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fanaticsnail · 1 year ago

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To the ends of the earth

I am so sorry, I let the words run away with me again. I had no idea how much I had in me for this plot until it sprung onto the page.

Word Count: 6.814 (Again, I apologize but I truly couldn't resist!).

This is angsty, and I am sorry. This is my first time writing for Koby, at the request of @bonedaddi3. (I hope you and your friend enjoy!)

If you enjoy my writing, please let me know. It really encourages me to continue honing in on my little hobby.

As the sails lay rustling in the breeze directing the large, sea-worn ship into Shells Town. You closed your eyes and relished in the scent of the salt-riddled water engulfing your senses. Seagulls shrieked above, directing your attention to the beams supporting the crows nest. You squinted your eyes and smiled at the sight as you continued to bring the vessel into harbour.

“Lieutenant!” you heard Vice Admiral Garp call, addressing you by your formal title. You snapped your head towards the direction of his voice and stood to attention as he briskly made his presence known to you.

“Sir!” you sharply responded from your place adjacent to the helm, saluting to welcome him to the deck.

“At ease,” he directed you while raising his right hand and nodding his head. You responded by separating your legs and releasing the hold of your firm posture, pulling your hands behind your back and resting them with interlocked fists. You trailed your eyes over your Vice-Admiral before looking behind him to acknowledge commissioned Officer Bogard, nodding to him.

“We’re going aboard shortly,” Garp said, bringing your attention back to fall before him, “as you had been informed yesterday evening, things have been slipping here for some time.”

You nodded at him as he continued to instruct you in your duties.

“As discussed, I am relieving the Captain of his title and issuing a formal reprimand for his behaviour,” Garp added, looking to the approaching shore, “I may even string him up in the stock-yard for losing the map to the grand line.”

You noticed a small smirk appear on Bogard’s face at the thought of knocking Captain Morgan down a few paces.

“I’ll be leaving my ship in your command, Bogard will join me in Shells Town,” he added, nodding to the man behind him. You accepted his orders with curt, “yes, Sir.”

“From what I’ve gathered, he’s got a volley of cadets in dire need of training,” he smirked slightly, his eyes twinkling in thought, “I’ll be bringing them aboard for you to train.”

You smiled at the new command broadly. Your current title of lieutenant was thrust upon you at a hastened pace; as your renowned battle-ready and iron-clad will were the topic of many dinner conversations with the higher-up military generals. This was part of the reason why Vice-Admiral Garp requested you personally to join him on this particular voyage. Your military expertise at running drills until your underlings either passed out from exhaustion, threw up the contents of their stomachs or withdrew their applications from the Marines in service would break in the most successful cadets Garp had seen.

“Yes, sir,” you responded, prompting him to smile and turned on his way towards the dock where you steered the ship to make port.

Vice-Admiral Garp and Bogard exited the ship, leaving you with a bare-bones crew to continue to maintain the vessel against the port. You sent off your Boatswain to collect enough ingredients for the chef to prepare rations for the new recruits, leaving you to your duties as Quartermaster.

You maintained an air of formality while instructing your crew to create enough crew-quarters for the new arrivals as they were brought aboard.

After several hours of preparation, the Vice-Admiral and his Brigadier returned aboard the vessel with twenty fresh-faced recruits trailing behind them. In acknowledgment to Garp’s arrival, you marched down the steps atop the deck to welcome your leader to his ship.

“Vice-Admiral,” you stood to attention as you did hours prior., saluting him in respect.

“At ease, Lieutenant,” he responded with a curt nod. He used his beard-whiskered chin to nod for you to follow him away from the new recruits with Bogard following along silently.

“Quite the array you’ve managed to claim, Vice-Admiral,” you acknowledged the troops with a downward nod, prompting Garp to follow your gaze.

“That I have,” he agreed with you with a slight, downturned smile, “I can’t wait to see what you’ll mould them into.”

You smirked at his compliment before asking him, “how did the formal reprimand go with Captain Morgan?”

“As well as you could expect,” he chuckled, “I’ve instructed the newly branded Captain to leave him tied in the stocks for a week or so.”

