differently because of how they look," you spoke with a hardened gaze. "So I'm going to make this dream a reality. For the sake of everyone."
Luxas could only watch you with twinkling eyes. He took a long sip from his cup, before setting it down on his saucer. Taking a deep sigh, he spoke.
"Y/n, I must apologize." Your face morphed into one of confusion.
"I didn't mean to come off as so straightforward earlier," he spoke solemnly. "I am sure I made you uncomfortable." Your immediate reaction was to deny it, but he held a hand up, silencing you.
"I don't want you as my bride. That came out wrong. I was simply teasing you." He laughed, eyes looking off with a faraway gaze. "I've been told I have quite the flirtatious personality, so I apologise for that. Though I was quite curious as to the reactions of your friends."
He chuckled softly, shaking his ..head. His eyes grew sharp for a moment, before they softened once more. "I can't say that I'm the least bit disappointed, that is for sure."
Turning to face you once again, he gave you a charming smile and continued, "you are quite the enigma, aren't you? I wonder if you will be able to face the challenges and perils you will encounter ahead of you."
Abruptly standing up, he ushered you out.
"Well, it's best to get you and your friends on your way. I don't want them to be breaking anymore of my property. I'm sure Flare will not be very pleased with me if he were to discover that I had pirates on my ship."
You let him push you down a painstakingly long hallway, only to stop at a rather large door. He hummed as he rapped against the door sharply with his fist three times, before opening it up. Like a gentleman, he let you walk in first, and when you did, you could only sweatdrop at all the broken tables and furniture.
In the midst of it all was a raging Cracker who was being pinned down by a large foot, which happened to be Katakuri. But even then, Katakuri looked far more intimidating than usual, with his eyebrows furrowed and a shadow over his eyes. On the side was Oven and Daifuku grumbling about having to pay for property damages, and Perospero who looked like he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
All this chaos was subsequently stopped when they heard the door open, their movements frozen in time at being caught. You could see their faces immediately brighten up at the sight of you, but then darken when they noticed the imposingly jovial figure behind you.
Luxas clapped his hands together as if in an attempt to get their attention (not that he needed to do it) and to settle down. If anything, it seemed to rile them up even further.
"Alright then children, I've decided to send you on your way. And no, I will not be marrying one of Linlin's children," Perospero's mouth promptly shut. "I don't particularly feel the need to be tied down at the moment with all this stress that I have already accumulated in such a short duration."
You jumped when he settled a hand on your shoulder. Perospero was about to say something else, but it was clear that the man wanted to get everything over as quickly as possible. Luxas didn't even let him get a word in as he spoke again, cutting him off.
"So it's best that the six of you leave now. Of course, you're all welcome back if you'd wish. Especially this little one~" Luxas pinched your cheek affectionately.
"If you ever need help, send me a message. I happened to have added myself onto your list of contacts in your Snail." He gave you a flirtatious wink, and you couldn't help but be reminded of Doflamingo and Shanks.
He hummed, scratching the bottom of his chin with his thumb and index finger thoughtfully. "Hmm, the controls of your Snail Phone may need some getting used to, but I'm sure you'll come around. You have a handsome little biscuit man to help you, after all."
Cracker suddenly looked very repulsed, causing the man to chuckle.
Shaking his head, he continued, "now then, that should be all. I have a meeting to go to so I'd best be off. I'd rather not be told off for not being punctual."
With that, he snapped his fingers and you felt your stomach do summersaults, feeling rather nauseous all of a sudden. Air rushed past your face and you gasped, eyes focused on stars all around you.
Looking around you wildly, you realized that the six of you were back on the ship. Crinkling was heard beside you, and you lifted your arm up in realization that you were holding the bag with the Snail Phone that you got from the store.
This ship was moving at a full speed away from Lux, so quickly that the ship/island was slowly disappearing over the horizon. You were shell shocked.
How the hell did you end up outside?
"PRINCESS!" Like a hound, Cracker was immediately by your side. "I'm going to kill the mother fucker... Calling me a child and making fun of me... biscuit man..." he grumbled under his breath, eyes filled with killer intent. "I'll kill him, I swear."
His grip was tight and unrelenting as he held you against his chest protectively. With you safely? tucked under his arm, he clapped his hands together and biscuit dust began to form in the air and into a... mini biscuit house?
You couldn't even say anything as you were quickly ushered inside, and Cracker slammed the door shut. He pushed you down onto the floor and covered you with layers upon layers of biscuit blankets, rolling you up into a burrito until the only thing visible was your face.
"Uh, Cracker?" you hesitantly asked.
"Shut up," he growled. "I'm working."
To what exactly was he working? He was just sitting hunched over with your plastic bag of goodies and your new Snail Phone, occasionally tapping at the screen in an angered manner.
You squirmed and wriggled around like a little worm within the biscuit blankets. Sure, you could probably break out of them with ease, but they were just too comfortable. But like, how????
