#( musings ) / * bartolomeo .

[diioonysus]

apollo + art

[quinloki]

Of the ships that like to do cuddle puddles, which do you need to call out for it and which are you liable to wake up surrounded by beloved crewmates if you fall asleep in a public area of the ship?

I think it depends more on YOU than the crew, actually.

For any crew if people know you're not keen on cuddles, you're not going to wake up in the middle of one, but if they know you're neutral on them and you fall asleep somewhere well traveled you're going to end up in one if it's the Kid Pirates, WBP, Straw Hats, Heart Pirates, and hell I'd even add the RA and Barto's crew.

Shanks' crew doesn't strike me as guys who cuddle into piles as a natural course of action, but you could probably just pout a little and say you wanted one and be in one really quick.

[basedkikuenjoyer]

Brick by Brick (Putting it Together)

Well, 1126 certainly ends off on a wild and very interesting note I have a lot to say about. But I don't want to bury the very interesting stuff getting there. First...hell yeah we're getting trashed on Giant absinthe! If you're unfamiliar, that is an alcohol made with a specific type of wormwood that isn't necessarily the strongest booze out there but it's unique for having hallucinogenic effects. Well, for having a reputation for that though it's exaggerated.

Still, it's important to note we're here just casually partying on the way to Elbaf given what happens next. On the way there though, we're going to continue this element of getting back to some of the side stories set up in Egghead. The lines are still very blurred in terms of whether we've finished that arc or are starting a new one. Much more than we typically see in these intermission chapters. So let's look at the two we have, remembering there are thematic ties and how they may all resonate with the title. "Payback" is an interesting term with context in this series.

Especially when we see this guy. So yeah, FWIW this chapter title is the same Kanji as the "Payback" in Payback War, where Marco led the Whitebeard Remnants in trying to get even with Blackbeard. That's not the only time we'll mention the legacy of the Whitebeard Pirates which is always something I'll take interest in when a certain one of them felt unfinished in his own arc. We still have Marco and Bakkin/Weevil's story running through Sphinx Island.

That said, the scene is interesting in its own right. BB getting onto Pizarro here is pretty funny. Lafitte keeping an eye on the Revolutionaries current siege on the Red Line is intriguing, but the big thing to me is the prisoner swap. Perona & Moria got away but they captured Garp and we see Pudding here too. Blackbeard always has that way of mirroring Luffy. If nothing else, they've both "captured" a big shot to the World Government here with Lilith/Garp. Moria slipping away with important secrets though could mirror Caribou doing the same to Luffy and of course Pudding is interesting as well. But this isn't the only side story we get an update on.

Hell yeah Barto, and fuck you Shanks for blowing up the Going Luffy-Senpai. I wanna get to the fireworks factory though so we'll keep this quick. There's two elements. One, this works nicely with other scenes showing the Grand Fleet getting up to trouble since Dressrosa. That plus Shanks hammering home the idea he has to respond to save face. Explaining why it matters. Shouldn't be anything new to you if you've been reading along with me for a while, but for a refresher I do still feel this is something Luffy was starting to get in Wano. Key word being starting.

It's something he was showing he was learning with how Kiku in Bakura Town builds off Katakuri/Future Sight and flows into Hyogoro in Udon. Then it starts to break away from that first with Yamato forcing his way in, then Gear Five, then seems completely forgotten come Egghead. Which starts with aggressive reminders none of this nonsense had anything to do with you and ends on the complementary note of losing control of how the story gets told. But...we all know we're here to talk about one event this chapter.

Huh? The Sunny mysteriously disappears and we see Nami being woken up by someone in...a Lego house? I wanna do bullet points and kinda quickly address all the stuff we see flying around because this is both absolutely bonkers but also not too far off from some of the things I thought could happen with how we've had weird elements of how Wano/Egghead were written:

First off who. Who was split off into this odd area. It was the original six and the more recent four crew mates this time. Interesting. A lot of people jump to Vivi right away. It's equally true that these are the crewmates who met Ace and also that we got the younger ones apart from their elders.

A lot of people have jumped right to thinking this is Elbaf and Loki has Nami in something like a dollhouse. Lego do come from a "Viking" country and that'd explain the outfit...but we've never seen anything like this aesthetic.

Real absinthe may not be super hallucinogenic...but it has a real reputation for that. One the Giants invoked. That could be a part of things.

Stussy isn't out of the question though. Especially when we get a little reminder of the brokers via Umit coming up earlier.

If there's any known Devil Fruit power this may fit with it'd be Sugar's. Which is a stretch. But this vibe could be a bridge to thematically tying Elbaf & Whole Cake.

This could be a ship, that was the first thing I thought seeing the actual panel. So the "Man Marked by Flames" and his ability to cause whirlpools isn't a bad idea.

OG Kuma is there, he coulda shoved the Sunny away. Doubtful but a possibility.

Hopefully next chapter gives us more to go on. But for now if we want to ponder things keep the facts we can glean in mind. It had to be something sudden that could happen without the other ship noticing. Whoever is calling out has to be someone who'd know Nami. We don't know which side we'll focus on for resolving this. By the same token you could say this is the gang that knows Vivi so she has to show up...it's really just split based on time. We could just as easily focus more on giving the latecomers a chance to shine figuring this one out. Or they could go on to Elbaf and set it up like Zou so we don't really need to fabricate a conflict for that arc when we finally get there.

Whichever way it goes...this is exactly the type of shit I wanted to see and I cannot wait to see how it unfolds...

...

...