You hummed in response, turning again to look at the cadets as they climbed aboard your ship. Your attention was immediately drawn to a small cadet with circular broad-rimmed glasses who was slightly drowning in his oversized uniform. You quirked your brow at him slightly, prompting Garp to follow your gaze.

“Ah, that one,” he acknowledged, prompting you to return your sights to your superior officer, “he’s the newest recruit.”

You nodded in response before furrowing your brows.

“And you are certain you desire me to train this troop exactly as I would back at base?” you asked him before looking over the young recruits. Vice-Admiral Garp paused for a moment before leaning in close to your ear and issuing one final command.

“Break them,” he voiced above a whisper and clapped his left hand atop your left shoulder before turning back to address the cadets.

“Cadets, you had better prove yourselves if you are to sail under me!” he ordered in a booming voice, “the pirates who attacked Shells Town have a head start, but once I sink my teeth in; I won’t let go.”

You turned your head slightly to the right to release a sharp crack from the joint at the nape of your neck.

“Am I understood, Marines?” Garp barked.

You joined the ship-wide singular voice responding to his question, a loud: “Yes, Sir!”

He smiled at his crew before gesturing to you to step forward to begin an introduction.

“This is my Lieutenant,” he boomed as you stepped forward into view. You held a determined look adorning your features as you assessed the twenty young members of crew.

“She is under my direct instruction to train you and rid you of any inadequacies you had learnt under the former Captain Morgan,” he continued sharply, “she has my sanction to use any means necessary to break you in, understood?”

“Yes, sir!” echoed throughout the deck as the cadets began to bring their attention to you. You rolled your shoulders back began issuing your first commands.

“Fall in, recruits,” you sharply ordered, prompting five rows of four cadets per row. You wove between them, sharply assessing each of them as they stood. You noticed several cadets had their cravats slightly skewed, prompting you to reach up and firmly readjust them with your hands. Stalking their forms and trailing your merciless gaze over them, not uttering a single word as you began your trial of intimidation. You flicked a loose button on the vest of a cadet with your index finger, prompting them to trail your gaze to your administration.

“Repair that,” you ordered under your breath.

“Yes, Ma’am,” they responded sharply, holding their gaze ahead. You continued your stalking assessment through the final two rows, noticing two mismatched individuals at the head: the smaller cadet with glasses and a tall blonde with a ridiculous hair cut and what appears to be a fresh blackened eye.

You focussed your gaze on the smaller of the two, looking him over as you assessed his presentation.

“You need a new uniform,” you commented in a monotonous voice, “this one is far too large.”

“I-it was all they had, Ma’am,” he quietly managed to stutter out while not making eye contact. You noticed the tall blonde snicker at the comment made by the cadet you formerly addressed and snapped your gaze over towards him.

“Something amusing, cadet?” you sharply asked him, prompting a small smirk to disappear at the corner of his mouth. He looked at your sharpened gaze, eyes wide at your immediate attention.

“No, Ma’am,” he responded quickly in a hushed tone.

“What was that, cadet?” you asked him with hard direction, narrowing your eyes and sizing him up.

“No, Ma’am!” he responded withholding no hesitation in his voice.

“Disrespect your fellow cadet again with something as atrocious as a snicker, and you will be dealing with more than just a black eye, understood?” you threatened him, prompting him to again reissue a resounding: “Yes, Ma’am!”

You returned your attention back to the pink-haired recruit with a sinister gaze. He continued to stair ahead, a slight quiver from his shoulders did not escape your attention.

“What’s your name, Marine?” you asked him, bluntly.

“Koby, Ma’am,” he responded in a quiet tone.

“When I give you an order, you respond with ‘Yes Ma’am’, understood?” you reiterated.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he responded quietly, fixing his gaze at the floor and quiver slightly under your direction.

“Eyes forward, Koby!” you barked at him, prompting him to jolt his shoulders slightly before bringing his gaze up to meet your unrelenting aura of authority.

“Cadets, what are we?” you barked.

“Marines, Ma’am!” you heard them respond in unison.

You nodded your head and began to pace the front of the five rows silently before beginning a small monologue.

“We are Marines,” you confirmed, pacing the rows and staring out into the open sea with slight pause.

“I have been instructed to break you,” you continued, again pacing the five rows, “and believe me when I tell you, I will.”

