#shioyaki x reader

[mmkin]

Hooked On You (Shioyaki x Reader)

For fans of my Arlong Pirates collection, the next chapter is up! Featuring the Master of Banquets! Whee! It can be found here on AO3 but also under the cut here.

Content warning - mentions of slavery and abuse, but teen-safe. This chapter is SFW but the rest of the chapters of the story so far aren't (as a fair warning to those who want to read the rest)

IV – Hooked On You (Shioyaki)

Shioyaki is the Master of Banquets, and I do like his shirt :) Mido is never named in the anime, but he is the big fishman with light pinkish-purple skin and bright green hair (or fins?) along the top of his head and the sides of his head. I saw him in several different scenes and decided to use him because why not, and named him thusly.

I wanted to shake things up a bit because all previous stories in this collection have the relationship starting amicably enough and on equal footing (in regards to race, at least) and I wanted to do something different here given that I've gone into the issues between humans and fishmen and all that stuff.

So the Reader/OC for this story is a mixed-breed half-fishman/half-human woman. Enjoy!

o0o0o0o

Your father used to be part of a pirate crew. His captain is long dead, and so is his fishwoman lover – your mother, who died when you were just a baby. Wanting to leave the pirate life, he took you and set up on a peaceful island in the East Blue.

He eventually married another woman – a human – so you’re the lone person in the family – and town, actually – with fishman blood. Your father is a decent fellow, and though you’ve had arguments with your stepmother, she’s not the evil stepparent you find in fairy tales. Your father had enough booty from his pirate days to establish himself so his family has never had to worry about food in their belly or a roof over their heads.

Naturally, some people in town had issues with someone who had fishman blood in them, but your father always defended you. You know he cared about your mother, and he's told you that if these people who hate you see what he has seen, they'd realize that someone of mixed blood is the least of anyone's worries.

Sometimes, you get a weird look or a snide comment, and though you learn to not react to them, it doesn't mean it doesn't hurt. And as your father pointed out, you have abilities no one else on the island does. So under his watchful guardianship, you learn to negotiate and sell these skills to those who would make use of them. Though your dad is an ex-pirate who enjoys the quiet life, he enjoys passing some of his skills to you. So even if some of the townsfolk see you as odd, you're able to make your way through life.

Once in a while, your younger siblings might be brats, but you do love them, and they care for you too, and as you've gotten older, your stepmother has afforded you more space and respect. It's not a perfect life, but you know what, you're pretty happy with it. Sometimes you ask yourself what you're going to do with your future. Will you remain on the island forever, or might you take to the high seas and become a pirate, or perhaps go to Fishman Island where your mother came from?

o0o0o0o

Before you can make a definitive decision about your future, your (mostly) quiet life is broken up by the blowing of the emergency horn. The town does have a local militia and several patrol boats, but these are overcome seemingly by the ocean itself as fishmen emerge from the sea to take control of the island.

You would run, but you have your younger siblings with you as today was a festival day. You’re not sure who’s more surprised – you, or the fishmen who see you as the people are being gathered up in the town square. The little ones cling to you and as you see the fishmen moving around, and again, you’re given curious glances, and it seems they’re less inclined to treat you roughly when you and others are ordered about.

The tallest man – human or fish – you've ever seen comes into sight with the longest nose you've ever seen. You and the rest of your family and neighbors are forced to listen as Arlong the Saw declares the island to be his, and how there is now to be a tribute system. People who do not pay for it will die. And so on. It's something you later see is something this sharkman does every time he takes an island. Comes onto it boldly as he pleases and declares it as his and… well, he's damn strong.

Even you, a half-fishman, are in awe and fear of him.

You’re taken from your family and brought to Arlong as a bunch of fishmen go around to collect tribute. He stares at you with these cold eyes and asks you the questions one might expect. Name? Family? Where did your fishman’s blood come from?

“Well, since you’re half-fishman, I suppose you can be spared having to pay tribute,” he says with a wide grin.

“Thank you,” you say, blinking as his words sink in and what that means for you and your family and neighbors. Your father isn’t poor, but he does have a sizeable family to support, and several employees who will be counting on their paycheques to be able to cover the tribute that they’ll have to pay for themselves and their families. You do the math, and realize that it is doable… but it will be hard.

Not having to worry about you will lessen his troubles by a fraction, and… that’s better than nothing, right? But you’ve learned enough from your father to know that someone like Arlong isn’t going to give this to you without at least a string attached.

“There is a way you can show me your appreciation…” he says.

Well, there we go! He’s probably going to ask for sexual favors, right? He looks like the kind of asshole who would do just that. Hmph.

“You’ve lived here most of your life, right? So you’re pretty familiar with this town and the rest of the island, I surmise.”

You nod, wondering what he is getting at.

“I could use someone here to show some of my men around. This is a very nice island, and I intend to make good use of it.”

You stare at him, considering his words. You’d love for nothing more than to tell him to shove it, but one look at him and you know fighting him is a fool’s errand. And he’s… asking for tours, not sex. It could be a lot worse. So you give assent.

Your fish heritage has been both a detriment and an asset in the past, and it continues to be as such, a double-edged sword hanging above your head as you tread the line between continuing to support your family and showing your loyalty to your friends and neighbors, and paying lip service to Mido, the large fishman that Arlong assigned as the new mayor of the island. This is such a nice island, Arlong says, that he will be setting up some fishmen here. And Mido firmly establishes himself by kicking the former mayor out of his house. And as the fishmen have proved, their strength in the water is nothing to scoff at, which means they can corral or sink merchant or Marine ships that come here.

You had heard rumors of a fishman pirate establishing himself in the East Blue, but the Conomi Islands were quite a ways off. These rumors had circulated for the last few years, of a fishman collecting tribute from various islands, of humans that were not quite slaves but nonetheless forced to work just for the privilege of relative safety. Your father did not go out of his way to attract the notice of the Marines, but he did not hold them, or the World Government in high regard. Arlong the Saw was but a distant threat.

Until now. You remember how you felt when you made a circuit around the island when Arlong and a handful of his men followed you. He had the eyes of a predator, and you know that cold gaze was fixed upon you as you walked in front of him, just in case you tried anything funny. But you didn’t. Your self-preservation instincts were in overdrive, so you just walked along, pointing out several locations of significance and answering Arlong’s questions, doing everything you could to mask your racing pulse.

And even after Arlong left, there was still Mido and a number of other fishmen to deal with. You answer his questions honestly – but not without care. You try to preserve as much privacy as you think you can get away with. You feel the hostile glare of farmers as you lead fishmen past the fields and orchards. Eyes follow you as you go through the marketplace and the docks.

Human eyes are not the only ones that follow you, though. You’ve heard jokes of love-starved pirates and mermaids, and the like. But you act cold and professional, wanting nothing to do with these assholes who barged onto this island like they owned it.

Having collected the first of many monthly tributes, the fishmen generally leave the humans alone other than claiming a few houses and buildings. It sucks but there’s nothing you can do about it, and you stand at the docks with your arms crossed, staring out at the ocean. Perhaps you could flee this island. But then what might become of your family or friends?

A fisherman you’ve done business with for a few years approaches you to ask about helping him with his work. Your reputation in selling your skills is solid, so you’ve had an amicable relationship with this man – until now.

“Since you’re exempt from the tribute, the least you could do is help me without charge,” he says. It’s been an excruciating few days for you. Being followed around by fishmen while giving tours and carefully deciding what places to not show them. The sideways glances from your neighbors. The tightness of your stepmother’s expression as the finances are discussed. And though your father tries to hide it, you know he is nervous too.

You were giving honest consideration to sharing some of the money you’d saved up with those who need it. There were those not as well-off as your father, and even if they’d made one payment, it was no guarantee they’d make the next. You weren’t an asshole.

But this man’s rude tone gets your hackles up. You’re not sure what to say. You want to reprimand him, but you know he has a wife who is pregnant and they already have three children. That’s another 50 thousand Berry added to that family’s tribute payment in a couple of months. You know you’re not the only one who’s spent a restless night or fretful day over this whole shitshow.

You stare at him, and he stares back at you, resentment smoldering in his guarded glare. You become aware of another fisherman looking at you from some way down the pier and realize that if you choose to ignore the first man's rudeness and help him out, there will be a line of people seeking favors from you, even though you only consented to be Arlong's lackey under duress.

Usually, if someone challenged you, you'd have something smart to say, or at least a joke to defuse the situation, but there's really nothing you can think of that feels right here. You're too on edge, and you understand why this man is on edge, and you don't want a fight. All you can do is turn around and walk away, hands balled at your sides.

“Hahaha, see how quickly she switches her loyalty!” you hear his voice call out.

“Why should she be loyal to someone who would exploit her work?” you hear a new voice say. Oh no, it’s a fishman. You turn to see a fishman, tall but nowhere near as broad as Mido, glaring at the humans on the pier tending to their boats. “So typical of humans, exploiting fishmen, making them work for next to nothing if that! There will be none of that in the Arlong Empire!” he barks.

All you can do is stare in horrified fascination before you raise your hands, waving them in a gesture of placation. "Please, gentlemen," you say with a chuckle you hope doesn't sound too strained. You give the fisherman a pointed glare, hoping he remembers the last few years of friendly acquaintanceship he shared with you well enough. The human looks at you before lowering his gaze in submission. You glance at the fishman, whose name you remember is Shioyaki. He's not bad-looking for a fishman, and even better-looking than some of the humans here. And out of the fishmen you've seen, he has the nicest shirts.

But he’s still part of Arlong’s gang, so you’ve kept your distance from him. “There you go. It’s just… been a time of adjustment for all of us,” you say. You quickly back away and turn to leave, thinking to just go back home and avoid others for the rest of the day.