Have you stuck with me this long? Humor me, it's my birthday weekend. Probably the last time I get to say this...but what a swan song. There's a bullet points I left off, but it'd check all the boxes right? Someone unassuming has been on the ship and thus gets snagged away with the early comers. There you go, friendly face that isn't drunk and has had time to get a handle on the situation. And still a reason to keep them obscured. Blends well with this Blackbeard/Shanks stuff, Yamato's entry in the cover saga, and still leaves Drake for the actual reveal.

[solar-pxwered]

Does the carpet match the drapes?

"Wanna find out?"

All of Dressrosa already knows the answer...

[mew-ya]

Besides Katakuri, who’s your favorite one piece character?

OHHH super hard question!!! I have a lot of love for a lot of characters. but I love katakuri the most. i like what i like. I'm very single minded about my muse (as everyone can probably tell)

in some vague order, here are a bunch of my non-katakuri faves:

charlotte linlin

nico robin

don boo

cyborg franky

charlotte pudding

charlotte brulee

charlotte oven

sir crocodile

roronoa zoro

aramaki

bartolomeo

usopp

fujitora

eustass kidd

basil hawkins

road

[the-bar-sinister]

Deicide: Red Shift (27682 words) by VickytheSnake, thesavagesabretooth Chapters: 7/?

Summary: A mysterious signal is drawing ships across the Grand Line to a place called Elegia for the first ever concert by the rising star singer, Uta. Following the signal are Cross Guild and fallen emperor Shanks, the Charlotte family, the Donquixote Pirates and the shattered remnants of Law's crew, and Kid's crew, and Cavendish and Bartolomeo.

And the Straw Hats and their captain Luffy, who hasn't seen Uta since they were both little children at their idol Shanks' knee.

Perhaps this meeting was ordained by fate. Perhaps, in the end, there was only ever one tragic outcome possible.

But Luffy has other plans.

catch up here

-

It'd been too long since Mihawk enjoyed a quiet cup of wine. After all the drama with Shanks—and the pleasantries of making up after so long apart—he just hadn't had the time to sit in his chambers with a book and a glass of wine. But he had the time now, didn't he? A course to Elegia, nothing to fight, and nothing to do but spend time as he saw fit.

He raised it to his lips, taking a long sip as he turned the page with a satisfied and relaxed hum. 

The door slamming open cut through any peace and harmony that Mihawk, his wine, and his book achieved. Crocodile stood ragged in the doorway.

"...Captain Crocodile," Mihawk snapped his book shut and sighed as he lowered his wine. "You seem pressed. May I ask what's the matter?" 

Crocodile smoothed his hair back with his jeweled fingers and took a deep breath. He stepped in and closed the door behind him. "Perceptive as always, Hawk," he growled ironically. "I'll give you the good news first. Perona and Moria made it to base."

Mihawk sighed with muted relief. Good—he'd been worried for Perona. He'd sent her off during a particularly turbulent shift in the world structure of power, but to hear she'd made it back safe was a weight off his shoulders.

"Good. I knew she would, at the very least with Wallace by her side." 

"Yeah, he's good too, thankfully." Crocodile swaggered over and shifted Mihawk over to sit pressed against him. "But shit is wild. First off, Hancock went fucking haring off without contacting anybody aside from leaving a fucking note."

"Oh," Mihawk mused. "it must have been for something important then. She's typically a little more courteous than that."

He looped an arm around Crocodile. He was certain that Hancock's sudden disappearance was—well, he doubted it was the foremost trouble plaguing his anxious captain. 

"I'll fucking say! We intercepted a marine transmission, and they were sending fucking troops to go blast Amazon Lily!" Crocodile snarled. "If we weren't already fucking tied up I'm be swinging around to back her up."

"Ah—" Mihawk's expression fell into a slim frown. "They're sending troops to assail Amazon Lily. It's no wonder she's left in such a hurry—now that they've revoked protections, they're likely planning to plunder and enslave the population, those that they don't slaughter."

His eyes closed. "If we weren't tied up, I'd wish to be there for her. We'd never make it in time." 

"No, we wouldn't," Crocodile shook his head. "Hopefully Hancock can take care of it herself. She's a hell of a badass, I won't doubt her power, even if the situation makes me anxious."

Crocodile was a man who gave the impression that he was hard to the world, that nothing got under his skin. But that was a well-honed facade. Mihawk knew him well, he'd seen the way things got to him. If the plan began to deviate from what he expected, when people he'd allowed close were in danger, when the world was just a little too loud and reminded him a little too much of old pains—he tended to be seized by a bubbling anxiety that leaked into near everything he did.

"She's incredibly strong, and she has her sisters and the Kuja," Mihawk murmured, "she'll handle the marines neatly, and if she has trouble—I have little doubt she'll get swift backup." 

"Yeah, you're right of course." Crocodile slung his heavy arm around Mihawk's shoulders and leaned against him like an overly affectionate cat. "Speaking of backup, that ain't the end of the news by a long shot."

"Has Perona brought a whole cadre of the Grand Line's strangest misfit pirates to our door? Perhaps somehow recruited Zoro from the Straw Hats?" Mihawk drawled. 

Crocodile went strangely quiet for a moment. "Not… exactly. I told you she brought Moria back? Apparently Kaidou showed up at just about the same time."

"..............." Mihawk cracked an eye open to stare at him. "Oh bother." 

Croc waved his hook as if wagging a finger. "No no. We got him."

"Oh," Mihawk tilted his head. Frankly, it was more than just an 'oh' sufficed. A fallen Emperor of the Sea, a second one joining their ranks. Really, if they managed to snag Linlin too, they'd have a powerhouse of a set on their hands. Kaidou, the King of Beasts, working for Cross Guild was a stroke of extraordinary luck.

"Did we lose Moria then?" 

