#why is the person dressed like a pirate in the crocodile one?

[kaivenom]

Dilfs reaction to reader having a tattoo of their jolly roger or of something special for them near her womb (kisses from Brazil sis)

Characters: Doflamingo, Mihawk, Crocodile, Smoker, Shanks

Masterlist

Dracule Mihawk

Sees It as something a little bit flashy but he can't say that It doesn't suit you.

And he can't deny either that his eyes go to your whomb everytime It shows off.

It was his sword so you made It really personal to him and you obviously noticed his new attenttion on your belly, even if he didn't say It openly.

Finally, he breaks when you were about to shower, he can't stand anymore how good It looks on you.

So he follows you onto the shower nd traces It, while kissing and hugging you.

Donquixote Doflamingo

His possesiveness goes all the way up, really turned on.

He Will oblige you to dress provocative so he can see the tattoo of his jolly Roger.

If you don't like dressing provocative on any way, then prepare to be almost naked everytime you put a foot on his house/room, cause he wants to have that tatto at sight everytime.

It's his final point of possesiveness, his final point to demostrate to everyone that you are his... And he didn't even have to do anything, you did.

That is the best part, that you accepted that you are his propiety.

Sr. Crocodile

Every member of his organization must have something that identifies them as their workers, their loyalty to him, but seeing you with a tattoo of his hook, unlocked something on him.

It was the proof that you loved him so much that you were willing to print It on your skin for everyone to see It.

Surprisingly, he probably gets one of you in return , to sign the deal with you.

He likes to lay in bed with you and trace It slowly while saying how much he loves you.

Smoker

Surprised, you were already a marine, why would you tattoo the symbol of the unit like a pirate?

When he noticed the cigar and the smoke he realized It was a personalized symbol, his symbol.

Melted and when he believed he couldn't LOVE you more, you go and do this.

He kept his facade in public but you both were alone, he attacked your Lips in a desperate kiss.

Now he gets spontaneaus kisses and affection attacks when he sees your tattoo.

Akagami Shanks

The proudest one.

Seeing It was the confirmation that you finally accepted your place on the crew.

Cause he is the captain, the most important piece, and when you moved to the ship, he was scared that you didn't get along with them, but seeing that...

Ufff, It changes his brain chemistry, everything was perfect.

For a whole week, he was like a teenager, following you with a stupid smile and indulging you in everything you wanted.

[yujo-nishimura]

Whispers of the Desert Kingdom - Part 2

Warning: Sir Crocodile x fem reader, mention of masturbation, English is not my native language, not proof-read, age gap

words: 766

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7 - Part 8 - Part 9

You were always obedient to your father's requests, which is why Vivi had joined the pirates while you stayed in the country. However, you couldn't shake off the feeling of suspicion regarding this sudden order. 

"Has the king given any specific reason for me not to meet the visitor?" you inquire, sensing Pell's avoidance of eye contact and his hesitation, indicating that he was lying. 

"Well, for now, there hasn't been any reason given," Pell responds, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. 

"Very well, then. Please bring me some breakfast, and I will commence my studies," you say, releasing Pell from his uncomfortable position near the door, understanding the guilt he must feel for having to lie to you. 

He swiftly leaves your room, and you can hear the door being locked from the outside. It seemed like an unreasonable measure in your eyes, but you sigh and slump your shoulders. All this commotion and excitement surrounding a visitor you're not supposed to meet? What could this possibly be about?

As you walk towards your desk, your eyes catch sight of the books for today's study. Opening the drawer, you retrieve your feather, ink, and pen. However, out of the corner of your eye, you notice a sudden commotion outside. Curiosity piqued, you swiftly step towards the window, gently lifting the curtain to get a better look.

Before you, a group of finely dressed individuals arrive, and amidst them stands Chaka, the dark-haired second warrior of the palace, who has always been a true friend to you, much like Pell. He bows respectfully, and as your gaze scans the gathering, you spot a tall figure approaching. Your heart skips a beat as you recognize him. Towering in stature, with a muscular build, slicked-back purple hair, and a cigar clenched between his teeth, he exudes an aura of power. His extravagant attire fits his status - it is Sir Crocodile, the second richest man in the kingdom and one of the most influential figures in the town of Alubarna. You not only know him by his formidable reputation as a warlord of the sea, protected by the government, but also by personal acquaintance. Five years ago, when you were still young, you had the opportunity to meet him at a banquet attended by the kingdom's esteemed personalities and mayors, accompanying your father.

At the age of 17, your father introduced you to Sir Crocodile. He was much older than you and his imposing presence, coupled with his cold eyes, intimidated you. Throughout the banquet, you barely interacted with anyone else, instead focusing on discreetly observing Crocodile, captivated by his appearance.

This initial encounter sparked a mild obsession within you. After returning home, you found yourself frequently thinking about him. Over the following months and years, you would spend your weekend evenings sneaking into the local casino that he owned, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. However, encountering him there was a rare occurrence. He seldom mingled with his customers or the commoners, and most of the time, you left disappointed, unable to even lay eyes on him.

In the span of those five years, you were fortunate enough to see him on only three occasions. However, you lacked the courage to approach him, and Crocodile himself never recognized you or made any effort to engage with you. Your infatuation gradually transformed into a deep longing, causing many sleepless nights as you lay awake in bed, imagining his beautiful muscular chest beneath his luxurious attire. You fantasized about his golden hook gently caressing your skin, and the mere thought sent shivers down your spine, often leading you to touch yourself in desire and solitude.

As the princess of the kingdom, you were acutely aware of the need to maintain proper decency, and your infatuation with this man conflicted with those expectations.

Observing him as he made his way towards the palace, Chaka warmly welcoming him, it suddenly dawned on you that he was the highly anticipated and esteemed visitor everyone had been eagerly awaiting. Your heart raced, and a flush of excitement spread across your skin. Why had your father extended an invitation to the only man who held such immense significance in your world?

As you reluctantly tore your gaze away from the window, a sense of dizziness overwhelmed you. Just as you were about to step back, you gasped in sheer awe. Crocodile had lifted his eyes, meeting your gaze through the glass. Your lips parted gently, and disbelief washed over you. He smiled—an enchanting sight—his dark eyes gleaming through the wisps of smoke from his cigars.

[ideas-4-stories]

helloooo! I am once again sharing the cross guild Argentina au ideas. the brainworms are brainworming

also, Romantic Cross Guild!

•Alone, Mihawk would only drink fernet straight up and treat it with as much reverence as a glass of wine. But! With Buggy he starts to be fond of sharing it back and forth as it is meant to, a drink to be shared and enjoyed, he starts to get more loose and eventually he learns to share the moments and be a part of a group that loves him just as much as he loves them. Crocodile wasn't fond of fernet to begin with, but he also got fond of it after Buggy taught them the love that can be shared with it.

•Buggy has an atrocious sweet tooth, borderline solid diabetes. What else did we expect from a clown? Anyways, aside from all the piracy criminal stuff that Cross Guild does, I genuinly think that Buggy would beg on his knees, on his hands, pouting, crying and doing the biggest pretty please he could so Crocodile lets him hire bakers so that they would make him his favourite facturas and sweets every morning and also sold off for a little profit, but mostly for him to eat at mreakfast and merienda. Crododile does try his hardest to resist the pouting clown but he's helpless and obligues after a little while. They now have the best bakers money can get in the island and Crocodile and Mihawk get sugary kisses every morning now. They might have started liking sugar more if it is in their daily clown kisses...but nobody has to know that shhh. Also now on their list of services to offer they have Sweet Argentinian Facturas among other silly little things like murder, kidnapping, taking down pirate ships, y'know, the usual.

•Crocodile is one of the only people in the whole island that drinks mate the bitterest shit yerba can get it and as hot as volcanic lava, nobody wants to drink with him. Mihawk doesn't drink mate, he's more of a terere guy, and Buggy drinks mate with one kilo of sugar on top and midly cold (hes just like me fr). So that's why all three only share the table they put the things on. Every evening at merienda time the table has one stanley termo (like a one liter thing that stores water and keeps it hot), one jug of iced juice, one flashy hand-painted classic metalic kettle, and a distressful amount of sweets and sandwiches and bizcochos of various types and forms. It is always full of color and warmth and love.

▪︎Buggy can and will gobble up a whole jar of dulce de leche with spoonfulls. Croco and Mihawk are horrified.

▪︎Mihawk mainly dresses whith white loose shirts, used to hot climate like in Cordoba. So the moment winter starts he does not go out at all, he is deep in blankets. Buggy and Croco are very amused, but also find it a little cute

▪︎Crocodile gets up at 6am no matter what, even worse, he is an old ass cranky morning person. Mihawk and Buggy do not like it but, he is THEIR old ass cranky morning person, what're they gonna do about it?

(In this AU I headcanon Karai Bari island as looking less tropical and more like the woods around El Bólson(a village?city?town?in argentina) incluiding all the mountains and cascades and rivers and lakes and woods there are there, so the next places i will name are real ones, you can google them i love them all)

•As their first official date together they decide that nothings better than the Bosque de las Hadas (Fairy Forest) because of how magical and quiet it is there, after all, the fairys and gnomes are just stories, right?

Well, turns out stories are there for a reason, the start the date and everything is beautiful and they have the whole forest to themselves so they go al lovey dovey and suddenly they start hearing weird shit until they have to run out of the forest with Crocodiles help. At the end they had a disastrous date and Mihawk was kinda devastated inside, cuz he had suggested the Fairie Forest, but his partners made sure to make him know that it was interesting anyway and they spent a good time even if they were chased off by tiny feral fairies. Smooches are required and they do...other things too...

•As for their next day, they try a place with less magic in it, they fo to the Waterfalls. They have to do a little hicking; Mihawk is unbothered and enjoying the forest, Crocodile cheats with his sand a little, and Buggy whines the whole way up even if he is enjoying it, his whining stops when Crocodile puts him up on his shoulders and does indecent and spontaneous ass-grabbing. The Waterfalls gets to witness public indecency. It is a beautiful and succesful second date.

oooops i got carried away. anyway thank u for your time! have a good day :}

Sorry it took so long to reply, many long projects for school came one after another. Then I had no motivation for some days, but I'm back and I just have to say that I love these ideas. Them drinking together with something they either don’t drink with others or don’t drink at all is so cute to imagine!

I’ve heard ideas where Devil Fruit users need something that gives them energy or something like that… it could be food of some sort or smoking. I wonder if that’s true, Buggy’s must be sugar. Poor Mihawk and Crocodile, watching Buggy eat an entire dinner worth of sugar a day like Crocodile smoking through a pack or two of cigars a day isn’t bad as well.

I’m chuckling because I see Mihawk popping his head out of some blankets with Crocodile and Buggy, thinking Mihawk is being so cute. Love that Crocodile is their cranky old person in the morning. Karai Bari being more woodland area than topical looks nice in my mind, the fairy forest with little feral fae chasing them is so funny to think about. I wonder who pissed them off? The second date is everything, Buggy complaining about the shits n giggles, then gets lifted up onto Crocodile’s shoulder, now able to see more things with price of some public indecency.

[sbk-zgvlt]

1. I’m honestly impressed about how you two made a whole ass fan fiction which I heavily enjoy with just a simple question

2. I’m hoping onto that Peter Pan idea train

3. This random idea which has less Angst. Basically one day at NRC, all the main cast suddenly get transported into to a story book where they get each character is transported into a different story that best matches there personalities(or in author sense what there character was inspired by), so when the Diasomnia group get transported to the story of sleeping beauty, the can’t find Sebek anywhere. Meanwhile, Sebek is wondering where the hell everyone is and why he’s on a deserted island in the middle of nowhere, where’s there’s apparently pirate ships. (I also imagine sense Sebek is half crocodile fea he has a crocodile tail which can disappear and reappear)

1. We're just that cool

2. I think i need to make a tag for that now...

3. IM SO INSANE ABOUT THIS

They probably messed around with this cursed storybook that Crowley keeps in his office and now they suffer the consequences.

The thing is though that they have to complete each story by their order in the book to actually progress. So, we start with Alice in Wonderland where Heartslabyul is stuck in. The further down the story is in the book (First story = Alice in Wonderland, last story = Sleeping Beauty), the longer the dorm has been inside.

For example, Heartslabyul have only been stuck for a day. Savanaclaw for a week. Octavinelle for a month, etc.

The basics of how this works is that while the first story is being played out, the others haven't even started yet. They're basically on pause. It's like Heartslabyul is trying to finish the story in a day while Savanaclaw is stuck inside the story 1 week before the events actually happen.

When Heartslabyul finish their story, they get transported to the Lion King and meet with Savanaclaw. They finish the story, then meet with Octavinelle in Little Mermaid, so on and so forth.

They eventually reach the Sleeping Beauty, only to be met with a frantic Diasomnia who have been stuck in the story for 5 months (They don't age or something by the way...when they return to the real world they've only been gone for a minute).

Turns out they have NOT seen Sebek at all, and Silver is in a FRENZY. Malleus is starting to embrace his villain role a bit too well in the story, and Lilia has practically reverted back to his old war veteran days.

The cast finally snap them out of it when they're able to finish the story, and Riddle suggests that maybe Sebek wasn't affected by the storybook for some reason? Or they'll be able to find him once they reach the true end of the book.

So, the true characters of thr story finally manifest so Diasomnia can just watch things play out with the rest of the cast as well.

They watch Aurora get married, some get a bit teary-eyed while Leona and Malleus argue over the color of her dress, then all they have to do now is wait for the end of the story-

Everyone gets transported to a room. The Darlings' room. Everyone freaks out because WHAT THE FUCK I THOUGHT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO GO HOME???

Diasomnia are inconsolable because they think that Sebek was left behind in the Sleeping Beauty story and will be stuck there forever and are continuously trying to find ways to go back-

"Uh, you guys aren't Wendy." Everyone turns towards the window. Peter Pan, in all his glory, was sitting by the windowsill with his arms crossed. He thinks that they broke in and is prepared to beat their asses until Jack and Trey explain their situation.

Peter hears about this Sebek guy and goes "Oh! You mean ole' croc? I know where he is!" Diasomnia pause and then immediately start screaming at him to bring them to him.

A few pixie dust later (courtesy of a disgruntled Tinkerbell), they're flying over Neverland. Peter is about to introduce them to the lost boys only for the sound of a cannon to interrupt him.

Pirates are invading the island once more, and the cast are quick to defend themselves. They can't seem to get a single hit on Captain Hook though, mostly because of fairy tale laws or whatever.

They're in a bit of a disadvantage, and even Peter is getting restless-

Tick.

Tock.

Captain Hook goes pale, as well as the rest of his crew. NRC look confused only for a familiar voice to ring throughout the fight: "ARE YOU BACK FOR ANOTHER ROUND, CAPTAIN?" It's Sebek!

Except he looks...different. Not different in the way that Rook now has black hair for whatever reason, nor different by the fact that Lilia's hair is long again.

This Sebek looks older. Not too old, but there are key differences. His usual round ears are now a bit pointed, his hair past his shoulders. He's wearing something wildly different- there's no trace of his uniform.

Instead, an old, raggy pirate's cloak hangs off his shoulders that just serves to make him look more intimidating. And uh the rest of his clothes are the ones that Will Stetson is wearing in his cover of Shinunoga E-wa with black pants LOOK MAN im writing this in my notes app offline.

His magestone is no longer placed in a pen, rather it hangs off his ear as an earring.

The biggest change however is the scales and tail...as well as the ticking face of a clock that replaces his right eye.

Hook's crew are quick to retreat, not before Sebek can suddenly jump into their ship though. The cast watch Sebek raise Hook up by the scruff of his neck, and with a flick of his wrist, his claws retract.

"P-please!" Hook pleads. "Have mercy!" Sebek smiles. "I'm true to my word, Captain." And promptly slices his hand off.

He jumps off the ship with Hook's hand, Peter quick to catch him as they ignore Hook's frantic screams. Blood trickles down his claws, and once they reach solid ground, Peter puts Sebek down.

Sebek throws the hand into the sand, and with a single kick, sends it flying into the ocean. Right on time, a crocodile jumps from the water and catches it into its mouth, before retreating back into the water.

"That was so cool!" Peter exclaims from behind him with childlike wonder. Sebek doesn't react, only sighing, "HUMAN, JUST BECAUSE IVE BEEN HERE FOR A YEAR DOESNT MEAN ILL BE HERE FOREVER. SOONER OR LATER, YOU WILL NEED TO FACE THE CAPTAIN BY YOURSE-"

He turns around to continue to berate Peter, only to pause when he sees the mildly injured forms of the NRC cast.

"...PETER WHAT THE FUCK"

[be-the-creature-fan]

WILD KRATTS. Season 3 Review!!!!!!!!!!

One sentence review (1 being the worst-10 being a masterpiece) Hope you enjoy :)

Hermit Crab Shell Exchange: WHY did Gormond call Chris "Green Pea" instead of "Green Grape"? However this episode have so many great moments to count. 9/10

When Fish Fly: I love the use of the "take a walk in my shoes" trope, it would have been cool if they stuck with the team switching roles until the very end but besides that this episode is iconic. See, finding creatures is like a piece of cake/10

Slider the Otter: How did Slider live that long? Cute episode but not the most memorable (sorry if you like this episode) 6/10

Mosquitoe Dragon: WHY Ya Hitting yourself?! Also not a bad invention by Zach completely backfired though. 7/10

Search for the Florida Panther: Wholesome in every which way, I loved the scene where Martin makes Chris go out and search for food, the live action part is also one of my favorites. 9/10

Osprey: I'm probably a bit bias but this episode is Amazing, fricking Jimmy loosing stuff is hilarious and not only do they make an episode of an animal that's the Mascot of my favorite football team ( though it goes by the nickname) they realeased it the year they won the superbowl and to make it even more amazing...Green and Blue are the team colors!!! 10/10 ( GO HAWKS 💙💚) ahem...anyways.

Bandito the Black Footed Ferret: Getting a bit of name dejavu and Martin not learning his lesson from the Googly Eye: The Night Guru episode tsk tsk tsk, good episode though. 8/10

Where the Bison Roam: The talking Bison are cursed, and they switched who was Lewis and who was Clark midway through the episode, a little rough around the edges but it's still good 8/10

Crocogator Contest: Very informative still remember the difference between an Alligator and a Crocodile because of this episode also poor Jimmy. 7/10

The Amazing Creature Race: Team Fastfeet all the way babbbbbyyyyyy!!! Though we were cheated out of a Chrizelle moment, oh well 6/10.