You go a few blocks before you hear your name called out, and turn around to face Shioyaki, biting back your irritation. You’d been so intent on getting away from the shore that you didn’t hear his footsteps coming after you.

“Yes?” you ask in icy politeness. You could almost swear he’s smirking a bit like he finds your act amusing. But it’s not an act. You’re not going to be warm towards these assholes who’ve come and taken over this island, are you? Fuck that, fuck Arlong, fuck these fishmen.

“I was wondering if you might like to go for a walk with me?” he asks. You narrow your eyes.

“Your captain… hired me as a guide. My work is done for today,” you say dismissively. You know you’ll likely be called upon tomorrow for something, but after your confrontation with the fisherman, all you want to do is go home and make yourself a cup of tea. And perhaps add a shot or two of rum to it, but who has to know?

“Huh, you’re just going to leave like that after I stepped in for you?”

“You did that out of the goodness of your heart, I assumed?” you ask dryly. He takes a step closer to you. Under different circumstances, you might have flirted with him. But circumstances are what they are, and you step back.

“I know I’m new here. But the way that man talked to you. I’ve seen it plenty of other times. Humans looking down at us because we’re fishmen.”

“I assure you that your being a fishman has nothing to do with my disdain for you." Still, you're a little shaken at how quick that man was to turn on you and demand you give him free work over something you had no control over. Empathy can only go so far, and you remember the handful of townsfolk you've known for years who still have not quite let go of their prejudice for fishfolk. And now, even people you've been friendly with are looking at you differently.

All because of Arlong and his assholes. “And for your information, I got along with that man just fine before Arlong came here. So you’ve made things difficult for me, in a place that I have spent most of my life in!” you say hotly.

He blinks at you. You regard him with an angry, tight expression, anxiety forming a knot in your stomach. Then he smirks. All you want to do is punch him in the face.

“Yeah. I’ve seen how the humans look at you when we’re following you around. Even though as far as I’ve seen, you haven’t done anything to them. But now for many of them, all they see when they look at you is that you’re a fishman, too.”

“Only half!”

“Does that make much of a difference?”

Your hands ball into fists. “Just leave me alone,” you mutter. Stupid asshole.

“You’ve lived your life so far with humans. It’s not working out very well, is it? Maybe it’s time to embrace your fishman heritage and side with us.”

“No, thanks. I don’t wanna end up an a- uh, jerk like you or Mido or Arlong.” You almost called him an asshole to his face. You’re normally cool-headed, but this fishman is getting you all flustered, and not in a good way.

He chuckles at that but lets you go.

o0o0o0o

Your reprieve from Shioyaki is short-lived. When you report to the mayor's house in the morning to see what Mido might want of you, Shioyaki is with him. He smirks at you when you take notice of him, but you keep your face impassive as you stare at Mido, nearly blinded by the bright green fins on his head as they catch the sunlight. Even for a fishman, his appearance is ridiculous, especially when compared to someone like Arlong. But he has a fair amount of intelligence to go with that brawn, which explains why he was given the mayorship of this town and control of the island.

“You will work with Shioyaki today,” Mido declares before he dismisses you, the other fishman following behind you.

Fuck me. Could this day possibly get any worse? And the day has only just started! Could you pretend to be ill? Maybe complain about cramps, since a lot of men will back off when a woman mentions certain troubles? You stop at the gate in front of the house before turning to face him.

“What sort of work did you have planned for today?” you ask coolly. Suck it up and get on with it. If not for the fear of reprisal from Mido or Arlong, you'd have laid this salmon fishman out already and rubbed his face in the dirt for good measure.

“I was thinking we could go for a walk. I’ll tell Mido it’s a tour.”

You let out a defeated huff. Looks like he’s going to get that walk with you, after all. “Where do you want to go, then?” you ask.

“Hmm. This island is pretty nice," he says. Of course, he would know, you've taken the fishmen on several walks around the island so they could see for themselves what they were going to be managing for Arlong. "Let's just walk by the sea?"

Fine. So the two of you make your way down the slope before taking a left, walking past the docks. You avoid eye contact with the humans working there, stone-faced as Shioyaki walks at your side, half a step behind you. Inevitably, the pier stops, giving way to a trail and rocky sand, the waves crashing nearby. There are a few houses up the hill, but you know if you continue down the path you'll head through a forested part of the island that is occasionally used for foraging or grazing. Shioyaki had been quiet thus far, and you're not sure if that's a good or bad thing.

So you keep walking, treading a path that is long familiar to you. At a few points, it has been widened, giving people places to rest or even have a bit of a picnic if they so desire. Island life is pretty great… at least, until fishmen pirates show up and demand tribute. You stare off through the trees at the sea and give out a gasp as you bump into Shioyaki.

He stands in front of you, facing you. You look away out of mortification as you take a step back. “Sorry,” you mumble, trying to forget the smirk on his face. He’d planted himself in front of you on purpose when he saw you were distracted, hadn’t he?

“Relax. You’re way too tense, you know?”

You lift your head to glare at him. “Why should you care?”

He shrugs. “We’re just out for a walk. These are supposed to be fun, right?”

“… Yes,” comes your guarded reply. You’re tempted to say that his absence is what would make the walk fun.

“And I’m certain you’d rather be having fun than doing actual work for Mido, right?”

You raise an eyebrow at him. “You’re not worried about getting in trouble?” you ask cautiously – if this fishman does get in trouble, you don’t want to be held accountable.

He gives out a small laugh. “No. I’m Arlong’s subordinate, not Mido’s. I’m the Master of Banquets, but I’m here for a few months because I have other skills and I’ll admit, I wanted a change of scenery for a bit.”

You shrug at that. Nothing wrong with having a variety of skills, or wanting something new. If it wasn’t for the circumstances, his comment would be entirely reasonable.

“Arlong Park is pretty great, but this island is not without its charms." He looks around for a bit before his gaze falls back to you, resting on you. You were dressed similarly to most other islanders this time of the year, with a t-shirt and knee-length shorts. You felt that you exercised a reasonable amount of modesty and comfort in your choice of clothing, but under his gaze, you feel almost naked. Eyes up here, bud, you’re tempted to snap at him.

“Yes, this trail has its charms,” you say in an effort to pull his mind from that sort of topic. “You saw that lemon orchard the other day, remember? This is the other side of it,” you say, gesturing to a fence several meters from the path, rows of lemon trees sitting behind it. You remember carefree days when you and the neighbor kids would pluck lemons from the branches that overhung the fence. The owner of the orchard was good-natured about it, and your father reminded you and the other children to not abuse someone’s generosity. So like good sports, you only collected lemons that were outside of the fence, and you and your friends shared the lemons, getting plenty of lemon bars for your efforts (and you helped your stepmother make lemon bars, some of which you took to that very farmer. So it was a win-win situation for everyone, really...)

That same farmer had glared at you the other day as you stood behind Mido while the new fishman mayor made his rounds to familiarize himself with his new town. Your father knows the facts, that you agreed to none of this, and there are those willing to listen to you. But prejudice runs deeper than you have seen in your so far relatively comfortable life. It was easy enough to ignore the sneers of the few townsfolk who could not let go of their prejudices, but when you were now dealing with it from people who’d gotten along with you for years… It’s hard to not feel resentful.

The two of you walk more without incident before he stops again. This time, you catch yourself before you walk into him. You see a couple of boats in the distance, but you and Shioyaki are pretty much alone in this quiet little corner of the world.

“I’ve been observing you since I came here. I like what I see.”

So do you. You would be lying if you claimed that you didn’t find him physically attractive. But he’s one of the Arlong Pirates, and you have morals. So you shake your head. “Don’t get any ideas about that,” you warn him.

“Why not? What are you going to do, be with a human? Fishmen are superior in strength and stamina. Think about what that means…" His smirk widens into a lecherous grin. You roll your eyes. You're not exactly untouched, but you're single. Your experience comes from exploration and curiosity. Hey, no regrets, and you got to experiment a bit and find a few things you liked or didn't like.

“I’d rather not,” you say as you flip your hair over your shoulder. “That is not what I was hired for.”

“Oh, is that something you’re selling?” he asked, stroking his chin. You growl at him.

“Yeah, keep making that noise. It’s pretty hot,” he says with a chortle. You exclaim and throw your hands up in the air. He steps toward you. You back away from him. Arlong only told you to be a guide to his fishmen. You were to show them the sights and locations of the island and the surrounding waters.

Not your body. If Shioyaki assaults you what recourse do you have? Would Arlong reprimand his crewmate, or simply shrug and say you were fair game to be claimed? You blank out at that thought, horror filling you as you consider how (metaphorically) fucked you are.

“Hey, wait. No.” Your focus is pulled back to him and you see surprise on his features as you continue to back away. “I’m a fishman. Not a monster.” He quickly grabs your wrist.

“Prove it,” you say evenly, but your heart is pounding as the two of you stare at one another. Slowly, he unwraps his fingers from your arm and raises his hand, palms facing you.

“Not a monster,” you repeat his words quietly as the two of you stand there and stare at one another with the rustle of leaves and crashing of waves as a backdrop. “You and your captain and friends come to this island, and though Arlong doesn’t call them slaves, the humans here aren’t in a much better state. They are made to work under the threat of death, with Arlong taking most if not all of the profits.”

“Humans have done much worse to fishmen and merfolk for many centuries!”

Your father admittedly is ignorant of most fishman history, but he did tell you what he knew, and that included the institution of slavery and how non-humans were more prized on the slave market for a variety of reasons.

“I don’t deny that they did, ok? My dad told me about what he’d seen of slavers and all that. And that’s an amazingly shitty thing to do to anybody. Regardless of if they’re a human or fishman!” you add pointedly.