Crocodile's eyes went a little wild, like they had been when he stomped into the room. He shook his head, a grin, more like a grimace, feral on his lips. "Oh no. Oh no Hawky we did not. I was on the goddamn transponder snail for a fucking hour negotiating— but we got em both. And they're headed to Elegia to back our play."

"And that's a good thing, Captain." Mihawk said slowly. So why did Crocodile look like he was about to implode. "Are you going to tell me something like 'oh, we have gotten Linlin Charlotte too', or 'the admirals have all dropped inexplicably dead' Or is the good news run out?" 

"That's the end of the good news, Hawky babe. Got one last piece of news. But it ain't good."

Mihawk stared him down, waiting expectantly for the answer. 

"The size of the marine fleet they're sending up here."

-

Nami felt the cool breeze rustling her hair as she leaned on the crow's nest of the Sunny, Elegia rising from the sea ahead. It was such a tiny island, but the shores were choked with ships and the eastern side was dominated by a massive stage and concert venue that looked like the technicolor ribcage of some strange great beast.

Music filtered through the air with the scent of fair food and the sound of distant voices, lending a veritable party atmosphere that was already getting her buzzy with excitement. She smiled, bobbing her head as she looked from ship to ship in its crowded docks. It was a 'who's who' of big names, she could see that already.

She was pretty sure she saw a few familiar ships from Sabaody, big name merchant companies, Cavendish! Oh, man, yes— that overly fancy and horse themed fairytale ship HAD to be Cavendish's!

And the Charlottes, the unmistakable….

….Massive…

…singing ship…

…that looked like it was made of candy….

Nami's blood ran a little cold. "Why are THEY here?" 

The icy chill that ran through her was cut by the warm call of a familiar voice. 

"Nami!" Luffy announced himself just in time that she was not completely bowled over by him wrapping himself around her from behind. "We're finally here!"

Nami wobbled, catching herself on the lip of the crow's nest with wide eyes and a quiet yelp. "Yeah! Yeah I'd frickin' say! And we're not the only ones, Captain!" 

"Yeah, there's a big crowd!" He nuzzled his cheek against hers. This was more excited than she'd seen him in days. It finally felt like having him back to normal. "Anyone we recognize?"

She nuzzled against him with a playfully longsuffering sigh, before she reached up to grab his chin and yank his gaze towards the Charlotte's ship.

It was nice to see him back to his old self, and she would protect that excited smile with her fucking life. But someone on this ship had to be a practical thinker.

"Recognize that monstrosity, Captain?" 

Luffy stared at it for a moment and she felt his mouth fall open softly. "Huuuh? Is that Big Mom's ship? What are they doing here?"

"That's what I'm wondering, Luffy!" she looped an arm around him. "Even if she's still outta commission—I fucking hope she's out of commission— her psycho kids being here's…I dunno. Some kind of omen. Wonder if Sanji'll be happy to see fuckin' Pudding again." 

Luffy rolled not just his eyes but his whole head. "Proooobably. You know Sanji! Gosh– I hope they're just here to see the concert and not to cause a bunch of trouble. I'm sure Uta will be royally pissed if someone ruins her big show."

"Is she the type to be kinda scary when she's pissed, Luffy?" Nami grinned. "A woman after my own heart?" 

"Weeelll, when I knew her, she was kind of like you. But not as nice." Luffy giggled, and nuzzled her. His bright smile was fixed firmly in place again. "And I know what you're going to say– you're not that nice!"

Kind of like her but not as nice, huh? Nami glowed with a little pride that she was anything like a super famous and glamorous pop star at all, honestly. A goofy edge overtook her smile as she looped her arms around him.

"If she's meaner than even ME, then the Charlottes better fucking hope they don't cause trouble. They'd be mince meat. I'm pretty nasty, Luffy." 

He beamed at her. "I knew that you were going to say that!"

"You know me well," Nami laughed, "Well—Charlottes or no, I'm as excited as you are Captain. I'm gonna be honest, hearing she's your sister kinda makes me even more excited to see her!"

She wondered if she was as much of a terror as he claimed she was, which given the fact he called her his 'rival' she fully expected her to be. She wondered if she was as beautiful as she was in all those promotional images—she wondered if she'd sign her climate baton. 

"Me too! I was telling Sanji I haven't seen her since I was seven, you know? Do you think it'll be hard to get close to see her?" He looked up at her with big, warm eyes. Luffy… sometimes he acted like she had the answer to everything.

It made her feel smart, not that she wasn't—hell, if anyone had a brain cell on this ship it was her or Robin—but it gave her a little smile every time Luffy relied on her to have an answer.

"Probably. I mean. She's gotta remember you right? Just make yourself visible enough and she'll probably invite you right up on stage—anyway, isn't this thing supposed to be three days long? She can't be singing that whole time!" 

Luffy slapped his fist into his palm. "Make myself visible, and she'll invite me on stage! That's a great idea, Nami!!" Excitedly, he leaned over and kissed her full on the mouth.

Honestly it was probably an absolutely terrible idea. She almost second guessed herself before Luffy's excitable kiss connected with her lips. She flushed, pulling him into a little spin as she let his enthusiasm soothe her doubts.

She was his sister. She'd be happy to see him jumping up and down there in the crowd.

Obviously. 

-

"Can you feel that in the air? It's like everyone's super charged up." Franky grinned at her, flipping his sunglasses up as he carried a large crate one handed.

Robin smiled amusedly out at the sea of festival tents, listening to the cacophony of voices, music, and shuffling cargo play out like a strange symphony on the shores of Elegia. Hands bloomed to pass a crate along the dock and towards their cart to haul towards their 'camping area'.