Several cadets appeared to be slightly rattled at your threat, but continued to fix their gaze ahead.

“There will be pain,” you said, stopping in front of the right-most front facing cadet, “there will be sweat and blood pulled from places you never thought you could sweat and bleed from,” you said, continuing to stop in front of the leaders of the lines.

“And you will take every inch of training I bestow upon you until you feel yourself break under my authority, is that understood?” you directed at them in a firm voice.

“Yes, Ma’am,” they responded, keeping their eyes fixed on the horizon line before you.

“I do not care who you are or where you’ve come from,” you halted in front of the blonde who snickered moments prior before moving on to the circular glasses-clad cadet in front of you, “you are mine.”

You saw his Adams-apple visibly bob as an indication of him swallowing a wad of collected saliva behind his lips. His eyes flittered between your hardened gaze, before triangulating down to rest his sights momentarily on your lips before hastily returning them to your eyes.

“Do I make myself clear, cadets?” you fixed your gaze, baring directly into his eyes.

“Yes, Ma’am!” their confirmation resounded in unison, but your sights were continued to be fixed on the small cadet in front of you.

“Good,” you said with a small smirk and an arch of your brow. Up closer to the small cadet, you accidentally assessed his features. Your attention was brought to the semi-frightened intensity displayed freely from his blue irises before your eyes flickered down to rest slightly on his supple, parted lips before you hastily returned your gaze to his eyes once more.

“Boatswain!” you called suddenly to your coworker.

“Yes, Lieutenant!” he responded, stepping forward with a salute.

“Assign the the cadets their chores,” you ordered, turning to face your boatswain, “I will be watching them very closely.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” he responded with a salute. You nodded your acknowledgement at your coworker before returning to your cadets.

“Dismissed!” you said, prompting the twenty newcomers to fall in line to receive their orders from the boatswain. You remained stationary as your eyes trailed the cadets as they eagerly scurried to receive their orders from the boatswain, paying particularly close attention to the smaller, pink-haired individual you intimidated moments prior.

You watched him as he, even before receiving instruction from the boatswain, began checking the rigging for faulty knots, moving any hazards from the pathway between the arched corridors of the large vessel. You narrowed your eyes in thought, almost not hearing the approaching footprints of your Vice-Admiral.

“Nicely executed, Lieutenant,” Garp complimented you, prompting you to angle your body towards his without breaking your gaze from the small recruit; nodding to him in gratitude. Garp followed your gaze to the small recruit and arched his brow before bringing his sights back to your form.

“Impressed already?” he asked you, prompting you to tear your sights from watching Koby successfully undo a slipknot you had purposefully rigged and retied it skilfully before he turned to receive his orders from your boatswain.

“The cadet, Koby,” you began, looking slightly behind Garp to address Bogard, “who is he?”

Garp let out a small chuckle at your question.

“He was travelling among the Alvida pirates as their prisoner until arriving in town with the leader of the Strawhat pirates,” Bogard informed you monotonously.

“A pirate prisoner?” you asked him with your eyes slightly widened.

“I thought you said you didn’t care who they were or where they came from,” Garp taunted you slightly, prompting you to bring your attention back to him, “do not relent your training on his accord.”

“Yes, sir,” you responded with a curt nod, “may I be dismissed so I may supervise the cadets, sir?”

“You are dismissed,” he nodded at you, prompting you to salute and turn on the balls of your feet to supervise the newest members of your vessel.

“I was initially hesitant at your request to bring her along,” Bogard addressed the Vice-Admiral and stepping beside him, “she seemed far to young to undertake this task, but after that little display; it’s safe to say I’m impressed.”

“I wouldn’t let her youthfulness dissuade your confidence, Bogard. I’ve seen the marines she trained, and her results speak for themselves,” he confirmed with his underling, which prompted him to nod in response.

Over the course of several months, the marines would only eat when you allowed them to eat; slept when you permitted them to sleep and you trained them in combat until exhaustion would overcome their bodies. You taught them to maintain their uniforms to an appropriate standard; teaching them to maintain their stitches and polish their brass buttons with ample discipline. You continued to monitor the progress of Koby as he quickly rose to become one of the best cadets this particular allotment produced. It also did not escape your notice that he hastily became the starred protégé of Vice-Admiral Garp, who called him into his office for intellectual challenges.