“I bet there’s plenty he didn’t tell you,” Shioyaki replies. You shrug, conceding the point. So the walk continues with him info-dumping on you about Fisher Tiger and his death and how Arlong formed his crew. Surprisingly, you find this engaging and ask him questions, which he seems all too happy to answer because he has your rapt attention.

You’ve heard a bit about fishman history from your father, and even less from the World Government-issued textbooks in school. Now you get to hear it from a bonafide fishman. And boy howdy, you get a whole fucking earful and then some.

Hours pass before you make your way back to civilization. You're overwhelmed, but you've gained a lot of insight into why these fishmen behave the way they do. Yeah, what they're doing here, on this island, is not justified, but you can see how and why they're so angry. With being constantly persecuted and marginalized by humans, and not feeling protected by King Neptune, there are going to be fishmen who feel like the only way to secure a place for themselves on the surface world is to take it by force, and that is what Arlong did. And as more and more seafolk join him, the Arlong Empire expands, creating several colonies across the East Blue. Your island is but the latest in this stronghold that Arlong the Saw is creating for his people.

“Well, I enjoyed that walk,” Shioyaki says conversationally as the town comes into view again.

“So did I,” you say. Albeit on a different level, your brain mulling over a viewpoint that was different than what you’d been raised with. But that’s not what Shioyaki thinks when he hears your words, and you blush as you realize your poor choice of words. He smiles at that.

“In that case, perhaps we should take more walks. I think you’d prefer that to working for Mido?”

You look off to some point beyond the trees so you don’t have to make eye contact with him. Work for Mido, or spend time with Shioyaki. Talk about being between a rock and a hard place. In this case, you’ll choose the lesser of two evils, and nod. Shioyaki seems willing enough to talk with you and answer your questions. You’ll think of some questions tonight, and distract him the next time you have to spend time with him.

o0o0o0o

Though you still have to report to Mido in the mornings, Shioyaki manages to monopolize much of your time. You have questions waiting for him, whether it’s about something new or to clarify something he said previously.

When he asks you questions, you are diffident. You resist his attempts to discover things you like, and you try to distract him with questions of your own.

“You already asked me that question a while ago,” Shioyaki says with a smirk. “You’re just trying to keep me talking.”

You narrow your eyes, thinking back… well, you did ask a similar question. But you honestly forgot you had asked for it, there was a lot of information about fishmen to process, and it’s not like you had reference material at home to look up.

“I forgot I asked that, really. There’s just so much to keep track of and it’s not as if the local library has material on fishman history and all that. I told my dad some of what you told me yesterday and it blew his mind. He knows that humans and fishmen don’t have a great history together but, yeah, wow.”

“Fair enough, but you’re still using these questions as a distraction.”

“No, no, I’m listening and learning,” you insist. He smirks.

“Yeah, but it's not the only reason you're asking these questions. Am I really so bad?"

You let out a soft hmph and cross your arms. Isn’t the answer fucking obvious?

“Yeah yeah, I'm a pirate. An Arlong Pirate and I'm proud of it. I wouldn't let myself be pushed around by humans. And before you say that there's a way to solve this without violence, do you think fishmen haven't tried that in the past? Arlong saw Fisher Tiger die for trying to save a human child! We could have just killed everyone here, but we chose not to!" He crosses his arms, puffing out his chest, taking a stance not much different than yours. You stare at one another for several moments.

“Is that the bar you want to set? Not killing?" you ask incredulously. His smugness gives way to perplexity. His brows furrowed in irritation.

“Like humans are better than that," he sneers. It's a pretty weak point… but it is a point, nonetheless. And no one in your town died. So there's that. You wouldn't say you're grateful for that, but the pragmatic side of you recognizes that being alive means one can live to fight another day.

“Yeah. So you get to lord over us weak humans, even though the people who live here have no part in this conflict. You brought it here and thrust it upon them. I know you’re angry, but you’re projecting it on the wrong people.” You turn away from him. “I’m going home. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Hey, I didn’t say you could leave.”

You glare at him. He takes a step toward you.

“I get that you were raised by humans, but you’ve been shut off to us since we came here. I’ve tried to be nice to you. I think you’re cute, and I have more to offer than any of the humans on this island.”

You raise an eyebrow. “Who said I was going to stay on this island?”

He seems taken aback by this.

“I mean, I don’t have to pay tribute. I’m half-fishman. I’m not bound here like the rest of the islanders, am I?” Come to think of it, that was never clarified.

“I… don’t know.” He stares at you thoughtfully. “Arlong never stated you could leave, and I doubt he’d be too pleased if you disappeared without his permission. Especially since you’re likely to try to get help.”

Well, of course, you would try to get help, you're not stupid. And you would have information on Mido and the other fishmen here if nothing else. But you hesitate. As a half-fishman, would you be treated with respect? And in the meantime, what could happen to your family or friends?

“Fuck,” you mutter, balling your hands into fists. Shioyaki approaches you slowly. You glance at him cautiously, the sun giving his cool ruddy skin a warm tint. It’s hard to not remember how visually appealing the salmon fishman is because of the time you’ve spent around him.

“You’ve spent all this time worrying about humans and avoiding fishmen as much as possible. You don’t have to make friends with all of us, but I am certain I can make it worthwhile for you to be mine.”

Your father told you to never turn down an opportunity without thinking about it. And you are aware that, as long as you’re stuck here and toeing the line with Mido, it wouldn’t hurt to have one fishman on your side.

“I’m going to need to think about that,” you say neutrally. Make him chase you a little bit. See just how much power you have or might gain, and you might be able to wield it in some meaningful way. You see the gleam in his eye, and you know you have him hooked.

o0o0o0o

Wait, wait, some of you might ask, where's the smex? Don't worry, I do have that planned for part 2 but given the circumstances of the Reader for this story, I didn't want to rush into that.

So I looked up just how much Berries were worth, and according to the OP wiki, Berries are about the same as the Japanese Yen, which makes sense given the author is Japanese. That 50,000 Yen translates to about 341 US dollars, 313 Euro, or 267 GBP (UK Pounds) Double this for the adult tribute fee.

Of course, standards of living vary around the world as well as expenses, so it's difficult to say just how much value this has within OP, but I can say that for some people, this would be doable, but for others, this would strain their budget if not break it. For me, coming up with the adult fee would be an absolute pain in the ass. If I had kids to support, this would break me.

Camie the mermaid was purchased by Saint Charlos for five hundred million Berries, which translates to 2,670,400 GBP, 3,130,900 Euro, or 3,408,000 USD (as of Feb 2024) For nearly anyone, this would be a life-changing amount of money. Yes, I thought it would be fun to calculate that to get an idea of how much a Berry is worth.

[echantedtoon]

A Lovers' Circle (Poly Haishira x Reader) Ch12 The Heart's Not Just A Muscle P2

(Hearts conquered so far: Mitsuri, Kanae, Sanemi, Gyomei,Giyuu, and now Shinobu is getting her time to shine.

Warnings for Shinobu/Y/n getting soda thrown at them.)

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@the-unknown-fandom

@lavenderdropp @mimisweetz. @purplesoulsapphire

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The next morning was better. He felt less tired and more energized than last night and was able to get some house chores done. At the moment he was enjoying the peace and quiet of the calm morning. Sipping on some coffee she gave him and just all around enjoying not having to do anything else right now.

That was until the doorbell rang.

DING DONG!!

The sound of it had both look up from the kitchen table and towards the door that was clearly visible from the kitchen.After a second he sighed and slowly made himself stand up. He eventually got up to get it as she was busy compiling the footage of their work so far and labeling the dates with the right videos. She was more tech savvy than him so she'd be better at doing it anyways. So she went back to transferring most of the video files to a series of hard drives with dates and time stamps edited into the video. She'd hand over the hard drives to the professor when they turned in their project at the end of November. For now she'd get what files they already had organized along with their notes.

Giyuu's footsteps echoed in the apartment before he opened the door. From where the kitchen was and where she was sat, she could clearly see who stood in the doorway if she looked up from the screen 

"Hi, Giyuu!" The familiar voice made her pause before looking up from the screen and raising a brow at the woman bundled up smiling in the doorway. "Chilly today isn't it?"

Y/n? What was she doing here this early?..And why was she holding a giant paper bag?

He stared at her with his back to his girlfriend. "Yes." Eventually he answered slowly. "I thought we weren't going to meet until later."

"We weren't but I have something for you." She blinked as a giant paper bag was heaved up and into his arms. The paper crinkling with the shift of ownership.

"..What is this?"

"Some new food you can try. You mentioned getting a bit tired with your usual food so I made you some new dishes to try out for a few days." Her hand gestured to the large bag "You got some saba no shioyaki, tonkatsu, a container of onigiri in there somewhere, katsudon, oyakodon, a salad, and some homemade taiyaki. Oh. I also made you some salmon Daikin and there's one container of ginger tsukudani for Shinobu. They might not be very good because it's my first time making them."

"Why?"

"Your sister mentioned that it's your favorite food, and Kanae told me when I asked about-"

"No. Just..." His face slowly slipped down to the bag again. Just staring at it. "Why?"

"Oh... It's because sometimes we all just need someone to reach out and help." Purple eyes slowly widened from behind the screen. "I've noticed that you've been stressed lately and it's fine that you don't want to talk to me about it, but if you'd ever like to I'd be happy to listen to you."

And then there was a tense silence between the two of them before the wind blew making her shiver again.

"You go ahead and take today off. I'll just do the project myself today and email Shinobu the video when I'm done walking around. Relax and get better soon. Ok? If you need to call me just ask Mei or Shinobu for my number. They both have it. And don't worry about my tupperware. You can give it back to me when you're all finished. No rush."

