seaoftales

[seaoftales]

🎶🎶🎶

[seaoftales]

lucci be like "i have no fear", only to hear the sound of flip flops and be all "okay i have one fear"

[seaoftales]

@wrathphoenix sent: ❛  you don't have to leave just yet ... you could stay the night if you wanted to.  ❜ (Buggy to Mihawk)

The words had the swordsman freeze in an instant in his tracks, amber eyes lightly narrowed as he tried to figure out what this was all about. It had to be some trick. There was no way Buggy would go from pleading for his life to pleading for one of his tormentors to stay the night, unless both him and Crocodile pushed him so far that the poor soul developed some sort of twisted Stockholm syndrome.

As much as his whole form tensed, it relaxed, equally so, shoulders slumping down a little as a sigh left his lips. He'd be on guard, that was a given fact, though he also couldn't help but wonder what exactly happened for their would-be leader to change his tune. It might also allow Mihawk to see what exactly was happening with him, something that might prove useful in any future interactions.

❝ Why would you want me to stay? ❞ It was a genuine question, Mihawk still not looking at him, but all the while removing Yoru from his back, a habit developed ever since arriving at Karai Bari. He didn't trust anybody nearly enough to let his sword just lay about anywhere. Once the sword was neatly leaned against the wall, Mihawk finally turned around to look at Buggy.

❝ After everything Crocodile and I put you through, I would have thought you would want to be nowhere near either of us. ❞

[seaoftales]

Well, colour him surprised. The reaction certainly wasn't one that he expected. Usually women had quite the opposite reaction when approached by a man in such a dodgy looking alley, squealing, pleading or running away. Not that Lucci would ever do something vile like other men would. The thought, in truth, hadn't even crossed his mind. He was in the alley strictly for mission purposes, but really, one couldn't blame him for having that much curiosity in him as to question what exactly a girl like her was doing there.

❝ That isn't exactly the response I thought I would get. So you're not afraid to walk on your own in the dark, in a place where you don't know who could or couldn't suddenly jump you and take advantage of you? ❞

She knew what she looked like. Willow, pale, and lovely. Ginger curls framing overlarge crystalline eyes that really should have projected more fear if she wanted to keep up the harmless facade her looks provided. Shiloh just couldn't help the curiosity that peered from behind the curtain. Something about this man made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. It excited her.

Her head tilted slowly to the side and she put a hand to her cheek. Ruffians? I'd hate to run into someone like that." The corner of her lips twitched and then slowly melted into a pretty smirk of her own. "I might end up having a good time."

[seaoftales]

❝ Oh, don't I know it. Man wouldn't shut up about it whenever he decided to grace us with his presence during a meeting or two. He's also one of the main reasons why I always despise attending them. ❞ The other very obvious one was that he really couldn't have been bothered by what the Marines really wanted him to do. What would they do, fire him and risk having most bases get leveled to the ground? They were dumb, but not that dumb to let the one they called Marine Hunter just run amok and slaughter every single Marine that he came across. ❝ If anything good ever came from that, it was that I had some new gossip for Akagami whenever I'd visit. ❞

Perhaps he said it a bit too nonchalantly, though Mihawk also couldn't help but wonder if the Marines were that oblivious to the fact that the greatest swordsman and very likely the most powerful Yonko were good friends. Shanks would argue they were best friends, something Mihawk knew deep down was true but would rather die a lonesome death than ever admit to it.

Amber eyes glanced up at her as he crossed his legs, fingers laced together and resting in his lap, a hint of a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. It was good to know that the respect and fear he commanded wherever he showed up did, in fact, work.

❝ So out of the two evils, you've chosen the lesser one, is what you're saying. I don't know, going for Akagami would have been the most wonderful slap in the face your sad excuse of a father would have gotten in his life. I would have loved to see that play out at the next Warlord meeting. Speaking of, I've been thinking about suggesting him take up gardening to better handle those anger levels. A few more rants about Shanks and the man's really looking at getting a heart attack. ❞

“What?” she looked at him as if he’d grown a second head. “You’re not my enemy!” and the thought of him believing that to be the case was more than a little upsetting. She didn’t want to be on his bad side anymore than she did Shanks. 