Prarie Who: Just a fun episode, but what in the creature world was Koki doing? Also all those crash landings would have killed them except for Jimmy. 9 Yips/10

Mystery on the Prarie: I've been impaled the episode, poor Jimmy, Bush Chris needs to return and where is Moo after this episode? (Spoilers Moo wasn't full grown in the Christmas special) 8/10

Chameleons on Target: Bruh why was Aviva blaming the Kratt Brothers for that whole ring chip thing? The way they hid was funny. 7/10

Opossum in my Pocket: Gormond commits attempted murder on the Kratt Brothers. 8/10

Fossa Palooza: Best mothers day episode EVER, we saw Mama Kratt and their old neighborhood? 10/10

Mini Madagascar: 0_0 why they make the mouse lemur scary though. 7/10

Aye Aye: I love the pirate theme and why do Jimmy be lazy (I get it its a personality trait of his but still) but I mean Aviva could have done it also Aghhh. 7/10

Lemur Legs: Best episode opening in my opinion, they should have named one of the lemurs Zaboo instead of Bob but it was still funny. That sarcastic clap the WK crew did was also great 10/10

Under the Frozen Pond: Child endangerment and the WK team not playing fair at Hockey because they were loosing (but they were there first soooo) 7/10

Lemur Skink Fight: Tried a Tameron fruit before, it wasn't that great, unlike this episode, Also this was one of Donita's worse ideas she should stick to clothing. 8/10

Golden Bamboo Lemur: The dress looked better without the lemur, Why doesn't Donita utilize the hypnosis technology more often and I can't believe the Kratt Bros almost forgot Koki and Jimmy, Not cool man. 7/10

Tenric Treasure Hunt: Obi-Wan Kratt is big sad for loosing his Brother to the River. 8/10

Praying Mantis: I love this episode! Props to the animators for changing the "What if" animation to fit the live action bit, but what was up with that toy Monkey, still gives me the hebijibbies. 10/10

Capture the Fishmoblie: Technically not cheating if Aviva just handed it to them. 7/10

Back in Creature Time: THEY NEED TO MAKE A SEQUEL!!! Zach wanting to make the Kratt Brothers extinct is very dark I love it, also by changing where Great Grand daddy Gormond landed, potentially be a risk to whether or not Gormond would still exist? Also MARTIN WHY YOU SMUGGLING A TASMANIAN TIGER?!?! STOP. 10/10

Great season but I feel like after this season the writing changed...

[blackholesun321]

Ok let me take a moment to just scream-

AHHHHHHHHAAAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHHHHHHHJEUWKWBFBKGIVEHWBKDKVKJFNDNJEKDND!!!

ok I’m done I’m just blown away absolutely off my feet leaving the ground into the stratosphere several pieces of me are now in Australia. I’m dislocating my jaw in order to swallow this art like a snake! This is beautiful.

I can't stop looking at it; all that detail. My brain is literally rewiring itself with this new visual information of the Straw Hats. This will be my inspiration for them from now on, the goal post if you will.

Look at all of the colors; they match perfectly to each of their personalities and general vibes. Like the dress shirt opened to show the jewelry on Sanji, but I see you have that belt ties the whole thing together. It’s just, oh my God, it’s amazing.

I’ve seen this before, and those colors on Usopp do work so well with him—those earthy tones are amazing. Also, like the knitted shawl and the one glove on one hand with the bracelets on the other.

Nami, you got the perfect vibe for her— that pink early 2000s mix with the blue and the yellow. The beads across her waist and the ones in her hair—perfect. Oh my God, it’s amazing. It’s everything I imagined her to look like in this AU.

And Luffy is the perfect mix of his dads. You’ve got the flowing fabric from Shanks, as well as more of a pirate vibe. But I see you got the silks, the vibrant colors, more ostentatiousness that probably comes from Mihawk and Crocodile. And the bandanna, the jewelry? Chef's kiss 💋.

And Zoro, Zoro, my darling, the green is on point. I love his little head chain he’s got going on. I love his jewelry. I love his tattoo. Oh my God, his tattoo, so good; all of the tattoos are good, all of the tattoos are amazing. Why don’t they have more tattoos in canon? But the necklace to earrings, pretty sure he’s wearing either Hakima or a skirt. And the gloves just pull the whole outfit together.

It’s amazing; you’ve done an incredible job. I will continue to stare at this and find more details to yap about in messages because oh my God, this is amazing. Seriously, one of my best Christmas presents this year. Merry Christmas. Thank you so much.

@blackholesun321 Merry Christmas, some LT strawhats for your viewing pleasure during this fine holiday season!

[many-shades-of-violence]

with an s/o the polar opposite of them

✢ characters: Trafalgar D. Law, Donquixote Doflamingo, Donquixote Corazon, Smoker, Portgas D. Ace, Sabo

✢ contents: mentions of abandonment issues in Sabos section, mentions of kink in Doffys section

✢ request by: anonymous

Law

Probably nobody could have expected, that out of every people Trafalgar D. Law could have picked his partner, his choice would fall on somebody as bubbly and cheerful as you.

What many in the Heart pirates crew first declared as a bad joke of you and the captain, soon turned out to be a full-fledged relationship, nobody dared to joke -or place any bets *looking at Shachi*- on.

As often as Law rolled his eyes on your antics, or gripped his head with a sigh, as often he smiled just mere seconds later, absolutely head over heals for the way you push him out of his comfort zone, he had nested himself into, after his years of a terrorizing childhood.

You two are probably the definition of opposites attract. Be it in the moments of Laws depression and hurt, you pull him out of, or him assisting you in situations, a more serious and logic oriented mind is needed.

Though he would never say it in front of his crew, he is very happy to have you in his life. You´re contrasting nature sometimes even sets him back to his days with his beloved Corazon. In the end it´s always people his total opposite, that find their way into his heart.

Smoker

Like Law, Smoker would have a lot of headaches with you. Unlike the doctor, he doesn´t pretend to have them, though. Man will be so fed up sometimes, Tashigi swears his smoking behavior and nagging got somehow even worse.

Despite his constant headaches over your reckless and boisterous behavior, will step up for you if you can´t find the words for it. Will also hunt everybody down, who dares to say a single bad word about you. He isn´t called the Silver Hunter for no reason.

Despite his age, he blushes like a school girl, when you´re close to him. Because of that exact same reason, he´s not a big fan of PDA. He has an image to upkeep, after all. Also, please never push him to show more affection than needed in front of others. He will use his Jitte to shield you away from him.

If you´re opposite characters also include a contrary view on nicotine consumption, have fun arguing with him. This man is literally made out of Smoke and makes Corazons and Crocodiles smoking behaviors look like a joke.

There will probably be a lot of arguments, between you two, but more like that of an old couple. Most of the time, you two quickly make peace with each other, when the other marines ask for their invitation to your weeding. Then it's you two against the rest of the headquarters.

Corazon

Most people wouldn´t probably bet on the success of a relationship between somebody as clumsy and emotional as Rosinante and a cool and calculated person like you. The whole Donquixote family still gave you their props, because they finally knew, that with you at Corazons site, the possibility of him accidentally killing himself through one of his slip ups, nearly diminished to zero.

Always a step ahead, you´re easily prepared to help your silly lover with any slip up in his daily life. He on the other hand, always has a good joke or story at his hand, to make your cold exterior crack easily, a quiet chuckle on your lips as you laugh at his antics.

He probably thinks you´re an angel sent from heavens. Though he doesn´t understand, why they would send you, he´s enjoying every second of it. Man loves to get pampered in attention. It´s just a Donquixote thing.

There would be times when Corazons clumsiness or emotional overload could get become too much for you. Luckily, he is as responsible, as he can be clumsy, and knows when to give you the room you need.

Would never push you to loosen up or change your ways. He knows there´s a reason for your nature, but the more he enjoys, bringing a smile on your face. Even if it´s a little one. He´s not dressed as a jester for no reason, after all.

Doflamingo

Doflamingo as a partner is generally a very difficult affair. A contrary character to Doffy, who is a very demanding and self-sufficient person, could therefore be your death sentence. He will swallow you and your whole being whole, if you don´t have any defense mechanisms for his manipulation tactics.

If you can wrap him about your cute little fingers or are so oblivious that you don´t act on them, congrats to you. This man will be so impressed by either your seductions techniques or your sheer dumbness (let´s be real, this man has a bimbofication fetish), that he´ll do anything for you.

He will have his fun, with your shyness, and purposefully embarrass you even further. Doesn’t matter if you're alone, or with members of the family around.

Doesn´t plan on letting you go. With you´re tame nature, you´re just a too good catch as his royal partner.

Ace

Ace is a pretty carefree and spontaneous person, acting on his own free will. He´ll probably huff a lot at your strict and demanding nature, but somehow, he loves you exactly for this reason.

Maybe it´s his missing parental figures, but the way you always look out for him, reprimanding him like a little boy, when he eats to fast or forgets to do some chores, makes him feel all warm and fuzzy.  

Being the opposite of you, he´ll make you loosen you up a lot more, and even break some rules and etiquette. You on the other hand, makes him consider a future he could have never imagined himself in.

The only hard pinch will be when you question his philosophy of freedom and his relationship to Whitebeard, going as far as to possibly break your relationship. Like his brothers, this guy holds his freedom and found family up like nothing else. Please don´t question but reassure him with it.

Sabo

Another very free-willed person. Like Ace, as long as you question this, you guys will probably be fine.

Sabo can be a bit reckless and lost at the moment, so a calm and collected partner is actually pretty good for him. You´re always one to calm him down if his emotions boil over. Makes Koala and Dragon a bit more at ease as well, knowing that Sabo won´t use his Dragonclaw out of frustration in the resolutioner’s headquarters *again*.

Loves that you can listen to his ramblings about Ace and Luffy all day, and not complain a little bit. He cherishes this very much, and can´t believe how much luck he has with you, even being at his side at all times, when Ace died.

Absolutely head over feels for the way you care for him. Like his brothers, he never had a great relationship with his parents, so your grown-up and careful ways of showing affection, makes him feels all warm and fuzzy inside.

You´re overall a very good duo. And if you ask me, I don´t think Sabo would beat around the bush much longer than maybe a few years, to ask for you hand. One for the fact, that he has abandonment issues, like no one else, and doesn´t plan on letting you go and two, because he is pretty intuitive and just knows that with you´re polar opposites, you´re the one for him.

[akaiamedama]

Of crocodiles and rings and a possible connection to a teased weakness

Crocodile is a guy that is real extra and dresses sharp and loves his bling bling, right? He’s a man of high standards, so of course, he’s gotta wear bling to show that. Other bling loving characters are Capone Bege and Blackbeard for example. All three of them like to show off that bling. Now why do I mention the other two? Coz look at these three bling loving gentlemen, wearing rings on every finger and tell me where the difference lies. I’ll wait.

Exactly!

As opposed to Bege and Blackbeard, Crocodile doesn’t wear a ring on every finger. Obviously he cannot wear 10 rings coz he only got one hand with 5 fingers but he also never wears 5 rings. No, no. This guy, ladies and gentlemen, kinda makes it a point to always leave out one finger and that’s the ring finger. Ha- interesting.

Now, of course this could be mere coincidence. But let’s be realistic here, it’s Oda. He clearly has a reason for it as he’s been true to this detail ever since Crocodile was introduced over a decade ago and the only real question is ‘why’?

Why would Crocodile do that? He clearly loves wearing rings so why not wear them on every finger? Why leave out the ring finger for crying out loud? If one wanted to leave a finger without a ring, one would probably leave out the pinky or the thumb but who puts rings on every finger and leaves out the ring finger? I tell you who.

Crocodile. That’s who.

If you’re one who believes in symbolism and all that stuff, then you’d probably find it interesting that the ring finger symbolises releationships with others especially romantical ones as it is seen closest to the heart and therefore or because of it is the finger a wedding ring is worn on. In most cultures the engagement ring is worn on the right hand and the wedding ring on the left as the right hand is often the ‘physical’ one and has a greater visibility. It’s probably interesting to note that the left hand is considered to represent your character and beliefs. Ha. Interesting that Crocodile is missing that one, huh? Anyhow, in Crocodile’s case left or right hand doesn’t really matter as he only has one left (duh) so an argument can be made that sides don’t matter and the importance lies on the finger itself.

The way it looks right now is that he’s making a statement leaving out the ring finger and there are a few possibilites here. Of course it could be a family ring and he could be from an important family but really, not only would that be a bit to similar to Doflamingo, it would also not make sense to not just replace the family ring on the occations he’s not wearing it. But he never wears a ring on that finger so one can only come to the conclusion that there’s some sentimental thought behind that.

The most logical would be that there is a ring he believes should be on that finger. Either he’s keeping it free for a future event coz he doesn’t have the ring yet (which I doubt) or he’s keeping it free coz technically there already is a ring for the finger. This could be a ring he doesn’t have anymore and regrets it (like he lost it with his left hand or threw it away) or a ring he does have but decides not to wear for his own reasons. Whichever it is, it clearly has such an important value that he doesn’t just covers it up or replaces it. 

Now, given the ring finger and it’s symbolism the thought of a wedding ring isn’t too far fetched. We don’t know enough about his past to say that he could never have been married so I think it’s worth looking into.

Let’s just imagine for a second, that the ring missing is indeed a wedding ring, what could that mean?

He could have had a wife but she died and even though he’d technically not be married anymore, people who lost their partner almost always keep their wedding ring as a memento. If they move on, they don’t wear it anymore but they often keep it. This could give another perspective to the ‘wounds’ Daz was referring to after Marineford as he was clearly not talking about Luffy’s physical wounds but about the emotional wounds that came with losing a loved one.

Crocodile could have had a wife but she betrayed him and he took the ring off as to break the relationship and connection. Then the choice to not wear a ring on that finger in the future could serve as a reminder to himself not to trust people, not even those close to you. This could possibly explain his huge trust issues.

However, these two scenarios, while possible, don’t strike me as the most likely simply due to the two following scenes:

“If you want to protect something, do it right!!” 

This could be totally random and only refer to the moment at hand but it could also indicate that he knows a thing or two about how to successfully protect someone. Which leads us to the infamous

“I know one of his weaknesses ...!! But if he cooperates with us ... then I won’t say anything about it!!”

Think about it, the biggest weakness ANY pirate of Crocodiles caliber could have is a loved one or people they care about and their identity and location to be known by the public or enemies (marines, pirates etc.) because no matter how powerful a pirate you are, if information like that was to spread and reach the wrong ears, this could have catastrophic consequences for you and the people you care about. It’s used over and over in OP stories like when the marines hunted down Gol D. Rogers offspring and slaughtered all newborn who could potentially have been Roger’s child or when the marines swore to kill Luffy for being Dragon’s son or when Zeff was used as leverage to force Sanji to comply. I doubt anyone knows Usopp is Yasopp’s son or that he had a woman and child in Syrup village otherwise someone would have probably attacked them to get back at Yasopp. Maybe that’s one of the reasons he left them. As to protect them.

Ivankov and Croc met years ago when Croc was still considered a rookie, so in his early/mid twenties. If there is indeed a ring to that finger and the person is still alive, Ivankov could know her identity or location and this could totally be the weakness Ivankov was refering to. Of course this only works if the person is still alive. 

Now I know, you’re probably scratching your head, thinking I might be a bit nuts going this direction considering it’s Crocodile we’re talking about but really, think about it. His choice of jewelry is mega weird so what could be the reaaon for it? Also it’s hardly the weirdest theory out there (looking at you femCroc theorists).

This would also tie in neatly with why he decided to have his Baroque agents working in teams of two with male/female. I mean, unlike other characters, he clearly doesn't seem to see women as the weaker sex and him having his agents work in pairs has to be grounded somewhere. Maybe he was raised like that and his parents where a good example of how well men and women complement each other or maybe he made the experience himself. If so, I tend to think that he wasn't betrayed by the woman... or maybe he was and that's one of the reasons why he was so paranoid and basically expected Robin to betray him. All possible, really.

It’s also apparent that Oda incorporates marriages a lot more often nowadays than he did in the early years of One Piece. Mr 9 and Mrs Mondey got married on a cover page and have a baby, Capone got married and his henchman Gotty married too, Sai and Baby 5 married, Sanji and Pudding were meant to marry and let’s not forget poor Senior Pink’s backstory. 

Last but not least, I’d like to point out a seemingly random fan question Oda answered in an SBS which seems just kinda odd once you consider everything I said above.

Now the question focuses on “they never had a child” and “I wonder what faces their children would have”, yet Oda starts with “They’ve been to weddings before ...” ... WOW. Really? Why would he say that? XD No one even asked about weddings. Funny. So they’ve been to weddings, huh? As what? Guests? Grooms? You know? It doesn’t seem to mean anything but if you consider Crocodile’s rings and such imo it’s just a weird thing to say. Then the mysterious “I wouldn’t say whether they had children or not ...” ..... 

Note: Especially during Alabasta Oda often forgets to draw Croc’s rings at all or accidentally leaves out the wrong finger but he is consistent with the rings since Impel Down. He still forgets them from time to time but he doesn’t switch the fingers anymore so one could reason that he had a vague idea of Crocodile’s reasons behind the rings when he introduced him but only solidified it or gave it more details once Croc showed back up. The anime and games however often just leave out the wrong ring probably thinking that it doesn’t matter.

[victorie552onepiecespeedrun]

Reading One Piece pt 297: On Fate

Chapter 544

Thoughts:

- Fpos/cs: Sanji in a dress!!! His hair is amazing, his make-up is abysmal and honestly I’m scared. I don’t understand why they put him in a dress if he didn’t want to have one. It makes me remember childhood traumas and I would rather not

…Well Sanji, at least you don’t have fish stockings?

