"Fish. Fish. Fish." Luffy sang, holding my hand, swinging our arms, grinning widely, carrying a basket with his other hand, and stopping in front of a Fish stand, "OI, MR. STORE KEEPER! I WANT TO BUY SOME FISH!"
"Luffy," I fake-coughed, putting my fist up to my mouth, giving him a stern look, and standing beside him, "Manners."
"Right. Sorry." Luffy grinned, bowing to the man behind the counter, releasing my hand, and holding up his basket, "I would like to buy some fish, please."
"It's good to see your positive grin, Luffy." the stand-keeper grinned, putting his hand on the stand-counter, grabbing the basket from Luffy, and noticing me standing beside Luffy, "Who's your friend?"
"This is Ivy." Luffy introduced, beaming brightly, and a determined gleam flashed into his eyes, "She's my 1st crew-member."
"Crew-member, huh?" the stand-keeper repeated, filling the basket with fish, and raising an eyebrow at Luffy, "What ever happened to you wanting to join that Red-Haired pirate's crew?"
"I decided I'm gonna start my own pirate-crew." Luffy declared, giggling happily, and a mischievous glint shone into his eyes, "I'm gonna have a pirate-crew that's stronger than Shanks'."
"That so? Good luck." the stand-keeper laughed, handing Luffy the basket back, taking the money that I just gave him, and winking at me, "Keep a good eye on that one. He's full of energy."
"I DON'T WANNA HEAR THAT, BRATS!" Mayor Wood-Slap chided, shuffling over to us, baring his teeth at us, and smacking his cane against the ground, "THAT RED-HAIRED BASTARD IS A TERRIBLE INFLUENCE ON THE TWO OF YOU!! DON'T GO HANGING OUT WITH HIM ANYMORE!!"
"You had some stuff that you wanted to get too, right Ivy?" Luffy recalled, plugging his ears with his fingers, sticking his tongue out at him, grabbing the basket, ignoring Wood-Slap, looping his hand with mine, walking to another store, and gazing up at me with curiosity, "When do you think Shanks is gonna be back?"
"He said he'd be back soon. Just be patient, Lu." I smiled, chuckling softly, stepping into the shop, loosening my grip on Luffy's hand, and showing Luffy the list that I made, "Think you can help find these items?"
"But I wanna see Shanks." Luffy whined, slipping his hand out of mine, his frown shifting into a gigantic smile, holding his arm up proudly, and rushing off to find the stuff on the list, "Of course I can, Ivy."
"DON'T RUN IN THE STORE!!" I chided, blinking rapidly when I felt a wind rushed past me, baring my teeth at him, sighing good-naturally, roaming down the aisles, grabbing deodorant, shampoo, and a shaver, setting them into a cart, and the corner of my lips tugging upwards into a smile, One Piece Fact #2: Luffy is an enormous ball of positivity.
"I FOUND ALL THE ITEMS, IVY!" Luffy announced, running towards me, carrying an armful of items, dropping them into the cart, and beaming brightly at me, "CAN WE GO NOW?!"
"Let me double check to make sure I have everything." I mentioned, doubling-checking that he got the right things, looking impressed when I saw a hairbrush, toothpaste, toothbrush, and soap, nodding my head in approvement, ruffling Luffy's hair affectionately, slipping my hand through Luffy's, ambling up to the counter, paying for the items, strolling out of the store, and trudging into Patty's Bar, "Yeah, we can go. Thanks Luffy for the help."
"Shi-Shi-Shi. That's what crewmates are for, right?" Luffy laughed, grinning widely, letting go of my hand, dashing over to Makino, and staring up at her with doe-like eyes, "MAKE ME THE FISH PLEASE MAKINO!"
"I'm sorry, Luffy. I can't." Makino sighing-exhaustedly, smiling sadly, and maneuvering through the swarm of patrons, "I have to take these peoples' orders, make their food, clean up after their finished, and do the dishes."
