The Second Bodyguard || Re-written (Any x oc)

Chapter 10

Azumi took a deep breath of the ocean air while standing in the crow's nest, her previous lodging, for the last time. She gazed upon the glittering expanse of saltwater and smiled to herself before climbing down the ladder and walking over to the captain's quarters. Knocking on the door, Azumi didn't wait for an answer and let herself in only to find Gigan in the middle of pulling down the map of trading routes, a bitter smile spread across her face. It only seemed to hit Azumi then, that they had truly won against Kum-Ji, and the pirates really were being disbanded. This would be fine if she wasn't going to be leaving Awa and heading off on her own again.

"Azumi" Gigan greeted without even turning around, her hands too busy rolling up her map and her gaze pinned to the nostalgic paper. Azumi walked up to the desk in the centre of the room and leaned against it while taking a moment to study the room one last time. She had spent a lot of time in here, talking to Gigan over the course of her time, whether she was escaping from Jae-ha or was just in need of some womanly contact. They had a strong bond, something akin to that of a mother and her child, while somehow keeping that professional sense to it. That's just how Gigan was, and Azumi would not change it for the world.

"I'm leaving" Azumi spoke up softly, however, Gigan didn't falter in her movements. Gigan had already presumed this and was not surprised, she already had the tendency to run away during her time here, so now that Awa was no longer under a tyrannical leader, it was time for her to move on again.

"Where will you be heading?" Gigan asked, picking up a quill set and placing it in the small wooden box in preparation to leave the ship and move back to her small cottage at the edge of Awa. Most of the pirate's homes had been destroyed in retaliation from the guards, so for the next month, they would work to rebuild the village.

"I'm not sure, but probably towards the capital, taking the long way through the earth tribe. I might visit the Earth Tribe's capital?" Azumi mused out loud, rubbing her chin thoughtfully while she leaned her head back to gaze at the wooden roof. She felt Gigan's presence still for a second, before the elder woman picked up her pace and continued to pack up her office, her piercing brown eyes never leaving the back of Azumi's head.

"You're not going with Yona?" Gigan asked, sounding surprised. Gigan had known that Azumi would leave but had thought she would join Yona, after seeing the bonds she held with Yona and Hak, along with the developing relationships with Yona's loyal dragons. Azumi did not respond for a long moment, seemingly lost in thought as she studied the grains in the wood above her, before letting out a deep sigh and bringing her head back down to stare out the gap of the door. She watched Yona giggle with a bunch of pirates, no doubt spending the last moment she could with the people she had come to trust, while the pirates that Azumi had looked after for the past couple of months danced around and pulled faces crudely, blissfully unaware that the petite redhead was a princess.

"The princess does not need me anymore, she has grown into a strong independent woman. Plus, she has an entourage of beasts. She'll be fine" Azumi smiled softly to herself, making the older woman sigh in some sort of self-pitying way. Gigan walked over and placed a hand on Azumi's head, making the younger female glance up only to find a warm but scolding look on the captain's face.

"If you want to go with them, just do it. No one's stopping you except yourself" Gigan preached, a disapproving tone in her voice which made Azumi smile at and held out her arms for a hug. Gigan sighed and returned the hug hesitantly, unintentionally letting her tsundere tendencies show for a split second on her face before the two pulled apart and Gigan was stone-faced once again.

"You're like a daughter to me, Azumi. I can confidently say that you deserve just as much credit as Yona does, so stop diminishing yourself. Now get out. You've been causing us havoc for too long. Get lost," Gigan spoke in a soft tone, before turning on her heel and giving her the cold shoulder, going back to packing up her quarters. Azumi merely laughed, picking up her bag and shifting back onto her feet, before once again taking a moment to take in the captain's quarters.