The door suddenly broke down into tiny pieces of biscuits to reveal Katakuri. He quickly sealed the door back up with mochi, and began to reinforce everything around the house with mochi. You could only sweatdrop slightly. Were you guys going to play house or something, because you were starting to get a little concerned. Besides that, this seemed a little too well orchestrated to be something just out of nowhere.
With a small huff, you began to munch on the blankets. This is seriously too much.
"How the fuck...?" Cracker whispered under his breath, aggressively tapping your Snail Phone so hard you were questioning how it wasn't cracking underneath the pressure. "I can't delete his number..."
Katakuri, after finishing whatever he was doing, sat beside you, gently patting your hair as if to soothe you. His eyes crinkled and you got the feeling he was smiling underneath his scarf, possibly in content as he gently threaded his larger fingers through your hair. Either that, or he was trying to reassure you.
"Do not think too much," he spoke gently.
Definitely reassure.
"We were just worried for you. Mama would not like it if you were to be married off so soon."
You nodded in understanding. "I'm sure Master wouldn't be very happy either," you said as an afterthought. "But Luxas wasn't a bad person. He was actually pretty nice. He apologized about that and asked about my family and told me about his own."
You frowned a little. "But it was kind of weird." You purse your lips together, furrowing your brows. "I don't think he was a normal person. His aura was just... weird."
Katakuri was silent, his eyes trained on Cracker as he aggressively attempted to block Luxas's number, but consequently failing. He raised an angry fist at the phone, and that was when Katakuri decided to speak.
"Cracker," he spoke without much emotion. "Do not break something Y/n has not yet had the chance to use."
Cracker's body went rigid. He slowly turned his body to face Katakuri, sweat dripping down his body as he scratched the back of his neck.
"Y-Yup! I definitely won't do that!" He could feel the drilling stare of his older brother, piercing through him like a knife to butter.
Nii-san sure can be scary when he wants too... he thought to himself as he tossed over the phone.
He immediately blanched when he realized you were still wrapped up in the biscuit blankets. That probably wasn't the smartest decision he could have made, and the stare he earned from Katakuri said enough.
Just before the Snail Phone dropped to the deck (because they were still on the ship, just encased in a mochi-biscuit house), Katakuri swiftly grabbed it with his hand, gingerly holding it between his two fingers. Cracker let out a long sigh. Katakuri turned to face you, shifting his body as his hands stretched forwards to give it to you.
By now, you had munched through his biscuit blanket, grabbing the phone eagerly from Katakuri's outstretched hands. It sat in your hands for a moment, and then it dawned upon you.
"What do I do with it?"
---
"Sawarasenai, kimi wa shojo na no-" The music abruptly shut off in the hallway, and you tilted your head around to see what happened.
You blinked in surprise when you realized that it was Mihawk. That surprise had immediately morphed into excitement.
"Master! What brings you to-"
"I told you to stop playing that song," he grumbled, cutting you off. In his hands was your beloved phone that you only had for two weeks.
But even though it had been two weeks, you had quickly become accustomed to all the controls. You even had SpotTheFly*, an app that allows you to listen to great music. And don't forget UTube*, a platform where you could watch some fun videos on this thing called the internet. Not to mention all the cool games and stuff you could 'download' (at least that's what Cracker said) on your phone.
You even had this cool game called Heed Me! Shall we have a romantic outing together*.
"Find something else to play." From the expression on his face, and also the fact that this was the 69th time he's told you this, you could tell that he wasn't very pleased with you.
You sheepishly scratched the back of your neck, grinning up at him. "But I like that song! It so lively and energetic!"
Not so in the way that you're thinking he thought in his head. With a shake of his head, he subsequently kidnapped your phone claiming that it was for your own sake. In simpler terms; you were grounded.
"WHAAAAT?! GROUNDED?!"
You could only stare at his retreating form with a flabbergasted expression on your face. "What does 'grounded' even mean?!"
You were not stupid. You just hadn't been grounded before. Hence why you were not familiar with the term. It would be easy to say that you were a good child and didn't need to be grounded.
Yes, but no.
It was just that your grandfathers had a hard time grounding you because of how much they loved and cherished you. Even Sengoku had trouble, and he was supposed to be the bigger man.
"Wait! Master! What does 'grounded' mean?" you called out, cupping your hands together. "Is it a bad thing?! Tell me! Stop walking away!"
You ran up to him, tugging on his sleeve tearfully. "Stop ignoring me and tell me! It's bad isn't it? Oh no it is... Is it because I was listening to that song? Is it a bad song? Tell me!"
"It means extra training and more chores." Your eyes sparkled.
"I love doing those stuff with you! Not really with the sharp thingies but-"
"And no phone."
Your footsteps halted, and he could feel your hands clenching on his sleeve tightly. Looking over his shoulder, he saw that your eyes were blank as you processed his words.
No phone.
No phone.
WHAT?!
