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Koby ([personal profile] kobes) wrote2024-09-10 08:49 pm

open post

open post au. psl. meme overflow. etc.
C
redforce: ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ (25)

[personal profile] redforce 2024-09-12 03:35 am (UTC)(link)
( it's been at least a decade since shanks was last in the east blue. he rarely has a reason to venture outside the grand line — but during a recent, and perhaps fortuitous, visit to see rayleigh in sabaody, shanks had received a surprising invitation he couldn't ignore: a wedding, to be held in windmill village. makino, whose generous hospitality shanks had probably overstayed once upon a time, is to be wed in six month's time. if he pushes the ship and his crew, they'll make it with a week or so to spare, assuming they don't run into any unforeseen setbacks along the way. it'll still be cutting it close, though, which sets shanks more on edge than he usually is — makino is someone he cares for, someone important who invited him to an even more important event in her life, who invited him even though they haven't spoken in years and shanks never really had any intention of ever revisiting windmill village after the last time he left. he owes it to her, in a way, to be there, especially after how much of her booze they all went through — that, and he's never been very good at saying no to a party. this time, of course, the booze will be on him rather than the house.

the alvida pirates aren't as much a setback as they are a nuisance, but after several delays and more storms than he'd anticipated, shanks is already further behind schedule than he'd like, which means his temper is much more volatile when the first cannonball strikes the hull. at first, he thinks it must be a marine vessel tipped off from the base at sabaody (who else would have the gall to fire on the red force?) until he races onto deck and spots the giant pink figurehead — of, what, a duck? — and the heart-shaped jolly roger. shanks makes it his business to keep tabs on crews he considers a threat; the alvida pirates may as well be a footnote, easily forgotten, easily overlooked, not worth his time.

beck it at his shoulder before he even makes it to the rail — return fire? — but shanks holds up his hand to say not yet. dark energy crackles around him, his voice like a crack of thunder when he shouts across the stretch of sea between their ships to order alvida and her crew to stand down, which is generous considering shanks' mood. she answers with more cannonfire. a mistake. shanks turns from the rail, unsheathing gryphon as he has done a hundred times before, shouting to his crew with a sharp frown: let's go, boys! make it quick!

he doesn't take pleasure in the swift victory like he might have otherwise; the defeat of the alvida pirates is more akin to pulling a splinter from your thumb that wishes it were an arrow through your chest. trivial. shanks and several of his officers are standing on the bloodied deck, alvida and her crew in shackles or bound with rope, all of them watching helplessly as the rest of shanks' crew plunders the miss love duck for whatever riches and stores they might have. shanks has alvida held at swordpoint at his feet, which seems a bit unnecessary given the number of pistols pointed in her direction, but already one of her crewmates has tried to steal the keys to alvida's shackles from beck, who promptly shot him between the eyes. that kind of loyalty is dangerous. that kind of loyalty requires extra precautions.

alvida is screaming at him, but it's mostly white noise, insignificant rage. (these are the things one becomes accustomed to when spending your formative years with buggy shouting in your ear.) shanks is more concerned with the dull aura of a person unaccounted for on deck — and for the first time since boarding, he turns his attention fully to alvida, his voice calm and even but no less threatening:
)

Who else do you have aboard this ship? ( alvida seems momentarily perplexed, offended almost, as if the question doesn't make any sense. her mouth twists indignantly, and she's about to say something snide when the sound of a clattering bucket cuts through the crisp sea air. they both whip their heads in the boy's direction, the whistle of pistols aiming at a new target following shanks' line of sight. alvida says something he doesn't quite catch (you little runt, where have you been?) but shanks' full focus is now on the last member of alvida's crew (surely not a stowaway, with the mop; a cabin boy?) — bright pink hair, round eyes made rounder by the circular glasses slipping down his nose, no older than shanks was when he started his own crew. shanks can feel the shock, the terror, the bewilderment rolling off the boy in waves, and for the barest of seconds, shanks offers koby a warm smile as just shanks, as if to say, everything's going to be alright. but then he's turning his head to his crew with a low chuckle, the real shanks hidden behind the guise of boss once more. )

Easy, men. Keep your pistols trained on the lady, would you? ( alvida snarls, that's captain to you, you red-haired bastard, to which shanks shoots her a withering, wholly unimpressed look. it hardly even qualifies as a glare. that would require he feel something more than pity and contempt. his crew, dutifully, aim their pistols back at alvida's face and away from their newest arrival on deck. ) Hardly. ( to the struggling captain, hearty chuckles resounding from his crew. then, to koby only a pace or two away, gesturing at alvida with the tip of his saber: ) Is she always like this? So ... disrespectful? I did warn her not to engage.