- how many rings can a person have, calm down Blackbeard

- Blackbeard is making a very important speech. I guess I’ll type all of that

- “After first meeting you, I soon found out that you were the one who defeated that former Warlord of the Sea, Crocodile, over there, Straw Hat Luffy!” *cue annoyed Crocodile*

- I wanted to become one of the Seven Warlords so I figured the best way to show the Government that I was the man for the job was to bring them your head” not a BAD strategy I must admit

- oh, he wanted to attack Luffy at Water 7. Wow, there was disaster after disaster in that place, imagine adding Blackbeard to the mix D: we would have to say goodbye to One Piece, really lucked out on this one, Luffy

- “But Fate… protected you!” …um, no, Ace and dumb luck protected him

- “Ace has been chasing me because I committed a terrible crime aboard Whitebeard’s ship. And by curious coincidence, he was your brother! Because I said I was going to kill you, he was unable to turn back! You see? If he let us go, not only would he defile the name of Whitebeard… his own brother would be killed!” …It kinda sounds like what I just said but it’s said by Blackbeard so I don’t like it. It also seems to me like it was Blackbeard who lucked out – his plan worked, he only just kinda shrugged and traded Luffy for Ace because why not, and if Ace’s already there…  

- “There’s no such thing as a coincidence, there’s only Fate.” “You’re a very lucky man.” “Captain doesn’t need your head anymore.” “Your brother fought bravely!” I applaud a loyal crew but they annoy me too. Also, Champion, why would you say that last thing to Luffy, it’s plain stupid

- “You’d better remember to thank Ace at his grave! If he hadn’t shown up then, you’d be dead now.” HOW ABOUT NO and Blackbeard, don’t act like Ace showing up was some divine intervention or something, he was Literary looking for you all over Grand Line

- “THEN WHY DON’T YOU TRY ME NOW!!??” *WHUP*  ha! Told you to leave Luffy alone!

- NO WAIT DON’T FIGHT SHIT ABORT MISSION!!! SHIT SHIT SHIT

- “Blood? Isn’t he made of rubber?” He is!!

- “That’s enough! You have to control your temper! Remember what you’re here for!” oh thank God for Jimbei, he’s stopping Luffy!

- “Don’t waste your time and energy fighting him! It’s not going to help you rescue Ace!” yeah!

- why is everyone just looking at that conversation, DO SOMETHING PEOPLE (strong people that is. Prisoners and guards should stay down)

- Crocodile speaks

- (why are they standing and talking. If Blackbeard isn’t here for Luffy, then why is he here. All of this feels very dangerous)

- “You’re Blackbeard, right? I heard some no-name pirate from Whitebeard’s ship had taken my place… but this is strange.” Crocodile’s asking why he’s here, he should be at Navy HQ. Well, YEAH

- “Everything is going according to my plan. Which I’m not telling you” ok then. Smart of him

- “Fine, I don’t care anyway” gee, ok

- Magellan is here! For a moment I was actually really happy about it. But he’s not here to rescue Luffy from Blackbeard of course. I have a very short memory

- and just like that everyone is moving again

- RUN RUN RUN to the higher levels!

-  “Awakened zoan types” …didn’t I read about that somewhere. I think that’s important

- guys, I think Shiryu deserted. He wasn’t planning at helping guards at all. Oh, what a betrayal

- (I’m not really surprised, he was a prisoner on LEVEL 6, but I also kind of am - WG indoctrination runs deep after all)

- Cameras are down. Everything is falling apart in this prison. I’m smiling so much my face hurts

- “Nothing is going our way! How could a single intruder spark all this mayhem!?” *maniacal laugher*

- on Level 2, Buggy and Galdino are up and at them again :) Blackbeard sure helped them here

- uh?

- “I’m gonna rescue Ace no matter what!” “Haha… I won’t say you’re wasting your time. Nothing’s impossible in this world.” …?  ? ??  ???

- “Sky Island existed, didn’t it? It’s the same with One Piece! It definitely exists!” is he…

- “Ha ha! Just you wait and see!” he’s walking past them

- “In a few short hours we’re going to put on a show that will shake the world!” …he went to do his own thing. Time to move on.

- (I feel very uneasy right now. We should not leave Blackbeard like that. He’ll be trouble in the future)

- Our pirate group feels as uneasy as me but there’s nothing to do about it now. To Level 3!

- …Magellan vs Blackbeard? Is this really happening

- damn, that poison works on them

- “Hannyabal… You did well holding them back for so long. You better not die. You’re the only one… fit to succeed me!” !! What a plot twist. WHY do I have to have feelings about prison wardens and their working relationship???? Is this really necessary???? Oda???

“Straw Hat!! You will not set one foot outside of this prison!”  

rOP 296  rOP 298

[yujo-nishimura]

The Rescue - Part 2

Comment: We had the escape, now comes the rescue. ;) This is another idea I had with original characters, please bear with me since I will soon write something again with a 2nd person.. - Also I am very tired today and this was not supposed to be that short... :( But I am still writing the setting...

Warning: Buggy x OC, Sir Crocodile x OC, a little bit of angst and fear, violence since it is the great pirate era...

Words: 512

In a secluded corner of Loguetown, two men huddled together, their bodies and heads concealed beneath long capes to hide their identities. Being wanted pirates in a marine stronghold, they understood the importance of not drawing attention to themselves in their usual attire.

"The execution is scheduled to be held in two hours. The prisoners have likely been taken and will be paraded through the city towards the scaffold. As we know, the damn marines revel in their cruel public spectacles," one of them spoke in a hushed tone, while the other man, his face partially revealed as his cape slipped, nodded attentively, revealing a distinctive red nose.

"We must make our move now to arrive in time.” 

"Indeed! But, Captain, do you have any plan other than simply barging in?" the second man inquired.

A moment of silence hung in the air, and the Captain, with a sigh, admitted, "Truth be told, I have no better plan than a direct attack. However, this execution involves only small fries, so I don't expect heavy marine security. It may even be more of a spectacle for them to witness the death of two women, rather than the usual foul-smelling male pirates we encounter at sea."

The other figure nodded in agreement, and slowly turned around, carefully surveying the surroundings from their concealed spot.

"Then let us go, Captain. The streets are currently clear, and we can reach the scaffold in no time. We shall wait there for her, seize the opportunity, and swiftly escape the city!" they whispered in unison.

Both men stealthily emerged from their corner, cautiously navigating the streets, ensuring they remained unseen and undetected.

Across town, a tall man with slicked-back dark hair and a fur coat made his way towards the same destination. Walking alongside him was another muscular man with dark skin, short white-blond hair, and dressed inconspicuously in black clothes. The presence of the person beside him was enough to draw attention, thus there was no need for the other to keep a low profile.

"Isn't that Sir Crocodile? The former Warlord of the Sea?" whispered some passersby as they observed the scarred face and golden hook adorning his hand, unmistakably revealing his identity. Undaunted by the stares and murmurs, Sir Crocodile knew that his mere presence not only caused a sensation but also instilled fear in the townspeople. He had no need to disguise himself to achieve his objectives; he preferred to confront danger head-on. And he knew that no one could stop him. 

"Why are we here, Boss?" the companion next to him asked, his question tinged with a hint of uncertainty.

Crocodile replied with authority, leaving no room for further inquiry, "We're here to rescue a former comrade of mine from death row. That's all you need to know."

The companion seemed to grasp the situation and they continued their journey in silence. As the city clock tower came into view, displaying 8:00 am, Crocodile knew they had a mere two hours remaining.

"Let's hurry up!" he suddenly declared, urgency permeating his voice.

[twistedtummies2]

Mia Corazón (Commission)

Another commission I got via my FA page. This is from the same person who commissioned “Tick Tock” and “A Grim Dinner.” It features his OC based on Tick Tock the Crocodile, Tock Crockwork...BUT, more importantly, it also acts as an introduction to his newest OC, Caelyum De Macabre - a character based on Davy Jones (with hints of Tia Dalma) from “Pirates of the Caribbean.”  And it’s NOT A KINK STORY. HERESY, I KNOW. I had a LOT of fun with this one; my only major regret is that I couldn’t make it longer than it already is. XD Also, just for the sake of making sure people know, I did not make up the lyrics to the song featured here. They’re actually fan-made lyrics for Davy Jones’ theme from the movies, originally created by a YouTube artist called Fiajela. I highly recommend looking up the song - it’s been covered by her and Man on the Internet, and they even made a duet version with the two stitched together. Anyway...hopefully you all enjoy. :)

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Valentine’s Day had come to Night Raven College. As you and Grim walked through the halls of the dark castle, you couldn’t help but chuckle at the decorations: pink paper hearts and streamers of white and crimson were everywhere, making it feel almost as if Heartslabyul had somehow managed to take over the entire palatial academy. Grim frowned up at you, trotting at your side, trident tail swishing as he went. “Nya? What’s so funny, Minion?” he demanded to know. “Nothing, nothing,” you responded with a shake of your head. “It’s just…everything looks so different.” Grim sniffed snootily, crinkling his nose at a poster of two young lovers embracing. “I don’t like it,” he remarked. “It’s all…mushy. It just doesn’t feel right for a School of Villains to be so…nya, what’s a good word…?” “Sentimental? Sappy? Saccharine?” “Gross,” was the word Grim chose, sticking out his tongue and shuddering like a small boy afraid of getting the dreaded cooties. You snorted with laughter. “Well, bring it up to the Headmaster,” you smirked, stuffing your hands in your pockets as you went. “I’d rather not,” Grim grumped. “Besides, we all know Crowley would just ramble on about it, or say he’ll get things done and never do…how come he’s Headmaster, anyway? He doesn’t do anything!” “Your guess is as good as mine,” you shrugged. “All I know is the only home I have is thanks to him, as is the only job. I’d like to keep both, thank you.” Grim shrugged back with an accepting sort of rumble as the two of you ascended the spiral staircase that led up to the Headmaster’s Office. Crowley had sent a call that morning; classes were dismissed for the day, so the university was a little quieter than usual: many of the students were off visiting family or loved ones, and those that were hanging around the campus still were largely engaged in…ahem…PRIVATE affairs. You, of course, could not leave; at least for now, Night Raven was your home, and as you were currently not in a relationship, Valentine’s Day wasn’t much different than any other day. Not that you minded much; it was still nice, in your mind, to see others happy and relaxed, and a holiday was a holiday, at any rate…though it seemed even St. Valentine’s holiday would not be saving you from helping clean up whatever mess Crowley needed dealt with this time. As you passed an image of two small, fluffy kittens holding a heart, a random thought came to your head: “Grim?” “Nya?” “Have you ever wanted to be in love?” “Not really,” the cat-like monster said. “Love is all…icky.” You frowned. “Icky?” you repeated. “All the kissing and hugging and…bleh!” Grim shuddered again, then went on: “Besides, it seems awfully difficult; makes you humans and even beast-men all crazy. I’ve got too much to deal with as it is, thank you very much! Nope. The World’s Greatest Mage won’t ever let love make him all soppy.” Grim stuck out his fluffy chest proudly at this, sticking his nose in the air. You smirked, and paused, reaching down to scratch behind his ears. He froze up…then purred and nuzzled into your touch. “Purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…o-okay…maybe I love some things,” he admitted.

“Good kitty,” you teased, and snickered as Grim growled at you and half-heartedly swiped at your hand with a paw. You retracted it and the two of you kept moving. “Come on. The sooner we deal with Crowley, the faster we can get to our own stuff.” Grim nodded, as the pair of you drew nearer to Crowley’s office. You knocked on the door and waited for the sing-song call of “Come in!” before entering. Inside the office, things looked the same as ever, floating portraits of the Great Seven and all…aside from a vase of roses, plus a couple of heart-shaped ornaments on the desk, as well as the fact the purple-and-green curtains had been exchanged for solid red velvet drapes. Dire Crowley himself was seated behind his desk, sorting through paperwork, dressed in his usual attire. His feathery cloak rustled as he lifted his top-hatted head, and smiled at both yourself and Grim as you shut the door to the office behind you, his yellow eyes sparkling behind his Plague-Doctor-esque Venetian mask. “Ahhh! Prefect of Ramshackle Dorm! And the Little Monster!” he greeted warmly, rising and waving his hands, bidding you closer as he stepped around his desk. “Come, come, you’re right on time!” “On time for what, dare we ask?” Grim meowed. “Aren’t you celebrating Valentine’s Day, too, Headmaster?” you asked, politely. “Later,” Crowley smirked, winking and tapping the side of his mask’s long nose. “I’ll be entertaining a cute little fairy sorceress from the Land of Oz later tonight.” He let out a dreamy sigh, placing a hand to his heart. “Ahhh, Miss Upland…one day, you will be mine…” You and Grim gave each other a look, shrugged, then turned back to Crowley. “What’s the problem, then?” you asked, knowing better than to think this was a social call. By now, Crowley had firmly established yourself and Grim as the chief problem solvers of the Academy, so it stood to reason he had a mission for your both. “Oh! Yes, well,” Crowley muttered, and cleared his throat, adjusting and straightening his stance before going on in a business-like way: “As I’m sure you’ll both know, tonight there’s a special performance, directed by our own Vil Schoenheit, for the holiday.” “Nya? Isn’t it that play about the Sea Witch?” Grim checked, tilting his head. “Correct,” nodded the Headmaster. “And the Little Mermaid she assisted. We have a special guest coming to see the show tonight…” He reached into the folds of his cloak and pulled out a small photograph, handing it over to you. You knelt down to get closer to Grim’s level, and showed him the photo as you both looked it over: the picture was a portrait of a dark-skinned mermaid, with hair black as ebony and scales of red and gold. Her eyes were brown and soft and warm as milk chocolate, and a silver locket in the shape of a heart was clasped about her throat. “Oooh…she’s pretty!” Grim smiled. “Very,” you agreed with a smile of your own. “She,” the Headmaster spoke up, “Is Young Lady Mia Corazón. Her family is one of the richest in the Coral Sea.” “Which is why you invited her,” you guessed, trying not to sound as bored as you were. To your surprise, Crowley answered, “I didn’t invite her! She wanted to see the show on her own…but there is one difficulty: her family insists that she be accompanied by at least two bodyguards at all times. Much like the Al-Asims, they’ve had…ISSUES in the past, and if their daughter is going to be on land for a spell, her parents want to make sure she’s adequately protected.” “That’s fair enough,” you supposed. “Let me guess,” sighed Grim, crossing his arms, “You want us to be the bodyguards then?” “Well, I suppose I COULD hire professionals,” Crowley murmured, scratching his chin in thought. “But they can cost a lot…I’d probably end up having to cut your pay just to-” “Forget it,” you grumbled, while Grim growled and slapped a paw to his forehead. “We’ll do it. But something is worrying me, if you don’t mind my bringing it up.” “What’s that?” “Are you sure WE’RE the right ones for this job?” you pressed, then before Crowley could speak up, you went on quickly: “We’ll do it, like I said, but…are you certain we should?” “How do you mean?” the Headmaster questioned, tilting his head. “Well, we’re not from the Coral Sea,” you explained. “Wouldn’t someone from that area be a better choice? Perhaps Azul could loan out the Leech Twins for a day!” Both Grim and Crowley looked at you as if you had grown a second skull. “…Right,” you sighed, quickly catching on. “Azul. ‘Loan’ us the Leech Twins. And us NOT expect things to go HORRIBLY wrong, one way or another. Yeah, that was a dumb suggestion, sorry.” Crowley chuckled and shook his head. “I have every confidence in you,” he said, with a wide smile. “You’ve solved so many problems in the past! And it’s only for tonight! What could possibly go wrong?” “Well, great, now something will DEFINITELY become a problem,” Grim grumbled. “Look, it’s not that I’m ungrateful,” you pressed on, “Or even that I’ve got a whole lot else to do, just…I’m worried because I don’t have magic. And Grim is…well…Grim.” “Hey!” Grim yapped indignantly. “I could roast any bad guy’s butt if they tried to get to Miss Coronation!” “Corazón,” corrected the Headmaster. “Whatever,” shrugged Grim. Crowley rolled his eyes, then turned his head upward. “You do raise a good point though, Prefect,” he conceded. “I didn’t think of that…at the very least, you two will need some help.” You were just about to agree…when suddenly, you heard Grim shiver. Both you and Crowley looked down as the cat-like demon quivered and hugged himself, the fire in his ears flickering. “Are you okay?” you asked, worriedly. “Y-Yeah,” Grim answered with a slight chattering of his teeth. “But…does anybody else feel like it suddenly got colder in here?” Now that Grim mentioned it, you DID suddenly feel a light chill crawl up and down your back…and it wasn’t too long afterward that the source of the cold made its presence known. With an authoritative BANG, the Headmaster’s office door burst open, causing both yourselves and Crowley to yelp and jump in alarm. You turned around fast, and gulped nervously as you perceived the imposing figure of Chief Jehan – the school’s head of security, garbed as ever in his military style cap and long, black trenchcoat. “Headmaster,” the darkly dressed security chief intoned, bowing his head respectfully to Dire Crowley, “Forgive this intrusion.” “Oh, it’s alright, Claude,” Crowley sighed out, then frowned. “Whatever is the matter?” “I apprehended this rule-breaking scallywag in the school cafeteria,” Jehan stated, indicating a second figure. “Ow! OW! H-Hey, let go of me, you old…! I’ll bite your legs off, you hear me?!” You and Grim were surprised to see the short, thick-hipped, green haired figure struggling in the icy grip of Claude Jehan, trying to pull away as his ear was all but being yanked from the side of his cranium. “Tock?” the two of you chorused. Tock Crockwork just snarled as Jehan glared at him. He tried to return the glower, but it came off more akin to a wounded animal trying to look tough than…well…looking tough. Crowley’s frown deepened, and he stepped past you and Grim – uttering a quiet, “One moment please” – before approaching the chief and the unruly Octavinelle student. “What is the meaning of this?” the Headmaster boomed. The Security Chief pushed Tock forward, releasing his ear. Tock stumbled a bit and caught himself, massaing his sore lobe. “This young ruffian,” Jehan explained, “Started a brawl with Mr. Bucchi over the last Deluxe Menchi Katsu Sandwich. As the latter student was merely defending himself, I felt his punishment should be more lenient; both have been banned from the cafeteria for the rest of the week…but as the one who started the whole affair…” He trailed off as Tock growled rather pathetically, looking down at the floor sullenly. Crowley scowled and hummed thoughtfully, clearly trying to determine a fitting punishment. Your eyes, as well as Grim’s, widened, and you looked to each other. “Grim,” you whispered, “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” “I think so, Minion, but a show about a math teacher who’s also a criminal mastermind? Who’d want to watch that?” You facepalmed. “What are you two whispering about?” Jehan asked, suspiciously, as Tock and Crowley both looked to you as well. “I think I know a way to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak,” you suggested. “You mean, a way to deal with Mr. Crockwork while also dealing with your dilemna?” Crowley guessed. “Exactly.” “Dilemna? What dilemna?” Tock asked. You grinned.