"I could take their orders and Luffy could bring you the dirty dishes." I suggested, grinning hopefully up at Makino, and giving her puppy-dog-eyes, "It'll be faster if we work together. Beside I wouldn't be adding up the customers' bills, I'd just be writing their order down."
"I'll help with the dishes." Shadow volunteered, trudging down the steps from upstairs, in her Gothic-Girl-Form, smiling faintly, and standing beside me, "If that's ok with you, Ma'am?"
"Who's she?" Luffy asked, bunching his eyebrows together, scanning her with his eyes, tilting his head sideways, and crossing his arms against his chest, "I don't wanna work."
"This is my friend...Cecily." I introduced, glancing over at Shadow before moving my eyes back to Luffy, placing my hands on my hips, and raising my eyebrows up at him, "The quicker we get the jobs done, the sooner you can eat your fish, Lu."
"..." Luffy directed, blinking for a few seconds, suddenly dashing towards the tables, a determined spring in his step, and pumping his arms into the air, "LET'S GET TO WORK!"
That...was easy. Shadow mind-linked, sweatdropping as she watched Luffy carefully glide past the mass with a stack of empty plates in his arms, shaking herself out of her reverie, and smiling over at Makino, "Is that ok if we help?"
"Looks like I've gained 3 Jr. Helpers." Makino laughed, handing me the order-pad and pencil, picking up Luffy's forgotten basket of fish, shuffling into the kitchen with Shadow on her heels, and calling over her shoulder, "If you need any help, let me know, Ivy."
"Kay." I replied, turning into my serious-mode, scurrying to the nearest table, and putting a sweet-smile on my face, "What can I get you?"
(****************************************************************************)
Somewhere
A man was traveling through a certain realm. He had shockingly-bright-red-shoulder-length-hair, which a fringe covered his left eye. His eyes were a grass-green eyes. He had a nice tan from journeying outside and he had broad-shoulders. He was wearing a black T-shirt with a long-black coat, a pair of black jeans with a scabbard dangling off his hip, a pair of tough-black-leather-steel-toed-boots on his feet, and black-leather-fingerless-glove was on his right-hand. On his left-pointer-finger gleamed a red-ring with a symbol etched into the stone whenever the sun hit the ring.
So it's begun. the man thought, sensing a shift in the air, smiling faintly when he recognized the aura, glancing upwards at the sky, and concern flashed briefly into his eyes, Stay safe.
(****************************************************************************)
"WHEN'S SHANKS COMING BACK, MAKINO?!!" Luffy wailed, sitting on a bar-stool the next afternoon, glancing at Shadow with conviction, drinking his soda that Makino gave him, lifting the glass up with his teeth, and pouting in boredom, "Ce-Ce, you're on my crew too."
"That goes without saying," Shadow told, pausing in sweeping the floor while I mopped, rolling her eyes, and a faint smile formed on her lips, "Where Ivy goes, I go. So it stands to reason that I would join your crew as well, Luffy."
"You've got quite the crew so far, Luffy." Makino noted-playfully, chuckling softly, cleaning a glass with a towel, and darting her eyes to the door as it opened, "He promised you that he'd be back and he will. You'll just have to wait a little longer, Luffy."
"We came back for our sake." an obnoxiously-familiar voice announced, opening the door, strutting into the bar with his friends trailing behind him, casually sitting on a chair, putting his feet up onto the table, noticing Makino hadn't moved from behind the bar, and snapping his fingers impatiently, "CHOP-CHOP! WOMAN! WE'RE CUSTOMERS, SO HURRY YOUR USELESS ASS UP!"
"Don't insult Makino." I growled, setting down the mop, picking up the notepad, plastering a fake-smile onto my face, and taking a page out of Patty's playbook from the Baratie, "What can I get you, you disgusting-squid-face-bastards?"
"What are you gonna do about it?" Higuma baited, leaning his ugly-face closer to mine, narrowing his eyes at me, and smirking darkly, "I'll let your insult go this once since you're just a kid. But don't think I won't kill you if you piss me off."