"WHAT?! NO PHONE?! BUT I LOVE MY SNAIL PHONE! KATA AND CRACKER GOT THAT FOR ME!" You tugged on his sleeve as waterfalls leaked down from your cheeks.
"MASTER WHY? TELL ME WHY!"
Mihawk averted his eyes, feeling his stress levels skyrocketing.
The window suddenly shattered as a pink mass crashed in.
God damn it. Now he had to get that window fixed.
"Is my little princess crying because little Hawky took away your phone~" Doflamingo cooed, immediately cradling you in his arms as he walked down towards the kitchen like he owned the place. "He's such a bad Master, isn't he?"
An irk mark formed on Mihawk's head. "How many times do I have to tell you to use the door?" A small vibration of your phone caused him to briefly look down. There was a notification. Several, actually. And that was when he sensed three other presences.
"AND WE'VE ARRIVED!" The loud voice echoed from downstairs, and Mihawk could only groan. "Haha, Nii-chan, what did I tell you, I can drive a submarine!"
"There were rocks that almost hit."
"Almost, Nii-chan, do you hear yourself? You said almost!"
"I was the one who steered us off the course of our demise. I will be telling Mama of your endeavors when we go back. I am sure she would be happy to revoke your privileges if you are going to cause the death of not one but three Sweet Commanders."
"I must agree. Cracker should not have driving privileges."
"D-Don't tell Mama..."
Mihawk walked down the stairs eerily calm, fully expecting to see the three Big Mom Commanders. Except it wasn't.
Well, it wasn't just them.
"Heyy!! Hawky!" Mihawk sidestepped to avoid Shanks, who drunkenly hit the floor with a flop and a smack.
"Tch, disgusting men. I see that this place is riddled with filth once more." In steps Boa Hancock like the beautiful queen she is, looking so effortlessly radiant as she flicks her hair to the side, some magical and mystical wind blowing it away like it was some over exaggerated scene in a show.
There isn't even a wind source because she's inside the castle. That's just how cool she is.
"What is even happening right now-yoi." Ah, and here comes three of Whitebeard's own commanders, Ace, Marco, and Thatch.
Mihawk felt the life suck right out of him. Why is it that everybody keeps showing up at his place at the wrong times?
Imagine if the marines walked in on this, they would immediately suspect something going on amidst all the pirates but nope it was just you all along. Speaking of you, his precious student that Doflamingo had just kidnapped out of nowhere, where the hell are you?
"-and that's why Crocodiles, in conclusion, are most delectable in my opinion." You nodded your head seriously as Crocodile had a powerpoint presentation in front of the plush couches.
"Wonderful! Incredibly inspirational!" You clapped your hands wildly as Doflamingo chuckled behind you, hugging you closer to his chest. Ah yes, you were currently sitting in the larger man's lap as you watched Crocodile's interesting choice of a powerpoint presentation that he somehow set up in under one minute.
Or maybe the document camera was already there.
"I knew you had a taste for reptiles. Fufufufu~" Doflamingo chuckled as he leaned his chin on his fist. "You can't deny that you're a cannibal now Crocky."
Crocodile puffed on a cigar, raising his eyebrows. "I think you need to get your eyes checked, Doflamingo. Last time I looked in the mirror, I was a human, not a reptile."
Doflamingo shook his head in amusement, his grin stretching wider as he focused his attention on the younger male. "You just didn't look hard enough. With all that ego in the way, I'm sure it would be difficult to see."
"Oi you Flamingo bitch," Cracker yelled as he jumped onto the couch, causing the legs to creak before snapping at the sheer force. "Let go of Princess!"
Doflamingo gave an amused grin. "Princess? Fufufufu~ It looks like you got one thing right. But I will have to correct you. She is my Princess, not simply 'Princess'."
Boa put her hands to her hips as she strutted over around the couch so that she could face both you and Doflamingo. "I can't believe I'm agreeing with a man, but yes. Let go of my wife."
Your mouth hung open. "Wife...?"
Boa froze as if she were just registering what she had said. Her face flamed up, emitting hot heat as she looked away in embarrassment, covering her face as if it were to help her hide from your gaze. She shook her head, attempting to compose herself.
"It's just an endearment," she spoke coldly. "Don't think too much of it, Y/n."
You raised your brows. "Okay...?"
"Oi, you're Cock, aren't you?" Ace frowned as he positioned himself right up in her face. "Y/n's never going to be your wife because she's going to be mine." He turned his head to brightly face you, which also happened to be where Doflamingo was located at where he was giving Ace the lazer death glare eyes.
"Isn't that right, Y/n?"
"Nope." Ace happily turned around to face Boa before he blanched.
From over by the door, Marco and Thatch snickered. Cracker let out a snort, and hell, even Katakuri looked a little amused. Quickly turning around to face you, Ace gave you the most shocked and betrayed expression.
"WHAT?! Y/N! YOU PROMISED YOU WOULD MARRY ME!"