Her eyes, bloomed all around, took in the sights as bloomed ears did the same for the sounds. But still, enough of her attention was in her main body—more than enough to cast one of her thin, fond little smiles over at Franky. "I can feel it. It's like electricity. The sort of atmosphere that can lead to a lovely party—or frenzied riot." 

"Depending on who you ask, they're the same thing, Robin babe." Franky laughed, hefting his box again. He headed down the gangplank along with her chain of arms, always seemingly happy to show off and carry large things for the crew.

She allowed herself the small joy of watching—he did look quite nice when he was hefting heavy things around—as she trailed after him with her arms blooming and vanishing in a conveyor belt of goods.

"Too true. It makes me wonder—I've listened to Uta's music. She's surprisingly, how shall I put this, anti-authoritarian." 

That seemed to give him pause. "What, really? Like she's a, you know— a punk?" Franky seemed both equally dubious and interested. Robin suspected it wouldn't take him much to get really pumped up about Uta.

Robin chuckled bemusedly, walking a little closer to him as one of her eyes far away scanned the crowd—watching a group of merchants discuss some troublemaker who'd recently lifted a significant amount of merchandise, it seemed.

She glanced sidelong at him "Yes, she seems to be. Despite her bubbly sound, most of her lyrics are about rebellion of some form or another. Lashing back. I listened to a fair bit back during our little split up—and a friend of mine in the Revolutionary Army was a bit of a fan." Her head tilted to the side. "One of the lyrics that jumps to mind is 'let the winds of wrath blow them away, I won't live in compliance' or somesuch." 

Franky lifted his shades again as he put down the crate on the shore. "Well shit, sounds like I might have to give her a closer listen. I knew she was super cute, I didn't know she had the rebel spirit."

"Guys!" Luffy swooped down from the front of the ship, landing in a pair of Robin's arms. "I saw a tent selling meat skewers!"

Robin raised her curled fingers to her lips, laughing pleasantly with a nod at Franky. 

"Now's the time, I suppose. Even if I expect this concert to be a bit more exciting than we think."

With an illegal signal blaring anti-authoritarian leaning music over the World Government's Transponder Snail relay—it was bound to draw a response. She could only hope it was a reasonable one, while preparing for the worst.

She finally turned her attention to her Captain with a smile. "Meat skewers, hm? I could be convinced for one." 

"I have to eat a lot of them so I can tell Sanji that his are way better," Luffy said sincerely, nodding.

Frankly laughed at the scene. "Count me in for a few, captain. Did you hear this Uta's a rebel?"

Luffy cocked his head, looking between the two of them with the kind of blank expression Robin knew he wore when he was looking for someone to give him more information.

Robin's hands vanished, dropping her crate beside Franky's, before she offered a hand to Luffy , one blooming to offer to Franky from his back. 

"Let's get that meat skewer, boys—Luffy, have you heard any of her music? I know you said you hadn't before this,but has anyone put any on while we were sailing here?" 

"Oh yeah," Luffy said thoughtfully as they walked together. "I guess she did kinda sound pissed off, huh?"

Robin tilted her head towards him with a half smile. "Pissed off is a good way to put it. It sounds like a fair amount of her music is either about unity, or rebellion—and an undercurrent of nostalgia for something lost." 

"Hey! Do you think—"

As the three of them fell into pace, Luffy looked up at Robin with a wide eyed and eager expression. A determined expression. Robin knew that look. Her captain was getting one of his ideas.

She put her fingers to her chin. "Sometimes I think, yes Luffy." she winked at him. "...but what are you thinking?" 

His grin hitched wider and he slapped his fist into his palm. "I decided! I'm gonna ask her to join my crew!"

Robin closed her eyes. Her imagination kicked off behind her placid expression, painting a picture of more rabbity-than-life Uta from the promotional pictures scampering around with Luffy on the Sunny like some madcap newspaper comic. Musical notes fluttering through the air, Zoro grumbling, Sanji nearly falling all over himself—the works, as a large trail of completely ignored marine ships trailed after them across the sea.

She huffed a soft 'fufufu' laugh before she smiled with a nod to her captain. "I believe in you, Captain. I'm certain it'll spice up the concert, too." 

-

Komurasaki wondered just how threatening their group looked by default as the Donquixote pirates made ready to disembark on Elegia after securing the ship. There were a lot of them. And some of them were very large and physically imposing. No one had left their weapons on the ship, so at least a few of them were armed.

And of course, she had no idea how potentially recognizable any of them were. After all, they were supposedly a famous pirate gang; just because Komurasaki had never seen them before she joined them didn't mean that they wouldn't be immediately spotted.

Neither 'the young master' nor his cadre of long time 'executives' seemed to be worried about it. She cocked her head, glancing at Law to judge his take on the situation.

Law had that massive cursed blade of his leaned over his shoulders as he walked casually down the gangplank. Before he caught her eyes, she could see his eyes flicking about as if looking for someone before he stretched and glanced her way with a wry and slightly tight smile.

He walked closer to her to whisper. "People are gonna peg the DQ family straight off," he murmured. "When the young master gets a little deeper into the island, people are gonna start noticing us. I dunno if the reception's gonna be anger, fear, or wonder—or who knows what else, so be prepared." 

Saki inclined her head toward him. "You must have overheard my thoughts. I was curious what sort of reception we might have. No one seems particularly ill at ease."

Law glanced over just in time to see Baby 5 launch herself up to hang on Doflamingo's arm and excitedly announce that Violet had found clothing stands around 20 feet ahead, with clothes for sale!

He snorted. "Great minds think alike, Saki. I'm wonderin' too. I know a few people if we run into 'em may cause trouble—but most people will probably just be fascinated, unless they're marines." 

"I got the impression that marines won't be particularly welcome," Saki mused as Doffy and Baby 5 fell in alongside them.