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“Thanks for sticking up for me, snack meat,” Tock groused, petulantly pouting as he walked by your side. “You’re the one who decided to pick a fight with the hyena,” you shrugged. “Honestly, I think I did you a favor.” “Nya…my Minion has a point,” Grim nodded. “Do you really think things would have been better if Crowley had decided to punish you himself?” “Or worse,” you put in, grimly, “Leave you to Chief Jehan?” All three of you shuddered, and Grim even crossed himself at the mention of the security chief. “Fine, I guess that’s fair,” Tock grumbled. “But I don’t like having to protect a fish filet from harm. I eat fish!” “Well, you won’t be eating Mia Corazón,” you sniffed. “Alright…guess I’ll just have to eat YOU instead,” smirked Tock, and licked his sharp teeth. Grim mewed and hid behind your leg. You blushed. “…We’ll worry about that later,” you grumbled, making Crockwork snicker with a wicked smile. “For now, let’s focus on getting you some actual lunch.” “You ARE an actual lunch,” snorted Tock. “I am not on the menu!” you snapped, flushed with embarrassment as Tock gave you a knowing grin. “Well…not till your work is done,” he teased, winking deviously, then smirking down at Grim. “Maybe I’ll have the little hairball for an appetizer, too…” Grim hissed at being referred to as a “hairball,” but said nothing. “Do you always have to be so antagonistic?” you sighed. “It’s what keeps getting you into trouble, you know.” Tock just shrugged carelessly, hips swaying as he walked side by side with you. “So, where are we heading?” he asked. “Can’t go to the cafeteria, and the Mostro Lounge is way too expensive…” “The Mystery Shop,” you answered. “I’m sure Sam’s got something in stock for us all to snack on before we head to the beach to pick up our special guest.” “Nya! Between my fiery awesomeness, my Minion’s brains, and lizard-breath’s strength, we’ll be the best bodyguards ever!” declared Grim. “Call me ‘lizard breath’ again,” Tock warned, “And we’ll be back down to two people, fuzz-face.” “Fuzz-face?!” Grim snapped. “How’d you like to BURN off a few of those calories you’re so proud of, hah?!” “Girls, girls, you’re both pretty,” you droned. The pair glared at you, then each other…then growled in unison as they stopped. “Thank you,” you sighed with relief. “Now, let’s be on our best behavior: I don’t want Sam’s Friends to give us a hard time…” As you spoke, your little trio reached the entrance to Mr. S’s Mystery Shop, and the three of you walked inside. Aside from a simple banner reading “Happy Valentine’s Day!” over the door, the shop was completely as it usually was…at least on the outside. To be fair, once you all entered the building, the store within seemed its usual self, too; no heart-shaped décor here, only the usual assortment of voodoo accessories. The strange part came when you not only realized Sam was nowhere to be seen…but you all also noticed who was tending to the store. Or rather, what. “Crabs?” all three of you gasped in surprise. Sure enough, crawling all over the Mystery Shop was an assortment of strange white sand crabs. Their shells seemed to have been made from smooth, ivory-colored stone…and as if the presence of the pale decapods wasn’t bizarre enough, their activities certainly would have gotten some unusual reactions. A few of the crabs were straightening out and sorting through items on the shelves, making sure everything was in top-notch condition. One crab was holding a miniature broom, while the other held a dustpan, the pair of them sweeping the floor. Still another crab was changing a lightbulb, while two more – clicking their claws encouragingly – were supervising. A bunch of crabs carrying a spray bottle and a wash cloth scuttled past you all, near your feet. Yourself and Croc stepped back, but Grim – with typical feline curiosity – leaned down and actually sniffed at one of the crustaceans… “ME-YOWCH!” he yelped, and jumped back, mewling and covering his muzzle after one of the crabs pinched his nose with their pincer. The crab seemed to strut away importantly afterward. “Heh…guess the crab cake bit back, huh?” teased Tock. Grim just growled and massaged his stinging snout. “This is new,” you muttered. “Where’d all these little guys come from?” “Cruel and cold, like winds on the sea. Will you ever return to me? Hear my voice sing with the tide: My Love Will Never Die…” The melodious voice soon sang into your ears, and you and your companions looked towards the source. In a corner of the shop, a lone figure was quietly mopping, and singing the lonely, haunting sea shanty you had heard. The figure was a young and slender man, dressed in a tan-colored jacket with ruffle-ended sleeves, and a brown hip-skirt. His legs were covered by dark beige trousers, while plain brown boots were on his feet. A fishnet scarf was loosely slung about his shoulders, almost like a shawl, and an orange muscle shirt festooned his abdomen. His hair was a curious pink hue, and done up in dreadlocks. “Ahem!” you coughed, catching the young man’s attention. He froze and looked up to you, blinking his brown eyes. For a moment, you noticed there was a look of pain and something…hollow in his face, as if something inside of him was missing and he longed to get it back. An overwhelming feeling of loneliness and sorrow seemed to wash over you…but it disappeared in an instant when the youth smiled. “Oh! Ahoy there! Didn’t hear you come in,” he greeted, bowing his head respectfully as he put the mop in its bucket and then walked towards you and your group. “Can I help you?” “Well, you can start by telling us who you are, and what happened to Sam,” Grim frowned. The young man chuckled, flipping his fishnet scarf over one shoulder. “Sam is taking the day off for the holiday,” he explained, then slowly added, “I don’t…make merry on Valentine’s Day, so I volunteered to keep the shop open and do some cleaning.” “Well, that answers one question,” Tock snorted, crossing his arms over his chest and lookin the taller youth up and down. “Mind answering the other?” “Oh! Right, right,” the young fellow chuckled, and cleared his throat before giving a mock-salute and answering: “Name’s Caelyum. Caelyum De Macabre. I’m Sam’s new assistant.” “Pleased to meet you,” you smiled, and shook Caelyum’s hand, and tilted your head. “Say…can I call you Cael for short?” The young man’s smile flickered, and he paused before quietly beseeching, “I’d…rather you didn’t, thank you.” “No problem, I’m sorry,” you apologized quickly. “Not at all, not at all,” the young man chuckled, and straightened his stance, recovering quickly. “So! What can I do for you, me hearties? Supplies, clothes?” “Food,” growled Tock. “I’m STARVING.” Caelyum chuckled and jabbed a thumb to one part of the shop. “You’ll find everything you need in that direction.” Tock nodded, and sashayed in the direction De Macabre had indicated. Caelyum smiled back at you and Grim in the meantime. “You’re the Prefect of Ramshackle Dorm, right?” he guessed. “That’s right,” you nodded. “It’s nice to meet you, then,” Caelyum smiled. “Sam’s told me all about you: he says you’re his favorite customer.” “He says that about everyone,” Grim snorted. Caelyum chuckled and knelt down. He extended a hand carefully. Grim sniffed it carefully…then smiled and allowed the shopkeeper’s assistant to pet him softly. “You have a beautiful singing voice,” you couldn’t help but comment. Caelyum looked up in surprise…then blushed a bit. “Oh, uh…you heard a little of that, did you?” he chuckled with embarrassment. “Nya! It sounded really sad, but…it was also really nice,” Grim mewed. “Thanks,” Caelyum said as he stood back up to his full height. “What song was that?” you asked, curiously. “I’ve never heard it before. Is it from your homeland?” Caelyum’s smile fell, and he looked askance. “Not exactly,” he murmured, then informed you aloud, in a matter-of-fact way: “It’s a song from the Coral Sea. I come from the Jubilee Port, near the Swamplands: same place as Sam. A…friend taught the song to me.” Catching the hitch in his voice, you smiled sympathetically. “It sounds like you two were close.” “We were,” Caelyum said softly. “Very.” “Nya…what happened?” Grim asked. Caelyum paused…then shrugged. “They left,” was all he said. Sensing the sensitive subject, you decided to drop the matter; Grim caught on and did the same. “How long have you been working for Sam? I haven’t seen you around before.” “Not long,” shrugged Caelyum, seemingly grateful the subject had changed. “He and I have some similar interests, and when I joined Night Raven, I applied for work.” “Oh, so you’re a first year?” “Yep.” “What house? Octavinelle?” you guessed, wondering why Tock wouldn’t have recognized the youth if so. “Scarabia, actually and weirdly enough,” laughed Caelyum, as if the placement struck him as some sort of very funny joke…he paused then leaned in and whispered: “Um…is it just me, or is the dorm head of that house a little…you know…how would you say it…?” “Too pure and innocent for this cruel, unholy world?” “…Yeah, that.” “Yes. Yes, he very much is.” The two of you were interrupted by the sound of Tock snarling in the food aisles. You all turned to see him trying to pry a bag of chips out of the pincers of one of the crabs, who looked very insulted to be interrupted in his work. “Hey! Can somebody make this crab cake let go?!” he snapped. “Oh, sorry!” Caelyum called out, and then snapped his fingers. Suddenly, every single crab inside the building froze…and then their claws and extremities retracted into their shells, leaving only a series of what looked like smooth, white stones scattered around the shop. With a second snap of his fingers, the stone crabs disappeared; there was no puff of smoke or flash of light. One second they were there…the next, they were not. Grim whistled, impressed. “Nice trick,” he murmured. “Is that your Unique Magic?” you asked. “Yep,” Caelyum nodded. “They’re called Locker Crabs, and you’d be surprised the kinds of things I can do with them…” “Cool!” Grim commented. “Hey, Tock!” you called out, hearing the rustling of snack food bags. “Leave some stuff for the rest of us, and hurry up! We need to get to the beach quickly!” “I’m hurrying, snack meat, I’m hurrying!” Tock called back dismissively. “The beach?” Caelyum spoke up, looking interested. “Why are you three heading there? What’s so important?” “We’re on a mission!” Grim cheered, puffing out his chest once more. “Oh, really?” smirked Caelyum, looking amused, and scoffed as he moved behind the front desk. “What for? Some sort of Valentine’s Day meeting, or something?” You frowned, sensing a bitterness to two particular words. “You mentioned you don’t make merry on Valentine’s Day,” you said slowly, approaching the desk and leaning on it. “What do you…y’know…have against it?” “Hm?” Caelyum murmured, then shrugged as he leaned back against the shelves behind the front desk. “Oh, well, it’s…not the day itself. More what it represents.” “Nya? What do you mean?” Grim asked, tilting his head. A shadow seemed to fall over Caelyum’s face, and he looked askance. Something icy and stormy flickered across his features. “Love,” he said, as if the word were some repellent toxin. You and Grim shared a look, then looked back to Caelyum. “Love is a lie,” Caelyum went on, seemingly talking more to himself than to either of you. “It’s like a parasite that burrows into your chest…and even once the sickness it spreads is cured, something in there remains, keeping you from ever knowing real peace. It pulls you along a blind alley, and just when you feel safe, it stabs you in every place it hurts most, and then leaves you to either heal on your own or die. It weakens your defenses, and confuses your resolve. And yet every year, every time this day comes around…I just see people acting like it’s the best thing in the universe.” He shuddered violently, looking positively ill. Grim meowed almost sadly. “I think love is mushy and gross, but…I don’t think it’s THAT bad,” he mewed. His words seemed to snap Caelyum out of it. The witch doctor’s assistant glanced up at you both…and, with a light chuckle, his helpful, friendly smile returned, the shadows departing in an instant. “Well…being mushy and gross doesn’t help,” he joked. Grim sniggered. Your own expression didn’t change, even as the employee leaned forward again. “Seriously, though, what IS your mission?” “We’re gonna be bodyguards!” Grim announced joyously. “Bodyguards?” “There’s a special guest coming to the show on campus tonight,” you explained. “The Headmaster assigned the three of us to look after her, since she’s a VIP.” “A really RICH VIP,” Grim added. “That’s our Headmaster,” Caelyum scoffed with a roll of his eyes. “So, who is this special guest?” “Mia Corazón.” Caelyum’s smile vanished, as if it had been smacked off his face. “Mia…Corazón?” he repeated. “Nya? Do you know her?” Grim asked. Caelyum didn’t answer, looking away; that hollow, haunted stare came to his face as he seemed lost in another world. “Mia Corazón,” he repeated again, then let out a soft, slightly hysterical laugh. “Of all the cursed days of the year…she chooses now…” Before you could ask what was wrong, Tock came lumbering over, arms loaded with various snacks and drinks. “There! That should be enough for all of us…or at least, for me,” he grinned, flashing you a wink that would have made you blush in an instant if your mind weren’t on other matters. He looked towards the assistant…then frowned, eyes narrowing. “Hey…who are you upset with?” The words once again snapped the brooding Caelyum out of it. He looked at Tock with surprise…then shook his head fast and brushed some of his pink hair away from his face. “No one. Nothing,” he insisted, and forced his smile back onto his face. “Now! Let’s, uh…let’s ring this up, aye?” In casual, business-like fashion, Caelyum charged Tock; you were grateful for the recent raise Crowley had given you as you paid for it all. The three of you then left the shop. Just before you exited, you turned to bid Caelyum one last farewell. He smiled and waved back… …But the moment you left, the darkness flooded his face once more, and he looked away, eyes smoldering like hot coals as he reached into his shirt… …Revealing the silver locket that was around his neck. The same sort in the photo Crowley had given you. The young man’s face became cold as an iceberg once more as he opened the locket…and sang to the tune the music box inside played. “Wild and strong, you can’t be contained. Never bound, nor ever chained. Wounds you caused will never mend, and you will never end…”

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“Why did you ask him that question?” Tock Crockwork belched and grunted as he finished up his lunch, licking and sucking on his fingers before looking to you, cheeks bulging as he still chewed his food. “Whuh queshun?” he mumbled out through a full mouth. “About why he was upset?” Grim spoke up, tilting his head. “I mean, he certainly looked upset, so…” “That wasn’t the question he asked though,” you clarified to Grim, then looked to Tock. “You specifically asked, ‘WHO are you upset WITH?’” Tock swallowed and let out a hiccupping burp before speaking. “Mph…yeah, and?” he grunted, patting his stomach and licking his lips free of any crumbs from the sandwich he had devoured. “Well…why did you assume he was upset with someone?” “I didn’t assume, I knew,” snorted Tock, and slung his arms behind his head as the three of you neared the beach of Sage Island. “That was the same look I saw in the mirror every day when I thought of Leona, or those boys back home.” Knowing what had happened in his conflict with Leona, you gulped at Tock Crockwork’s words. “Well, I hope he wasn’t mad at us,” murmured Grim. You smiled thinly; you had a very good idea you knew who Caelyum was mad at, given the context of things…and you were very much hoping you were wrong. You had the sinking feeling those hopes would be dashed as the three of you drew closer to the beach…and a familiar-sounding song, accompanied by the tinkling notes of a music box, drifted through the greenery and into your ears… “Over waves and deep in the blue; I will give up my heart for you. Ten long years I’ll wait to go by: My Love Will Never Die.” The source of the singing soon became clear as you pushed past the last few bushes of the wilderness and stepped onto the open, sunny beach. There was a single white bench nearby; standing beside the bench was a man in what looked like an almost Spartan uniform…and seated upon it was a young woman, with dark skin and long, black hair, dressed in a red and gold dress. In one of her hands, she lifted the pendant of a locket; the source of the music box tune. The lady snapped the locket shut, and she and her chaperone turned fast when they heard yourself and your companions approaching. She smiled, chocolate-toned eyes lighting up with interest. “Oh, hello!” she chuckled, seemingly a bit embarrassed at being caught in her reverie, and stood up as her suspicious compatriot narrowed his eyes at you. “Are you…my bodyguards?” “Yes, ma’am!” chirruped Grim, proudly. “Mia Corazón, I presume?” you smiled, respectfully. “That is right,” the young woman greeted, bowing her head in matching respect and lowering her locket. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” “Wait a minute…why do you need us to guard you?” Tock spoke up, and pointed to the Spartan-looking fellow. “Wouldn’t he be enough?” “Oh, that’s Firme. He actually has a date with his wife,” Mia answered, giving the man a teasing smile.

The guard blushed. “Miss Corazón, not in front of civlians!” he pleaded. Mia chuckled. “Sorry, Firme,” she apologized. “Now go on; I know she’s waiting for you.” Firme nodded gratefully, then glared at the three of you more seriously. “Protect her at any cost; we’re depending on you,” he ordered. “Aww, don’t worry, we’ll keep the little fishstick safe!” Tock smirked, cracking his knuckles and neck. “You can start by NOT calling her ‘fishstick,’” you droned, noting the nervous look on Mia’s face and the anger on Firme’s. You gave both an apologetic smile. “Sorry. He’s half-crocodile. Trust me, though, he’s a softy when you get to know him.” “HEY! I AM NOT!” snapped Tock, angrily. Grim just giggled. The interaction and your promise seemed to relax both denizens of the Coral Sea. Firme bowed to Mia, and then walked towards the beach…and kept walking, straight into the sea, until his head disappeared under the waves. “Well!” Mia smiled, and cheerily hurried towards your group. “Can we go see the show now? I don’t wanna be late!” “Of course…um…Your Excellency?” “Oh, don’t bother with titles like that,” the girl giggled. “Just call me Mia! Everybody does!” “Okay, Mia,” you chuckled, quite liking her warmth and energy. “Follow us, and stay close.” “I will,” Mia promised as the three of you set off along the beach. “Thank you, by the way; I hope this doesn’t cause you too much trouble.” “Quite the opposite,” grumbled Grim, remembering what Crowley had said earlier. “Why do you wanna see some silly show anyway?” sneered Tock. “Oh, it’s not silly!” exclaimed Mia. “The story of the Sea Witch and the Little Mermaid is important among my people…and besides, I think theater is exciting! I always enjoy seeing it!” “Hopefully our show won’t disappoint,” you smiled. Tock just rolled his eyes and scoffed. “I still think it’s for wimps,” he mumbled…then abruptly froze. The rest of you stopped, too, looking to the croc boy as he sniffed the air and growled. “What is it?” Mia asked. “Something wrong?” “Very,” Tock nodded. “We are being watched.” “How do you know?” you asked. “Instinct? Intuition?” Tock growled and narrowed his eyes, looking at you determinedly. “No, meat. We. Are. Being. Watched.” “By who?” whispered Mia, nervously. “I have an idea,” you murmured with some dread. Before Mia could comment on your remark, all three of you heard a sharp yelp, and turned to see that Grim had inexplicably toppled over. The feline-like creature sat up and massaged his bumped noggin. “Owwww,” he moaned. “What happened?” Mia asked, sounding concerned. “I dunno!” Grim whined out. “Just…s-something seemed to come up from under me and…” “GAHR!” You jumped as, right on cue, Tock toppled over as well. Then it was your turn, as you felt something shift under the sand where you stood, and you dropped to the ground. The wind was knocked out of you for a moment, but you managed to sit up just in time to see three large, round humps in the sand…which seemed to move of their own accord. The three humps began to trace a path, circling Mia, who froze up and squeaked like a mouse, clearly confused and frightened. It only got worse when, suddenly, more and more humps seemed to appear out nowhere: at least a dozen or more, which shot through the sand, burrowing through it with a barely-audible scraping sound… …Then, dust flew up as the shapes burst from the ground. As the dust cleared, you and your friends watched wide-eyed as a consortium of familiar white crabs toppled Mia Corazón, and – working together to lift her, carried her off across the beachside. “HEY! PUT ME DOWN! STOP!” Mia cried out, but the crabs wouldn’t listen, and soon vanished from sight. “Nya…we’re off to a good start with this job,” sighed Grim dismally. “After them!” you barked, and leapt to your feet as you dashed after Mia and her arthropoid captors, Grim hot on your heels. Tock grumbled sourly as he dusted himself off then jogged after you. “Taking orders from my lunch…I’m gonna eat that stupid, mask-wearing, feather-loving…!”