He continued to stare but flinched as a warm hand patted one of his still holding onto the bag before she turned and began walking away from the door until she couldn't see Y/n anymore. Giyuu stood there for a while before slowly turning around back to Shinobu's still wide eyes, allowing her to see his red face. Slowly the door was closed using a leg with a click and his footfalls sounded out as he walked himself back into the kitchen.  Paper crinkled as the bag was slowly placed the bag on the table between the two.

And then they stared in silence some more. Before they exchanged looks with each other. And then slowly Giyuu reached out slowly and opened up the large bag, pulling the edge back enough to peek inside. Dark Blue eyes blinked before a hand reached inside and a second later a medium sized Tupperware container was pulled out.

Giyuu weighed it in his hands with a hum despite the pink to his face. "Still warm."

"Open it."

He did so and immediately the smell of pork and cabbage filled the air. "Tonkatsu." He looked at her.

"Well don't just sit there. You haven't had anything to eat all morning." She nodded to him. "Eat it."

Giyuu took his time turning to go dig out chopsticks from a kitchen drawer before sitting himself back down at the kitchen table in front of the warm meal. Dark Blue eyes just staring at it for a long moment before he reached inside and pulled out a small piece of the breaded pork cutlets. It smelled so good even to her just sitting there. He slowly placed it into his mouth.

Blue eyes WIDENED. Going as wide as plates as he slowly chewed on the food. Before his chewing increased as he immediately dipped back down into the container. A moment later he so sweetly held up a piece to her wanting to try it obviously. She did accepting his offer and immediately the sweet taste of pork and spices filled her mouth with the punch of a firecracker. 

Shinobu hummed. "That is actually very good."

 She watched as he just continued to eat his fill. A twinge of pleasant color rising to his cheeks. Contentment as he sighed through his nose and let a satisfied him leave him as she silently watched. How long has it been since she's seen him so happy about food? Usually neither one of them has time to really cook so it was usually leftovers, take out, or instant meals like frozen TV dinners or instant ramen. He offered something again to her but she held up a hand to stop him.

"Oh no. Those she made for you. Eat something and feel better."

"But she did make you something." He again shoved a arm into the bag and pulled out a small Tupperware container before pushing it out towards her.

She did huh? Taking it and opening it let the scents of ginger and soy sauce fill the air. Ginger tsukutani. That was her favorite food. Hm. It smelt good and it was still warm too. The pleasantly kind of warm, not too hot but not cold at all. ..It must've taken her all night to make them all of this, and she insisted on not worrying them about their project. Her hum echoed in the kitchen as Giyuu continued to eat in content. His happy stomach welcoming the rare addition of homemade goods. 

"Interesting. This might require a little more consideration."

She decided to look into it a bit more starting the following few hours. As promised, Y/n had sent her an email and with it was attached a video file of her doing a series of jumping jacks, jogging in place, and then ending in her doing yoga the rest of the hour. Gyomei's voice was heard in the background asking what-

"Honey, what take out do you want to order tonight? I can make something instead so you don't have to worry about cooking tonight."

His caring nature had her smiling. Gyomei was always so considerate of everyone around him, and since starting a relationship with Y/n he's only gotten much more happier. She was genuinely happy for him. Y/n was genuinely a very happy kind woman and Gyomei couldn't ask for a better girlfriend.  However what she wasn't expecting was for some of her own partners and even her own sister to also fall for her. 

She supposed Mitsuri was predicable and Kanae was understandable if surprising. But Sanemi? Giyuu?

Perhaps it was the curiosity that prompted her to email her back-

'Shinobu:

                  Hey. Thanks for the file! Sorry we couldn't join you today. Giyuu won't be able to join us for most of this week, so are you alright with working with me on it this week?'

It took her only a few minutes to respond back.

'Y/n:

           Hi, Shinobu! Yeah that's fine. Did you guys like the food? I have to be quick because Mei n I are watching a movie Mitsuri leant us. Yeah that works. Do you want to meet tomorrow after classes and work?'

'Shinobu:

                  I can't. I'm working late. But I'm free Tuesday afternoon. You free then?'

'Y/n: 

              Sure! I can meet you after work by the park. See u then!'

Well that certainly sounded like a good time. Alright then. Tuesday. That was when she was going to be getting a few answers to her curiosity.

******************

"Shinobu! Hi!"

She happily waved over the purple eyes woman with a big smile and a thick turtleneck sweater draped over her top. It was a bit nippy today just going into November, however she was surprised when she saw a bouncing pink haired woman next to her not so subtly giving Y/n a loving expression. 

"Hello," she greeted them both and with a curious tilt looked at Mitsuri. "I'm surprised to see you here. I don't think you're doing the project with us."

She shook her head braids swaying. "Nope! Obi's going meditating with Mei and my dance classes were cancelled after the teacher sprained her ankle." She gushed looking at them both. "So I had nothing to do but Y/n invited me to come along with you guys!!"

"I hope that's ok." Y/n tilted her head. "I'd really like to get to know Mei's family better, and I genuinely like hanging out with you guys. I figured Mitsuri could film while you take notes again so we're not trying to juggle everything ourselves."

Ah right. Sunday and Monday Y/n had to both do the project herself because Giyuu and herself were busy, and she had to finish compiling everything into thumb drives IN order with labels and dates along with her notes. Honestly she was surprised when she got a second email Monday night with another email but you were doing the project with them so it made sense.

"No problem at all. I think the extra hand will be very useful!"

"Oh that reminds me. I made you both copies of class notes from today and yesterday!" She gestured to the backpack slung over her shoulders. "Figured you'd be needing them too."

"I appreciate that. So what exactly are we doing today?"

"I figured we'd just walk around the park again. It's easy enough and we could go for some food afterwards. My treat!" She happily smiled at Mitsuri who lit up. "MacDougal's sounds like a good place to get burgers. Five burgers for ten dollars is a good deal and I can get you ten for only twenty dollars!"

"Oh you don't have to do that for me!"

"I want to! You're always letting me use your employee discount at the cafe so it's only fair! You're a kind person!" Mitsuri squealed out in delight clutching her cheeks. "And you deserve it!" She squealed out more excitedly bouncing on her heels. A sight that even made Shinobu smile wider. "Of course I'd get something for you too Shinobu."

She held up a hand to her. "Oh no. I couldn't ask you to buy me anything."

"Not even one of their famous cappuccinos?"

"...Ok. A coffee then." 

That only pulled out a few giggles from the both of them before they actually got to work. Shinobu taking notes as Mitsuri bounced beside her as she wrote happily filming as Y/n walked. The crisp cold air chilling them the closer to December. 

"Hey, Shinobu. How's Kanao doing?" The sudden name drop of her baby sister was something that had gotten said woman to snap up in question. 

After a moment she looked back down. "She's doing fine."

"I hope she likes her dress! I bet she'll look beautiful in it!"

Ah yes. Her dress. The one for almost three months Kanao had been eyeing every time she passed it on her way to home and school. It was rather pretty but expensive so that's why it took their parents so long to save up for it. Only problem was that the old crab in charge of running the store had refused to sell it to them once she found out that a teenager was planning on using it for a dance. Even denied Kanae when she offered to buy it instead. She thinks that she hated children but whatever the circumstances were..

Had Y/n not gone in to get her the dress, Kanao would have come back rather more disappointed. Instead she got to experience putting on the dress at home and smiling as their mother INSISTED on taking pictures for her scrapbook. Imagine her surprise when Kanae relayed the tale to her much later...Which begged the question-

"If you'd like, I'll reimburse you for the dress. It's not a problem."

"Oh no. It's perfectly alright." She smiled wider. "It wasn't fair she couldn't get it in the first place. I'm just glad she's happy now."

"You didn't have to help her."

"I know. I didn't do it because I had to, but because I wanted to. I'm just sorry Kanae had to deal with Jake after all that."

"How noble of you!," Mitsuri gushed nearly fumbling with the phone.

Shinobu only hummed again as she continued her work. Although she didn't miss the way f/c orbs seemed to linger on her a little bit longer than normal. She brushed it off as her waiting to continue the conversation with her.

"Did you like the food I made you?"

"Yes. The ginger tzukutani was delicious," she said bring honest because..well it WAS delicious. "Thank you. How did you ever find out?"

"Sanemi was talking to me about my ohagi recipe and Kanae mentioned some of your favorite foods. I hope you don't mind."

Ah. Kanae. Of course she'd mention it. 

"Not at all. Like I said it's delicious."

"What about the other things?"

"Giyuu let me have a piece of his tonkatsu. I think you might've used a bit too much breading but otherwise it was good."

"His? I made those for both of you because you were hungry."

Shinobu paused immediately. Feet stopping in motion and purple eyes snapping up. Mitsuri and Y/n had also stopped in their tracks to look at her. Silence resumed other than the distant ambience of others in the park around them. For a long moment no one spoke before Shinobu blinked.

"... Hungry?"

"I don't mean you're starving," Y/n explained calmly, "But Giyuu mentioned that  he can get worn out from the repeated pattern in foods he eats, but I've been noticing that the same happens to you. All you ever seen to consume is caffeine and I've noticed that you seem to skip meals... That's not exactly very good for you."

Purple eyes widened at her. Stunned by the observation but stunned still as she pointed at her. 

"Even now I can tell you're hungry. You haven't eaten anything yet today or barely anything at all. I know the look from my job. You gotta be alert and on look out for things with kids all the time. So after this, I'm getting you something to eat. And make sure you eat some of what I gave you guys later. You shouldn't be skipping meals."

'You shouldn't be skipping meals.'