"What can I get you fine gentlemen?" I restated, grinding my teeth, putting on a fake-smile, pulling out my notepad, clenching the notepad tightly in my hands, frowning slightly, and a sweatdrop appeared on my head, He's isn't wrong. I'm just a kid. There's no way a kid stands a chance against an adult...except Ace. But he's insanely strong, so that doesn't count.
"That's more like it, Sweetcheeks." Higuma smirked smugly, turning towards his people, and leaning further back in his seat, "Gave us everything. Make it on the house as well, since we had an awful service the last time."
Shadow, I need you to shift into your Snowy-Owl-Form and find Shanks. I mind-linked, heading into the kitchen, a stoic expression appeared on my face, picking up the hot coffee-pot, walking over to Higuma, "missing" his mug, and "accidently" pour hot-coffee onto his pants, Things are about to get messy.
On it. Shadow mind-linked, nodding her head at me, slipping out the back door, checking to make sure nobody was around, shifting into her Snow-Owl-Form, spotting Shanks' ship 3 minutes away from the port, and flying towards his ship, Luckily, Shanks isn't that far out.
"WATCH IT YOU DAMN BRAT!" Higuma hollered, jumping up out of his chair, grabbing a bunch of napkins, trying to wipe his pants off, shoving me so I slid against the floor and banged my shoulder against the bottom of the bar's counter, and baring his teeth at me, "WE DIDN'T ASK FOR COFFEE!"
Luckily I spilled most of the coffee on Higuma, otherwise I would've had a lot worse than a banged shoulder right now. I thought, standing up, spotting pieces of shattered coffee-glass lodged inside my leg, rubbing my shoulder, and fake-apologizing, "My apologies, it won't happen again."
"IVY!" Makino exclaimed, widening her eyes upon seeing the state I was in, rushing over to me, tending to my wounds, and speaking quietly, "You shouldn't have done that."
"Hey Boss." Scraggy spoke, raising his voice slightly, taking a drink of his alcohol that Makino gave him, and smirking, "Where do you think those, Water-Rats scurried off to?"
"They obviously fled with their tails between their legs." Higuma cackled, sitting back down on the chair, and leaning "With a Captain as gutless like he was, I bet his whole crew are a bunch of chickens."
"SHANKS ISN'T A COWARD, ASSHOLE!" Luffy fumed, standing up stiffly in his chair, glaring darkly at Higuma, and clenching his hands into fists, "JUST WAIT UNTIL SHANKS GETS HERE!"
"SHUT UP YOU DAMN SQUIRT!" Higuma hissed, glaring back at Luffy, baring his teeth at Luffy, and a vein in his temple bulged, "So pirates are having Little Brats handle their problems? What a bunch of losers."
"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" Luffy fumed, a tick-mark appeared on his head, stomping up to him, and kicking him in the shin, "TAKE THAT BACK, JACKASS!"
"NOW YOU'VE GONE AND PISSED ME OFF!" Higuma seethed, punching Luffy in the face, lifting him up his hair, hauling him outside with his people tailing after him, and smirking evilly, "Let's make an example out of this little shit, shall we Boys?"
"IVY, STOP!" Makino exclaimed, jumping when I leaped off the chair, and bolting after Luffy, "WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!"
"I'M GOING TO HELP LUFFY!" I declared, rushing out of the bar, a pissed-aura seeping out of me, and racing after Luffy, "DON'T WORRY, MAKINO, I'LL GET LUFFY BACK!"
(****************************************************************************)
On Shanks' Ship
"SHANKS!" Shadow shouted, landing on the ship's railing, panting slightly, and a frantic look appeared on her face, "WE'VE GOT A GIGIANTIC PROBLEM!"
"AAAAHHHHH!!!" Shanks' Crew shrieked, pointing shaky fingers at Shadow, their eyes going out of their sockets, and their baring their teeth, "THAT BARN OWL JUST TALKED!!"