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Mia cried out as the crabs carried her along the sand, her “volunteer” bodyguards soon out of sight. She tried to fight free, but the crabs pinched and held her fast, keeping her in place. She wasn’t sure how far or for how long they carried her…but suddenly they stopped, and she let out an “eep!” as they moved into a pillar, and pushed her up, allowing her to stand. The mermaid-in-disguise turned around, panting for breath as she watched the crabs swarm about each other…then, they seemed to coalesce and mesh together; their pale shells took on more colors; hints of pink, brown, and orange… …Until, finally, standing before her was a familiar young man with dreadlocks and a fishnet scarf. In his hand, he held a heart-shaped silver locket. “Come my love, be one with the sea. Rule with me for eternity. Drown all dreams so mercilessly, and leave their souls to me.” He snapped the locket shut at the end of the verse, and paused before uttering, in a mechanical, robotic tone, two words: “Ahoy, Mia.” Mia blinked slowly, absolutely stunned. “…C-Cael?” Caelyum blinked back and said nothing, his face emotionless and blank. Mia slowly smiled, her eyes lighting up…then squealed with joy and rushed forward, throwing her arms around the young man…who stood stiff and rigid, not even looking at her, as she hugged him close. “CAEL! I…oh, Gods, what do I even say?! It’s…it’s been so long…I’ve missed you so much! Where have you been?! Cael…Cael, I-I’m so happy…!” “Let. Go. Of. Me. You. BITCH.” Mia gasped as Caelyum harshly pushed her back, nearly knocking her over. Her heart sank as she stared at the young man, who glared at her, grinding his teeth and clenching his fists. She looked deeply hurt…and not because of the push. “Cael?” she whispered. “Cael…wh-what’s wrong? Why…why are you upset with me?” Cael’s eyes flashed with anger. “What’s wrong?! Why am I upset?!” he repeated. “What in Hades do you THINK is wrong?!” Mia flinched as the boy from the swamplands’ voice rose to a perfect scream. Cautiously, steadily, she approached. “Cael…please…I-I don’t understand. I…I’ve wanted to see you again for such a long time, and now-” “How DARE you?!” shouted Caelyum, silencing the aristocratic mermaid. “How dare you say something like that to me?! After what you did to me, do you expect to believe you’ve ever cared?!” “I…what…I do care!” Mia pleaded, and tears began to twinkle in her eyes. “Cael, what are you talking about?” Cael laughed; a dangerously unhinged, malicious sound. “Oh-ho-ho, you know EXACTLY what I’m talking about! You should!” he spat…then, the bitterness was replaced by pain as he went on. “Two years, Mia. Two years I waited, and you never returned. You…y-you broke your promise to me…and did you ever think of me in those two years? Did you think of me even once in all the time since, until now?” Cael’s eyes began to brim with tears of his own; he was shaking. Mia felt her heart sinking further in her chest. “Of course I did,” she said, softly. “You’re…you’re my best friend.” One could almost hear Caelyum’s last heartstring break. “Best friend,” he repeated, in a dead, soulless voice…then hung his head. “You still don’t get it, do you, Mia? You broke my heart, Corazón…” Head still hung low, dreadlocks casting shadow over his eyes, Caelyum De Macabre lifted one arm, and snapped his fingers…and Mia nervously stepped back as a swarm of crabs appeared to trail across his arm and mesh together…forming a silver cutlass. “…And now, I’m going to break yours. Literally.” Ominously, Caelyum began to approach. Mia felt panic rise in her, and started to back away…then yiped, almost comically, as she tripped on her own dress and tumbled back. “C-Cael…Cael, PLEASE!” she cried out, as the boy loomed over her, his face twisted in anger as he began to lift the sword above his head… “HEY! BACK OFF!” FWOOSH! A jet of blue flame shot between Mia Corazón and Cael De Macabre; the lad from the swamplands jumped back, then growled angrily, turning to face the source. You had finally arrive, with Grim at your side, both of you glaring at the bokor’s assistant. “That’s enough, Caelyum,” you warned. Cael sneered. “It’s not enough,” he hissed, “Until she endures the same amount of PAIN and AGONY I HAVE!” With a roar, he rounded about to try and strike Mia down…then froze in place when he found she had seemingly disappeared. Startled and caught greatly off guard, he was unable to avoid the green scaled fist that grabbed hold of the back of his jacket, and cried out as, with a roar, the owner of the fist hurled about seven feet away, sending him rolling through the send. His sword spun through the air before stabbing into the ground right at the edge of the shore. Caelyum coughed and snarled and spat as he got onto his hands and knees…then glared as he found Tock Crockwork – now in his full “true form” – glaring at him, fangs and claws bared. “Keep away from the fishstick, swamp meat,” he spat. “Thank you,” Mia whispered. Tock just smirked at her – somewhat cockily but not cruelly – then glarde back at Caelyum as yourself and Grim moved to stand beside him, all of you making sure to create a barrier before poor Mia. Cael rose to his feet shakily. “Leave her alone, Caelyum,” you said. “This is not your fight!” he snapped back. “Uh…yeah, it kinda is,” Grim snorted. “We told you, this is our job today!” “You don’t know who you’re protecting,” Cael viciously sneered, his shoulders trembling with fury, his fingers clenched so tight that his knuckles turned white as the bones under his skin. “She cursed me!” “Cursed you?!” Mia exclaimed. “Caelyum, I never did ANYTHING to you!” “Yes, you did!” Cael answered…and gulped back a sob before explaining: “You made me love you.” All eyes widened; you and your friends looked to Mia, then back at Caelyum. “Ohhhh…now the pieces are coming together,” Grim murmured. “I know the look in your eyes, meat, and it’s not love,” Tock said, darkly. “Not love as it should be, anyway.” “Cael…I-I’m so sorry,” Mia quavered. “Of course you’re sorry,” Cael scoffed. “Everyone’s sorry when it’s too late.” So saying, he lifted his hand…and the sword that had stabbed into the ground “dissolved” into a group of crabs. They scurried across the beach, crawled up his side…and reformed into a cutlass in his grasp once more. “Put the weapon away, Caelyum!” you beseeched. “It doesn’t have to be like this!” “Yes it does!” Cael yelled. “Don’t you get it?! I can’t be free! I’ll always remember! I’ll always feel that pain! Love is a curse; a curse that hurts me, every day of my existence…but after today, I’m going to change that.” He closed his eyes. You had a bad feeling you knew what you’d see when he opened them again…and you were correct. One of his eyes was suddenly surrounded by a fiery aura. “Today, I break the curse.” KA-ZAM! The familiar black cloud of Overblot surrounded the shopkeeper’s boy. Blue and orange light flashed in the gaps between the vapor as it swirled around the fellow from the swamplands…until finally, the mist parted. When it did, you all found that Caelyum De Macabre had gone through an alarming transformation. His brown-tinted clothes had vanished, replaced with a blue-gray uniform like a navy seaman. One of his arms was stuck into the sleeve of a long, tattered cerulean coat with gold lining, which hung about his shoulders almost like a cape. A blood red sash was lashed about his middle. While his left eye was surrounded by orange aura, a tattoo had appeared over his right, in the image of a pirate medallion. His dreadlocks had transformed into a head of writhing, wriggling, pinkish-purple tentacles, like those of a squid; each tendril’s tip was smeared with ink. His left arm had become a white crab claw, ink oozing from its joins; his right leg had become a crab’s leg, too, and was also oozing with Blot. A single black boot covered his one human foot…and he still held his cutlass in his one human hand. Cael grinned viciously, pupils pinpricks as he pointed his sword at you. “Yo-Ho, me hearties!” he bellowed. “Shiver ‘em from stem to stern!” At these words, the ground before his feet seemed to ripple…and then, a swarm of Locker Crabs came scrambling from the ground, racing towards your group. “I’ll take care of this!” Grim pronounced, and summoned a wall of flame. As the fire struck the crabs, they vanished in a cloud of silver smoke…but more just kept coming! Caelyum laughed and began to move towards your group, swaggering as the point of his crab-leg stabbed into the ground repeatedly. Seeing the approaching dark mage, Grim paused to hurl a fireball in his direction…only for Cael to split in half, crab legs showing in the “seam” of his being, as the fireball hurtled past without causing any harm. He stitched himself back together and kept moving forward, as if nothing had happened. Tock Crockwork roared and charged at Cael, swinging a punch at him…but De Macabre simply swept up his crab claw and, in a fluid, wrenching motion, whirled Tock about and flung him to the beach floor. He grinned with deranged excitement as he moved closer to yourself and Mia, leaving Tock to choke in the dust. “Hold them off, Grim!” you called out as he continued to scorch the crabs. “I’ll try!” Grim called back. “Run for it, Minion! RUN NOW!” And you did, holding onto Mia’s arm as you dragged her after yourself. With a wild laugh, Caelyum lifted his sword up…and then “melted” into a swarm of crabs, which scurried after the two of you as you raced along the beach. Behind you, Tock snarled, clutching his banged skull as he watched the horde of crabs vanish. He angrily kicked away a few that Grim didn’t manage to stop, and then charged forward. Grim panted; he was already growing weary. “I…I can’t hold them off!” he meowed. “There’s…there’s too many-EEP!” “Stop whining and shut up,” snarled Tock, whisking Grim up in one arm and sprinting on, the pair pursued by the remaining Locker Crabs. “We’ve got more important things to worry about, come on!” Unaware that your friends were on the chase, you hurried along with Mia Corazón. The crabs that made up Cael’s being clicked and scraped behind you with a deeply unsettling sound, urging you to go faster and faster. “Wait!” Mia gasped. “If…I…can…talk…to him…!” “I don’t think he’s in a mood to talk!” you replied. “Right now, all we can do is…!” You trailed off and stopped short as the crabs suddenly caught up with you…and then moved around you, reforming in front of you into a column. Thinking fast you looked around… …And were just in time to grab hold of sturdy tree branch, as a sword reshaped and then stabbed at you. You barely had a moment to parry the strike, the blade cutting a notch into the wooden limb you held. “Stay behind me!” you hissed to Mia, as Cael reformed fully. “So, it’s a duel then?” Cael cackled. “Alright! EN GARDE!” You yelped, instinctively blocking as the sword slashed at you once more. The slash was followed by a lunge; you jumped back quickly and parried that strike, too. CLING-CLANG-CLING-CLANG! The cutlass and the branch clattered against each other, the sound of the steel against wood that was tougher than it looked ringing out. Each time Cael tried to get around you to lunge at Mia, you blocked his path. You laughed softly, amazed you were holding out; guess one didn’t know how good they’d be at something like a swordfight till they tried! You ducked another slash, and responded by swinging your stick around. WHACK! Caelyum reeled as you managed to smack him across the face…then slowly turned back. He looked…annoyed. “Ow,” was all he said, almost sarcastically, before swinging his blade around again. You quickly lifted your branch… SWACK! And gulped nervously as the cutlass sliced it clean in half. “Oh, boy.” “HA HA!” laughed Cael, and lifted his crab leg, kicking you hard in the stomach. You coughed, dazed and winded as you crumpled to the ground. Now, nothing was standing between the enraged Caelyum and his prey: Mia. The mermaid with legs began to back away in fright…then cried out sharply as Cael thrust out his crab claw and grabbed her by the throat with it. A grin of evil triumph spread across his face as he lifted his weapon above his head. “And here we are at last,” he crooned with twisted delight, and squeezed, making Mia gasp for air. “Any last words, my dear?” Mia gulped…and looked pleadingly into the Swamplander’s eyes as she uttered five simple words. “Cael…please…I love you!” Just before the last three words were uttered, Cael had prepared to attack…but then he froze. The grip of his pincer loosened as she said those three golden words, and the demented smile vanished from his face. He hesitated, as if those words had caused something in his brain to just shut down… Which was all the opportunity you needed. CRACK! “GAH!” exclaimed Caelyum, and dropped Mia, who coughed as she hit the ground. His tentacle hairdo wriggled like a horde of angry snakes as he glared at you in rage: the stone you had thrown at his shoulder had hurt! With a furious roar, he swung his sword around his head three times, trying to cut you into pieces. You ducked and dodged each strike as fast as you could…only to fall back as Cael summoned a horde of sand crabs. You squirmed and grimaced as the crabs pinned you to the ground, acting like organic shackles. You winced as each time you moved, they pinched you hard, making you stay still. Caelyum smirked victoriously, and pointed the tip of his cutlass at your heart. “Tell me, Prefect,” he taunted. “Do you fear death?” “Do you?” CHOMP! Caelyum began to turn around towards the voice, his face etched with surprise…and stayed perfectly still, as if he’d become a statue, paralyzed in shock. The red marking of Tock Crockwork’s unique power – One Minute to Die – was evident on his left arm. “NOW!” the crocodile shouted, as Grim hurried over. The feline-like creature wasted no time: he focused his power, a bright blue aura surrounding him…before, with a spiteful hiss, sending a huge jet of flame towards Caelyum. Caelyum was sent flying through the air, clothing scorched, and rolled across the dirt, still in the position he had been stuck in. Only a few seconds later, he convulsed, and groaned, trying to stand up… …Only to find Tock looming over him. “This,” the crocodile hissed, “Is why I’M top of the food chain, snack meat!” WHAM! He spun around, slapping his tail across Cael’s face…and the Overblotting mage fell still and silent, rendered swiftly unconscious. The sword disappeared without warning from his hand, as if it had never been there. The crabs he had summoned all vanished in the blink of an eye: just like at the shop, one moment they were there, and the next they were not. All four of you – yourself, Mia, and your friends – sighed with relief. “Thanks,” you nodded to Tock as he helped you to your feet. “Hey, I’ve gotta protect my territory; that includes you,” Crockwork shrugged. You decided not to comment on that. “Are you okay, Miss Corazón?” meowed Grim, nuzzling up against the mermaid’s side. She smiled weakly and patted his head before standing. “Physically, yes,” she said. The teenaged girl’s eyes then lit up with concern as she hurried over to Cael’s side. “Cael…Cael, are you okay? S-Speak to me!” she pleaded. “He just tried to kill you!” Grim snapped out. “He wasn’t thinking straight,” Mia defended him. “Just…h-he didn’t understand…” She sniffled and bowed her head. “…C-Caelyum…I’m so sorry…” You and Grim shared a sad sort of look. Tock just looked confused, above all else. “What happened between you two?” the croc grimaced, crossing his scaly arms. “I think we’re about to find out,” you said, and pointed as silver mist began to wisp off of Caelyum De Macabre’s form. A moment later, a blinding white light surrounded the young man…and the mist formed a cloud, inside of which – as always seemed to happen – pictures from the past began to appear… “Tag! You’re it!” “I’ll get you! Ha Ha Ha!” In the swamplands of the Jubilee Port, a small boy with pink dreadlocks giggled and hid behind a tree by the riverbank. For several seconds, he sat anxiously…then yelped when, out of the river burst a familiar, dark face with flowing raven hair. “GOTCHA!” sang out the girl with the gold and ruby tail, and reached out a hand to playfully tap his shoulder. “No fair!” huffed the boy. “I always have to stay near the water; you never let me have an advantage!” The girl giggled and smirked teasingly. “Not my fault you’re a lousy swimmer,” she cooed. The boy grumbled and pouted. She smiled gently. “I’m sorry, Cael; I didn’t mean it,” she said, placing a hand on his leg… “AHA!” the boy laughed, and tapped her hand before jumping away. “You’re it again!” “HEY! THAT’S CHEATING!” The two laughed as the girl swam through the river, chasing the bayou boy up and down the banks…before finally leaping out of the river with a victorious cry. “RAAAAH!” “EEK!” Young Caelyum yelped as he was thrown to the ground. The girl with the fish tail grinned, flippers wagging happily as she kept him pinned. “Gotcha again!” she sang out. Young Cael giggled and wiggled under her. “Hey, lemme go!” he demanded with a slight laugh. “Hmmmm…if I do, will you just tag me again?” “…Maybe?” The mermaid glared…and tickled her friend with her tail. Cael squealed with laughter before flashing an evil smile. “Ohhhhh, you wanna play that way, huh?” He tickled her back and the two rolled across the bank…before yelping and splashing into the river. A moment later, both rose from the depths Caelyum coughing and floundering. “Help! Mia, help! I’m drowning!” “I’ve got you, hold on!” Mia said, and helped Cael back to shore. The boy sighed with relief and began to wring out his clothes. “Thank you,” he gasped out. “No problem,” Mia smiled. “I’m sorry you got all wet…” “It’s okay; I’ve got other clothes,” Cael smiled. Mia nodded, then smiled a bit more sadly. “I still should have been more careful: there may be more clothes, but there’s only one Caelyum.” Cael blushed. “Hush, you’re just teasing me now…” “No. I’m not,” Mia said seriously. “You’re my best friend, Cael.” Cael blinked, pausing in his activities. “…But…don’t you have other mermaid friends?” “I may have OTHER friends, but you’re my BEST friend,” smiled Mia. “And there’s only one of you. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Cael blinked again…then smiled sentimentally. “Heh…well, um…you’re my best friend, too, Mia. And, uh…a-and I feel the same.” “I’m glad,” Mia smiled. A pause. “You should really suck less at swimming though.” “Oh, hush. Say! Maybe you can teach me?” “Sure!” That word seemed to be a cue, for the scene changed to a few years later; the same river on the bayou, the same boy and girl, just a little older. “MARCO!” “POLO!” The Mermaid floated with her upper half above the water, eyes closed, flapping her tail as she blindly searched for her friend. Cael would pop up now and again with a gleaming, gloating grin as he watched her try to find him: he’d learned to swim VERY well in the years since that time playing tag. “MARCO!” Mia called out again. “POLO!” laughed Cael. “Oh, this is impossible, you’re too fast!” “Suck less at swimming,” teased Caelyum. “I’m a MERMAID, all we DO is swim!” “You can walk!” “I need a potion or a spell for that,” huffed Mia, and turned around, trying to feel about for her friend. Cael smirked and dove under again, swimming cautiously around her in the wide river… …But as he popped up again, he was due for a terrible sight. He gasped as he saw Mia blindly reaching closer to the shore…where a venomous serpent glared at her oncoming form almost hungrily… “MARCO!” “MIA, WATCH OUT!” Confused, Mia opened her eyes…then gasped as she saw the snake rearing back to bite her! She pulled away just in time, and at the same moment, Cael glared and snapped his fingers. The snake heard a clicking noise, and turned its head to find a white crab snapping its pincers. The pincers swung towards its throat… SNICKER-SNACK! And that was the end of the snake. Mia swam back to Caelyum’s side as she snapped his fingers again and the crab disappeared. He hugged her close. “Are you okay?” he whispered, worriedly. “Yeah…i-it didn’t get me,” she panted with relief, and squeezed him tightly. “Thank…th-thank you…” Caelyum smiled warmly and returned the hug…then froze up as Mia leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you,” she said again, and nuzzled against his bare chest. Cael blinked…then blushed red as a tomato and grumbled. “…Hey, what are friends for…? More time passed, and the swamp disappeared. The scene now became a lonely pier. On it sat Caelyum and Mia, who was now in full human form. “Do you really have to go?” he whispered. Mia nodded sadly, hanging her head. Cael bit his lip, and looked away, tragedy in his eyes. “…When…w-when will you be back?” he asked, timidly. “I don’t know,” Mia admitted sadly, then smiled gently up at her friend. “My mother said I need to start learning more about the family business; spending less time on land and…well…with you.” Cael frowned and clenched his fists. “I see.” Mia’s smile fell…and she gave Caelyum a hug. He relaxed. “She’s set in her ways,” she said softly. “But I will never forget you. And I WILL come back.” “Do you promise?” “Of course. You’re my best friend,” smiled Mia…then reached into a bag she had with her, stationed between the two. “Here…I have proof…” Cael tilted his head as out of the bag she pulled two silver necklaces with heart shaped lockets. She gave him one, and clasped the other around her neck. “What is this?” Cael asked, crinkling his nose in confusion. “A sign that we both share the same heart,” Mia said, and giggled. “That’s the really sappy way of saying it, anyway. Put it on and open it!” Cael did, and at the same time he opened the locket, Mia did too…and soft, beautiful melody chimed from the music box contained. Caelyum’s eyes widened. “That’s the song you taught me,” he recognized, and looke dup to Mia. “The one about the pirate and the goddess of the sea?” Mia nodded. “It’s your favorite…my favorite…OUR favorite,” she said gently, and took Cael’s hands in hers, looking into his eyes with deep-rooted affection. “And as long as we share these lockets, share these songs…we’ll never truly be away from each other.” Caelyum smiled weakly. “I don’t know about that,” he chuckled, wryly. “But…thank you, Mia.” He paused. “You…you know I love you…right?” Mia blushed. “Yes. And I love you too.” Cael gaped. “You do?” “Of course, silly! You’re my best friend!” Cael blinked…then smiled and shook his head wearily. “Yeah…I know,” he said softly. “I…I know.” A pause…and the pair began to sing together to the mingled tune on their music boxes as they watched the sun sink on the horizon beyond the sea. “Warm and welcoming as the sea, someday I will return to thee. Hear my voice, sing with the tide: Our Love Will Never Die.” Time passed once more, but the music box still played. The next scene played in silence, as Cael lay on his bed silently one night. He hummed to the tune on the locket, and glanced sorrowfully towards a calendar on his wall. Every date was crossed out with a red X. He sighed…then snapped the locket shut…before a lightbulb seemed to go off over his head, and he reached towards his book case, grabbing a specific spell book… This short tableaux was followed by another as Caelyum was now found…underwater. His lower half had become a white-scaled fish’s tail as he swam through the water, using a spell that would turn him into a merman for a few short hours. He’d taken a boat out to the coordinates where he knew Mia lived. Now, he swam quickly and quietly through the city, looking for Mia. His eyes darted this way and that, seeking some sign of his long lost friend; two years without any sort of contact – never a call, never anything written – and he was now so close to seeing her again! He smiled wider as he moved into one of the higher rent neighborhoods of the underwater area, carefully brushing past other, natural merfolk going about their business. His heart was beating fast in his chest; when he found her, he’d tell her everything. How he felt, how much it hurt to be without her, how much he never wanted to be separated again! Then he found her, as he turned an alley…and that fast beating heart seemed to skip a beat… …As his face filled with sorrow. Only yards away – never noticing he was there, he saw a strong, burly-looking merman with blonde hair…hugging his Mia and kissing her full on the lips. He clamped his eyes shut…and swam away, out of the city and back towards the surface. His tears were lost with the tides. Thus ended the vision, as the blinding light faded, leaving an unconscious Caelyum De Macabre lying on the ground, back to his usual self. “…Prefect?” “Yeah, Grim?” “Is it, like…a requirement that we stand here for several seconds in total silence after we see those?” “No, I think it just happens.” “Ah. Okay then.” Tock Crockwork said nothing. A few moments later, Cael groaned and began to stir. He blinked his eyes and clutched his pink-haired head as he started to sit up. “Ugh…what…wh-what happened?” he slurred out. “You tried to turn my food into shish-kabob,” droned Tock, thumbing towards you. “Shut up,” you grumbled. Confused, Cael turned towards your voices, and looked about to say something…until he heard sniffling and whimpering. He turned…and found the teary-eyed face of Mia staring back at him. “C-Cael,” she whimpered…then let out a squealing cry that caught him off guard as she threw herself upon him and began to cry. “CAEL, I’M SO SORRY! I’m so, so sorry…please…please, I’m sorry, PLEASE…!” Caelyum, as you might imagine, looked beyond uncomfortable…and with a growl, he managed to push Mia off of him. She whimpered like a kicked puppy as, without a word, he got to his feet and turned away from her, one hand on his chest, clutching his silver locket. “Sorry isn’t enough,” he answered, coldly. Mia gulped…and stood up. “Cael…please don’t walk away,” she begged. “Why not?” Caelyum snarled back over his shoulder, and began to stumble away. “Because I love you!” Cael stopped. He didn’t turn around…but he stopped. Mia paused…and took a deep breath. “I love you,” she said, firmly now, not desperately. “I…I always loved you, but…but I was…I don’t know, I…I was worried…” She hung her head and paused before going on. Cael turned his head slightly to show he was listening. “When I returned to the sea, my mother didn’t want me to ever go back to the land. She forbid it. She told me I had to stay under the water, and…and find a proper husband. She told me to forget about you, and…that merman you saw? He was…my betrothed.” Cael growled. “WAS,” Mia pointed out, and then went on quickly: “Cael, I could NEVER forget you, and I could NEVER stop loving you. Those two years…they were agony for me. That time in the alley…I asked him to kiss me because I wanted to show him we WEREN’T right for each other. He agreed; there just…wasn’t a spark. We liked each other, but…we both knew it would be wrong.” She swallowed, and lifted her head. “So…we both spoke to my mother. And…she realized what she’d been doing was wrong. The very next day, I went back to the swamplands; I looked everywhere for you…you weren’t there.” Silence. “I’m so sorry, Caelyum,” she sniffled. “I’m…I’m so-” Cael stopped her with a raised hand…and slowly turned towards her. All of you were surprised to see tears in his eyes. “…I just tried to kill you.” “Yes.” “I ran off over this whole misunderstanding.” “Yes.” “All this pain, all this time…and you really loved me?” “Yes.” “And…you…still love me? After all that?” Mia smiled. “Yes.” Cael blinked…then let out a wet laugh. “Wow,” he chuckled. “I…I guess swimming isn’t the only thing we both suck at. I mean…we’re n-not very good at this whole ‘relationship’ thing, either, are we?” Mia shared a sniffling laugh…and the pair promptly ran into each other’s arms. “I’m so happy I found you,” Mia sobbed with joy. “I’ve missed you so much…” “Not half as much as I’ve missed you,” Cael choked. The pair squeezed each other…then backed up, holding each other’s hands and staring lovingly into each other’s eyes. “Play the song you sang long ago,” Cael began. “And wherever the storm may blow,” Mia continued. “You will find the key to my heart,” both finished. “We’ll never be apart.” “Aaaaand…kiss,” you murmured to yourself with a smile, as the pair did exactly that. Tock snorted, rolling his eyes as Grim stuck out his tongue and grumbled something about “soppy mush.” The two lovebirds parted after a few seconds…then seemed to remember you were all standing nearby, and blushed before backing away from each other like scalded cats. “Um…s-sorry,” Caelyum mumbled. “About trying to destroy us, or for that sappy display?” droned Tock. “Because I can forgive one of those…” “It’s the destroying us part, isn’t it?” you guessed. “Yyyyep.” Cael hung his head and shuffled his feet guiltily. “…I’ve…had a lot of pain bottled up for years,” he said silently. “And…when I heard she was coming here…I…well…” “It’s alright,” you soothed, moving closer. “I can understand. And for the record, we won’t tell the Headmaster.” “Nya…or Chief Jehan,” Grim added. “Claude Jehan?” Mia spoke up, and tilted her head. “Is he really as scary as they say back home? The Ashengrottos and Leeches have a LOT of stories to tell.” “I’d imagine,” you snickered. “And no. He’s not that scary.” “Right. He’s WORSE,” Tock responded. “Amen,” you and Grim chorused. Mia gulped nervously; Cael chuckled softly, smiling at her with puppy-eyed affection. “I…hope he’s not going to be at the play tonight,” she said slowly. “Trust me, you’ll be fine,” you soothed. “Well, we won’t be if we don’t get there on time!” Grim reminded you. “We’re already behind schedule, thanks to all this!” “The hairball has a point,” nodded Tock, stiffly, then grumbled under his breath: “I still say it’s all for pansies, though…” All of you chuckled…except Mia, who took Cael by the hand. “Can…can he come, too?” she asked, shyly. Cael looked shocked, as did Grim and Tock. You just smiled wider. “If he wants to,” you answered. Cael blinked…then grinned so wide his face nearly seemed to split in two. “Please!” he nodded eagerly. “Then come on!” you called, and gestured for the reunited lovers to follow. “Let’s get moving before my pay gets docked! I have a pet to feed, you know!” “I AM NOT YOUR PET!” snapped Grim, while Tock cackled with amusement, snapping his fingers and resuming his humanoid form. Caelyum De Macabre and Mia Corazón just smiled and squeezed each other’s hands, following at a steady pace. It took longer than it should have to reach the theater, in the end, but you still made it in the nick of time. When asked why it took so long, you had an honest answer: Cael and Mia were so busy staring into one another’s eyes with everlasting love, it made getting there quickly difficult. In your mind, and theirs, it was more than worth it.