Now where had she heard that before? Oh right. From nearly every one of her partners and sister. Mostly from Hinatsuru, Kanae, and Rengoku however. No one could've really known that she was doing that unless they were a close family or friend or very observant. The latter stunning her by surprise for a moment.

"...If that's what you want."

"Good! Because as long as we're doing the project together, I'm not going to let you two eat anything bland! I already got some recipes for o-taro sashimi and homemade mochi I want you both to try too!" Y/n smiled before reaching out to pat Shinobu's shoulder. 

"Hhhhhaaahh!! Do you know how to make okonomiyaki?!"

Y/n giggled at Mitsuri's nearly drooling expression. "I made it for Mei yesterday for lunch. If you'd like, I can make you some tonight and you can pick it up tomorrow at the daycare."

"KYAA!! YOU'RE SO KIND Y/N-CHAN!!  I COULD HUG YOU RIGHT NOW-!!"

"Let's finish up the project for today first. We're a few minutes behind now so we'll have to walk a little bit longer to make up for lost time."

Things thankfully got back on track and even if they were a little behind. She'd have to edit the footage later before adding it to the database.  Although purple eyes kept stealing glances at f/c eyes as she politely listened to Mitsuri babble on about her dance classes and favorite positions of ballet. But soon the hour was done, project for the day was finished, and appetites were heavy. It was near the end of the day now and it was only a little bit until the sun went down. So it would be a good time to get dinner. 

The local MacDougal's burger place was only a twelve minute walk away from the park and the smell of grilled burgers was enough to entice all three of them towards the fast food joint. The little bell above the door rang and as the three of them walked into the establishment. No one was in there except for a middle aged woman frowning and sitting by herself eating what looked like chicken tenders, and the cashier who was boredly spraying the front counter before wiping it down with a cloth. 

Although he looked up when he heard chiming from the bell. Dark blue eyes widened at the three familiar figures walking inside.

"HI, GIYUU!!," Mitsuri greeted loudly waving a full arm as the two women filed in behind her. "OH MY GOSH YOU'RE STILL HERE?!"

Said black haired man wore an orange and yellow uniform shirt with the letters MD stitched into a breast pocket and a visor was on his head. He watched as his partner, his girlfriend, and Y/n walked in. Three beautiful women smiling and waving at him making his cheeks go a light pink before making eye contact with Shinobu and slowly smiling a little. 

"Hi, Giyuu." Y/n greeted him next stopping in front of the register. "You look like about ready to close. Is this a bad time?"

He cleared his throat to not come off as flustered before speaking. "Not really. My shift ends in another hour and a half. I'm cleaning up before the night shift comes by. It's been a slow day so I'm almost done. I already swept and mopped everywhere."

"Are you alone?"

"No. The cook is cleaning up one of the grills. Did you three want to order?"

"Yes please! You still taking orders right?" He nodded before putting down said objects and standing in front of the register looking at her expectantly. "Can I get a two large strawberry milkshakes with two of those five burgers for ten dollars deals? With two double bacon burgers cola, and a cappuccino?"

"Would you like fries with all of those burgers?"

"Yes!"

"Your total is fifty two ninety seven," he stated after pressing a few buttons on the register as Y/n was already holding up her card. "I'll get the cook to work on it right away."

"Thanks, Giyuu! Did you like the food I left you?'

Again a deeper pink flushed over him as he nodded. "Yes. I had the taiyaki for my lunch today...T-Thank you."

"No problem. Let me know when you're done and I'll make you and Shinobu more!"

Giyuu again stared at her pink as Mitsuri giggled and Shinobu rose a brow but soon the food was paid for and being a fast food joint, the food was fastly brought out to them. Mitsuri wasted no time laying way through the two milkshakes and ten pairs of burgers and fries brought out just for her! Honestly Shinobu thought she'd jump across the table just to kiss Y/n for getting her such a big meal. Herself? Well Y/n had given her a look until she began eating the admittedly delicious food making her smile and only then did she start eating herself. About halfway through her burger she slid Mitsuri her own fries as she had already finished with her large order. Happily accepting them before also wolfing them down. 

"I'll go throw away the trash."

And so it was offered by Y/n as they all got up to leave. Well they were leaving, Shinobu was going to wait for Giyuu's shift to end before walking back to their shared apartment. But that was when IT struck. 

"Excuse me. There was something wrong with my food!" 

A rude sounding lady's voice cut through the air as they turned. Y/n being the closest to the voice dumping the wrappers into a trashcan sat between their table and the register. Standing at the register was a the woman from before. Standing before the counter arms crossed holding a cup of whatever she had been drinking, feet tapping, and scowl on her face. Glaring at Giyuu who blinked.

"...Oh. What's wrong?"

"I ordered a ten piece chicken tender meal!," she practically screeched into Giyuu's ever somber face. "There was only nine pieces! And they weren't cooked all the way!"

"Oh. Well if you return the meal I can see what's wrong and maybe we can get you a new one?," he offered.

"Just give me a refund on it!", she demanded.

"I can't do that unless I have proof of the food being incomplete and you show me a receipt."

"THAT'S OUTRAGEOUS!!" She wailed throwing her arms to her side fists balled up. "I WAS FORCED TO EAT A MEDIOCRE MEAL NOT EVEN FINISHED AND YOU WON'T EVEN FUCKING GIVE ME MY MONEY BACK?!"

"Wait.." His brow rose. "So the meal was bad..but you still ate it? And you have no receipt but you still want a refund?...I can't do that."

"WHAT?!"

"I don't make the rules, I just work here."

"I WANT THE MANAGER!!"

A tired sigh escaped Giyuu's mouth. "He's not here today. If you want, I can give you corporates phone number and you can file a complaint with them."

A Vien popped in her forehead as she growled. "HOW DARE YOU?! I SPEND HUNDREDS OF MY OWN MONEY HERE YOU'RE LUCKY TO BE GETTING MY BUSINESS!!"

Giyuu tired deadpanned face didn't change as she fired insults and curses at him. However he did notice when a smaller hand tapped her on the shoulder. The Karen snapped around so fast they were all expecting her neck to make a cracking sound as she whirled around to Shinobu who still smiled at her.

"I think it's really too unladylike to be having a child like tantrum.~"

"Who the hell are you?! Mind your own dam business!"

"I'm sorry but I'm afraid I can't do that. You see you are now they say acting like a bitch right now."

"HOW DARE YOU?! DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!"

"Yes, yes. How dare you? Who's your manager? Do you know who I am? I'm calling the police. The usual Karen threats and questions." The woman trembled more with rage. "My you're entitled and extremely rude. I may not know who you are but I can make an educated guess.~" She smiled pointing at her. "You're an old bitch who thinks the world revolves around her so much that your gravitational pull sucks up everyone's time and energy.~" Her friendly tone and face still did waver other than closing her eyes. "You know this can be classified as harassment which as you know is against the law." F/c orbs widened as the arm holding the Karen's cup was pulled back. "So why don't you leave before someone actually calls the police on yo-"

S P L A S H!!

Dark liquid and ice went flying through the air. Sticky and syrupy no doubt some kind of too sweet soda from the fast food place. It all went flying through the air and splattered against the warmth of both wool fabric and soft skin with a splash sound. Mitsuri gasped loudly covering her mouth. Giyuu went wide eyed in surprise. The cook popped their head from the back hearing the noises. And Shinobu blinked at what happened.

Y/n spat out the too sweetened taste of cold root beer with a disgusted face. "PFFT!! UGH!!" With a sleeve she reached up in an attempt to get the sticky liquid off her face. "Man that's cold!"

Giyuu turned to the other worker. "Call the police! My girlfriends were assaulted!"

That's when the woman attempted to run, but was quickly snatched up by Mitsuri wrapping her arms around her middle squeezing hard enough to pin her arms to her sides before with a shrill shriek leaned back to lift the woman helplessly kicking her feet out in the air.

"YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE YOU BRUTE!!," she shouted back with a frown. "YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR HURTING Y/N-CHAN!!"

"GUYS!! I'm not hurt! It's just some soda."

"That she assaulted you with!," Giyuu shouted over the incoherent screaming of the woman. Already reaching for the phone. "If it had been hot coffee you could've gotten incredibly hurt! I'm not going to sit back and let another selfish person get away with hurting you."

"YEAH! ME NEITHER! CITIZENS ARREST!!"

"It's really not that big of a deal. I've gotten stuff spilt on me me before. Tell them, Shinobu.....Shinobu?"

Y/n turned to the silently stunned woman in question however Shinobu just stared at her processing what exactly had been done.

Y/n...had gotten between her and the crazy Karen.

Her nice turtleneck was now all set down the front with cold root beer that had been meant for her. A sleeve was still wiping at her face which was also splashed by the unexpected attack from the crazy woman. That...That was going to be her. That was supposed to be her. But she had stepped out between the two to take the brunt of the attack. What if that HAD been hot coffee?! She would've been severely burnt or worse!! What if had been something else just as worrisome?! Or what if it had been a punch?! Y/n continued to stare at the stunned face of Shinobu wiping at her face and neck.

"Shinobu? Hey, Shinobu!" She waved a hand in front of her face making her jolt. "Are you ok?! You're not hurt are you?" She shook her head no and Y/n sighed. "That's a relief. Thank goodness no one was seriously hurt."

"I called the police. They're on their way. Press charges when they get here."

Her head turned to Giyuu. "You seriously called them?"

It was all really a blur of voices and screams. Long story short the police did come back and made Mitsuri drop the Karen who immediately demanded that they arrest every single person in the place and threatened to sue them then sue the MacDougal's company and then she the police for not immediately 'doing their job' and had yadda yadda. Typical Karen shrieking. They explained their side and luckily there was security cameras for them to look at. Another long story short, she was taken away cussing and shrieking in handcuffs and Giyuu had to go get a mop to clean up the soda spilt all over the floor.