“I just… I don’t know, it made sense at the time. My Dad’s got a hard-on for Shanks… He’s bound to notice if I were to join his crew,” but she knew that she’d be completely untouchable if she’d stayed with him. Then again, she was certain the same applied to remaining with Mihawk.

She blushed, suddenly avoiding his sharp gaze. “You’re a lot less intimidating than Shanks and his crew…” Which was saying something as they’d all been rather welcoming upon meeting her, even with the knowledge of who she was. Only Beckman had been truly standoffish, but she’d still found all of them incredibly intimidating. The fact that Mihawk was the less scary option was ridiculous she realized and her blush darkened, a sheepish smile gracing her features.

“Not to say you aren’t scary too… I was terrified of you when I was a kid and saw you at Headquarters…”

Smooth Melody, real smooth.

[seaoftales]

[seaoftales]

For a few split seconds, the red haired boy wondered how she didn't know what a pirate was, or what a cabin boy did, but he supposed that when somebody spent all their time living in the forest, something that had to do with the sea was unknown to them. It made sense, at least to him. Shanks was excited to share it all with her nonetheless, and he made a note to himself to ask around about the Red Bull. Somebody had to know what that was all about.

❝ Hmm... a pirate's somebody who is free. ❞ It was the simplest explanation he had. ❝ We sail the seas from island to island and sometimes fight the Marines. ❞ Given that she didn't know about pirates, it was maybe a good thing to at least try and explain what the Marines were. He gave her a smile and adjusted his straw hat a little, the item still a bit big on his head. ❝ Marines are supposed to be those who protect people from pirates, but my captain says it's not always like that. There's good and bad Marines, and there's good and bad pirates. We're the good ones. Lots of people like my captain. ❞

It was very clear that Shanks was incredibly proud to be on Rogers crew, his little chest puffed out to make him appear bigger than he actually was. ❝ I'm still a bit too young to be a proper member of the Roger pirates, so I help the captain run errands of all sorts! Sometimes he even lets me watch him to all the ships logs and teaches me about how to run a ship. ❞

Loneliness is not something the unicorn could say she experienced, not for all the centuries she had lived in her forest. She'd had the company of the wild mortal beasts and never grew tired of watching them live their lives from birth to death. "No, I watched over my forest and the animals that lived there." Them and her own company were all that she needed; at least until she'd been told the world's unicorns had vanished.

Hm, well, she supposes a child wouldnt know something sung by a butterfly. Stories of the Red Bull may be indeed more recognizable to older humans. "If you could, I would be grateful. Grown humans do not seem able to understand me, or even see me for who I am." Whenever it was that he got around to such, it wasnt like the unicorn is in a hurry to go anywhere herself. A sense of perplexity overcomes her then; he was far from his mother? Didnt humans tend to keep their young close?

Her head tilts at him, violet eyes wondering, "What do you do as a cabin boy? And what is a pirate?" She had never heard of such things before, certainly not from young maidens who used to visit her.

[seaoftales]

so this popped up on my fyp and honestly i am so digging this. any kidd rpers willing to explore this?

[seaoftales]

A big part of him was at that point glad that he had no parents whose expectations he had to meet. Truthfully, it sounded like more trouble than it was worth, and there were also some inconsistencies in what Kalifa was saying that had him frown a little. ❝ That... doesn't exactly make much sense. If your sister isn't meeting expectations on her assignment, I fail to see how that's your fault. It's not like you're the one holding her hand and leading her through it. ❞

Maybe it wasn't for him to understand it. He grew up an orphan, like most of the people working in Cipher Pol. Kalifa was one of the rare ones that was in that business because her whole family was. Lucci could only imagine the hardships she had to go through because of that. It also had him wonder how many times she already had to go through a situation like this, considering this was the first time that she called for him to keep her company. At any other situation, he might even consider it a weakness, though not this time. They were a team, they worked for so many years together, and it only showed that she trusted him enough to be vulnerable in front of him.