"It's a snow-owl, Nimrods." Shadow corrected, ruffling her feathers, glancing at them in exasperation, taking a deep breath, and a flash of worry appeared into her eyes, "That's not the point. Ivy and Luffy need your help. Those bandits from earlier came back and starting bad-mouthing you guys. Luffy being Luffy, started picking a fight with them. Ivy sent me to get you. I think they might be in big trouble."
I knew I sensed a powerful aura from Ivy. Looks like my hunch about her being from the Danico Clan was right. Shanks thought, narrowing his eyes, listening to Shadow, bending his head downwards so his straw-hat casted shadows across his face, and a pissed-aura seeping out of him, "Let's go."
"We're actually going to kick their asses this time, right Cap?" Lucky Roux grinned devilishly, chomping on a turkey-leg, and excitement glimmered into his eyes.
"No holding back." Shanks agreed, glaring in the distance, and nodding his head, "This time those Assholes messed with our friends. Let's show them who the real chickens are."
(****************************************************************************)
"LEAVE HIM ALONE YOU SHITBAGS!" I fumed, rushing at Higuma, biting him on the leg, clamping down hard enough to draw blood, being sent crashing into the stone pillar in the middle of the city, and bashing the back of my head against the statue, "GAHHH!!"
"Why would I do that when I could make tons of money off him when I sell him to the circus?" Higuma cackled darkly, yanking me up by my hair, darting his eyes down to my necklace, and smirking wider, "Interesting necklace you got there, Kid. Give it to me and I might let the two of you pains in my ass go."
"Not gonna happen. My mother gave me this necklace." I rejected, spiting blood into his face, darting my eyes over to Luffy (who was laying on the ground with blood running down his face), my face slamming into the ground when Higuma smashed me into the ground, and glaring darky at him, "You wouldn't let us go even if I did hand my necklace over to you. GYAAAA!!"
"You're pretty smart for a Pipsqueak." Higuma praised, pounding my face into the ground, digging his foot onto my back, yanking off my necklace, and eyeing it greedily, "I bet I could get a big hunk of cash for this piece of jewelry."
"LET HER GO, DIRTBAG!" Luffy roared, picking up a piece of wood, storming at Higuma, only to be sent crashing to the ground by Higuma, and glaring at Higuma as he stepped on his face, "GAHHH!!!"
"That necklace doesn't belong to you, Asshole." I shouted, being surrounded by green-sparks, unknowingly sending a wave of energy at him, effectively making him stumble back, my light-green eyes turning jade-green, standing up, and wiping the blood from my mouth, "NOW GIVE IT BACK!"
This girl...Higuma thought, stumbling backwards slightly from be struck by a force of energy, gritting his teeth, and narrowing his eyes at me, WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!
That was...Shadow thought, feeling the spike in energy, widening her eyes in panic, flapping her wings faster, flying ahead of Shanks' Crew, spotting the necklace lying next to Luffy, and shouting at him, "LUFFY THE NECKLACE! GIVE IT BACK TO HER!"
That sounds like Ce-Ce's voice. But why is she a bird? And what's wrong with Ivy? Luffy thought, shakily sitting up, opening his eyes, spotting a necklace beside him, picking it up, and tossing it towards me, "IVY, CATCH!"
Oww my head...What happened? My necklace...how did it end up in my hand? I thought, falling to my knees, unaware of catching the necklace into my hands, standing up, rubbing my head, blinking upon seeing Higuma on his ass, scrunching my eyebrows together in confusion, clasping my necklace back around my neck, darting my eyes at Luffy, sprinting over to him, helping him sit up against the statue, feeling Shadow land on my shoulder, and concern flashed into my eyes as I glanced down at Luffy, "You ok, Lu?"
"YOU ARE JUST A BUNCH OF BRATS!" Higuma exploded, standing up, glaring at us, beginning to charge at us with his blade, and freezing in his tracks when Shanks' voice rang out, "I WILL NOT BE INTIMIDATED BY THE LIKES YOU!"