"Are you ok, Y/n?," Mitsuri asked concerned as Shinobu wiped her face down with some wet napkins.

"For the hundredth time yes. It's just soda. I'll just change and take a shower when I get home. Nothing some water and soap can't fix."

They still fussed over her face. "You shouldn't have done that. I could've handled it myself. And what if it had been something like hot coffee?"

"I couldn't just stand by and not do anything. You're like a friend to me." Shinobu blinked with a hum as she smiled. "And as I said I do want to get to know you guys better. So don't worry about it. Everyone's alright and that's all that matters. I'm just happy YOU'RE ok, Shinobu."

Shinobu once again blinked before turning to Mitsuri who again giggled much to Y/N's confusion. "What did I tell you guys?~"

"Tell them..what?"

"Oh nevermind. Let's get you home so you can properly clean up."

[foodfantasies]

Autumn (Sanma x Reader, Fluff)

No gendered pronouns used for Reader.

A large bay window looked out over a lawn of green grass and a few clusters of white-barked, leafy trees. The bench at this window was a favorite place of yours to relax, especially this time of year, when the cool of autumn turned the leaves red and gold. You could spend hours here with a warm drink and a book, bolstered up on cushions and swaddled in blankets to guard against the chill. You loved watching the leaves fall, loved the contrast of their brilliant color against the grey skies. Rainy days were even better, thousands of water droplets beading like crystals on the glass panes, the steady pattering of droplets louder here than anywhere else. You weren’t the only one who loved this spot - you often had company here.

“Here we go, Sanma,” you said happily, carefully balancing a mug of steaming tea in each hand. A silver-haired young man turned his head to look at you, and his expression was gentle and warm as he took one of the mugs. A cat was curled up in the blanket in his lap, and another one was perched by his side, watching you.

“Thank you, Master Attendant,” he said politely.

You sat cross-legged beside him, and another cat jumped up from the floor, stepping cautiously towards you.

“Sanma, please, you can call me by name,” you gently reminded him, “I’m not your master, I’m your friend.”

He simply smiled shyly, turning his gaze back out the window and slowly stroking the cat in his lap with his free hand.

“How beautiful,” you said, sighing happily and looking out over the view. You set your mug of tea on the windowsill. You felt something small and fuzzy nudge against your hand, and you looked down to see one of the cats peering up at you. It nuzzled your palm and curled up next to you, breathing softly.

“The cats really like you,” Sanma commented. “They haven’t really taken to anyone else like they have to you.”

You smiled and brought your mug of tea up to your lips, blowing steam from the surface. You held the mug in both hands and savored the warmth that spread through your cold joints.

“Attendant, would you like to go outside and play with the cats together soon?” he asked you.

“I’d love that, Sanma!” you replied. “You’re so good with them. It’s wonderful to watch you.”

You were so happy this quiet, reserved Food Soul had warmed up to you. Just being around him was calming, and you could always count on getting some kitty cuddles, too.

“I’m certainly a lot better with cats than I am with people,” Sanma said in reply. There was a touch of melancholy in his voice.

”Don’t you prefer the cats?” you said playfully, “I know I do.”

He laughed a little, self-consciously. Everything he did was so soft, so subtle. You were always amazed by his quiet grace. He looked at you again, his sable-brown eyes full of an emotion you couldn’t interpret.

Suddenly you shivered, despite the warm drink you were holding. A bit of tea spilled on your hand and you made a small sound of surprise.

“Whoa! I guess I’m colder than I thought,” you said sheepishly, setting the mug down on the sill.

“Here, Attendant, take my scarf,” Sanma offered, already unwinding it from around his neck.

“Oh no, that’s okay, I wouldn’t want you to be cold instead,” you replied, “and that’s your favorite scarf, it’s too special.”

“Well, you’re my favorite person,” he said gently, shyly.

Your heart beat a little quicker, happily surprised. You scooted closer to him until you could lean your head on his shoulder in a cheerful little gesture of gratitude.

“Aw, Sanma, thank you for saying that…” you said, “You’re my favorite, too! I’m so happy. I’m so thankful for the time I get to spend with you like this.”

He was quiet, then you felt fabric drape around your neck and shoulders before you could raise your head again. He had unwrapped his scarf just enough to loop it around the two of you, so you were sharing it. You made a happy noise and snuggled against him. Though you had spent a lot of time with him, you had never been this close to him before. You inhaled deeply, the prelude to a satisfied and happy sigh. The scarf smelled lovely - it reminded you of the fluffy, clean scent of a kitten’s fur.

“Thank you, Sanma,” you said, nuzzling deeper into the scarf.

There was a minute or two of silence, the two of you looking out together at the autumn landscape. It seemed like the rest of the world had frozen in time, the wind having ceased entirely. Nothing stirred. You listened to the rhythmic sound of his breathing, the purring of the cat on his lap, the beating of your own heart. This is it, you thought to yourself, this is the feeling of absolute peace.

A single leaf fell from the nearest tree, fluttering to the ground and settling atop the many others that had gone before it. Sanma spoke.

“Master Attendant, don’t leave my side. I’d like you to be here with me like this, always.”

He leaned his head against yours. He reached for your hand, touched it, held it. Your fingers laced together. Outside, another leaf drifted silently to the ground, and a quiet joy settled upon you both.

“There’s nowhere I’d rather be than here with you,” you promised him. And it was true.

[mmkin]

Get You Some Arlong Pirates (Hooked on You, Shioyaki x Reader)

Next chapter of my Arlong Pirates collection is up, Shioyaki gets his girl. Link to AO3 but also under the cut here, including a sassy picture I drew of Shioyaki. (just can't get enough of the fishmen!) His face was hard to draw because it has weird lines on it like Kizaru, but I did my best and I think it's decent for my first attempt at drawing him.

Trigger warnings - none. This chapter has smex but that's pretty much it.

VII – Hooked on You 2

o0o0o0o

You continue to keep Shioyaki at a distance… though not as obviously as before. When he asks you questions about yourself, you open up a little more, and in return, he obliges the questions you give him. Because you're being more cooperative with him, you venture to ask certain questions you did not think you could ask before. About Arlong Park, about Arlong himself. About what Shioyaki has seen in his service to Arlong the Saw.

You’re beginning to appreciate your fishman heritage more and more. Despite the acceptance of your family and most of your neighbors, you were still an oddity, and it wasn’t something you could hide unless you were willing to wear a shit-ton of clothing or makeup. And even though you don’t tell him, you’re enjoying your time with him. He can be quite charming, and since you’re not being so cold to him, he seems more eager to keep you in a good mood so you’ll want to be around him more.

… And you know what? It’s working.

This is good because your time with Shioyaki doesn't go unnoticed by your neighbors. Ever the pragmatist, your father has a good idea of your strategy and quietly condones it, showing politeness to the fishman when he comes by the house to get you. Not everyone is as clear-sighted as your father, and you see the glances and occasional glare when you're in town shopping or walking around. You act like you always do, showing the shopkeepers your usual courtesy when you shop, and so on, but there are rumors about you and Shioyaki. It's inevitable, after all. Your stepmother has to hear it from her friends or at the market. Your younger siblings hear about it from their schoolmates.

And you can’t defend Shioyaki without making yourself look even worse. All you can do when asked about it is that all you’re doing is following orders and staying out of trouble so that your family doesn’t get in trouble.

So your time with Shioyaki becomes a refuge when you’re outside of your home. He likes you, and you don’t want to admit it, but you are starting to like him.

But there’s your principles. You might be the daughter of a pirate, but you do have standards. How could you live with yourself if you were to commit to Shioyaki, and by extension, Arlong?

o0o0o0o

It's a particularly warm day, so Shioyaki suggests going for a swim. You'd given Mido and his fishmen a swimming tour of the waters around the island, but the swims you took for fun were solitary. No islander could match you in the water, so you'd just gone swimming and diving by yourself since you were a kid. What would it be like to have someone who could keep up with you?

“Sounds like fun!" you say, and it's hard to not be touched by the way his face lights up at that. So the two of you walk to the other side of the island and you take off your sandals, leaving the rest of your clothes on. Shioyaki is not so shy and takes off his shirt. He smirks as you glance at him.

“I don’t want to ruin my shirt.”

“Well.. it is a nice shirt,” you conceded. It’s the first time you’ve seen him shirtless and you know you like what you see.

“Can I take my shorts off too?” he asks with a lecherous grin. You take a second to seriously ponder that. So far you’ve kept him at arm’s length, but you know you can’t drag him along without giving him a bit of a reward here and there.

“Only if you leave your underwear on," you say, schooling your face in a calm expression. You're unable to keep your jaw from dropping a bit though, when you see his leopard-print briefs. (Apparently, the taste he has in his shirts extends to his underwear. But you're not complaining!)

“Like what you see?” he asks knowingly.

“Interesting choice,” you say dryly. “But I’ll admit it’s a fine one.” You turn away so he can’t see your blush as you make your way to the water.

“You’re going in like that?” he asks. You are so tempted to turn back to him so you can catch another good eyeful of an attractive fishman in his leopard-print briefs.

“I’m afraid my underwear’s not as interesting as yours,” you quip.

“Still, I imagine you’d feel more comfortable swimming without these cargo shorts.” His voice draws closer, and you look over your shoulder at him.

“I really do think you’d have more fun if you took off your shorts.”

“Okay, but only because I don't want to get the things in my pockets wet," you reply as if that's your only consideration. You unbuckle your shorts and fold them, putting them next to his shirt. There's no mistaking the gleam of appreciation in his eyes, but surprisingly, he's a gentleman and makes no lewd comments or gestures.