One evening, Bogard came to fetch you while you were leading a particularly heavy cardio and combat-intensive training exercise for the recruits.

“I know you can give me more than that, cadets!” you taunted them with a smirk, prompting them to make their movements harder, sweat dripping from their faces at your command. Koby flicked his eyes over to you while panting hard through partially open lips at the drill you were instructing him. His face was flushed partially from the over-excursion of the drill and the fact that you were focussing your eye contact with him as you continued to taunt them.

“This is the final stretch, cadets,” you called to them, stepping closer to Koby as he continued to push himself at your command, “make me proud.”

Koby wanted nothing more than to push himself beyond the point of exhaustion to satiate your desire for absolute excellence. He adhered to your taunt and strenuously pushed his body to complete the spirited task you had appointed all of the cadets. You smiled in response at him with slightly surprised eyes before turning your attention to another recruit. Although your eyes no longer focussed solely on him, he continued to push and push, tasting the familiar metallic twinge of blood over his tongue as he exhausted his body for you.

“Lieutenant, the Vice-Admiral requests you join him in his office immediately,” Bogard interrupted your instruction to inform you. You growled slightly at the interruption, but relented.

“Alright, Marines,” you addressed your cadets, “that will be all for today. Cool down your bodies so they don’t seize up. Focus on your arms first, they’ll need it most.”

A collective, resounding sigh of relief could be heard passing through the lips of the marines, after acknowledging your instruction with a: “Yes, Ma’am”.

This prompted you to laugh slightly in response to their relief. Over the past few months, you successfully broke the young recruits in and eased up on your hardened exterior; forming friendships with several of the newcomers. Although you continued to hold an air of authority over the troop and never engage in inappropriate conversations with them; you were closer in age to this lot than any you had trained prior, and it showed.

Garp would often watch you engage with the recruits and smile at how organic you were with this collection. After he requested your attendance on his vessel, he grew very fond of you and the rapport you engaged with him.

“Don’t be too relieved,” you said with a small smirk, “I will be pairing you up in size and skill tomorrow and lead you in sparring against one another. You are not to hold back, only stopping once your opponent is either unconscious or otherwise incapacitated. Is that understood, cadets?”

“Yes, Ma’am,” the cadets responded in unison.

“Dismissed, then,” you said to them with a small salute and a warm smile, “I’ll see you all at dinner.”

You turned to bring your attention to Bogard and grinned at him before stepping forward to greet him. You walked in step with one another towards the office of your Vice-Admiral, blissfully unaware of the eyes baring into your retreating form.

“Alright, out with it,” Helmeppo prodded his fellow cadet with a roll of his eyes, “What is it, Koby?”

He noticed Koby’s eyes were continuing to focus on the lieutenant as you finally fell out of sight beside Bogard.

“N-nothing, Helmeppo,” he responded, turning back around and readjusting his uniform to be as pristine as he could make it.

“Are you sure it’s not the fact you have a little crush on our commanding officer?” he teased him slightly with a nudge from his shoulder to Koby’s. Koby’s eyes widened and his face immediately flushed a warm pink tone.

“I don’t have a-,” he stuttered slightly, “-a crush on the Lieutenant.”

Helmeppo smirked broadly and felt as if he finally had a leg up on Koby. Although he had the history and knowledge of someone who grew up on a marine base under the command of his father; he did not foster favour with any of the authorities on this vessel. He needed to use this to his advantage somehow, hoping sharing this moment with Koby would grant him favour with at least one of the commanding officers.

“Oh yes you do,” Helmeppo reiterated, “I’ve seen the way your beady little eyes trail her when she’s ordering us around. I know you push yourself hard to impress her in physical training, even though you absolutely suck at it.”

Koby gulped the saliva he collected in his mouth and nervously flickered his tongue out to dampen his lower lip. Helmeppo widened his sinister smile at the reaction he managed to bring from Koby at his sudden taunt.

“The sooner you come to terms with it, the sooner you can do something about it,” he advised off-handedly. Koby didn’t grace Helmeppo with a response, choosing to kneel down and undo and retie his shoelaces.

You made your way throughout the hall to meet with your Vice-Admiral, knocking lightly on the doorframe to alert Garp to your presence.