❝ No offense, but your father sounds like a controlling prick, ❞ he said, adjusting himself in his seat some more. A part of him was glad that he didn't have to go through the same as she, though it didn't make him want to be there for her any less, and while he wasn't exactly sure how to properly comfort her, he would try his best. It would be awkward, because he usually wasn't one to do such things, but they practically grew up together on Guanhao.

There were a few more moments of silence between them before Lucci spoke up again. ❝ If you want, I could turn into my leopard form and you can... cuddle. ❞ Gods did that sound weird coming from him. ❝ Apparently cuddling into something big and fluffy usually helps people cheer up, or so I hear. ❞

Kalifa was glad she had called Lucci, anyone else would’ve flicked on the lights as soon as they walked in. She trusted his eyes to allow him to see in the dark and leave her with the blissful black. Keeping her eyes closed she listened to him come closer and pull a chair over. Despite years of training to never trust another she didn’t react to him being so close to her despite how she felt. At the comment she gave a soft chuckle, unwilling to raise her own voice.

“My father called.” She was one of the few who got into CP through family connections, but she tried her best to keep that family at a distance. “My sister isn’t doing well on her assignment and it is upsetting him.” That was the simplest term for her father, upset. He had spent the better part of two hours yelling at her for her sister’s failings. The way he was able to go for so long without letting a single detail was impressive but also meant she was stuck listening to him. The rest of her current crew had never met the man, she wouldn’t even be surprised if some of them had thought he was dead.

Moving the cloth down from her forehead to cover her eyes she continued “Dealing with him gives me a headache obviously. He is very...demanding.” She was the oldest, she had to be perfect. This mission wasn’t as important to her father but she was still expected to do everything flawlessly. Kalifa had no doubt that he was getting access to her reports before the redactions and when they were done he would have countless things to scold her over. “I just….don’t like being alone after talking with him” If her sister had been there they would’ve been curled up together on the bed seeking comfort.

[seaoftales]

Steel blue eyes pierced right into her soul. Did she think him a fool? Did she think him so ignorant as to not check his facts thoroughly before seizing her? Her little act, however, was something he did have to give her credit for. Surely any other dimwitted Marine would fall for it, apologizing profusely while letting her go and leaving her to go about her day as she pleased.

He, however, couldn't afford doing such rookie mistakes. While none of the Cipher Pol agents were tasked with bringing in, or eliminating, for that matter, whoever was responsible for the destruction, the Zoan user surely wouldn't pass up on the opportunity of once more proving that the Marines were a useless lot.

❝ Unless there's another woman with the name Hinoka Yoshitaka, I would say I have the right person. ❞ The words were spoken in a low tone, just enough for her to hear. She could play her little games, but Lucci wouldn't be the one to buy such cheap tricks. ❝ And considering that you're only one half of the equation, I doubt it will take all that long for the second half to come to your rescue. ❞

As soon as she's grabbed her world froze. Cold sweat broke down her back and the specificity of the question didn't help. Her instant thought is to break the hold, but that would give her away to this stranger that she was trained. Surely she knew this day would arrive at some point? With how he held her the sleeves of the shirt she wore slipped, revealing deep discoloration of skin and scars.

"What would I know about the Marines?" Hinoka clipped, a green eye leering at Lucci carefully with a tilt of her head. She knew her wanted poster was out of date, and so what if she'd burned a few to the ground? She'd done the people a favor.

"I think you've got me confused for someone else, s-sir."

She could play the demure and shy woman when she found it convenient especially with how this man towered over her. The redhead knew that as soon as he let her go she'd bolt.

[seaoftales]

The redhead looked at the toddler with curiosity, one the boy matched with ease, big eyes looking right at him before a bright smile was offered, one Shanks so easily mirrored, one that looked so familiar, too. Grey eyes looked at Makino, a glint of hope in them.