The swim is quite nice, and you find yourself enjoying it more than you anticipated. Shipyaki slices through the water with ease, but you're hardly a poor swimmer yourself. He races you along the side of the island, although no one on the island sees you because it's all under the water. It's nice feeling the sea against your upper legs, and you pay less thought to what he sees as you swim through the water, your shirt and underwear clinging to you.

After some time, the two of you slow down and drift through the water. So far he hadn’t attempted to touch you, even when he was chasing after you in a playful game of tag, because both of you knew he could outswim you.

You close your eyes, but open them when you feel him take hold of your wrist. You blink and look at him.

“You were drifting off. I didn’t want you to get lost, but you looked so peaceful. I can hold onto you if you’re comfortable with that.”

In response, you tug your wrist away. He looks crestfallen but quickly masks it. However, you didn't pull free out of distaste. You just wanted your hand in a more comfortable position, and before he can pull back, you press your hand against his, palm to palm, curling your fingers around the side of his hand in an unmistakable gesture. He smiles and holds your hand, the webbing between his thumb and index finger stretched against the inside of your hand.

He propels himself at a leisurely pace, pulling you along. After all the swimming you did, you’re happy for a break, so you let yourself be dragged along, mostly looking around at your surroundings, seeing the ocean floor and an occasional boat- or shipwreck or coral reef. But on occasion, you’ll turn your head to admire Shioyaki, cutting through the water gracefully in his leopard-print briefs.

That sight remains buried in your head even as the two of you return to shore and part ways. You know he was tempted to pursue more, especially after seeing how your shirt clung wetly to your tits as you came out of the water.

You’re prepared for next time with a swimsuit, a modest two-piece you often wear when you go diving. When you start stripping before he does, his eyes gleam with delight, even after he sees you’re wearing a swimsuit under your clothing. Hey, he still gets an eyeful of you and to go for a swim with you!

You know it's a dangerous game you play, keeping him on the hook. But what else can you do – drive him away? Not a great idea considering his position in relation to the humans on the island. You know there have been efforts to reach out to the Marines, but the last person to try that had his little boat sunk and would have drowned if the fishman hadn't decided to drag him to shore. Not out of mercy, but so he could face what Mido deemed was a proper punishment.

“I found you!” Shioyaki says triumphantly after finding you hiding under a beam of a shipwreck.

“So you did,” you reply casually as you let him gently pull you out by your forearm. Since you let him hold your hand, he will sometimes reach for your hands or forearm, as that has become a safe space for him to touch.

Better than him grabbing your tits, right? Though you do wonder how it might feel if you let him play with them.

“I hate to admit it, but it’s fun playing these games with you. I was always too fast for the others, so as a kid I learned to just swim and dive by myself.”

He smiles at that. Unlike with your walks, you don't talk much. In the water, there are more fun things to do than talk. You feel him grasp your other hand, pulling you in so that you're facing him, only about a foot between your bodies. The sunlight filters through the waves, playing on his skin and in his thick, dark hair.

“So… I take that to mean that being around me isn’t as awful as you thought it would be?” he asks lightly. Even though he’s trying to maintain a happy mood, you can tell that he’s feeling a bit anxious about how you might respond.

“I still don’t condone what Arlong is doing, or what others are doing for him. But aside from that… yes.”

“Yeah. That’s fair.” He is trying to act cool about it, but you’ve spent enough time around him to detect the happiness and relief in his body language. He squeezes your hands.

o0o0o0o

Every time Shioyaki takes you for a walk or swim, you let him have a treat… though it’s not that you don’t enjoy them as well!

You let him massage your cloth-covered breasts. When you see how nice that feels and how he listens to you when you tell him just how you like them massaged, you let him do it to your unclothed tits. And he’s also a good kisser, as it turns out.

His hand on your groin, even when it’s clad in shorts, sends a pleasurable shiver through you, and he holds you with one arm wrapped around you as he grinds the heel of his hand against you. He captures your mouth in a kiss as he does so, feeling you writhe against him. He cums in his shorts as you wiggle fiercely in his lap.

His fingers inside of you… damn, but he is as quick to learn the sweet spots down there as he is to the other parts of your body he’s touched. And while he did that, you made out with him and let him hump your leg and hip. You dominate him effectively without all the toys or restraints one thinks of when hearing the word ‘domination’.

Having him pleasure you is the next step, and he does not hesitate to go down on you when you spread yourself before him. You’re glad he has that long hair to hold on to, though you are mindful of the fin on the top of his head as you curl your fingers in his hair, gasping and hissing his name as he works you eagerly with his lips, tongue, and fingers.

You’re splayed out before him, having just been eaten to orgasm and on your way to a second one. Your pussy aches needily and you let out a whine of frustration. He looks down at you with that smirk of his that makes you want to slap him.

“I enjoyed doing that and I'm happy to do more, but don't think that you're going to make me do all the work..." He rubs his groin, where you see an unmistakable tent in his shorts, his cock straining mightily against the fabric. You have to admit, you're curious to see what you've felt against you a few times.

“Well…” you say with a drawl. “I suppose fair is fair. Bring it out,” you say with a wave of your hand, trying to hide your excitement.

He undoes his sash and opens his shorts, bringing out what is quite the best-looking male organ you’ve ever seen. Not that you’ve seen a lot, but Shioyaki wasn’t kidding about the comparison between fishmen and humans. You’re almost embarrassed at the sudden, searing stab of arousal that starts somewhere with your core and seems to go through your entire pussy. You really have to school your face in a mild expression as you stare at it for a moment before your eyes move up his chest and to his face.

“Like what you see?” he asks.

Oh my gosh, fucking hell yes, that’s a gorgeous cock and I imagine it’d feel great inside of me, you want to shout. Instead, you pull yourself up, sitting before him and reaching for him, wrapping your hand around him. The contact arouses you even more, and you hear him give out a small groan of approval.

“I guess there’s my answer?” he says lightly as your hand starts moving up and down him. You give him a smile for that.

o0o0o0o

You have the salmon fishman thoroughly hooked, and the feeling is mutual. You’ve tried to hide that, but you’re certain that Shioyaki knows that this is more than just sexy little games. By now you know that Mido and the other fishmen know you’re Shioyaki’s. And though your father hasn’t asked you directly, he’s a shrewd man, so you’re certain he’s figured it out. No one says anything to you, despite the glances you get at the marketplace or from several of your neighbors. But you know there are whispers behind your back, and what can you do about it?

You shrug to yourself as you walk by Shioyaki, several lemon bars wrapped up in your satchel to share with him once you have privacy. He enjoys them and compliments you.

“I can’t get them quite right like my stepmother does,” you say with a rueful chuckle. You do a decent job with cooking and baking, but you could swear she has a magical touch. You’ve watched her in the kitchen and helped her and she tells you that you are sharing her ingredients, but when you’re on your own, nothing seems quite as good.

“You get along with her?” Shioyaki asked. “She cares for you?”

“She's a nice lady. I mean, we've had disagreements in the past and siblings have quarrels. But she accepted me when she married my dad and taught me what she knows. I'd say we get along nicely. Better now that I'm not a kid anymore," you add with a chuckle and a shrug. "She's a good woman and since my mother's dead, I can't begrudge my dad."

He looks at you ponderingly as he eats one of the lemon squares. So far, the two of you have shared a variety of intimate acts, but haven’t moved onto that yet. It’s a way of keeping him at bay considering all the concessions you’ve given him. He does a lovely enough job with his fingers or mouth, but you still ache to feel his cock inside of you, especially after having it rubbed against various parts of your body, or feeling it in your hand or mouth.

The two of you sit on a mostly flat boulder that sits low on the shore, staring out at the waves as you enjoy the snack. After you finish the treat, you have a different sort of treat ready for him, one which he is eager to take, and you make sure it's a treat for you as well, letting him suck on one of your breasts while working his fingers inside of you. Your arm is wrapped around his shoulder as you moan out your enjoyment, wiggling and writhing under him as his hand slides under your panties.

o0o0o0o

The end of the month comes about, and feelings that have simmered through the month spew out after Mido and his subordinates have collected their money. To keep the island relatively peaceful, the humans have agreed to pool together their spare money to help those in need. And since you’ve been exempt from the payments, you decide to pay Arlong’s generosity forward, putting a fair amount of your savings into that pool as a gesture of solidarity for your neighbors and friends.

No one dies. The island lets out a breath of relief, but it is short-lived, for only a month’s reprieve has been granted. It’s hard to not feel guilty when you’re at home, watching your stepmother fret over the finances because she just found out she’s pregnant. What would have been a happy occasion is now one of immense concern. There are ways to take care of the issue, but your stepmother would have welcomed this baby in happier times and it is hard for her to consider such an option.

The stress is getting to you, and Shioyaki sees it the next time you go for a walk with him. You're not in the mood for his flirtations, not when he and his friends and their asshole captain are the source of so much unhappiness on this scenic island.

“What’s the matter, Y/n?” he asks.

Shioyaki spewed out his frustrations and the painful history of seafolk on you. Now it’s your turn, and you unload on him about the stress you’ve been under, the glares and comments from people you used to get along with, the pain you feel at seeing the pain others feel regardless of their relationship with you, your feeling like you don’t belong anywhere.

He takes you into his arms and simply holds you, letting you cry into his shoulder.

o0o0o0o

Having a fishman on your side is a definite advantage in the Arlong Empire, and that proves itself as you stand before Mido with a proposal.