( as casually as if they're talking about the weather. frankly, shanks would rather be talking about the weather, but they have other matters to discuss. namely, who this boy is and what to do with him.

fuck you, red hair, the east blue is my sea! tell him, koby.
)

Koby... ( said thoughtfully, as if he's getting a feel for the name in his mouth, savoring it like a well-aged wine. he studies the mounting horror on koby's face, the infinitesimal shake of his head nearly lost to a body wracked with indecision and fear, his already wet doe eyes bugging out so far shanks almost thinks the boy's head might explode. and that simply won't do.

alvida is still spitting obscenities like a particularly ineffective snake, most of which shanks has tuned out — koby, you sniveling little coward, do something! or have you forgotten who you belong to? what you owe me? — until he presses the tip of his sword against the hollow of alvida's throat, a slow trickle of blood running down her breastbone into her cleavage. a deep red, almost black aura crackles around him as he stares alvida down, and try as she might, she can't help but quiver at his feet, the rest of her crew thudding to the deck in limp, bloody heaps beside her. on any other day, it might be impressive that a lowly captain in the east blue could withstand even a fraction of shanks' haki, but he's in no mood to be extending that sort of praise to a woman so delusional she thought she could defeat an emperor — and still thinks she might win, somehow, by using this boy against him.
)

I think it's best if you don't speak to him anymore, unless you'd prefer to rename your ship the Miss Love Wreck. I'm allowing you the honor of letting you live — ( he glances to koby, who hasn't moved, the dark crackle dissipating as he smiles wryly, but with a kindness in his eyes that's unmistakable, an expression that clearly speaks to how much shanks truly, genuinely values koby's opinion on this matter ) — unless Koby has any objections?
redforce: ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ (30)

[personal profile] redforce 2024-09-14 12:10 am (UTC)(link)
( for as uncertain and unsteady as koby's gaze is, shanks' is all the more certain and unwaveringly steady in the face of the decision he's given koby, the decision koby makes, definitively, with as much courage as he can muster. i don't care — and it surprises shanks, the indifference koby lays at alvida's feet. if he were in koby's position, would he have made the same choice? or would he have been more vengeful? perhaps it's simply naivety masquerading as apathy — or, perhaps, it's simply the truth: that koby doesn't care if alvida lives or dies as long as the nightmare ends, as long as he never has to see this ship again. shanks nods, once, his cool expression betraying nothing. )

Very well. ( he turns back to alvida, his expression expectant, as if he's waiting for her find some new way to insult koby. she just laughs, practically keeling over, despite the sword still pointed at her chest. shanks tips alvida's chin back up to look at him, his eyes dark. ) I'd say you owe Koby your life, Captain. ( though there's no courtesy, no respect behind the word, only the well-placed condescension of a man who has earned his rank more than a hundred times over. he sheaths gryphon, turning his attention to beck at his side, who simply says the men are ready when you are, boss. shanks nods, gesturing toward alvida. ) I suppose it's time we show the lady some mercy, eh, Beck? Maybe after all this she'll find it within herself to be kinder to her next crew.