Doflamingo rested his hand on top of Law's shoulder and grinned. "Excited for the concert?"

Law flushed and looked up at him with a sly smile. "Not as excited as you and Bepo. You two are chompin' at the fucking bit. But yeah. I guess I'm interested. I was just talkin' to Saki about the types of people who're gonna show up to this thing."

Baby 5 dropped off Doffy to fall into step, smoothing out her maid's dress with a purse of her lips. Maybe she was thinking about finally changing into something else. "All sorts, but nobody more important than the Donquixote Family."

Somewhere behind them, Violet laughed about something. 

Saki turned to glance at her, wondering just what amused the all-seeing woman. Before she could ask Diamante's voice broke through as he leaned over the rail of the ship down toward them.

"Hey Doffy, you want me to bring that fruit or leave it on the ship?"

Doflamingo waved up at him. "Leave it for now! Doesn't look like Croc is even here yet."

VIolet gave Saki a wink, her smile enigmatic and amused before she spoke up. "He's not, Doffy. I'll tell you when I see his approach."

Law shook his head "hey, Doffy—who's the fruit even for?" 

Doffy blew a kiss to Vi before turning his attention back to Law. "Croc asked me to get one for one of Buggy's guys. We found this one with the marine stash from that island, and I'm a man of my word, so."

"So when Sir fucking Crocodile comes to the Uta concert, he'll fulfil his promise to that fucking lunatic clown." He paused for a moment before he said "Doffy, didja know they made that guy an Emperor? Just like Straw Hat." 

"I'd heard," Doffy chuckled. "I never would have believed it, but I did hear. Well, it improves the position of Cross Guild, so I'm sure Crocodile's pleased. That reminds me though, I'd meant to ask you, Corazon."

What he'd meant to ask was interrupted by Bepo and Buffalo's arrival catching up to them. Saki noticed that the mohawk-like ridge of fluffy fur down Bepo's head and neck had been intricately braided.

Buffalo grinned widely, his own hair braided with the addition of red and white ribbons running through them as he trotted up beside Bepo "Can you guys WAIT for this?"

"I can't!" Baby 5 chirped as she playfully punched his arm as he fell in line. "Which is good, because we're fuckin' here, Buffalo."

She looked up at Saki with a grin "Save a dance for me?" 

"Promise," Saki purred, reaching out to catch her hand. She hadn't realized that there would in fact be dancing. She was not used to the type of concerts where that was a feature.

Law closed his mouth, about to ask Doffy what he was thinking when he looked over his shoulder at Bepo with a fond grin "---that's a good look for you, Beps." 

Bepo's ears flicked bashfully, and he gave Law an open mouthed grin. "Thanks. We were talking about taking a look at what kind of shirts and stuff they were selling, too."

Baby 5 lightly swung Saki's hand in hers as she looked out at the milling crowd. The excitement just beyond the port was infectious, and it seemed like it took hold of Baby 5 easy.

Law smirked. "Lucky you—there's an upcoming bunch of stands according to Vi. Let's buy you guys whatever you want."

Buffalo bumped Bepo's shoulder. "You gotta immerse yourself in the feeling of the show, ya know? Get the most out of it?" 

"I know!" Bepo laughed a grumbling laugh. "I don't need another pep talk, I promise."

Law laughed with him, covering his mouth. "...you guys really are into this Uta chick. This should be fun."

Baby 5 glanced at Saki with a smile. "This has to be pretty exciting for you too, Saki-baby! I mean—this probably ain't how concerts were back home." 

"Not at all," she agreed, shaking her head. "They were much more rigid affairs, admittedly."

She'd attended plenty of them. Staid, quiet, formal affairs, even for the yakuza, for the most part. She suspected her dear guardian kept her from anything rowdier.

Doflamingo laughed. "It's gonna be a hell of a time! As I was saying, Corazon, about devil fruits?"

"Well this ain't gonna be rigid! We're gonna loosen up and have a great time together, Saki!" Baby squeezed her hand.

Law answered Doflamingo, his gaze finally turning his way again as he walked under his arm. "oh yeah—what were you gonna say, Doffy?" 

"I wanted to know if either of your officers wanted a fruit. You know how we do it in the family."

That caught Komurasaki's attention and she glanced up– then back to Baby 5. "Does he mean a devil fruit?"

Law looked at the others behind him, almost every single one of them empowered in one way or another. "I do know how you do it in the family. Bepo? Saki? Interested?"

Baby 5's excited eyes met hers as she nodded, and she held up her hand as it turned into a knife. "Uh huh! Doffy's an expert at Devil Fruits, a broker really. Almost every high ranker he's got on staff has one. If either of you want one, you'll get a GOOD one." 

Saki glanced between the others. Bepo looked dubious and she supposed she couldn't blame him. His prodigious swimming ability had saved their lives, and he had plenty of raw power to draw on as a member of the mink tribe.

Komursaki, on the other hand… "That's a fascinating offer. I'm tempted."

-

Kid had not been expected Cavendish and Bartolomeo to wander back to the group with Jewelry fucking Bonney on their arms. It was, in fact, a hell of a surprise.

The last anyone had heard of the supernova, her ship and crew had been devastated somewhere in the beginning of the New World. Whispers said Blackbeard had something to do with it, but what really mattered was the way one of the most promising Supernovas simply vanished overnight.

For her to turn up here, grinning like a maniac and half tugging Bartolomeo and Cavendish along with an armful of Uta merchandise and another armful of fair food in a paper bucket—it was like some kind of stupid miracle.