❝ Is he...? ❞ Gods, did he even dare hope it was true? It had to be. The way Makino worded it, the look on her face, the little boy staring up and smiling at him as if there was no tomorrow.

Emotion took over fast, eyes watering and tears threatening to fall, and boy did he struggle to hold them back. Shanks closed the distance between them, arm going around Makino and pulling her in a hug, mindful of the boy in her arms. ❝ Why did you never tell me? Actually, no. No, that one is on me. I should have visited more often, wrote to you... I should have checked on you instead of being silent. Can you forgive me? ❞

Makino hummed softly as Shanks spoke, shifting the baby higher up her hip. "Shanks! I've missed you! And this...well..." She blushed softly, tilting the boy so Shanks could see him better. "Wanna guess who he is?"

[seaoftales]

Delicious Daario 💙🔥💙

Season 6

[seaoftales]

Javi listened to Hinokas instructions, very much appreciating her calm demeanor about the whole situation. As much as he loved Hongo and appreciated his expertise, the man took every injury personal, which was something he also understood. The whole crew practically raised him ever since he was a little bub, and to most, he was still that helpless ten year old boy they had to protect at all costs.

The gauze was removed as instructed, Javi holding still so she could get the stitches done as fast as possible. ❝ I'm guessing swimming and being in the sun for too long is off the table for a while. ❞ It wasn't the worst, he knew Roux would always appreciate any help down in the galley, and thankfully Javi usually worked all over the ship, depending on where help was needed.

❝ Are there any special salves I have to put on the wound or do I just come to you if anything happens? Not to say that it will, I just want to have all angles covered before I do something stupid and make it worse than it is. ❞

"I think that's all you'd really need to be careful of aside from brushing up against anything that can irritate or pull at the wound while changing clothes or any time your skin is exposed." Hinoka added, "Just make sure it's clean, I'll check back on it in a week or so to take the stitches out." "Speaking of," Hinoka sat next to Javi's side, suture threaded and prepared, "You can remove the gauze, I'll have this stitched up shortly and you can be on your way, alright?"

She offered him a smile, polite and gentle to help ease any anxiousness he may have. A fear of needles is common and sometimes doubly so for sailors. Ironic, considering that many were more than happy to get tattoos.

[seaoftales]

Grey eyes narrowed at her just a little bit. Something about her explanation seemed off, as if she didn't share all there was to it, though Beck decided to give her the benefit of doubt and trust her on the matter. Maybe it was a hard topic for her to talk about. He could imagine that going from being a Marine to now being associated with a Yonko surely wasn't a change that would be described as a walk in the park. Maybe she regretted it. Maybe she regretted not deserting sooner. Hell, how long was she in the Marines.

The seed of doubt was then planted not by her, but by himself. What if she was a spy, and all of this was a ploy? The first mate shook his head a little, not at her but at himself, to hopefully get such thoughts off his mind. He took another drag from his cigarette, eyes once more locking in with hers to give her a good look over. Nothing showed that she was tense or nervous, something that he'd notice should she be lying to him. No, she was genuine. Hell, she looked almost scared when mentioning her father. It in part had him wonder just how badly one had to fuck up to have their own child be this scared of them. Luckily, found family was a thing and they'd do their hardest to show her that.

❝ Another one of those whackos who think their kid has to continue in their footsteps, eh? ❞ Beck wasn't even remotely sorry for his choice of words. He was a man who strongly believed that a child should always choose their own path rather than be forced to do what they didn't want or like to do, and clearly this was the case here. ❝ You'll be just fine here. Honestly, anybody dumb enough to wage an attack on Shanks deserves what's coming for them. And before that guilt eats you up from the inside, I'll let you know that you did the right thing. You removed yourself from a situation you didn't want to be in. Sure, it made you a criminal in turn, but I'll let you in on a little secret. ❞

The man gave her a small but warm smile, leaning against the railing next to her. ❝ It's not all that bad as the World Government makes us out to be. You're free. You get to do whatever you want. With Shanks as your captain, it's even easier. It also helps that he's not a guy to attack unless you attack him first, and people love him. It'll take time to get used to it, but I think you'll find this way of living much more enjoyable. ❞

Her brows lifted in surprise, blue eyes widening. Take her with them? No, absolutely not! Her situation was complicated enough without adding the troubles of being associated with a Yonko to the mix!