“Enter, Lieutenant,” Garp called to you, prompting you to open the door. You pushed on the frame to reveal your boss seated at his desk.

“Sir,” you addressed him, clicking your heals and offering a salute, “you asked to see me?”

“That I did, Lieutenant,” he responded, “at ease.”

You widened your stance and laced your hands behind your back at his direction. He reached down to a draw beneath his desk and retrieved a bottle of rum and twin crystal short-glasses. You knit your brows together at his movements, prompting him to smile.

“Come and sit,” he gestured to the chair in front of him. You nodded your head and made to walk over to the chair before him. You pulled it out and took a seat, keeping an alert posture as you watched him pour the liquid into the glasses.

“You have done a more than excellent job in training the recruits,” he said, placing one of the glasses in front of you, “they have made me proud.”

“Thank you, sir,” you said, accepting the glass he placed before you.

“They are a direct reflection on you,” he continued, “which means you, in turn, have made me proud.”

You smiled slightly at his comment, before adding another; “thank you, sir.”

He smiled, clicking the side of his glass against your own and raising it to his lips and taking a small sip. You followed his example and brought the liquid to your lips and taking a sip, savouring the smoky and burning liquid on your tongue before swallowing it.

You both sat in comfortable silence as you sipped at your rum.

“What do you make of the cadet, Koby?” he asked you with a small twinkle in his eyes.

You searched your mind for an adequate response, thinking only of words of absolute praise. You can admit to only yourself that you harboured more than the feelings of comradery for the cadet, but you would never express those to a commanding officer.

“I was taken with him immediately, as you recall,” you said, nodding your chin to the Vice-Admiral.

“Yes I do remember that,” he confirmed, bringing the glass again to his lips.

“His strength has improved,” you added, “he pushes himself further in physical training than any of the others, although they all give me their strength. He’s determined, experienced in sea bearing activities and eager to learn.”

“That he is,” Garp smiled into his glass.

You finished your glasses and reflected on the various months of strenuous training you had provided to break in the cadets for several more minutes before Garp dismissed you to retire for the evening meal.

“There looks like there’s a storm brewing,” Garp said, gesturing out his window towards the grey clouds eclipsing the once clear sky, “go get some dinner before making sure everything is fastened to brace for some choppy waves.”

“Yes, sir,” you said as he dismissed you.

You walked down the corridor of the large ship towards the dining quarters. The waves began to pick up, clashing against the wooden frame of the ship and rocking you slightly as you walked down the hall. You held onto the side of the ship to brace yourself against the hull, steadying your movement over as another choppy wave flung itself against the ship. After pausing, you continued to make your way towards the dining hall. Turning one final corner, another large wave seemingly threw you from your feet. You attempted to brace your body, in the process colliding your form directly into the chest of the circular glass-wearing, pink-haired cadet.

“Apologies, Lieutenant,” he said, stepping back from your close proximity and saluting to you to the best of his abilities. You smiled warmly at the cadet.

“At ease, Koby,” you chuckled slightly at his immediate reaction, “it was my fault. I was miles away and these waves don’t help either.”

He released a nervous chuckle from between his lips and smiled at you. You collected yourself and used his arms to steady yourself and rode out the final reverberations of the wave as it quietened.

“I don’t think I have ever expressed this to you before,” you began, bringing his blue irises to rest on your own, “I’m truly proud of you. You’ve come so far and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed watching you flourish under my instruction.”

He gasped slightly at the affirming words you were bestowing onto him. You released his forearms from your grip with a light chuckle, nodding to him in thanks for allowing you to brace yourself against him.

“Thank you, lieutenant,” he said with a warm smile, eyes shining brightly at your compliment. You smiled warmly at him as you watched him beam in the ambiance of the compliment.

“I-I can honestly say,” he stuttered with a smile, “I have enjoyed having you break me. I-I’d do anything for you.”

He froze after speaking those words, his smile dropped and a tinge of red overcame his features. You widened your eyes at his confession.

“I didn’t mean it l-like that,” he spluttered out his words hurriedly, “I mean, I would follow your commands. I would do anything to continue to make you proud-.”