You shook your head dismissively. "No, I didn't. I said I might marry you one day. Grandpa says I'm not ready for commitment until he says so," you said as if it were a matter of fact.
Thatch finally busted out laughing, clutching his sides as tears pooled out of his eyes from how hard he was laughing. "You hear that, Marco? Ace just got rejected hard by Y/n."
"Definitely a moment to remember, yoi." Marco widened his eyes when he thought of something. "Imagine Pop's reaction to this. He would be so pissed at Ace for saying something so bold. But you have to give him credit for being so gutsy."
"Not to mention in front of such renowned people. Especially her Master. Man, that's either very brave, or very stupid."
Marco shook his head.
"Definitely stupid, yoi."
Ace's face erupted in crimson as he glared hard at his two friends.
"OI! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE ON MY SIDE!"
Marco shrugged his shoulders. "All is fair in a game of war."
"WHAT?!"
Boa was fuming as she grabbed Ace by the arm. Everyone in the room was silent as they watched Boa who was just emitting the deadliest aura. You took a long sip of your tea, closing your eyes slowly before reopening them. Perhaps one day everyone will get along well enough for there to not be repairs needed for the castle.
But damn this tea was good.
"You foul beast! You called me a male genitalia!" Ace, being an idiot, furrowed his brows.
"A what?"
Doflamingo chuckled, lifting your body up by the waist off of his lap to the seat beside him. "Fufufufu~ Who knew that the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates was an idiot?"
"OI!"
Mihawk let out a small noise of discontent as Ace was beginning to take a fighting stance. Why is it that his home was always infested with such pests? If this keeps happening every week (it happened almost everyday actually), then he was seriously going to start losing hair from all this stress.
From beside him, Katakuri regarded Mihawk with slightly raised brows, eyes darting from him to what seemed to be a fight? Well, it was more so Ace running around, attempting to set Doflamingo on fire, but the man was nimble as he used Crocodile as a shield.
Katakuri, personally, didn't have much beef against Mihawk. He was the person training and practically raising you. What he did have a problem with was with the other people in the room. Sure, he could tolerate them just for you, but in all honesty, he was a little irked at the fact that you were being caught in the middle of practically everything.
"Do you think Crocodile will become a glass man if Ace lights him on fire, Smoothie?" you spoke thoughtfully as the duo ran circles around the said shichibukai.
At your words, a silence fell upon the room as all eyes were on Crocodile. Katakuri sighed. Not to mention you had a knack for causing unintentional trouble. Or was it intentional? He could never really tell.
"Fufufufu~ Let's try it."
Your lips formed a small smile as you watched Crocodile make a dash for the door as he was consequently chased by both Ace and Doffy. Well, there were a few things the two can agree on, you supposed.
Your gaze shifted to a slightly dejected and moody Boa.
"Don't worry Hancock, you're very beautiful. Nothing like a male genitalia," you spoke joyfully, attempting to reassure her. "Not that I've seen one before though," you added under your breath.
Her posture immediately straightened as sparkles radiated from her teary eyes. Boa was feeling very moved by your attempt at consoling her. Meanwhile, Smoothie is a little amused at how easily you could sway the older woman's heart.
"Besides, it doesn't deter your beauty in the slightest! So don't let that get you down- omph!"
You let out a small yelp when you're suddenly slung over a shoulder. It was Cracker.
"You didn't answer my texts." Your eyes widened as you remembered.
Pouting, you put your chin on his shoulder. "Master took away my phone. He said that I was grounded. Whatever that is."
The gears in your head turned as you grinned, hiding your intent by covering your mouth using Cracker.
"Can you get my phone back pwease~? Cracker?" you whined softly, brushing your lips against his ear. "You can do that for me, can't you?"
Cracker stiffened, his muscles tensing under you and you let yourself smile in accomplishment. The tips of his ears were flushed dark crimson, and you patted his head for extra effect. He huffed, turning his head away as he quickly sat you back to the ground.
"F-Fine!" he grumbled, stomping off towards Mihawk. You jumped a little in excitement. How fun.
Smoothie raised her brows at your strange behavior before her expression went placid, just as you turned around to look up at her. There was just something about you that she couldn't quite place. You were strange sometimes, and there were times where she was unsure if what she was seeing was true.
You were sweet and kind, and yet you could be manipulative? It was a strange combination, that was for sure.
"Smoothie, shall we make smoothies?" You giggled at your own little joke, turning around to head into the kitchen. "You can come with us too, Hancock."
Smoothie hesitated for a moment to follow you, but that hesitation was quickly overcome by a warm feeling in her heart. She smiled softly as you gazed up at her with passion and kindness. It didn't really matter what your personality was. She was sure that she'd fall for you again.
The warm feeling in her chest suddenly turned into extreme distaste as she glared at her female rival, Boa Hancock.
The shichibukai, too, was glaring hard at the Sweet Commander, hands itching to just strangle the other woman and take you back as her prize. It was just as Marco said, all was fair in a game of war.