 The End

[manga2day]

Amiral Issho Fujitora

Also known as Fujitora, Issho is a blind Marine 👨🏼‍🦯 who owns the post of Admiral. The first mention of him was made by Admiral Commander-in-Chief Sakazuki when he announced his plan for the alliance formed between the Straw Hat Pirate and Trafalgar D. Law. This plan includes sending Admiral Fujitora to Dressrosa to destroy this alliance and capture the two pirates. Issho is thus the second antagonist of the Dressrosa Arc after Doflamingo. Even with his blindness, this Admiral possesses incredible power linked to his Devil Fruit. He is able to summon meteorites, to make hover objects or people and also to create black holes. 🕳️ He is one of the quintessential opponents of Roronoa Zoro . We invite you to discover all the details about this character in the rest of this article.

Issho appearance

The face of Admiral Fujitorahas an X-shaped scar on his forehead that crosses each of his two eyes. 👀 This man is also suffering from blindness and when he opens his eyes, we only see the white. Her hair is black in color and is cut short. He also wears a beard and mustache of the same color as his hair. Like the other Admirals, he is very tall. As for the outfit, he is dressed in a purple 👘 kimono and cinched at the waist with a black belt. Fujitora covers it all with a white coat decked out with the Navy logo on the back and gold epaulettes. He wears geta, the traditional Japanese sandals with wooden soles, on his feet, and he moves with a cane made of wood as well.  

Fujitora Personality

A fairly reasonable person, Admiral Issho has a tendency to trust others to the point of being taken advantage of. Indeed, it happens to him to show a certain naivety as when the underlings of Captain Corsaire Don Quixote Doflamingo deceived him by making him believe that he was a loser in the game of roulette. His weakness could certainly be explained by the fact that he is blind. However, you should know that Fujitora himself made the choice to lose his sight because, for him, this infirmity is a blessing allowing him not to witness the corruption that reigns in the world. On the other hand, when Monkey D. Luffyhad told him of the deception of which he was the victim, he had no hesitation in taking revenge on the crooks in a ruthless manner. He formed a gigantic black hole into which were swallowed those who had slyly deceived him. Another point of his personality is that he does not shy away from his responsibilities. This was notably seen when he did not hesitate to reimburse the damage he caused in the restaurant because of his black hole. It should be noted that this Navy officer prefers to stick to his own values ​​rather than necessarily complying with what Admiral Commander-in-Chief Sakazuki alias Akainu recommends , namely ⚖️ Absolute Justice. It also appears that he tends to worry more about people's safety than to reprimand criminals. He does not endorse the actions of the World Government, which always seeks to conceal the truth from citizens. This attitude shows a certain integrity in Admiral Issho. As a result, he has no hesitation in asserting his opinions and opposing his hierarchy as during his muscular exchange with his superior Akainu. In addition, he absolutely refused thereafter to apologize to the latter when Sengoku the Buddha, the former Admiral Commander-in-Chief of the Navy advised him to do so. On the other hand, Issho is not a maverick, he has in particular respect for the law as when he saved the life of the scientist 👨🏼‍🔬 psychopath César Clown for his alliance with Don Quixote Doflamingo. Admiral Issho is also distinguished by his modesty which he demonstrated by having little reaction after Trafalgar D. Law and Don Quixote Doflamingo had praised his great strength as well as his undeniable reputation. In addition to modesty, he is also a humble person as when he knelt before Riku Doldo III aka Ricky, the king of Dressrosa , and his subjects. He had done it to apologize on behalf of the Navy for the fact that the latter allowed Doflamingo to harm them for 10 long years without having intervened. Issho also has a calm and unruffled temperament. Even when a meteorite launched on the Thousand Sunnywas diverted to his ship, he didn't worry any more and continued to enjoy his noodles quietly while all his soldiers were in total panic. However, despite his calm and seriousness, the Tiger 🐅 Violet certainly does not lack humor. He likes to use funny expressions, and even exaggerate them. As an example of his sense of humor, the fact that Luffy announces his attacks ahead of time amused him a lot and he even laughed at a pushy and outspoken Luffy about his infirmity. In addition, he prefers to have fun playing roulette rather than chasing Luffy and Law as his job requires.

Issho's allies

The World Government

As an officer of the Navy, Admiral Issho must obey the orders of the World Government. However, he does not really carry this entity in his heart for the reason that the World Government often lies to the people, only tells them what they want and acts only in its own interest. This is the reason why he apologized on behalf of the World Government for not intervening in Dressrosa when the country had been martyred by Doflamingo for 10 years. For this, he even knelt at the feet of King 👑 Riku and hundreds of citizens. Having been filmed by the escarphones, called Den Den Mushi, and disseminated in several regions, this approach aroused the anger of his superior, Admiral Commander-in-Chief Sakazuki and that of the Council of Five Deans, otherwise known as The Five Elders or Gorosei, which is the Highest Authority of the World Government. Marine

Since Issho is an Admiral of the Navy, he is entitled to the respect of all this military organization. Each member of the Navy with a rank lower than his owes him full obedience without asking or asking the slightest question. As for his relations with the Admiral Commander-in-Chief, they are complex. First of all, Admiral Issho has Akainu's confidence since it is he whom the latter has chosen to send to the 🏝️ island of Dressrosa to put an end to the alliance concluded between Monkey D. Luffy and Trafalgar D. Law.However, the fact that Fujitora apologized on behalf of the World Government for what happened in Dressrosa, without notifying anyone of his act, greatly pissed him off. Because of this, the latter imposed an ultimatum on Issho that he had to bring back the heads of Luffy in the Straw Hat 👒 and Law at World Government Headquarters to Mary Geoise or he would be fired. This threat did not impress the new Admiral much, but rather caused him irritation. Besides, he hardly seemed to intend to obey his superior. On the side of the other senior officers of the Navy, he seems to have a good relationship with  Vice Admiral Smoker, the White Hunter . It turns out that these two officers have the same vision about Justice, but also about the 7 Captain Corsairs: They hate them. For both, the agreement of the World Government with these pirates 🏴‍☠️ should be abrogated, especially in view of the infamous acts of Sir Crocodile alias Mr. 0in Alabasta and those of Don Quixote Doflamingo in Dressrosa. Indeed, these two characters deceived the respective inhabitants of these kingdoms by pretending to act like heroes in order to gain their trust while in parallel, they carried out their Machiavellian plan in the shadows. Note that Smoker had related to Issho during an exchange between the two characters the events that took place in Alabasta and had declared that he too wanted to destroy the order of the 7 Captain Corsairs.   The Grand Corsairs

Although he is allied with the 7 Captain Corsairs as a Navy officer, Admiral Fujitora does not trust them in any way. For him, they are simply pirates ☠️ who benefit greatly from their alliance with the World Government and the privileges that flow from it, as was the case with the abuses of Doflamingo during his reign in Dressrosa. In truth, he feels a great contempt for the 7 Grand Corsairs and he joined the Navy during the ellipse which lasted two years with the aim of putting an end to this alliance and to dismantle, even eradicate, this organization.