You creased your brows with a small smile as you watched the cadet continue to use a hypothetical shovel to dig a deeper hole for himself, choosing to remain silent; giving him all the time he needs to find the correct words he wished to express toward you.

“-The marines, Ma’am!” he continued to correct himself, “-to make the marine’s proud. I would follow you to the ends of the earth to make the marines proud.”

You broadened your smile at him, enjoying watching him squirm slightly while falling over his words. As he continued to depict his affections for you, and you refused to smother the growing feeling of affection rising in your chest for the pink-haired cadet. As he continued to spur words of adoration for you, the well seemingly erupted as your body tingled with an almost giddiness you had not experienced prior.

“I just-,” he halted his words, “I just want you to know how much you mean to me-.”

You giggled slightly at his words. The waves began to swell again and clash against the wooden ship once more, your bodies both swaying slightly as you rode through them together, interlocking your knees to steady yourselves against the impact.

“-to all of the cadets, Ma’am,” he furrowed his brows and avoided your eye contact by looking all throughout the empty hall; focussing on anything other than your gaze. The waves began to dissipate once more, allowing you to steady yourselves. Koby continued to blink sporadically around the cabin and avoid your gaze in an attempt to stifle his flushed emotions.

You reached up with your left hand and placed it on his right shoulder, immediately bringing his rose-tinged attention to fixate on your face. He gazed into your eyes, triangulating down to your lips and holding his attention there slightly as he did the first day he met you before bringing his blue orbs back up to your knowing eyes.

This was not the first time a subordinate had developed feelings of affection towards you, especially as you trained them over the course of several months. It was, however, the first time you felt yourself reciprocate the affections of a crewman; and a cadet at that.

“It’s ok, Koby,” you reassured him with a fond smile, quirking your head to the side in amusement. You allowed a momentary softness in your formal demeaner as you gazed into the affectionate, timid eyes of the pink-haired cadet. He flittered his sights to the placement of your hand against his shoulder, feeling the warmth you offered so freely to him before looking back to your face.

He switched, flittering his eyes between focussing on one of your irises before swapping to the other nervously.

The waves again began to swell aboard the vessel, prompting you to release the cadet from your grip and look to your surroundings to ensure the rigging to be completely secure in the lower decks. He followed your gaze slightly, focussing on the rattling chains adorning the walls as they shook in sync with the waves.

“Lieutenant?” he asked you suddenly.

Your face adorned a slight amount of unease at the large swell of the waves breaking against the hull of the ship. You reached again to Koby’s shoulder and brought his body against yours while you both braced for the swelling impact of the approaching tidal waves. You frowned in determination and fixed your sights to the stairs leading to the upper deck. You saw water begin to flow down the steps and enter into the lower decks, indicating an object not correctly fastened above the chambers below.

“Stay below decks, Koby,” you commented before releasing your grip from his shoulder for the third time since you interacted with him.

“Ma’am?” he asked you, focussing on fixating his gaze following your own.

“Cadet, I need to go and secure the loose object above decks,” you said, turning to look directly in his eyes, “stay below deck and stay safe,” you emphasized your final instruction.

You began to brace yourself against the walls as you were thrust into them from the swelling waves brought onto you. You wiped stray hairs falling into your face that became damp with offensive seawater away from your vision and pulled your body above deck by the ropes adorning the walls.

While maintaining a blissful ignorance to your surroundings, you were unaware that the cadet you instructed moments prior to remain secure within crew quarters disregarded your orders and followed closely behind you.

As you brought yourself above the deck, you noticed several weighted cannons had become loose at their rigging, prompting you to spring into action to resecure them in place. Squeezing your eyes shut between sprays of sour seawater as they splashed onto your face, you paid them no mind as you continued to make safe the cannons by securing them with complex knots.

While securing the last cannon in place, you felt the true weight of the object as it barrelled into you, successfully trapping you between the polished wooden frame of the ship. Freshwater sprayed onto your face as the clouds above swelled the substance over your face, combining the with the prior saltwater from the swells to successfully shield your vision from any approaching figureheads.

The surrounding bellowing clashes of thunderous clouds combining with the swelled waves provided no response from your struggle against the weight of the final cannon. You felt yourself begin to panic slightly under the weight of the cylindrical object as it pressed you against the side of the deck.