“Pretty sure that’d just make me a bigger target,” she laughed nervously, teeth worrying at the inside of her cheek. She had a feeling that Shanks wouldn’t take no for an answer. Plus, there was the problem that her troubles had now disrupted the relative peace of the island. The locals were now well aware of her wanted status. She couldn’t stay here any longer.

She may have to go with them, if the option was offered. She didn’t like it. Not one bit. Then the was the problem of the fact that she was certain the Marines had spread her wanted poster around. Two-hundred fifty million berri was nothing to scoff at, but compared to Shanks and his crew's bounty it was a drop in the bucket.

She was staring at the horizon, mind in a million different places, when his question had her gaze shifting up to him. That dreaded question. Were he anyone else she probably could have lied, but she got the distinct impression that he’d know. Hopefully a half-truth would be satisfactory.

“I deserted…and my father is a Vice-Admiral who didn’t take kindly to my actions so,” she shrugged helplessly, genuine guilt painting her features.

[seaoftales]

For a few split seconds, Beck was almost convinced that Shanks was pulling his leg and was simply trying to drag the mischief out for as long as possible, but the subtle telltale signs were there to indicate that his captain was very much serious, even if remaining rather cryptic about it.

Thus far, nothing sounded all that outrageous. Road poneglyphs were needed to get to Laughtale, even he knew that, but even then, how many would be able to gather all of them? There would probably be a handful of crews to reach the final destination, and not to sound too cocky, but which one could really rival them in terms of strength. No, there was something else that had Shanks practically on edge.

A low hum escaped him, the first mate reaching into his pocket to fish out a cigarette and matches, lighting it and taking a drag from it, somewhat perplexed how the conversation steered from the One Piece to a mythological figure from old tales. Surely, there had to be a reason Shanks brought it up.

❝ I heard one or the other thing when I was little lad, mostly old folk stories, ❞ he said. ❝ Old man Riggs would go on and on about Nika, how he's the liberator of the world, how he'd bring joy to the world, unite the whole world under one flag, so to speak. Granted, we did call him Loony Riggs for a reason, so I doubt his stories hold much credibility. ❞ Benn took another drag of his cigarette. ❝ What's a mythological being have to do with the One Piece, anyway? ❞

Benns response only showed him again how lucky Shanks was to have the older man as his first mate. He trusted and supported Shanks decision, no matter what, yet would also set him straight with zero hesitation if the situation called for it.

His hand opens and closes around his cup of sake several times, a clear sign that he was thinking. Thinking on how to explain it to the older man without sounding like a complete lunatic. "Not exactly." But also not that wrong either. "We need to get that last road poneglyph first. The copies we got from that cocky rookie are useless without the last one."

A heavy sigh and his grip tightens on his cup and he empties it in one go before refilling it immediately. "Say, Beck, have you ever heard about Nika?" He remembers what his captain once told him, a story most people in the world seemed to have forgotten about, like so many others.

[seaoftales]

The question of whether he knew Shanks in person had his features soften completely, no matter how hard he tried to not let that happen. Brook hit the nail right on the head --- being in Shanks' presence did inspire one to do the craziest things and take so many bold steps out of ones comfort zone. ❝ We've known each other since we were kids barely even able to lift a proper sword. I'd dare say he's my best friend. But you didn't hear that from me. ❞ Shanks was also his only friend, as sad as it was, but the red haired pirate understood Mihawk and his boundaries like none other.