"I was wondering why nobody greeted us at the port," Shanks drawled, speaking softly but with such authority that people listen to him, shadows covering his eyes, roaming his eyes over to us, and grinning teasingly at Luffy, "What's the matter Luffy? I thought you bragged that your punches were strong as pistols?"
HOW THE HELL CAN HE JOKE AT A TIME LIKE THIS?! Shadow mind-linked, baring her teeth at him, smacking the air with her wing, and a tick-mark appeared on her head, THE IDIOT COULDN'T BE SERIOUS EVEN IF HIS LIFE DEPENDED ON IT!!
He is taking this seriously, C. I mind-linked, standing up, noticing the serious-look in his eyes, and glancing down at Luffy, Look at his eyes. His eyes are serious. He just wants Luffy to remain calm.
"SHUT UP!" Luffy growled, baring his teeth at Shanks, a large tick-mark appeared on his head, and glaring, "THESE GUYS ARE JUST STRONG THAT'S ALL!"
"You're still here?" Higuma intoned, a bored tone in his voice, peering his eyes over at Shanks, and unsheathing his sword, "Leave now you pathetic cowards. If you come towards us, we'll shoot."
"Are you deaf?" a bandit questioned, pulling out a gun, pointing it at Shanks' head, notching a bullet into place, glocking the gun, and cackling evilly, "Quit walking."
"Now that you've drawn your weapon," Shanks spoke calmly, his voice never faltering, gaining everyone's attention even though he never raised his voice, and darting his eyes over to the bandit, "Are you willing to use it?"
HOW THE HELL CAN THIS GUY REMAIN SO CALM WITH A GUN POINTED AT HIS HEAD? the bandit thought, an annoyed expression morphed onto his face, and bunching his eyebrows in confusion at Shanks, "What the hell are you blabbering about?"
"I said weapons are for actions not threats," Shanks repeated, pointing a finger at the bandit's gun, swaying slightly to the side when Lucky Roux suddenly appeared beside Shanks, and placing a hand on the hilt of his sword, "Don't go pointing them at someone if you're not willing to use it."
One minute Lucky Roux was standing a few feet behind Shanks, the next he had shot the bandit through the head with a pistol that he had pulled out of the waistband of his shorts. All the while eating his chicken-leg.
I DIDN'T EVEN SEE HIM MOVE!! another bandit thought, beads of sweat appearing on his face, scowling at Shanks, and glaring pathetically at Shanks, "THAT WAS DIRTY, YOU ASSHOLES!"
"Dirty? Don't make us laugh." Benn repeated, smirking widely, taking a drag out of his cigarette, and stuffing his hands into his pockets of his jeans, "We never claimed to be saints or anything. We are pirates and pirates aren't known for playing by the rules."
"You can pour drinks on me, throw food at me, hell you can even spit on me and usually I'll just laugh it off but," Shanks began, raising his voice for the 1st time since this fight began, glaring darkly at Higuma, a pissed-aura seeping out of him, and clenching his jaw, "I DON'T CARE WHAT REASONS YOU HAVE! I'LL NEVER FORGIVE ANYONE WHO MESSES WITH MY FRIENDS!"
"Shanks..." Luffy uttered, staring mesmerized by his idol, holding back happy-tears, and biting his lip, He is so cool.
"WON'T FORGIVE US?! HA!" Higuma barked out a laugh, pointing a finger at Shanks, and ordering his people to attack, "WE'LL DESTORY YOU! AFTER THEM BANDITS!"
"Let me take care of them." Benn offered, stepping forward, taking out his long-gun, lifting his cigarette out of his mouth, digging the cigarette into the bandit's eyes (who had just charged at Benn), spotting another bandit charging at him, swinging his long-bat like a baseball-bat, smirking as the bandits were sent flying away, and lighting another cigarette, "If you're going to challenge us you better have a fleet of marines to back you up."