You witnessed a large wave begin to swell, your eyes widening at the sheer size of it. Before you could utter a sound of plea for rescue, you noticed a truss of candy-pink damp hair field your vision. You felt the cadet audibly strain against the weight of the cannon, utilising all of his strength to pull the object from its hold on your body.

“Koby, what are you doing here?!” you barked at him in surprise, “I ordered you to remain below deck!”

“With all due respect, lieutenant,” he said while grunting, pulling the cannon from your body by issuing all of his strength, “you can’t do everything alone.”

You nodded at him, still with a frown adorning your features as you both utilised the reserves of your strength to pry the weapon from crushing your body.

You managed to feel the cannon pull away from your body, meeting each other’s gaze with a laugh of relief. The relief, however, was short lived as the large swelling wave thrust itself against the stern of the ship and managed to sweep you from your feet and carry you overboard into the dangerous waters.

“Man overboard! Lieutenant overboard!” reverberated in your ears as you felt yourself be pulled beneath the surface, your senses becoming overwhelmed with the pressure of the water below. Although you were a confident swimmer, you felt yourself continually be pulled beneath the surface of the water; unable to claim a breath of air to sustain your lungs. As your vision began to spot with darkened circles, you saw a small object join you beneath the surface of the water; an arm claiming your body and bring you to rise to the surface. Your vision became clouded and you found yourself succumbed to the darkness the water had desired to bestow before you.

Before your body could comprehend what was happening to it, you found yourself suddenly thrown back against a hard surface. You had no idea if you were dead or merely unconscious for some time. All you were alerted to was a pair of soft lips against your own as you felt air enter your lungs as water sprayed onto your face.

“Breathe, lieutenant!” you heard orders being thrust onto you, “please breathe!”

You coughed slightly, ridding your lungs of the toxic seawater. You rolled onto your side as you continued spluttering up the liquid consumed by the chasms within your chest. You heard a sigh of relief from the form above you while you gasped for breath and continued your coughing.

After you inhaled a burning breath into your chest, you rolled onto your back as you felt the waves subside. You watched a small eye in the clouds above begin to form, flowing beams of warm rays from the sun onto your skin as you continued to inhale the air surrounding your body. You shut your eyes and focussed on deeply inhaling life-sustaining oxygen before reopening your eyes and focussing on the cadet kneeling in front of your reclined form.

You narrowed your eyes, noticing the pink-haired cadet no longer supported his spectacles on his face and his uniform was incredibly damp.

“Koby?” you breathlessly asked him, confirming the individual was exactly who they presented themselves to be. You searched his eyes for security, noticing his waterline was slightly red.

“Lieutenant,” he gasped, eyes wide and an air of anxiety pronounced over his features.

“You disobeyed a direct order,” you reprimanded him sternly, bringing your elbows up below your torso to rise your chest from its reclined position below you, “why did you disobey my direct order?”

He immediately bowed his head before you in apologies, bringing your attention to a slight sniff from his nose as his shoulders began to shake slightly.

“Because I couldn’t let you go,” he murmured while maintaining his concentration on the wood below you, refusing to bring his sights to gaze upon your own.

You brought your fingertips to your mouth and traced the outline of your parted lips. You noticed a slight swell beneath your fingertips, indicating a pressure had been applied to your body.

“I was down, wasn’t I?” you asked him, eyes widened in shock.

“Yes, Ma’am,” you heard him confirm in a low tone above a whisper.

“How long was I down?” you asked him, releasing your lips from beneath your fingertips.

“Twelve minutes, Ma’am,” he uttered, continuing to keep his head bowed to you. You coughed slightly before lifting your body into a seated position, feeling the weight of your lungs that you believed to be priorly weighed down with seawater.

You gazed to Koby’s form, noticing his bent knuckles as he grasped the polished wooden floors beneath his fingers, his face shrouded by his candy-floss pink hair. He appeared to be trembling slightly at the shoulders, whether it be from the cold water dampening his clothes or from the adrenaline spiking his senses as he brought you back above deck; you were unsure.

“Koby,” you whispered, bringing your hand to his chin, claiming it between your fingers. He stifled his shuddering slightly, his shoulders solidifying at your sudden touch. You lifted his gaze to meet your own, noticing tears had began to well at his glazed-over eyes.