"Very well," the duo spoke in unison, trailing after you while giving each other the stink eye.
The three of you entered the kitchen, eyes taking in the sight of the beautifully clean and prestien room. The two older women immediately took notice of the lack of knives. They were either very well hidden, or Mihawk had thrown them out. Knowing the man, he probably had them hidden. He was a chef after all.
Eyes drifting around the room, they took notice of the fully stocked fridge and barrels full of various fruits, ranging from simple and well known fruits like apples and oranges, to strange and exotic ones like a star shaped fruit. To the corner of the room was what was initially assumed to be a pantry, but turned out to be a gigantic freezer full of different meats.
Dark wooden cabinets lined the wall as cupboards hung above, giving the room a nicer furnished look that complimented the stone walls. All in all, it was easy to say that there was enough stuff for the three of you to work with.
Your immediate reaction to the room was to make a beeline towards the fruits, happily dragging the two along.
Boa and Smoothie stood in front of the fruits awkwardly, staring at the barrels before turning their heads to stare at you expectantly.
"So uh," you laughed a little under your breath, feeling a little embarrassed. "Do you guys know how to make smoothies because I've never made smoothies before."
It was a quiet and tense silence. Smoothie and Boa could only stare at you with pity. That was right, Mihawk didn't normally let you in the kitchen because of your... "liabilities". It would make sense that you didn't know how to cook. The cookies that you tried to 'handmake' back at Whole Cake Island didn't do so well.
You could make delicious foods with your powers, but when it came to doing things manually, you were practically clueless. Not even practically, you were clueless. They quickly recomposed themselves, giving you both equally bright smiles.
"Of course," Smoothie spoke in a gentle manner. "My name isn't 'Smoothie' for nothing."
You laughed at her small joke, scooping up some of the fresh fruits into your arms. Preoccupied with the fruit, you didn't hear Hancock's comment.
"And it's the only thing you're good for," she muttered. While you may not have heard it, Smoothie definitely did, and the Charlotte shot her a hard glare.
"All you do is look pretty," Smoothie sharply retorted.
"At least I'm pretty."
The glares they sent each other were electric, sending sparks through the air as they were filled with hatred for one another. It was a female rivalry between the two of them; a competition for your attention.
You nervously gave the two of them a smile as your eyes glanced between them, a little concerned about the last of their interactions that you had caught on to. If they noticed your staring, they made no indication of it, and proceeded to demonstrate to you on how to prepare smoothies. However...
"You stupid oaf, you're supposed to smash them together like this!" Boa snarled, mashing the fruits together using the mortar and pestle before shoving it into the blender filled with ice.
Smoothie rolled her eyes. "It's like this." She shifted her body a little and you saw that she was crushing the fruits with her bare hands, squeezing the life out of them and into a bowl, before pouring it into the other blender that Mihawk happened to own.
You sweatdropped.
"You know... I kind of think you can just put it in the blender..." you mumbled under your breath as you watched the two begin to argue over who's technique was right. Your comment went unheard as their shouting began to escalate, leaving you staring at both of their creations.
Your eyes flickered between the two mixtures, before you shrugged your shoulders. They looked alright. You supposed it was time to serve them. Hm, maybe you could mix the two and create an even more delicious smoothie. They were both made of the same ingredients after all.
You hummed to yourself as you reached up into a cupboard, opening it open. Collecting a few glasses into your hands, you quietly began to pour the smoothies together, blending them up before pouring them into the glass cups. Occasionally you would throw your head back to see if they were paying attention, or at least done arguing, but they didn't seem to notice.
After you had poured the last of the smoothies into a cup, you made sure to leave two on the counter, before leaving.
Time to serve the drinks.
---
"Dahahaha! Isn't it funny how we all showed up at the same time?" Shanks asked as he chugged another bottle of booze drunkenly. "Sure there's a few people I don't enjoy seeing here, but hey, we're all here to have a good time, aren't we?"
Marco and Thatch both exchanged glances before focusing their attention on the drunken Shanks.
"I get that this is neutral land, but you're seriously being too relaxed, Shanks, yoi," Marco spoke, resting his chin on his hand. "I'm sure there are plenty of people who'd like to try and take you down here while you're intoxicated."
Shanks merely shrugged his shoulders dismissively. "Eh, who cares? I just want to have fun right now. You guys should have fun too! Lighten up a bit! No one's going to die while Y/n's around."
Yeah, when she's around.
Shanks' eyes slowly shifted to the side when he noticed you walking towards him, hands filled with what seemed to be glasses of some sort of fruit drink in your hands. Around the rim were small cut fruits as decorations, and he couldn't help but feel his heart warm at the sight. Eagerly, the man waved at you in excitement, face flushed as he slurred his words.