( beck snorts, clearly disbelieving — either the fact that shanks will show mercy or the fact that alvida might ever change her tune — but he doesn't say anything in dissent, just passes the keys to alvida's shackles to shanks and nods for the other officers to follow him back to the red force. shanks kneels before alvida, a sharp smile cutting across his face, with no trace of the kindness he'd offered koby moments before. the air thickens with the same dark energy that eradicated her crew, only this time it feels more oppressive, harder to breathe, like a horrible storm cloud is brewing around him, like he is the eye of the hurricane and everything around him is collateral damage. the ship's railings crack, the masts creaking like they might snap at any moment. shanks stares alvida down, leaning in close to slowly unlock her shackles — and now, suddenly, she finds she has nothing to say, can only stare back at him with the same terror she put in koby's eyes. shanks lowers his voice in hopes koby won't hear, but it can't be helped what the wind might carry. )

Koby is under my protection now. You know what that means. If you ever try to touch him again, I'll cut your hands off. If you even dare speak to him, I'll slit your throat before you can beg me not to. If you so much as look at him, my face will be the last thing you see. Do I make myself clear, Captain?

( the shackles clatter to the deck and shanks stands, the swirling energy dissipating like a wisp of smoke. alvida's eyes burn with fury, but shanks' mere presence keeps her on her knees despite her efforts to push herself to her feet, to lunge toward him with nails as long and sharp as claws. )

Hongo! ( a member of shanks' crew falls back from the others, a blonde man a few inches shorter than shanks with a scar above his eyebrow. he jogs briskly over to join his captain, casually asking, what's up, boss? as if they're old friends catching up and not two pirates who have thoroughly decimated an entire crew. ) Take Koby to the infirmary. I want a full medical report by sundown. ( hongo nods, about to sidestep in koby's direction when shanks sets his hand on hongo's shoulder to give him further orders. ) And have Roux fix him something to eat, he looks like the next gust of wind might blow him away. ( a beat, then one more thing: ) See if Beck and Yasopp can draw him a bath, too. Use mine — I suspect he'll want his privacy — and check with Limejuice, see if he's got anything Koby can change into for the time being, at least until we make it to port.

( shanks releases hongo's shoulder and hongo replies with a quick you got it, boss before he's jogging over to koby with a mildly amused grin, gesturing to the mop still in koby's hands. )

Don't think you'll be needing that anymore, Koby. Come on, doctor's orders.

( hongo leads the way back to the red force with shanks following up the rear, just in case alvida tries anything once they're further away — and when they're halfway across the gangplank, alvida finally manages to push herself to her feet, struggling to the rail of her ship and using the last of her strength to growl, raw and vicious, her voice dripping with acid: )

He'll never be yours, Shanks. You think a mighty Emperor of the Sea can fix what's broken in him? You think he'll bend the knee to you? Even if you kill me, he'll always be mine. ( and then, with another cruel, hollow laugh: ) Remember what I told you, Koby! You're walking right into the lion's den, little pup, and he's going to eat you alive, pick you clean, and then pass you around his whole—

( the hiss of shanks' sword is swift and lethal, one stroke of his blade through the air silencing alvida before she can say another word, a storm of crackling energy barreling toward the the hull, the masts, and anything else in its path. shanks whips around, quickly sheathing his sword again, shouting — ) Go! Now!

( — before the miss love duck groans miserably, the gun decks seconds away from blowing. hongo, without missing a beat, springs into action, quickly apologizing as he scoops koby up and throws him over his shoulder, sprinting across the last stretch of gangplank and leaping onto the deck of the red force, where beck is already throwing shanks a line and barking orders at the crew to haul up the anchor and get the ship moving, now! none of them seem to question that shanks hasn't made it off the gangplank when the first explosion from the miss love duck rocks the hull — nor are they particularly surprised when shanks comes swinging out of the next series of explosions almost wholly unscathed aside from a few scrapes and missing half of his cape, landing in the middle of the deck with little fanfare, the rest of the crew simply carrying on as if this is a completely normal occurrence. he finds his way to where hongo is kneeling next to koby, offering them both an apologetic smile. )

Sorry about all the fuss. ( the fuss, as if that's what one calls casually blowing up an enemy pirate ship. then, to koby directly: ) You weren't injured, were you? ( which seems like a redundant question when the ship's doctor is right beside him, but it's important that shanks makes it clear that he doesn't usually put his guests in immediate danger in the process of rescuing them. ) Hongo will take care of you if you were.