She'd almost dropped her food when she noticed him and Basil, her eyes bugging out of her head before she'd broken out laughing with quite a few 'well I'll be fucking damned!'s and a 'Looks like Captain Metalhead and Captain Sideshow made it in the New World after all'

As she fell into step with them she didn't seem keen on leaving —hell, she almost seemed downright clingy for some fucking reason— it was clear a lot of her outward bravado and cheer was a front. Though her legendary hunger and snarky attitude sure weren't. 

Kid didn't ask. It didn't seem right to ask about a rival. If she wanted to talk about it, she would— and if she wanted information about him and his crew, he'd grudgingly trade it. So far everything had been centered on the concert, however, and a bit of talking about general news. The goings on in Wano. The new emperors.

They'd made their way to the main concert area, filled with people and tents already. A massive green field separated by artful canals of water bridged by wooden bridges stretched out before them, giving quite a bit of space for various campsites to be set up around its edges. Some guy in a staff shirt assured that 'there was more campground outside the main stage area' scattered around the island's coast along several smaller stages.

But the grand stage was something else. Framed by great, glittering structures resembling some kind of large canopy or ribcage that jutted out from tiered seating and stretching into the sky, the main stage stood beyond the VIP campsites and loomed larger than them all.

A ziggurat of white polished stone with space for instruments lead down to a large stage wired with lights and heavy duty concert equipment—and massive clusters of speakers that rose like hands from each side of the stage. The whole thing was decorated, rather garishly, in fluttering banners bearing the personal symbol of Uta—a lot like a jolly roger, really—bearing her face with her tongue sticking out and framed by her hair. Another symbol, a blobby yellow shape bisected by a red band bearing the name UTA, also graced fluttering flags overhead.

At the moment, aside from the banners and a few stage decorations, it was bare—but an experienced musician could see the seams where setpieces were primed to rotate out during the concert itself.

Bonney looked up at him as she gnawed at a bone. 

"I didn't expect to see you traveling with Hawkins , Kid—or hell—whoever these girls are." she gestured to the Wano girls. "What happened to the band?"

It stung. It stung to think about. Kid's crew. His band. Fucking decimated. Fucking torn to pieces by the fucking marines.

He sneered at Bonney. If she wanted to know, she'd better be ready to answer his questions, too.

"I don't see your crew, Bonney," he snarled.

Bonney's eyes narrowed, and he saw her lips, painted with that little blotch of lipstick that she always wore, drawn into a snarl of her own. 

"Yeah well—life fucking sucks, Kid." For a moment it looked like she contemplated using her power, her fingers twitching against the bucket she held—but she showed shocking restraint when she grabbed another skewer of meat and grumbled out. "Teach killed my crew. Every single one of 'em. Then I had to fight my way outta marine custody when that lazy fucking admiral tried to send me to Impel Down. Alone." 

"Then we have something in common I guess." His teeth clenched as he waved at the assembled. Killer, and Speed, Kiku and Otama. "This is what's left of my crew."

Killer waved.

Bonney waved back, she always had seemed to like Killer—as much as rival pirates could like one another, at least. Her bright pink eyes scanned the girl's though with a puzzled frown.

"That sucks—they seemed like good people. Least it looks like you picked up a few. Hey ladies."

O-Kiku laughed into her sleeve, flashing a smile at Bonney with a nod of her head "Hello, Lady Bonney. It's as you say, thi–I and the others joined Captain Kid in Wano."

Bonney's brow furrowed. "Wano—that's that sealed off place, ain't it?" 

"Oh? You ladies are from Wano? How charming!" Cavendish craned his neck over. Of course he was interested in them.

Kid tuned out the chatter from his crewmates and the other pirate captains, shoving his hands in his pockets and walking with a slump. He glanced over at Killer, who had grabbed some sort of informational pamphlet and he fell in step with him to peer at it.

"Uta the main act," Killer said, answering his unspoken question. "But apparently a bunch of the musicians from the island are going to be playing smaller sets while she takes breaks. There's actually an open call for musical acts, too."

Kid's painted lips twisted as he felt another pang. If the crew was still around they could have showed this lame crowd what punk really sounded like.

As Kid found himself starting to tremble with the rage and grief, Killer put a steadying hand on his back. "Easy, captain."

Kid began to take a long, shuddering breath, but any attempt at wrestling for inner tranquility was shattered as the first notes of music bloomed from the stage, and the crowd around them started to shriek with eager glee.

Then that sound was cut through with an even less welcome one. The type of voice that Kid knew well. The sound of someone in charge, and angry.

"Hey you pirates! Stop right there!"

[sunday-arch]

SHIPPING INFO. Answer the following for your muse(s) so people know how shipping works on your blog.

What’s your OTP for your Muse(s)?

the ones that have been occupying my brain rent free are; my canon x oc ship with makenzi, iselda x rosinante, and SanVio. i favor a lot of other ships, but those two are heavy on my mind.

What are you willing to RP when it comes to shipping?

i'm down for all sorts of ship dynamics! i think the most important thing is chemistry between writers and what works for the characters themselves. toxic / unhealthy ships, i'm willing to explore, but again heavily depends on writer chemistry and understanding. plus, there are a few things that are a hard no for me that would need to be communicated.

How large does the age gap have to be to make it uncomfortable?

i think the biggest thing for me here is i really don't like ships where one has watched the other grow up and then when they're of age, the ship happens, or once was their teacher sort of thing, the unbalance of power there as well as the fact they were likely a minor at the time. both of those make me uncomfortable.

Are you selective when shipping?

yes!

How far do steamy moments have to go before they’re considered NSFW?

clothes coming off or any explicit contact with private areas are considered nsfw for me, and at that point, it'd be a fade to black. i am willing to do morning after threads where clothes are presumably off, but once it veers towards a sexual scenario, i would also fade to black at that point.