“Why did you dive in for me? The sea could’ve claimed you, too,” you said, releasing his chin from your grip and tracing them gently against the line of his jaw, prompting him to inhale sharply and shut his eyes, leaning into your caress.

“I told you, lieutenant,” he whispered into your palm before reopening his eyes and looking beneath his long eyelashes and baring his blue orbs into your own, “I would follow you to the ends of the earth.”

You upturned your brows at him and offered him a half-smile at the corner of your lips. He looked away from you, turning to the righthand side of the deck.

“Koby-,” you began with a deep sigh, releasing his jaw and cheek from your caress.

“-and I know it’s inappropriate, lieutenant,” he interrupted you with a slight sigh, “but I couldn’t leave you. I-,”

He paused, bringing his gaze back to yours before again declaring; “-I-I love you.”

You felt the air hypothetically this time flee from your chest at his sudden declaration.

“A-and I don’t care if you don’t feel the same way-,” he began, halting his words only at your sudden outburst of adoration. You claimed his shoulders in a warm embrace, holding him against your torso and smoothing over his back.

“Koby,” you again whispered into him, bringing your cheek flush against the side of his pink hair.

“Ma’am,” he responded in a breathily whimper. You released his shoulders from your embrace before bringing your forehead to rest against his own, your eyes closed. You inhaled through your nose, breathing in any anxiety he continued to hold, feeling the waves of his unease dissipate with each passing moment.

You felt him snake his arms around your waist and bring you closer against his body, continuing to press his forehead against your own for as long as you would permit him to do so. You opened your eyes and brought your forehead away from his own, keeping only a few centimetres between you.

“I owe you my life,” you whispered into his face with a warm smile, “and I am willing to spend each moment of the rest of the life I could’ve lost just now to show you just how much love I truly have for you.”

You heard him inhale sharply first before you witnessed how wide his beautiful blue eyes were, beginning to brim slightly at your declaration. You giggled slightly at his reaction, scrunching your nose; teasing him slightly.

“Does that mean I can kiss you?” he innocently asked you in a hurried voice, prompting you to giggle in response.

“Koby,” you half laugh-sighed deeply before hooking your elbow behind his neck and suddenly bringing his face flush with your own. You leant your lips into his and pressed a deep kiss upon him, filled with the adoration you truly held for him. You were apprehensive to express yourself further to deepen the kiss than what he was comfortable with, noting his anxiety in your prior interactions.

His enthusiasm was quickly expressed through his administrations, bringing both of his hands to your lower ribs as he pulled your torso against his own with a small whimper falling between his lips. You smiled into the kiss and gasped into his lips as you unhooked your elbow from behind his neck and opted to cradle his cheeks within your palms. You could feel his body begin to shake with all of the emotion he was holding back, prompting you to respond empathetically as you continued to hold him against.

Koby nearly lost you; not only his superior officer who had trained him so vigorously in his quest to achieve his dream of becoming an elite marine, but the woman he came to truly love. He administered chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth to your unresponsive body for twelve whole minutes before you sucked in a shaky breath and ridded your body from the salt-water your lungs had filled beyond capacity. He cried for you, willing every fibre of his being to bring you back from the brink of death to be at his side.

You felt warm tears freely spill down his cheeks as he continued to press his lips against your own, exchanging angles to deepen your kiss between gasped breaths.

You broke from his lips only to bring your thumbs up to his cheeks and soothe over the free-falling tears he released from his eyes as he was overcome with a tirade of intense emotions. You opted not to speak, but continue to administer a gentle touch over his skin as his body trembled. You kissed his cheeks softly as he whimpered into your touch, bringing his hands to your wrists and gently holding them against his face as he continued to enjoy your touch.

Masterlist is here.

He pressed his lips into each of your palms before looking deeply into your eyes with a broad smile after he worked through the complex emotions, emitting a laugh from his lips in absolute joy as he processed the fact you were returning his affections.

You returned his laugh with a small chuckle of your own as you gazed affectionately into his eyes before bringing your lips to press against his once more as to seal an unspoken promise made between you both.

#koby opla #one piece #x reader #koby one piece #koby x reader #opla #opla fic #monkey d garp #bogard one piece #helmeppo

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