"Y/n~ Heeey~" He gave you a wide grin as you approached. You set one of the glasses down on the counter, and he immediately swiped it up, downing the glass in one gulp. "GAH! That hits the spot. Thanks- *hic* cutie."
"You're welcome!"
Marco and Thatch gratefully accepted their own glasses, giving you their thanks as they sipped their Smoothies, eyes watching Shanks closely with narrowed eyes.
You raised a brow at their behavior. "Is everything alright...?"
Marco waved a dismissive hand, giving you a small smile. "Don't worry about it. Besides! You should be enjoying the day off that we gave you, yoi." He winked at you, just as a loud explosion echoed from the kitchen from which you came from.
You turned your head in the direction of the loud sound, sighing lightly under your breath. Good thing you left before things escalated. Smoothie and Boa weren't exactly on good terms. Well, usually they behaved quite civilized, but you think it's mostly because you're the mediator between the two of them. Though you're the mediator for practically all of them anyways.
"Fighting again?" Thatch mused, sipping on his drink. You nodded your head.
"I came out to serve you guys the drinks we made, but I mostly came out to let them do their own thing." You shrugged your shoulders a little, moving your hand to pluck the drink from Marco's hands.
"Sometimes there are things you have to solve by yourself."
Wise words, but wrong situation, the two deadpanned as they watched you take a long sipe from Marco's cup. You hummed to yourself before plopping it back down in his hands. Marco sat still, a little stunned by your behavior.
"It's not poisoned," you bluntly spoke, eyes becoming sharper as you examined the room. Turning back to the three men, your eyes grew soft as you smiled at them. "Well, I'm sure it wouldn't be, I had some after all"
You gave a lighthearted laugh, looking around to see if you could spot anybody else. You haven't seen Ace, Doflamingo, or Crocodile in a while, nor have you seen your Master, and you hoped they were alright. They were adults, so obviously they would be alright.
You let yourself smile wide.
As alright as they usually were of course.
Marco eyed his drink, more specifically the spot where you put your lips at. Without a second thought, he put his own lips there, taking a long sip. It was nice and cold, refreshing, just as Shanks had spoken. Though the condensation coming from the cup would definitely ruin the nice wooden table that Mihawk had.
Hm, and this would also be a perfect opportunity.
"Say Y/n, can I have a coaster? Don't want to ruin this nice table, yoi."
Ah yes, it was all coming together.
---
"I don't think this is a good idea." Crocodile cursed under his breath as he was tied to a stake, attempting to avoid the large and long stick that was prodding at his face.
"Fufufufu~ You only say that because you're the victim here, Crocky."
Doflamingo laughed as he approached with more sticks, plopping them down on the ground as he began to set up the kindling underneath Crocodile. The chains that held down the shichibukai rattled as he attempted to get out of them, but it was futile, especially with Doflamingo and Ace, who were watching him like a hawk.
The real hawk though, was Mihawk, who was looking like he was going to strangle Cracker the more the man bothered him. He sat off to the side with Katakuri on his right and Cracker on his left, watching the little set up like an entertaining spectacle. In a way, it was rather entertaining to see the man squirm and angrily bark as Ace kept jabbing at his face.
"Give me the phone." Cracker jabbed Mihawk in the side, eyes narrowing as he frowned at the man.
Cracker was on a mission.
"No."
"Gimme."
"No."
Katakuri, meanwhile, being the responsible adult he was, was making sure that there wasn't going to be a murder he needed to clean up. He didn't exactly want to see you cry because somebody died of some stupidity. In a way, he was also a mediator for the band of misfits. It wasn't that he wanted to, it was because he felt the need to do this for you.
He closed his eyes, letting out a deep sigh.
He really liked you enough to do this, didn't he?
"Give it up or I'll take it from you by force!"
"I said put me down you overgrown bird!"
"So when can I light the fire?"
In the midst of all the chaos around him, Katakuri somehow found small peace. Perhaps it was because of the fact that it was quite clear that though they were messing around, they would not dare do something stupid as to hurt one another. Jokes aside, everyone knew quite well what would happen if someone were to kill another. They understood you well enough to know the boundaries of their little games.
Despite this fact, however, sometimes Katakuri thinks that the people around you don't understand you as well as they believe you to be. He liked Mihawk because the man and he had somewhat of an understanding with each other. They understood how you operated.
Perhaps Doflamingo and Shanks understood that too, but it was hard to say with how unfazed they seemed to be.
With how much you loved peace and tranquility, you had a knack for chaos, whether it were unintentional or intentional. And it shows.
"Fine," Mihawk gives in after much pestering from Cracker. He pulls out the flat device, holding it just out of reach from Cracker, much to the man's annoyance. "Stop touching me, and then you may have it," he requested.
Cracker nodded his head quickly. He went to grab the phone, but Mihawk pulled back, his eyes staring deep into his own.
"Keep it appropriate. She is still a child." With those final words, he dropped them into Cracker's outstretched hands. A sigh left his lips as he shook his head. Seriously, he was being a little too lenient with you.