Aptitudes de Fujitora

First of all, the fact that Fujitora is an Admiral is proof of his undeniable power given that Admiral 🎖️ is the highest rank in the Navy and just preceded by the Admiral Commander-in-Chief. Thus, this rank is not given to just anyone, especially not to a person whose potency is less or has not been proven. And, by virtue of his position as Admiral, the thousands of soldiers who make up the Navy are under his authority. Another privilege due to his high rank is that he can command a Buster Call, the Navy's ultimate military attack force in an operation of mass destruction., on any island he thought was a threat. He also has the authority to revoke the title of one of the 7 Grand Corsairs as he did for Trafalgar D. Law. And, in terms of fighting strength, Fujitora is seen as one of the most powerful members of the Navy. In addition to this, it turns out that Admiral Fujitora possesses mastery over two types of Haki, namely the Armament Haki and the Observation Haki . He notably used the Busoshoku no Haki to impregnate his sword ⚔️ in order to stop the Birdcage of Doflamingo with the help of Roronoa Zoro, Kurozumi Kanjuro and Kinemon alias The Fire Fox. As for his mastery of Kenbunshoku no Haki, it is at a high stage and manifests in the form of an aura, which allows him to visualize what is in the surroundings even though he is blind. Moreover, his mastery of Sensitive Fluid is such that even when he uses it, he is still able to fulfill his duties as an Admiral. Another proof of Fujitora's strength and power is that during the events of Dressrosa and his many clashes, he came through without any injuries 🤕 or even visible scratches. Let's not forget that Issho still fought Law and Doflamingo who are Captain Corsairs, Luffy and Zoro who are part of those we nickname the Supernovae (just like Law by the way) as well as Sabo who is the second most important member of the military organization of the Revolutionary Army.

Devil Fruit: Zushi Zushi no Mi

Admiral Issho first unveiled the mighty power of his Devil Fruit 🍇 at the restaurant in Acacia, the port city of the Kingdom of Dressrosa. It was in this place that he showed his ability to master gravity by creating a huge black hole there, into which he knocked all those who conned him into gambling because of his blindness. During this event, the scammers were first seen pulled violently towards the ground, which demonstrates the impressive force of gravity aroused by this Devil Fruit. Paramecia type, this Devil Fruit is known as Zushi Zushi no Mi. The latter offers Issho the possibility of achieving several feats through the mastery of gravity. In particular, it can affect objects, make meteorites fall from the sky and form gravitational barriers of circular shape which are used to protect itself from the attacks of its adversaries. Admiral Fujitora notably uses his cane 🦯 to channel his various skills. Thus, Fujitora has been seen summoning meteorites from the sky to drop them on Trafalgar D. Law as well as Don Quixote Doflamingo. He also has the ability to immobilize his opponents on the ground thanks to the gravity he manipulates through his saber. And, as for Shiki the Golden Lion with the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi de or Trafalgar D. Law with the Ope Ope no Mi, Issho is able to levitate objects of any size with his Devil Fruit. He has notably been seen to hover a warship in the air as well as the debris of an island, demonstrating the enormous potential of the powers of Zushi Zushi no Mi. Even Doflamingo admits that his power is out of proportion. In addition, Issho does not need to touch the objects he wants to levitate at all, unlike Shiki's Fuwa Fuwa no Mi. However, Zushi Zushi no Mi has weaknesses other than those common to Devil Fruits. For one thing, it turns out that its user's gravity-related powers can be disrupted if the opponent directly attacks Fujitori. This is precisely what Roronoa Zoro had using a remote notch to escape the gravitational pin in which Fujitora had trapped him. On the other hand, both people and objects that are strong enough to hold their position are able to withstand the gravity exerted by this Devil Fruit. 👿  

Arme: Shikomizue

The wooden cane Admiral Fujitori moves with is not a simple cane, it actually conceals a sword. This kind of weapon is what is called in the Land of the Rising Sun a Shikomizue, which literally means a sword cane.. Issho uses this weapon in connection with his mysterious abilities related to his Devil Fruit. Even if this link between his Shikomizue and his powers has not yet been clarified to this day, we know that the weapon allows Issho to manifest a strange force. In addition, Fujitori's level as a fencer 🤺 has not yet been revealed but it can be argued that he must be an expert, despite being blind. Indeed, even if his blindness forces him to use this cane to move when he is not fighting, this infirmity does not handicap him in any way when he faces opponents.

Issho history

Admiral Fujitora's past has yet to be revealed other than the fact that at some point in his life he made the decision to deprive himself of his sight. 👁️ According to his own words, this choice was motivated by his disappointment and disgust with evil as well as the corruption that reigns in this world. During the implementation of the World Military Project during the ellipse, Fujitora as well as his colleague Ryokugyû were both elevated to the rank of Admiral. It is also during this period that we discover that Issho's ultimate goal to enter the Navy is to put an end to the system of the 7 Captain Corsairs because he does not believe in it. It also seems that it was during this period that Admiral Issho first met Smoker, the White Hunter. We then find Fujitora in Dressrosa when he was sent there by his superior Akainu who tasked him with dealing with the problem Luffy and Law who made an alliance. Instead of settling the matter as quickly as he should in obedience to his Commander-in-Chief, Fujitora instead starts looking for a casino 🎰 then playing roulette in a restaurant in Acacia town. This is where he meets Monkey D. Luffywhile he defends him against subordinates of Doflamingo who scam him by taking advantage of his blindness. This is also when the Admiral demonstrates the power of his Devil Fruit when he takes revenge on the crooks who abused him after thanking Luffy for his frankness. After unsheathing a sword from his cane, he creates a large black hole in the restaurant's floor and lures his con artists into it to knock them all down. Everyone who witnessed the scene was in awe of its power and might. Luffy even asks him his identity, which he refuses to reveal to her while laughing and leaving the restaurant.

After that, Issho heads with his whole fleet to the uninhabited island 🏝️ of Green Bit north of Dressrosa where Trafalgar D. Law and Doflamingo have set up a meeting for the exchange of scientist Caesar Clown. After Law admitted that he had entered into an alliance with the Straw Hat Pirates, Admiral Fujitora loudly declared that his status as Grand Corsair had now been revoked. He then began to attack it by summoning gigantic meteorites which crashed to the ground creating a huge crater. Fortunately, Law was able to survive unscathed, as were everyone present. Subsequently, Issho succeeded in immobilizing Law thanks to his mastery of gravity, but the latter managed to escape by taking advantage of which was in the area. The Admiral and Doflamingo then started chasing the Mugiwara who were on board their ship. 🚢 It was there that he showed another of his Devil Fruit's powers by flying his warships in pursuit of the Thousand Sunny. Arriving on the Dressrosa riverside, Issho witnesses Law's "death" after Doflamingo shot him three times in the chest. Subsequently, he will help pirates and gladiators protect the population of Dressrosa against Doflamingo's plan and his Operation Birdcage.. He will even call in the Armament Haki to attempt to stop the Birdcage and give Luffy time to defeat the Celestial Demon. After the Straw Hat Pirate defeated Doflamingo, Issho knelt before King Riku and his citizens to publicly ask their forgiveness for Doflamingo's hideous deeds and the non-intervention of the World Government. His act earned him the wrath ⚡ of his superior who forced him to bring back the heads of Luffy and Law. It was after this that Luffy and Issho clashed until the latter was stopped by the inhabitants of Dressrosa wanting to protect Luffy and his companions. He then understood that they had only good intentions and protected them against pirates in the ankle with Doflamingo.

Fujitora vs Zoro

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FEATURE SERIES: My Favorite One Piece Arc with Maffew

  I love One Piece and I love talking to people who love One Piece. And with the series going on 23 years now, there is a whole lot to talk about. As the series is about to publish its 1000th chapter, a true feat in and of itself, we thought we should reflect upon the high-seas adventure and sit down with some notable names in the One Piece fan community and chat about the arcs they found to be especially important, or just ones they really, really liked.

  Welcome to the next article in the series "My Favorite One Piece Arc!"

  My next guest in this series is Maffew, creator of the popular pro wrestling web series Botchamania. For my chat with him, he chose the Alabasta Arc, in which Luffy and his crew not only have to save a desert kingdom but also topple Baroque Works and its powerful leader Crocodile.

  A note on spoilers: If you haven't seen the Alabasta arc yet, this interview does contain major plot points. Watch the Alabasta arc starting RIGHT HERE if you'd like to catch up or rewatch!

    Dan Dockery: So I guess my first basic question is, let’s say for some reason, I got to the end of Drum Island and I said “Well, One Piece ends here for me. This seems like a good finale.” What would you tell me to keep me going into the Alabasta Arc in one sentence?

  Maffew: Well, after Chopper has made all the kids cry, you’ll need pickin’ up.

  That’s pretty good! What was the impetus for you getting into One Piece? What made you want to jump into an anime that’s nearly one thousand episodes long at this point?

  I think I tried watching it on YouTube back in 2009, and I just couldn’t get into it. At that point in my life, I wasn’t ready for a character like Luffy and his adventures, and I couldn’t wait for the villains he fought to kill him. So I dropped it. A year later, I’m in Germany and this wrestler ACH was doing a Q&A panel for this German wrestling organization called WXW. And ACH is a REALLY big One Piece fan, and even dresses up as Luffy in New Japan and Ring of Honor. And I was like “Hey, you watching JoJo?” because that was my thing at the time, and he was like “No, no. Just One Piece.” I said, “What else are you watching?” “Just One Piece.” And I’m like “Wait, what? Just the one?” But he was sellin’ it to me like he was a One Piece ad on QVC. And guys like Steve Yurko are so passionate about it, and if one person tells ya to watch something, you’re like “Eh, whatever,” but if five people tell you, you start to pay attention. So I’m gonna blame ACH and my good friend Steve Yurko for this.

    What do you like about this arc in particular?

  You get so much wonderful worldbuilding. They go to Alabasta, meet up with Mr. 2, and it’s one of those cool interactions where they’re meeting, but they don’t know who they are meeting exactly, like when they meet Blackbeard in Jaya. So later on, they’re like “Oh, it’s THEM!” There’s a real sense of everything not being really pre-determined at this point. It’s building everything through a bunch of pirates just doing stuff. Ace shows up, knocks out some assassins so he can get his royalty checks.

  That’s such a funny way to put it.

  Then we get Kung-Fu Dugongs, and they’re a pretty pure expression of One Piece. They’re all synchronized, they’re adorable, they play their part amid all the serious stuff, and they’re completely ridiculous, but they work anyway. And it’s with Alabasta that Eiichiro Oda starts to perfect the tropes that he puts into place throughout, with the new islands, the new leader who everyone loves but is actually a bad person, the crew having to deal with him and the Navy, them having to help put someone back in their position, etc. And even though, on paper, it reads like “Well, he’s gotta beat this dude and this dude and this dude,” it’s so much more chaotic and less formulaic than you’d expect. It keeps things interesting. 

  I agree. I like how he takes all of these pieces and he’s consistent with them, but Oda always plays around with how he sets them up.

    But it’s all a foot massage before the real reason to watch Alabasta: Sir Croc. 

  Are you a big fan of him? That dude is so cool, conniving and powerful. He’s kinda the perfect villain. 

  Back when I was being miserable and first watching One Piece, I really liked him. I like the design, the sand powers that could actually pose a threat. I always appreciate it when a villain provides actual tension. It’s like why I think Goldeneye is still the best James Bond film. Because Alec Trevelyan is constantly reminding Bond “Remember, I could kill you. I’m from the same place as you. I can take your exploding watch and just, eh, I’ll stop that then. Thank you.” And Luffy loses twice to him in the three-match structure that really works here as it did for wrestling in the 70s.

  How so?

  So you’d have somebody like champion Bruno Sammartino and someone like Ivan Koloff or one of the Wild Samoans or Stan Stasiak. They’d have one match where the hero would beat Bruno by disqualification. Bruno’s still around to fight, but he’s lost. Luffy survives being thrown in the sand, but he’s been beaten. Then they have the second match, where Bruno would win because the villain would just give up and leave and get counted out. Luffy attacks Crocodile with water, but it’s not enough, and Crocodile just kinda leaves Luffy thinking it’s all done. And then Bruno would be like “Oh no ya don’t. Next time, you won’t be able to escape, because we’re gonna be in a cage match.” And then Bruno wins, just like Luffy wins by punching Crocodile up through that giant enclosed space. He escapes the cage.

      It’s just so satisfying and that’s a great way to describe it. So, villains in the series have had extensive crew members before, but they haven’t been as recognizable and colorful as Croc’s crew, Baroque Works. Do you have a favorite member?

  They’re all good in their own way, but at this point, I’m gonna go with Mr. 2. Eh, that’s probably too obvious an answer…

  Mr. 2 is a lot of people’s favorite member. 

  Oh, who cares. I’ll go with Mr. 2. I like how Mr. 2 interacts with everyone, having fun with the boys and fighting Sanji with kicks but respecting him. 

  So, in this arc, there’s a lot of government intrigue and a revolution is about to happen, and everyone’s dissatisfied with their perception of the monarchy. How did you react to all of this political drama in One Piece? 

  Well, it’s great because you have Vivi, and you get to learn her motivations and because she’s on the crew, it gives you a reason to care for the crew and how all of the political intrigue affects them. Without her, you’d just hear about a war and say “Oh, sorry about that. Hope it goes well.” And with all this lore being thrown at you because you have Vivi and that connection, it’s adding to the main conflict, rather than distracting.

  Yeah, Vivi really grounds it all with a personal attachment. Because otherwise it’s just savin’ the kingdom, which is cool and they’re good for it, but it doesn’t have the same impact. So, they did this back in the Arlong Park arc, but what returns here is the kind of 1 vs 1 match structure, where a member or members of the enemy crew are matched up against a Straw Hat or Hats. Mr. 1 has knife body parts, so he’s obviously gonna fight Zoro. Mr. 2 kicks and Sanji kicks, etc. What do you think about that kind of matchmaking, because it’s also a little wrestling-esque.

    Yeah, right, like if you have D-Generation X fighting the Nation of Domination, you can’t just have The Rock fighting Triple H. Ya gotta have D’Lo Brown vs X-Pac and The Godfather vs Billy Gunn. I like it because the characters feel like they have to prove themselves, like Zoro’s a swordsman, and he’s gotta test himself against another swordsman. And Usopp does it when he fights Mr. 4 and Miss Merry Christmas with Chopper, because they have a weird dynamic and they’re fighting two people and they have no clue what they’re up against. 

  So, at the end of the arc, they do the iconic “We can’t let Vivi become associated with pirates so we’ll hold up the X symbols on our arms in solidarity” pose. What did you think about that? Because it’s one of the most famous images in One Piece, and it’s hard to avoid it, even if you’ve never watched the series. Was that your first time seeing it?

  It actually was. And I’m glad you brought this up because I was watching it and I thought “Wait, they’re just going? They’re not even keeping the duck?” And then they do that with the X and the original opening starts playing and I get goosebumps just remembering it. That really hit me. Because it finally got me really emotionally invested in the series. Made me feel a bit cheeky. 

      ONE PIECE LIGHTNING ROUND!

  So, considering you’re such a huge pro wrestling fan, your lightning round is gonna be a bit different. I’m gonna say a Straw Hat that’s in the crew at this point and you tell me which wrestler they’re the most like. You can also tell me what time period they’d fit the most in, since wrestler personalities tend to change. So, Luffy?

  Gotta be Cena. Specifically? With Luffy’s attitude? Probably 2015 defending-the-United States-Championship John Cena.

  Zoro?

  He’s all business, he likes to fight. So I gotta go with Cesaro.

  Sanji?

  Going with Eddie Guerrero.

  Usopp?

  That character is all over wrestling - the underdog who isn’t very good and uses every trick in the book to win. Gonna go with MJF. He had one of my favorite matches of this year against Cody Rhodes and he just had to use EVERYTHING to beat him - brass knuckles, distraction, chairs, everything he could to get that win. But he could be MJF, could be The Miz, could be Mikey Whipwreck from ECW, take your pick.

  Nami?

  Hmmm. Becky Lynch. 

  Chopper?

  KeMonito 

  Robin?

  Oh, she shows up after being booed for ages and you’re supposed to like her, so 2019 Charlotte Flair.

      Stay tuned for the next installment of "My Favorite One Piece Arc" as we speak with One Piece's official English manga translator Stephen Paul on his favorite One Piece arc: Skypiea!!

      Daniel Dockery is a Senior Staff Writer for Crunchyroll. Follow him on Twitter!

  Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: Daniel Dockery

[narniaandplowmen]

Mysterious Fathoms Below (7/8)

Fandom: OUAT Pairing: Captain Swan Also on AO3

Rated: General Audiences Complete Full Fic is 12005 words

Summary:  When a storm throws Killian overboard, a mysterious mermaid who saves him. Now it is up to him to save her and bring her back home.

[first chapter]  •  [previous chapter]  •  [next chapter]

CHAPTER 7 - Reunions

It turned out that she couldn't. It was four hours later and they were picnicking in a kelp field. Emma had learned a lot about her parents since they left the castle. She did not know her mother used to be a bandit, nor that her father was engaged to someone else. Their love story turned out to be quite an adventure. Whilst Emma listened to her mother tell about the time she almost got killed by a pack of weresharks, she suddenly noticed that she felt at peace. And, without realising it, she started to cry. “Oh Emma! Are you okay?” Snow White looked at her worried. Emma nodded, but seeing her worried parents, only sobbed harder.

“It’s- I just-” after shakily breathing, she continued. “This is what I have always dreamt of. Of having parents, and of them telling how they met, and how much they love each other and- and-’ she hesitated. “And I just never thought that it would happen. I- I am sorry I ran away, I just-”

“It’s okay,” David interrupted her. “It’s our fault, too. We didn’t take the time to meet you. You are your own person, and it is just hard for us to know you have grown up without us to see it. We should have given you more time.”

“I love you dad’ Emma replied, and before she realised what she had said, she was engulfed in a big hug. A hug from her parents. Her parents who loved her, cared for her and never stopped looking for her. And, for the second time in her life, Emma felt completely safe.

    ~   ~   ~   ~

 Killian cursed. “Are you sure it was him who took it?” Ariel nodded, sadly.