BEN'S PISTOL CAN EXTEND?! IT'S LIKE A DOUBLE-WEAPON! THAT'S SO AWESOME!!!! I thought, my eyes turning into stars, glancing over at Higuma, bursting out laughing when I saw the look of utter-disbelief on his face as his men got taken down one after the other so effortlessly by pirates...ON LAND, and smirking at him, "YOU'RE GETTING YOUR ASS KICKED BY PIRATES AND ON LAND TOO!! HAHAHAHA!"
"SHUT UP, DAMN BRAT!" Higuma seethed, glaring daggers at me, gulping as he turned towards Shanks, and staring at Shanks like-a-deer-stuck-in-a-headlight, "These brats messed with us first..."
"Doesn't matter." Shanks dismissed, holding down his hat slightly, grinning tauntingly, and throwing his words back at him, "Didn't you brag about there being a bounty on your head earlier?"
"SHANKS!!!" Luffy and I shouted, a hand being clamped over our mouths, coughing as Higuma threw a smoke-bomb on the ground, and struggling out of Higuma's grip, "LET US GO YOU BASTARD!!!"
"LUFFY! IVY!!" Shanks exclaimed, panicking as the smoke cleared and he didn't see Luffy or me, putting his hands to his head, and a frantic expression appeared on his face, "THEY TOOK THEM! WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO?! WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO?!"
"QUITE PANICKING FOR STARTERS, MORON!" Shadow berated, baring her teeth at him, smacking him in the face with her wing, hoovering above him, and sighing in aggravation, "I can sense Ivy, so I can lead you to them both."
"Right." Shanks remembered, blinking rapidly, a serious glint flickered into his eyes, nodding his head at Shadow, and running after her as she flew on ahead, "Lead the way."
"SHUT UP, DAMMIT!" Higuma seethed, chucking us into a small fishing-boat, tugging the rope off the dock, sailing away, and smirking proudly, "NOBODY WOULD THINK A BANDIT WOULD ESCAPE BY BOAT! HAHAHAH!"
"It's pretty stupid actually." I deadpanned, rubbing the back of my head as I struck the side of the boat, glaring at him, and holding onto Luffy protectively, "You're just pissed that you got your ass handed to you by Shanks and his crew. Since he kicked your ass on land, you figured you'd run away on water."
"YOU'RE JUST COPYING SHANKS' MOVE, DUMBASS!" Luffy agreed, holding onto me, glaring at him, sticking his tongue out at him, and baring his teeth, "NOW LET US GO!!"
"Since you ate a Devil Fruit, I'll save you for last." Higuma smirked darkly, passing his eyes over Luffy, yanking me up by my hair, bringing his face closer to mine, and swinging me into the ocean, "The girl goes 1st since it'll be more fun to watch her drown."
"DON'T YOU DARE!" Luffy threatened, glaring daggers at Higuma, widening his eyes in horror as he watched me hit the ocean with a loud splash, and starting to charge at Higuma, "YOU BASTARD!!"
"YOU PISSED ME OFF THE MOST, YOU LITTLE SHIT!" Higuma fumed, baring his teeth, a large tick-mark appeared on his head, punting Luffy into the ocean, turning around slowly, a look terror etched onto his face as he saw a Sea King appearing out of nowhere, and being eaten by the Sea King, "NOW DIE! KYAAAA!!!"
Not judging here but...Higuma couldn't have been tasty. I thought, snickering slightly, widening my eyes when I saw Higuma kick Luffy into the sea, diving under the water, spotting Luffy sinking under the water, swimming over to him, grabbing him into my arm, popping up above water, widening my eyes in panic when the Sea King began swimming over to us, attempting to keep Luffy above water at the same time I paddled towards the shore, and looking back over my shoulder to see the Sea King swimming after us, There's no way I can swim us to the shore and carry Luffy at the same time...Dammit.