Not to mention that device was slowly corrupting you. He definitely should enforce harsher punishments on you. Either that, or restrict your phone usage. At least you're seemingly improving at your studies at a more rapid fire pace. Maybe he should have a reward system in place for you.
Cracker grinned in triumph as he snatched it from his hands.
"Great. Now I can bribe the lil princess to play castle with me," he spoke happily with a large grin. Mihawk raised his eyebrows, suddenly regretting giving Cracker the phone. Cracker turned his head to face his older brother. "You wanna join, Nii-chan?"
Katakuri's eyes flickered over to Cracker. He didn't even need to speak for Cracker to get the memo. The man grinned, moving to slap him on the arm a couple of times.
"Looks like you're learning to not be boring!" he spoke, laughing in amusement. "Good for you!"
Katakuri's face remained placid as he stared at Cracker.
"Fufufufu~ And what exactly did you say you were going to do with my cute little princess?"
The trio turned to see Doflamingo, Ace, and Crocodile (albeit a little pathetic with being chained up and all) glowering at Cracker and Katakuri. Doflamingo's fingers twitched slightly, and in Ace's hand was a burning stick. To which he accidentally dropped onto the pile of sticks underneath Crocodile and unleashed the flames of hell upon him.
"You stupid piece of shit!" Crocodile barked as he wiggled in his chains, squirming to avoid the sudden raging flames.
"Whoops." Ace sheepishly scratched the back of his neck, attention directed back towards Crocodile.
"Whoops?! Is that all you have to say?!"
Doflamingo let out a loud chuckle of amusement, his sunglasses glinting, reflecting the flames as he cocked his head to the side slightly to observe Crocodile. The man moved and wriggled around like a little worm, rattling the chains as he attempted to avoid the hot fires. Unfortunately, he couldn't move very far, considering the, you know, chains which also happened to be sea stone.
"Fufufufu~" He grinned, leaning forward to inspect Crocodile's sweating form. His coat dangled from his shoulders, dangling low enough for the flames to catch it on fire. "Looks like we'll be having Crocodile for dinner~"
He suddenly straightened his posture, face suddenly looking thoughtful. "I-"
"Don't finish that sentence," came a sudden harsh voice. Doflamingo turned his head to stare at Katakuri in amusement. Katakuri's eyes narrowed at him, and he took a few long strides to the man, towering above him.
"Oh? And why is that?"
The larger man closed his eyes slowly, before snapping them open in displeasure. "I won't allow you to suggest such a thing about Y/n."
Doflamingo hummed, tilting his head up at Katakuri in amusement. "You can't expect her to stay ignorant for long~" He put a finger to his chin. "No matter how entertaining it is to see someone so naive, I'm sure she would be very satisfied if I pleased her.
"So I believe suggesting to have a threesome with Crocky here would be entertaining." He paused, a sly grin making its way up his lips. "Unless you want to join as well~ I wouldn't blame you."
"..."
Mihawk watched the spectacle with a straight face. There was no emotion on his features, rendering him eerily calm.
But he was anything but. He was furious. No, he was beyond furious.
Standing up without a word, everyone was silent as the man marched off back towards the castle. Doflamingo chuckled in amusement, watching the man's retreating form, but the emotion that was currently dominating him wasn't amusement. It was concern.
"Fuck, I still have Princess' phone!" Cracker shouted as a somewhat excuse to get away from the commotion and get to you. Cracker immediately ran after Mihawk, blitzing for the castle. And then a loud explosion sounded, and two women crashed into the stake that Crocodile was tied to.
It was like watching a slow motion scene as Crocodile slowly fell flat onto the ground, breathing in that good old dirt. Luckily for him, he was just an inch away from the bonfire he was tied over. On the ground beside him happened to be two other bodies, both glaring at each other in equal distaste as they wrestled.
It was Smoothie and Hancock.
"For God's sake untie me already so I can strangle you all."
---
The sound of thundering footsteps caused you to look towards the entrance. In came two of your friends; Cracker and Mihawk. Mihawk may be your Master, but he was also your friend.
And speaking of Master- You frowned as you noticed the immense frown and the pools of anger radiating his body -it seems as though something was bothering him. Well, bother was a bit of an understatement, considering the fact that your normally stoic Master was practically dripping with bloodlust. If Yoru hadn't been upstairs in his room, then someone would have probably died.
Well, not if you could help it.
Your eyes drifted to Shanks, Marco, and Thatch. Both Marco and Thatch seemed a little surprised by Mihawk's entrance. Yes, they always come to bother the man, but he was never angry angry. He had always been more so annoyed. So seeing him clouding the room with a dark aura, it was a little concerning.
Shanks didn't seem to peeved, only raising a curious eyebrow at his behavior as he took a long sip of the smoothie.
"You good Hawky?" he called out, causing Mihawk's head to turn.