“What if there was no tribute to be paid on babies for a year? It would be less of a deterrent to people wanting children, and you want to keep a steady amount of tribute, don't you?" you ask. Fifty thousand berries is already quite a monthly expense on top of medical bills that might be incurred in the delivery or care for the little one. "Even with the first year waived, there's still seventeen years of tribute for a child."

Mido sits back with a small huff and Shioyaki gives you an encouraging smile before leaning down to whisper to Mido. You catch a few snippets. “same thing… another village… less babies…”

“It’s not a bad idea,” the large fishman concedes. “If this makes collecting tribute easier later on, then that’s something bound to please Arlong.”

Who the fuck cares what Arlong the Asshole thinks, you want to blurt out. But you maintain a neutral expression. Mido drums his thick fingers against the table as he stares off thoughtfully for a couple of moments before he nods. "There's plenty enough tribute already paid that a few babies won't impact it very much. We'll see how it goes."

You just now realize you were holding your breath. "Thank you," comes your simple reply. You try to not sound too emotional, but it's as if a bit of the burden off your shoulders has been lifted. You managed to do something good for humans, because of your fish heritage.

A few other things are discussed among the fishmen before Mido dismisses you. There’s a definite spring in your step. You hear your name called out, and you see Shioyaki following you. It’s hardly a surprise, and at this point, you don’t mind if he tags after you anymore. It’s kind of cute, actually.

“Yeah?" you ask casually. Gone is the coldness and diffidence that you regarded him with at the beginning of your relationship with him.

“Up for a walk?” he asks. There’s a gourd at his side. You regard him with a small smile.

“Come on, then.”

The two of you walk to the other side of the island, finding a quiet spot on the shore to sit and relax. The monthly tribute is coming up in a couple of weeks, and you're looking forward to telling a certain fisherman that you just saved him six hundred thousand Berries. The baby is due any day now, and you know it's been a stressful time for him and his wife, and your stepmother will also be glad to hear the news It's not hard to feel euphoric at the thought of being able to do something good and impactful. Hopefully, you might be able to take that a step further, at a reasonable time?

When you were a kid, you wondered what you might be. A doctor, a pirate, a wife, a cook, and so on. You saw the adults in your life and pondered what job you might like doing the most. You never imagined that you’d be pushed into a role as an intermediary between the self-proclaimed Lord of the East Blue and the humans who had simply come here to live a quiet life. You were a tour guide and gofer for Mido, but you were also an ambassador and a diplomat of sorts.

It wasn't something you asked for. Nor did you ask for Shioyaki's attention – but you'd managed to do something good with two things that had been foisted into your life.

You sit next to one another, your shoulders touching as he uncorks his drink.

“Pretty good day, wasn’t it?” he asks. You nod in affirmation.

“The next tribute is coming up soon,” he says. You nod again, wondering what he is getting at.

“You know I am meant to return to Arlong Park.” You nod at that before you pause and look at him. He’s been here for almost four months now. Where had all that time gone?

“Oh, that’s right,” you say flatly.

“Yeah. My time here is almost up." You had a feeling this was what he was going to say once the subject came up, but it feels a bit weird hearing the confirmation. He takes a swig before offering the gourd to you, and you accept it. It's strong but has less impact on you than it would a full-blooded human. The gourd is handed back to him as you ponder his words. How do you feel about him leaving? Damn… you'll actually miss him.

“I want you to come back with me,” you hear him say as you stare at the waves crashing near your feet.

“Me? At Arlong Park? Your captain would allow me there?”

He smiles a little. “Half-breeds get citizenship. Became official a while back. And you can be sure I won’t have anything negative to report about you.”

“I was a citizen of the Arlong Empire when you came to the island?” you ask incredulously before you roll your eyes. Arlong’s enough of an asshole to use your ignorance and fear to gain your compliance. And Shioyaki went along with it.

And… well, fuck, it worked. Saved everybody – including your family – a lot of trouble, didn’t it?

“Our dear captain recognizes that half-breeds didn’t ask to be that way, any more than any fishmen asked to be enslaved or abused by humans.”

“You’re comparing being a half-breed to being a slave?” you ask incredulously.

“No. But… think about it. Where do a good amount of these half-breeds come from? Not everyone was or is like your father.”

Of course. Of fucking course. Humans were perfectly willing to abuse female humans… why not women of other races? And the children that come from such unions. Poor little bastards – literally and figuratively. “Yeah, yeah, that makes sense.”

“You’re better off. You’re lucky to have a father and stepmother who care about you.” He sounds a bit wistful. You know that hardship drew many fishmen to the Sun and Arlong Pirates. But even in this quiet corner of the world, you still experienced prejudice before Arlong came.

“What about the people here? If I am gone…”

“You can vouch for your father. Don’t tell anyone else, but there was talk in Arlong Park before I left. There was a proposal that some humans might earn privileged status – no tribute payment – if they’re taken under the guardianship or sponsorship of a fishman.”

You can immediately see the benefit of that.

“That’s not a bad idea. I mean, if Arlong can get some humans on his side, there will be less trouble for him to deal with.” Much as you hate to admit it, something that would benefit that asshole would also benefit humans, and hey, you’ll take what you can get. And you know your father will, too.

“As Arlong says, some humans can be useful.”

You have to stop yourself from rolling eyes at that, and simply take a swig of the drink he offers you. “I suppose these humans should be grateful for his… magnanimity,” you offer dryly.

“It’s more than some fishmen ever got from humans.”

That shuts you up pretty quickly, though not necessarily for the reason he thinks. You're just not in the mood to argue because you know Shioyaki will defend the atrocities his captain has committed. You take another gulp before handing the gourd back to him and stare off at the sea as you sit beside him.

You could do more at Arlong Park than you could here. Your father is smart and has proven himself to be cooperative with Mido. As long as he continues doing so, there should be no trouble for him – or anyone your father might help if they're discreet enough.

Though if you were being completely honest with yourself, practicality was not the only thing guiding your decision, and that’s reinforced when he shifts around and slides behind you so you’re between his legs as he pulls you to his chest. You allow him to pull you into his embrace, leaning your head into his shoulder as the two of you share the gourd.

o0o0o0o

It’s a couple of days before the end of the month, and the two of you are out late, the moon high as you wander to the other side of the island. It’s so peaceful and quiet here, and you lean into Shioyaki as he wraps his arms around you.

“Have you given it any thought?” he asks gently. He hasn’t brought it up since the first mention of it, but you both have done much thinking these last couple of weeks. He wants you to go back to Arlong Park with him. It’s hard for you to come up with a definite yes or no as you weigh your options and possibilities.

“I don’t know.”

“Mmm. Not an easy choice, is it? I get loyalty to family, but do you intend to stay with them forever? You’d have me at your side.”

That certainly is a pleasing prospect. His embrace tightens, and you curl up against him. He rests a hand against your hair, pressing his lips to your forehead.

“If you stay, it means no more of this,” he says as he nibbles against your ear.

“Hah. That’s a very compelling argument, but… I need more than that.”

“What would you have of me?” he purrs. You sit there, feeling him around you as you ponder the question for several long moments. You know you want to fuck him, but is he partner material? You think back on the talks you’ve had. At least he’s proven himself to be a willing conversationalist. And he respected your boundaries when you set them. He was willing to give some thought to your defense for humans.

Nobody’s perfect, but despite a rocky start, you’ve come to like him and even respect him.

“I enjoy what we do. And I know you enjoy it too. But I need to know that out there, or at Arlong Park, you’ll stand up for me.” You are still half-human, after all. You’re not naive enough to think that Arlong Park will be as idyllic for you as life here had once been.

“That kind of thing is what a mate does.”

You look up at him, and he looks down at you in all seriousness.

“I know our games have been a bit tit for tat – the enjoyable sort – but if we’re having a serious talk here, then I expect reciprocity. You want me to keep you safe and stand up for you? Sure, Y/n, I can do that. But then you are mine.” You feel his fingers caress your jaw and chin.

You feel his caress and embrace, reassuring even as you consider his words. Fuck, but now you’re hooked.

He doesn’t ask you to make your decision that night. But it is a tense two days for both of you. You go for a walk and swim by yourself to try to clear your thoughts as you ponder your future.

Arlong's ship comes to the island, and Mido comes to greet him along with the other fishmen. The tribute was collected earlier that day and is handed over to Arlong to look over while the fishmen enjoy themselves for a bit.

You make your way down the street with your canvas bag and satchel, your mind made up and your goodbyes having been said. One of Shioyaki's companions sees you coming and nudges his friend. The salmon fishman blinks and smiles as he sees you, and blinks again when he registers the bag slung across your shoulder, realizing what that means.

He draws you into a one-armed embrace in front of Arlong, who grins as he looks down at you. “So it would appear that after having lived among these humans, you were happy to embrace your fishman side, hmm?” he asks.

“What can I say, I had a good teacher.”

“Shahahahahaha!” Arlong laughs as Shioyaki beams at you, squeezing his arm around you. Shioyaki leads you onto the ship, where you put your luggage into his cabin. Before you can explore the space with him, he’s tugging you back outside, leading you to stand at the side of the ship.

“Before the ship sets sail, you want to go back to the island and play one more time?” he asks with a lecherous smirk. “After all, you’re my mate now. And I can hardly think of a better place to celebrate that than in one of our favorite spots…”

The two of you dive into the water and make passionate love on the far shore of the island while the waves crash around you. And just as you had hoped, his cock feels amazing inside of you. The mask of bliss on his face tells you that mating with you is everything he'd wished for.

Shioyaki got himself hooked on you good, but much to your surprise and then enjoyment, it became reciprocal. Eh, that’s life, but you get the satisfaction of turning this handsome playboy into your devoted mate.

And as you find out, even after you’ve adjusted to your new life at Arlong Park, Shioyaki still very much likes the treats you give him.