"Wha..." Luffy moaned, finally waking up, blinking rapidly, noticing he was in my arms, roaming his eyes around the area, and frantically squirming around when he saw the Sea King coming after us, "WAHHHH!!!!! SOMEBODY HELP US!!!"
"STOP SQUIRMING AROUND, IDIOT!" I chided, baring my teeth at him, tightening my grip on him, both of us paralyzed in fear as the Sea King strikes his mouth down at us (we're just kids, what do you expect?), both of us closing our eyes, only to open them a few seconds later when we didn't feel the Sea King's teeth piercing us, and widening our eyes in shock when Shanks had snatched us out of the way before the Sea King could bite us, "I CAN'T GET US T..."
"Get lost." Shanks demanded, holding us in his arms, glaring darkly at the Sea King, a dark-aura seeping out of him, a vein in his forehead bulging, having an intense stare-down with the Sea King for a few seconds, his demeanor changing back to his cheerful-self, glancing down at us with an enormous smile plastered onto his face, and giving me a knowing stare, "Your friend, Cecily told us about what the two of you did for us, Ivy. Thanks you two."
"SHANKS!" Luffy bawled, widening his eyes when he noticed Shanks was missing his right arm, tears falling down his face, and gripping Shanks' shirt tightly, "Y-Y-YOUR ARM!!!"
"It's just an arm. It's nothing to cry over." Shanks claimed, smiling warmly at us, bending his head so it casted shadows across his face, patting Luffy on the head, and swimming us back to the shore, "I'm sure the others are worried about us. Ren isn't going to be happy when he sees the state we're in."
"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO YOURSELF NOW, IDIOT?!!" Ren lectured, rushing towards us with the crew trailing after him, spotting Shanks without an arm, baring his teeth at him, cross-punching Shanks in the head, a tick-mark blinking on his head, rubbing his temple in vexation, his boots crunching on the gravel as he stomped towards the ship, and pivoting his head around at Shanks, "Hurry up. I haven't got all day. Bring the rugrats with you too."
"You really pissed him off this time, Captain." Yasopp snickered, following us as we headed onto the ship, smiling fondly as he watched us, and narrowing his eyes in interest at our back, He may be a Man-Child, but he can spot potential. These two kids definitely are going to accomplish incredible things when they're older.
I OUTTA SMACK YOU! Shadow mind-linked, hoovering close to me (she was still in her Snowy-Owl -Form), baring her teeth at me, whacking me on the back of the head with her wing, a large tick-mark materialized onto her head, and giving me a once-over, You're lucky that asshat gave you just scrapes and bruises.
Sorry, C. I'll be more careful next time. I mind-linked, apologizing, smiling-weakly up at her, darting my eyes over towards Luffy, frowning briefly, resting my head against Shanks' shoulder, being gently set down on one of the hospital-cots, and wincing when Ren started disinfecting my wounds, I wasn't able to protect Luffy when he needed it. If Shanks hadn't come when he did...I need to get stronger if I'm gonna be a part of Luffy's crew.
"You're from the Danico Clan aren't you?" Shanks questioned, laying down on a hospital-cot, gazing at me knowingly, and nodding his head towards Shadow, "I had a hunch. Your friend confirmed my suspicions when she landed on my ship and explained that you had sent her for help."
He acts like an imbecile half the time that it's hard to remember he's one of the four Empires of the Seas. I thought, surprise etched onto my face briefly, snapping my head up at him, and nodding my head, "Yeah. I don't exactly want others to know just yet...It wouldn't be good for Shadow and me."
"Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me." Shanks assured, smiling reassuringly over at me, grimacing when Ren started stitching up his wound, and fake-pouting at him, "OUCH! THAT HURT, JERK!"
"YOU'RE LUCKY I DON'T JAM THIS NEEDLE IN YOUR EYE, DUMBASS!" Ren threatened, baring his teeth at Shanks, uppercut-punching Shanks on the head, a large tick-mark appeared on his head, and tugging harshly on the thread, "QUIT BEING SUCH A BABY!"
TO BE CONTINUED...