"I'm just fine," he spoke, his voice flat. "As fine as being told by that Flamingo that he's willing to have a 'threesome' with Y/n and Crocodile."
Shanks choked, smoothie shooting out of his nose as he coughed and sputtered. Marco and Thatch's jaws dropped open before they both shut, clenching their jaws. You gave the three of them raised eyebrows as they slammed down their glass cups and rushed outside with battle gear they stole from Mihawk's metal armor stands.
"Men, this is war," Shanks spoke seriously as the four of them dashed down the gravel pathway. Surprisingly, even Mihawk was in battle gear. "I may have been drunk earlier, but I'm definitely sober enough for battle."
Marco doubted that. Though the man looked suddenly wide awake, he was gripping a metal scabbard instead of a sword. It was either he was sober and didn't have enough time to grab a sword, or he was seriously drunk and he couldn't even tell the difference.
"And in this battle, we're definitely going to win." His eyes were hardened as he saw Doflamingo in the distance.
"Well, this is going to be fun," Thatch commented, adjusting his metal chestplate before raising his sword. "FOR SPARTA!"
In the distance, Ace gave a confused look. "Who the fuck is Sparta?"
But nobody answered as the cries of war echoed throughout the island. The battle had already begun.
You took a long sip of tea as you sat on the couch, flipping through the newspaper. At the base of your feet were a bunch of worn out pirates wrapped in gauze and bandages. To your left was an exhausted Katakuri, and on your right was a drunken Shanks cuddling up with an annoyed Mihawk.
A yawn escaped your lips as you absentmindedly flipped through the paper, your foot tapping on the ground as you boredly looked to see what kind of drama was happening in the Grand Line. With a sigh, you tossed the Newspaper aside for Katakuri to read, reaching to grab your phone.
Your foot tapped the floor as you collected your daily items in your games, only pausing when you accidentally stepped on something squishy.
An apology left you as you accidentally stepped on Crocodile's face, but he didn't stir from his slumber. He was too exhausted from having been chased around by Ace and Doflamingo, not to mention the mini war that had just broken out. Though it was quite honestly a one sided war, with everyone ganging up on Doflamingo.
Doflamingo had surprisingly done a good job at avoiding getting caught. In fact, he was especially good at turning and pitting everyone against each other, which had practically left him unscathed.
Speaking of Doflamingo...
You sniffed the air, quirking a brow when you smelled the familiar smell of smoke and something burning. That was when Doflamingo decided to strut out of the kitchen. A melted spatula was in his hand as he came out, and, tilting your head to the side, you could only purse your lips at the familiar bright flickers of light and heat.
Yup. The kitchen was on fire.
"Doflamingo," Mihawk practically seethed.
Just another day with your friends.
---
Luxas stood with his hands behind his back as he sheepishly stared at his friend, who was currently reprimanding him. He didn't look excessively angry, just a little frustrated with all the things he may have given the world. Albeit unnecessary things, but he thought it would be good fun at the time. It still is.
Unfortunately for Luxas, the blue haired man before him did not.
His voice was calm as he scolded him, and it made Luxas feel a little disappointed in himself for giving his friend more stress then he already had. The man looked a little tired, with small dark bags under his golden eyes.
"In what state of mind were you to assess that temporarily housing sea plunderers-" the man coughed into his fist, "-pardon, pirates in a domain I granted permission for you to build upon? Not to mention introducing electronic devices that I specifically requested of you and Aarth to be mindful of when building this place in the first place."
He pinched the bridge of his nose. "And here I thought the two of you would be responsible. Perhaps it was negligent of myself in giving you both such freedom."
"Hey," Luxas whined, pouting a little. "You can't deny that it's interesting to see them interact! Besides, humans are always so fascinating, they never truly cease to amaze. I'm sure you would know quite well of that fact, Flare."
Flare said nothing as he shook his head.
"Regardless of whether or not they are 'fascinating', you still broke not one, but three of my rules," he reprimanded, crossing his arms. The suit that he wore rustled a little with the movement, and Luxas took that chance to change the topic.
"Oh hey, did you happen to get a new suit-"
"Luxas."
Luxas pouted. "For the God of War, you sure do act like my mom." He stiffened when Flare's body went rigid, a displeased look on the man's face.
He let out a nervous laugh. "Th-That was a joke... haha..."
Flare shook his head. "You know the consequences of breaking my trust. I believe I told you to not meddle in her affairs. It does not matter how similar they are. She is gone."
In a flash of blue flames, Flare had disappeared, leaving Luxas by himself.
The man sighed, resting his head in hands.
"You really do look like her... don't you? But I guess you both are two different people, no matter how I see it." He chuckled. "I'm talking to myself again. Though I wish to see you once again."
"L/n D. Y/n." He smiled softly.
"May you one day grace us in your presence once more."
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*SpotTheFly - A rendition of Spotify
*UTube - Basically YouTube
*Heed Me! Shall we have a romantic outing together - It's Obey me.