Who are other muses you ship your muse with?

i will answer this for a few of the oc's! i like bartolomeo and iselda, and the potential of haru and robin, luna and usopp.

Does one have to ask to ship with you?

yes, because i prefer the communication. or, even just expressing interest on a post i make about a ship i'm thinking of.

How often do you like to ship?

all the time? lol, i mean, i guess it's muse dependent. there are muses i'm more hesitant to ship or would like to ship first with friends i'm most comfortable with, and sometimes i'm not interested in shipping a character, and then there are muses that i am more willing to open up to a broader audience.

Are you multiship?

yeah! sometimes, i get attached to a certain portrayal and decide that i would only like to ship with this friend's version of that character. but, that's never imposed on the other party. for the most part though, i am v much multiship!

Are you ship obsessed or ship more-or-less?

in between! however, i am obsessed with the ships i have and the dynamics i've cultivated with mutuals.

What is your favorite ship in your current fandom?

besides the above mentioned, i do favor; lawbin, sanami, and zorobin to name a few more. special shoutout to druhawk because i am actually obsessed!

Finally, how does one ship with you?

communicate with me! literally, just bringing it up and asking, expressing interest by replying to a post, letting me know forthright, asking if we can chemistry test, saying that you want to send a shippy meme, etc. i know it is daunting, i feel the same when i am interested in shipping and broaching that topic, but i feel that it helps us establish a nice basis of communication.

tagged by: @sirensofthefiveseas !! tagging: i'm not sure who has done this, so please steal this then tag me < 33

[melpcmene-arch]

❓- barto and luffy

send "❓" to know what's the first word that crosses my muse's head when they think of yours! ( accepting )

❝ TheKingofThePirates! ❞ All one big word, obviously. Bartolomeo ain't going to follow the rules. He'll cheat the rules for Mr Luffy.

[gumpistol]

11. describe your ideal outcome/endgame for the muse you are currently writing. (Questions for Muns meme!)

questions for muns.

oh man, i think there's a lot that could happen, so i'll try to not ramble too much:

the obvious one: luffy finds the one piece and becomes king of the pirates, but after this is achieved, he gets to live out his life, constantly looking for the next adventure, into a relatively old age, though I know he won't be living as long as some of his comrades. his body has taken a toll.

the various characters we all speculate joining the straw hat crew, ALL get to join the crew in my main verse. i know that it's speculated that only one more crew mate will be added, but i have a hard time believing luffy, who goes around asking a pair of legs and a zombie tree to join his crew, will end up with only one more member. i see it being bigger, at least that's my ideal in the end. i would love to plot it out more with people who write the characters, but my straw hat wishlist includes but is not limited to: bon clay, katakuri, yamato, bartolomeo, marco (luffy is dragging his ass out of retirement), corazon (he's alive gdi), vivi (but not as a permanent member, more like she comes and goes for adventures when she can), maybe his bros, but they don't want to listen to their kid brother, and possibly Kid, because I have thoughts on why I think it would work. there are definitely others but just too many to list all out here.

that through it all and to the end, zoro stays by luffy's side. please do not separate them. they are soulmates. they are idiots with their secret third thing and i will die on this hill.

give me that reunion between shanks and luffy and their final showdown !!! fight fight fight!! i want luffy to be able to beat shanks in the end, but after a big struggle, to show that he has become a strong pirate just like he said he would. and then i need them, all injured and battered and beat up at the end, to laugh it off and eat good food and have a drink together afterward. and i need shanks to tell luffy that he's proud....and shanks will you join his crew??

these ideas all feel pretty basic and honestly my thoughts are all over the place and i wish i had something a bit more? it's something to think on and definitely add to as i come up with more ideas. i haven't really focused a lot on developing luffy's main verse or end goal here on this blog yet, but this question has me thinking of it more and i'm ready to do some in depth story building!!

[quinloki]

I’ve been on a Bartolomeo craze lately soooo After-hours? 👀

Bartolomeo the Cannibal

After Hours Role: Bouncer

After Hours Attire: All bouncers at the club – at least the primary bouncers – wear black suits with mandarin collared shirts and gloves. During business hours they’ll wear sun glasses, but during the after hours they don’t. There’s not as much wiggle room allowed for their bouncers and their attire, since they’re not really meant to be seen in an inviting light.

No amount of uniformity is going to help Barto blend in, but this has been used to an advantage, given his devil fruit ability. Barto is one of the more infamous bouncers at the club, his hair and piercings aside, and even never minding his devil fruit ability, he’s such a fan of one of the owners and half the staff, that he can be a force of nature.

After Hours Vibe: Barto’s a fanboy 99% of the time. He’s one of the few bouncers who interact with the hosts, escorts, clients, etc. Some of the hosts even set up “events” with his help, to entertain their regulars. He’s been known to help “arrest” bratty customers, so that their escort for the night can, er, detain them for the remainder of the evening. He even has a special pat down he’ll use, in order to “find” paraphernalia on the client – everything from flavored condoms all the way to double-dick vibrators.

Tag Line: "Don't worry, I only bite the well-behaved."

Dom/Sub/Top/Bottom: Barto’s not against laying back and letting someone else take control, but for the most part he’s vibin’ the Dom/Top combo. He’d fold like a house of cards for any of his idols though, let’s not fool ourselves XD

Kink Preferences: Interestingly, I didn’t get a single ask for Bartolomeo for my kinky head canons event – but I’ll say off the top of my head, it’d probably be more efficient to list any hard no’s, vs what he’s willing to do.