“There used to be two. I still have one, but he has the other one. He stole it from Ursula years ago.” Killian nodded. Now that Ariel mentioned it, he remembered that the young girl he once knew wore a strangely decorated wristband. “I’m sorry I can’t help you any further.”

“Don’t worry lass, you helped me plenty. Say hi to Eric and Melody from me. How is she, by the way?” Ariel’ face lit up as soon as he mentioned her husband and daughter.

“Oh, she is doing amazing! She started to walk a few weeks ago, and my father has stationed mermaids in the shallow waters near the castle, they had to save her twice now. We’re trying to teach her how to swim now!” She smiled, incredibly proud of her little darling.

“You get back to her then, she has to learn from the best. Thanks again.” Ariel nodded and after saying her goodbyes swam away, leaving Killian alone to think. The Crocodile, he should have known. Any time something positive happened in his life, the Crocodile was there to ruin it all. Apparently, the bastard had stolen the wristband from Ursula after the two got into a dispute, effectively chaining her to the sea. Killian had heard rumours that the Dark One was afraid of the open water. Although he knew him as a coward, Killian doubted it. The sea probably reminded the monster too much of his former wife, the one he murdered. He tensed his stump as he remembered the day the Crocodile had appeared on his deck, crushed Milah’s heart and cut off Killian’s hand. He grimaced, turned his back to the sea and started walking in the direction of his biggest enemy.

    ~   ~   ~   ~ 

“Killian?” Killian had expected many things when he entered the territory of the Dark One, but not the friendly voice of a woman. Startled, he turned around to face-

“Belle? What are you doing here!?”

“I could ask you the same!” The brunette smiled. She was wearing a beautiful yellow summer dress and held a basket full of what seemed to be clean folded laundry. “It has been so long! How is your ship? Your crew? Does Smee still have the red beanie I repaired for him? Is Blacky still alive?” Killian smiled at Belle’s enthusiasm, but then grimaced.

“Blacky has passed away, she lived long for a cat. She died in her sleep on a sunny day at her favourite spot on deck. But I will tell you all later, you have to get out of here. This is the territory of the Dark One, he’s dangerous!” To his surprise, however, Belle burst out laughing.

“Dangerous?” She put down the basket of laundry and held out her hand. It took Killian a second, but then he realised she was wearing a wedding ring. “I married him!”

“I- You- What?” Killian went from surprise to anger to disbelieve so fast that his mouth fell open, only causing Belle to laugh even more. “But-”

“I know the stories people tell about him, Killian. But don’t worry. He’s changed. He is a good man now, even when not many people can see that.” Somehow, Killian sincerely doubted it, but he did not have the change to voice his concern.

“Hello, dearies. Having a little chat now?” It was the last Killian heard before he was lifted off the ground and felt the familiar sensation of magic pushing his air pipes shut.

    ~   ~   ~   ~ 

“Excuse me young la-” Killian started with a flirty voice when a pretty woman walked into him, but he cut himself off when he saw the look of panic on her face. “Are you okay?” He asked, normally this time, quickly glancing behind the girl to see what could be the source of her distress. He saw the girl looking at him doubtfully, then deciding that didn’t have another choice.

“I am being chased by my father and his friends. They want me to marry.”

“And you do not?”

“I want to marry for love. And even if I didn’t, I wouldn’t want to marry that nasty, brutish jerk for all the money in the world.”

“Ah.” Killian nodded. He had met a lot of women on his travels with similar stories. Most of his best crewmates had been women like that, escapees from arranged marriages, abusive husbands or fathers. “Well then,” he considered, looking at the obviously well-bred woman still clutching him and looking around terrified. “Can you read?” She looked surprised but nodded.

“In English, French and German, sir.” She replied.

“Ah, well-educated, I hear. So, can you do maths?” She nodded again. “ Well then, if you are not afraid to work hard, you have a place in my crew.”

“Your crew?”  she asked, but Killian’s answer was cut short when he heard commotion ahead.

“Are those the people who are after you?” One look from the distressed girl was enough of an answer. Killian grabbed her tightly, turned around and ran with her to his ship.

  ~   ~   ~   ~  

Tea. He was drinking tea with the Dark One. After he had met Emma, his world truly turned upside down in ways he could never have imagined. When the Dark One was choking him, Belle had pleaded for his life. Aside from his skin, which now looked human again, something else in the Crocodile had changed, since the monster had listened to her and had let him live. Now, the three of them were drinking tea in a lovely little garden house with a beautiful view of a large valley with grazing horses. Belle was happily chatting, telling the tale of how she met ‘Rumple’, as she endearingly called him, and how they got married. Killian could still barely believe it, and was almost suspecting dark magic was it not for the fact that Belle was still her cheery old self. Dark magic left its traces, and none of those could be found in Belle’s behaviour. Suddenly, Belle looked at him expectantly. “Sorry, could you repeat that, lass?” He was afraid for a moment he had offended her by not paying attention to her story, but she just laughed.

“Still often lost in thought, Captain? I asked what you have been up to since our parting.”

Trying to kill your husband, he thought, and a quick glance at the Crocodile’s wry smile confirmed that the man in front of him thought the same. “There aren’t many tales to tell, it is simply the usual. Finding treasures, daring escapes and heroic rescues of damsels-” and, after a stern look from Belle, he added “and gentlemen in distress. All in a day’s work.”

“Oh, come on. Something must have happened! Why are you here? Where is your crew?”

“My crew-” he hesitated for a moment, before continuing. “My crew is fine. We had a few changes since you left, basically only Smee is left, with his beanie, as ever.” Belle smiled as she remembered how distressed the man had been when his red hat had ripped during a fight. “The reason why I’m here, now that is a much more interesting tale. I recently found myself in a bit of a tight spot, which caused me to meet a wonderful young woman. This girl turned out to be the long-sought-for daughter of Atlantia’s Royals. So, I returned her to her parents and they live happily ever after. Back in the Enchanted Forest, I heard that your husband owns something I need, which is why you found me here.” The Crocodile, who had seemed absent for most of the conversation, suddenly looked up.

“You want to make a deal?” He grinned, rubbing his hands together. “How delightful!”

“Rumple.” Belle stared at him, and miraculously the man backed down. “What is it that you need? I am sure my husband will gladly give it to you.” She continued, looking pointily at her husband whilst emphasising the use of the word ‘give’.

“Your husband sto- came to possess a special wristband, which allows the wearer to switch between tail and legs.” Belle looked confused for a moment before Killian could almost literally see her realise his intent.

“You found love?! Did the fierce pirate Captain out for revenge finally find love?! Tell me about her!”

Killian rubbed his brow. “I’m not- it’s not-” he sighed. “It’s complicated.”

“Trust me, the best stories are.”

    ~   ~   ~   ~ 

The lass had introduced herself as Belle French, the only daughter of a lower-high class family nearby. She was betrothed to the hero-of-the-town, a fellow named Gaston, known for his muscles and hunting skills. But, according to the newest member of his crew, he was nasty, brutish, mean and the sort of guy that would consider the phrase ‘you are positively primaeval’ a compliment. And since she had no hope of escaping her marriage and since she was looking for adventure, she had happily sailed out on the Jolly Roger the next day. She was a good addition to the team. She was strong and hardworking, as well as incredibly smart. The crew took a liking to her determined nature, and the fact that she did not mind cleaning the human waste buckets helped her popularity rise quickly. She learned to fight and navigate, and after saving a small kitten from a burning ship she raised morale by raising it as the ship’s mascot. Killian had been sad when she left the crew after they docked at Arendelle, but he understood her need for answers about her mother. ‘

“Take good care of Blacky for me, okay?” She had him promise. “We will see each other again, I am sure of it!”

[tlhnetwork]

JUNE’s Chain of Gold Flash Fiction by Cassandra Clare

Days Past: Lucie and Cordelia

PARIS 1897

Cordelia always thought of the year that her family lived outside Paris as the last year they were truly happy. The next year Alastair would go to Shadowhunter Academy and become an altogether harder and more impenetrable person. Her father’s health declined again once they returned to England. And as if overnight, something in Cordelia would change, and her mother would begin to speak about Cordelia’s future, and how she could secure it.

But in that year, living in their small but comfortable house in Fontainebleau, all was well. And she got to see Lucie and James more that year than any other time. She would have preferred to be let loose with them in the heart of Paris, of course, but she did enjoy showing Lucie around the arcaded houses of the town, the chateau of mundane royalty, the Grand Canal along which families sat and picnicked. Lucie was ten and looked younger, but she was rather a daredevil. So of course Lucie wanted to explore the Fontainebleau Forest, and led the way there, chattering of how this had once been a much larger, ancient forest, a hunting ground for kings of old, and how she had once met a helpful changeling boy in Brocelind Forest.

“Mind, that’s a secret,” she said, darting a glance over her shoulder at Cordelia, and looking rather fey herself. “Never tell.”

Cordelia agreed, pleased to have a secret with Lucie. They roamed across a star-like crossroads into lanes of beech trees and service trees. The forest was known for its massive boulders in strange shapes—this one like an elephant, this one with a nubbly surface like a crocodile, this one like the head of an old man with a large nose. Cordelia took Lucie to see some of her favorites, to scramble to the tops, to look down from the edges of cliffs into gorges below.

Lucie ran along the top of the verdant cliffs with abandon, ankle deep in daisies with her hair flying in the wind. She reached over the edge to pluck a wildflower, the delicate violet and pink cup of its petals startling against the dark gray rock. She tucked it behind one ear, and bounded away again, Cordelia running to catch up.

They were careful; they were Shadowhunters; but they were still children who could easily set a foot wrong, and eventually, Lucie did. Laughing at something Cordelia had said, she stepped back into open air and, overbalancing, began to tumble from the edge of a high cliff. Cordelia had time to see Lucie’s smile change to abrupt horror before she lunged toward her friend, catching the skirt of her dress. She felt the material rip in her hands, but it gave Lucie the time to twist about and get her arm onto flat ground, and gave Cordelia the time to grab Lucie around the wrist, and hold fast for dear life.

Their eyes met. “It’s all right,” Lucie said slowly. “I’ve got my foot on a—”

With a crumbling noise, whatever Lucie’s foot was on came free and Lucie jerked back, bouncing roughly against the ground. Cordelia was lying on her belly on the broken earth, hanging part-way off the cliff, her hand around Lucie’s wrist. Lucie turned her arm with great care, eyes locked on Cordelia, and grasped Cordelia’s wrist as well. They were stable, for the moment.

But not yet safe. Cordelia made to pull Lucie up, and the earth buckled beneath her. Lucie gave a yelp; her free hand pressed against the bare rock face to steady herself. She breathed very loud and very hard.

Cordelia commanded her voice to be steady. “Don’t move,” she said. “Someone will come for us. I shall not let you fall.”

A little scared gasp broke from Lucie’s lips. After an instant, Cordelia realized it was a laugh.

“Oh,” Lucie replied, “I am only fretting about how we shall pass the time until then.”

Cordelia had always thought Lucie must weigh nothing, but with so much of her weight in Cordelia’s hands, Cordelia was suddenly vividly aware of how much there was to lose, how critically important it was to hold on. The blue sky seemed to tip dizzily around and under them, blueness attempting to swallow Lucie up. Their breathing was thunder in Cordelia’s ears.

And there they waited. Cordelia wanted to call for help, but she dared not, afraid that diverting any energy to shout would weaken her grip. Lucie had no such qualms, and called for help a few times. There was no answer. The forest was silent, save for the wind rustling the trees above them.

Lucie and Cordelia looked at each other in dismay.

“You are always writing stories,” said Cordelia, after a long moment. “Could you tell me one?”

“I haven’t told my stories to anyone outside my family,” Lucie said. She sounded shy, and Cordelia opened her mouth to say that was quite all right, that she understood perfectly, when Lucie went on. “Since it is you, though, Cordelia, I think I could.”

Lucie related a rousing tale of a pirate with eyes green as the sea. Cordelia became so engaged with the story, she was even able to laugh a little. When she did, Lucie’s eyes lit up.

The story had to end. Silence followed. There was a breath of cold in the warm summer air, telling of the evening and the coming dark. The muscles in Cordelia’s arms were burning.

“Cordelia, are you not growing tired?” Lucie asked in a small voice.

“I am not in the least tired,” Cordelia answered stoutly. “I can hold on forever.”

Neither of them could later remember how long they waited. It felt like hours. Cordelia had time to realize that this was now her entire life, that the sensation of suffering and terror would simply go on and on without end, and she had begun to think of how should reconcile herself to this new truth when, all at once, she was enveloped in new warmth, and new strength. She squinted upward to see someone— James, it was James—grab hold of Lucie’s arm along with her. With a great heave, James hauled his sister back up to safety. Cordelia liked to think that she still had enough strength to help, a little. She held onto Lucie, in any event, and would not let go until they were both lying full length in the grass next to the cliff.

James looked down at them, arms folded. Limp with relief, Cordelia gazed at him. She had seldom seen him without his reading glasses before. She found herself shocked by the peculiar depths of his eyes, but shocked in a pleasant fashion. She wondered if James was going to scold them. Instead he just said, “You’re all right. Take your time.”

“James,” said Lucie. “Cordelia held onto me for hours. Hours upon hours.”

Cordelia said, “Days. It was days we were out here.”

Lucie let out a small, slightly frantic giggle. “It’s been weeks, James, what kept you?”

They explained how Lucie had fallen. “Lucie, I wish you had been satisfied by tearing through the daisies up here,” said James, with an exasperated sigh. “Generally speaking, cliffs are best enjoyed further from the edge.”

“I like daisies,” said Cordelia, before Lucie and James could start bickering in earnest. “I never understood why people called ‘Margaret’ might have the pretty nickname ‘Daisy.’ It does not sound any more like ‘Margaret’ than ‘Cordelia’ does.”

She looked over to find James blinking at her. Later she realized that Daisy was a nickname for Margaret because the French for daisy was marguerite, and Cordelia felt an awful fool. James clearly knew at the time, but he was too kind to say so.

Instead, he said, “Why shouldn’t we call you Daisy, if you like it?”

Cordelia felt warm all over at the thought of the Herondales having a pet name for her.

“Yes!” said Lucie eagerly, sitting bolt upright in the grass. Lucie seemed so undaunted, barely escaping yet unaffected by danger. “We ought to have a nickname for you!”

Daisy. It was a carefree name, a joyful one. Unable to think of what to say, Cordelia took Lucie’s hand and squeezed it. Then she winced, the ache in her arm returning with the motion.

Lucie gave her a pensive look. “Days,” she said. “Weeks, you held on, Daisy.”

Cordelia grinned, delighted to have entered Lucie’s mythology in a heroic manner. “I’d have held on for months, if that was what it took.”

“James,” Lucie said, though she didn’t look over at him. “Did you know Cordelia’s going to be my parabatai?”

“I am?” Cordelia said with amusement.

Lucie looked horrified, like she’d suddenly woken from a dream. “I’m sorry, that was the shock speaking. I would never presume—”

“Lucie!” Cordelia said. She tightened her grip on her friend’s hand, pleased to do so in safety, and looked up at James. “Of course we’re going to be parabatai.”

including:

[peaches-of-1]

Inktober | Day  21: Treasure

Ateez Pirate!AU | Black!Reader

Short story (aka no read more)

A/N: I wasn’t sure if I wanted to make this longer or not, so I just kept it short. Might write more later if enough people are interested.

Though the name had been long forgotten and replaced by Hook, the original name of the famed pirate often regarded as fictional was actually Hongjoong, the red haired pirate who honestly looked nothing like his cartoon compatriot. He was the leader of an eight person crew who were often in combat with the flying child who refused to grow up. However, years and years had gone by, and the man was never able to defeat the youth who had magic on his side and the lack of a crocodile on his tail.

It was nearly dusk when Captain Hongjoong had last gotten his hook handed to him when his first mate Mingi handed him a rag filled with ice and seaweed.

“Captain, I think I may have figured out why we’re always getting our asses handed to us by that Peter Pan.” The younger man said.

“Well, DUH, he can fly!” The young man snapped at his black haired member.

San poked at his bruised arm, making the captain flinch.

The blonde simply said, “Hear him out, Captain. He’s actually got a good idea.”

“Thank you,” Mingi said. “Wait, what do you mean by ���actually’, huh?”

Hongjoong chuckled, “What’s the idea?”

“Well, like you said, he can fly because of Tinkerbell. We haven’t been able to capture her or keep her in capture for long due to her infatuation with Peter, so I was thinking. How about we get a fairy of our own? She can’t be the only one.”

The Captain nodded as he nursed a wound that wasn’t his pride. Soon enough a meeting was called in order to figure out where the other fairies were and how to get to them. It turned out that several of them were oftentimes visited by Peter Pan’s magical companion, Tinkerbell, from time to time. This was done without the Captain’s sworn enemy by her side, making it easier for the eight pirates to follower her trail of pixie dust. All the way to Pixie Hollow where the men had their pick of small fluttering beings.

However, none were willing to betray their friend in order to side with the enemy of her ginger best friend. Tinkerbell would never hurt Peter, and neither would they. Seemed like they didn’t know everything that went on in Neverland. So the men were chased back on their air ship by the threat of magic.

Mingi held his bullet decorated hat in his hand, twisting it in his hands, “I’m sorry, Captain.”

A young man with enchanted blue eyes known as Yeosang pat his friend on the back, “Don’t blame yourself. You didn’t know what they were gonna do.”

The Captain agreed and then Seonghwa showed up with a tiny brown figure flying next to him in a red and black dress. She appeared to be riding on a butterfly.

The dirty blonde haired man with brown pants and a flowing white shirt said, “She wanted to speak to our captain.”

“I’m guessing that’s you. Your hat is the only one with a feather in it, and I’ve seen that signify the leader of such crews.” She said with big brown eyes looking up at him as she hovered in the air.

“Who is it that has called for me?” Asked the young man.

“Y/N,” she responded. “I’d like to become your fairy.”

He folded his arms, “What about your loyalties?”

She shrugged, “I’d rather have an actual adventure, and you’re the only one offering it. Also…” the fairy looked around “You’re all very attractive.” She smiled.

The boys responded with smirks, and smiles, and blushes. Hongjoong raised a brow and looked at the others.

“Looks like we got ourselves a fairy, men! Set sail for Neverland!” The Captain put his hooked hand in the air.

“Aye, aye, Captain!” The other seven cheered and then started to take off, their wooden ship floating above the clouds with butterflies trailing behind.