❝ We also used to duel back in the day, before he lost his arm. It didn't feel right to do so afterwards. Even then, that never stopped him from being his cheerful self. When somebody talks about freedom, he's... the embodiment of it, living life at its fullest, taking care of his own and fighting injustice, no matter which side it's on. He also has that spark in him that makes everybody around him want to do stupid things without regard of consequences, all the while having fun. ❞ Mihawk was in many ways jealous of that, though not in a malicious way. He, as an introvert and somebody who rarely socialized, would have loved to be able to talk to just anybody, regardless of who they were, unless he managed to find that one rare person he immediately clicked with, like Brook. Shanks in turn had no issues with it, a true friend of the world, thriving on good company and surrounding himself with good people.

A low hum escaped him then, hand reaching for his drink to take a few sips. Truth be told, Mihawk couldn't remember the last time he talked to somebody that wasn't Shanks about his parents. Usually, it was a well guarded secret, but even then, when somebody did find out, they simply assumed he was pulling their leg simply to make them leave him alone. ❝ Mhm, the hotspot for all young upstarts who think they can conquer the world on their own. You probably met my folks, or at least my old man. Runs and ship coating business these days. My mother tends to keep to herself in the bar she runs. ❞

❝ As for requests... I've never had any but I certainly wouldn't be opposed to it, either. I find sewing to be incredibly relaxing, and I'd say it saved one or the other marine from certain death. You'd never think that a creative outlet could actually save lives for once. ❞ The words were accompanied by a soft chuckle, the swordsman very much relaxed and comfortable in Brooks company.

Brook smiles was incredibly gentle as he listened to Mihawk. It was hard to believe that a skull could make such a tender expression. "Yohoho! You say "adopt", but we are the one acting like his parents, trying and failing to keep this young lad out of trouble." The skeleton tilted his head at the swordsman. "Oh, do you happen to know Shanks-san in person? I've only heard Luffy-san's stories about him... And saw him on the wanted posters. They do have a very similar look in their eyes. You know. The one that inspires you to do the craziest things. Making you feel as if anything that binds you can be torn apart, like a... Breath of salty fresh air?" The Soul King wasn't sure why, but he felt like Mihawk would be able to understand what he was talking about.

The skeleton tilted his head, somewhat mesmerized by the small smile that appeared on the swordsman's face. He had only seen this face on the posters with a cold, somewhat bored expression in those golden eyes. And all he heard from Zoro were sparse complaints about being stuck between the two extremes: boisterous and loud Perona and the cold, serious Mihawk, who only seemed to take pleasure in seeing Zoro get beaten up. The subtle smile was certainly a surprise, though not at all unwelcomed.

"Hoya? So you are from Sabaody!" The musician briefly recalled all that happened on the archipelago both times that he was there. As a regular citizen, little Mihawk probably didn't have any problems with the Marine base being so close, but the regular visits from the Celestial Dragons and all the destructive pirates that wanted to pass to fishmen island... Brook couldn't help but worry about pretty much anybody living on Sabaody.

"Whaaaat! Your craftsmanship is remarkable!" The skeleton gasped, leaning a bit closer to better see the seams on the jacket. "Incredible! It so tough to find fashionable clothes that don't just fit my stature..." Soul King gestured at his knees sticking awkwardly from under the table, as it was still a bit too small for him. "...but also are easy to move in... Especially considering how fast I usually am. Yohohoho! Do you perhaps take requests, Mihawk-san?"

[seaoftales]

Home could only mean Mary Geoise, which in turn meant that getting to him to get him out of there was nearly impossible. To top it all off, the fate of Shanks' entire crew was now on him, and with a heavy heart, Mihawk knew that he would have to retreat and hope that the spawn of evil in front of him would keep his word. There was always a chance that he might still attack the crew and have him painted as the culprit, but he wasn't about to voice that concern out loud.

"I'll leave," was his short answer, the sword being lowered. "Just mark my words. I'll hunt you down no matter where you'll be, and I will do anything I can to get Shanks back."

"Shanks is gone," Deimos repeated. "We brought him home." Let him make of that whatever he wanted.

"Now, Mihawk," Deimos said. "This ship is surrounded by the Holy Knights. So you have a choice to make. Shall I call an attack on it or will you walk away and I let them live?"