Host Club AU Head Canon Event

[momentogori]

Looking for a partner for a One Piece rp! My usual flavor of to is either Canon/Oc or Canon/Canon that is either canon-divergent or entirely AU. I don't like to follow plots to a T, so taking the core plot with a twist or making our own is more my flavor.

I am 20+ and have no interest at all in rping with minors. Do not even interact with my post if you at under the age of 18, thanks.

My preferred to medium is email or discord. I will give you my contacts once I sus you out. I prefer we have some decent chemistry and click well before sharing that.

Rp-wise, I am not very picky. I just ask for decent grammar, and heavily prefer quality over quantity. Like I won't turn away long to responses (my usual replies range from 3 to 6 paragraphs. Sometimes more if I am vibing), but I would prefer responses be well thought out and easy to respond to over length!

I also love, love self indulgent romance. I don't care if it's cheesy, I am here to have fun. Instant love or ridiculous Aus are more than welcome if they make things fun and getting the words flowing. PWP (porn without plot) is also welcome! I really just wanna have fun here.

For my oc, I would like to play them against; Buggy, Borsalino, Bartolomeo, Corazon, Kin'emon, Law, Kid + Killer (I see them as a unit), or Katakuri. I have no preference over one or the other. I wanted to give plenty of options if there is one you prefer to play over the other. I have an oc for basically all of them. I can play anyone in return for your oc! I tend to double when doing oc rps. c:

For canon pairs, the muse I want to play will be in italics; Shanks/Buggy, Crocodile/Buggy, Mihawk/Buggy, Crocodile/Buggy/Mihawk, Luffy/Law, Ace/Law, Ace/Yamato, Kid/Law, Kid/Luffy, Kid/Killer, Kid/Luffy/Killer, Kid/Law/Killer, Kid/Luffy/Law, Lucci/Luffy, Lucci/Vivi, Franky/Robin, Zoro/Sanji, Sanji/Crocodile, Sanji/Lucci, and probably more, just ask!

DM me on here if you are interested! Please, tell me a little about yourself and what you are interested in off my ad! Don't just say 'hi', please.

[solar-pxwered]

My Muses For Sale!

Black☆Star

Price: 4,842$ Personality: Cunning. I love meeting new people. Food: Likes alcohol. Notes: Complicated for a beginner. Breeding Difficulty: ★★★★☆

Sun

Price: 320,530$ Personality: Affectionate. I love meeting new people. Food: Prefers sweet things. Notes: Likes cuddles. Breeding Difficulty: ★☆☆☆☆

Narancia

Price: 511,691$ Personality: Independent. I like playing with my toys. Food: Only eats at McDonald's. Notes: Can bite. Breeding Difficulty: ★★★★☆

Sanji

Price: 790,436$ Personality: Intelligent. I like to have my own space. Food: Only eats in restaurants. Notes: Can bite. Breeding Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆

Bartolomeo

Price: 4,391$ Personality: Playful. I love meeting new people. Food: Prefers frozen food. Notes: Rare species. Breeding Difficulty: ★☆☆☆☆

[darkrpfinders]

20 and up only! have age in your bio or I will not reach out! that being said, I really have no idea how much traction this will get but I am in the dressrosa arc of one piece and I’m completely rotting over Bartolomeo’s and Robin’s interactions. I just got to the part where he is internally musing about him agreeing to be Robin’s slave after she winks at him and honestly he’s so real for that. What I’m saying though is that I would absolutely love it if someone would write Robin for me and my Bartolomeo, post dressrosa in a canon divergent au! would be fun if his wild imagination came true and Robin did want to have a goofy little boy toy 😳 I’m 30+, cst, with lots of rping experience. ❤️🤩

.

[findroleplay]

20 and up only! have age in your bio or I will not reach out! that being said, I really have no idea how much traction this will get but I am in the dressrosa arc of one piece and I’m completely rotting over Bartolomeo’s and Robin’s interactions. I just got to the part where he is internally musing about him agreeing to be Robin’s slave after she winks at him and honestly he’s so real for that. What I’m saying though is that I would absolutely love it if someone would write Robin for me and my Bartolomeo, post dressrosa in a canon divergent au! would be fun if his wild imagination came true and Robin did want to have a goofy little boy toy 😳 I’m 30+, cst, with lots of rping experience. ❤️🤩

-

[medicus-mortem]

@chatcambrioleur asked: "How many shots before you'd fuck Bartolomeo?~" Send “How many shots would it take for you to sleep with _ ?” questions for my muse’s response!

   "Ah ... Who the fuck?" He starts, confusion on his features because that name is barely recognisable. Then he remembers and disgust take over. "The fuckin' Straw Hat-ya groupie? Gross. I'd have to be real fucking plastered for him, probably even high. Yeah, drug me up and he'd get a maybe."

[enruiinas]

@lovehungered asked:

Are there any characters that you love, but simply cannot RP?

⨳ — MUNDAY; // accepting!

Hmm. These are two I’m still hoping I’ll change my mind and give a try at some point, but I would say Bartolomeo and Tashigi off the top of my head. Aside from the superficial level of them being the other two One Piece characters I share a bday with, I think they’re just really cool characters in general.

Barto just seems like the most spontaneous ball of chaos and I absolutely love him - but I historically don’t do well with high energy muses in the long run. (See: Luffy muse that used to appear for 2-3 minutes every few months to wreak havoc on the dash and left me exhausted in the aftermath.) Tashigi is my favorite marine, but I don’t like the marines as a whole and can’t really bring myself to pay the attention I’d need to for their daily workings/what I’d need to know to properly do her justice.

Other than that, obviously I love Nami as a character, but she’s not a muse I could ever write as I as a mun do not have a single flirty, crafty, or quick-witted bone in my body. I just admire & applaud the Nami muns from afar. :)