A loud splash was heard one (as) normal (as possible) afternoon on the Moby Dick and nearby crew members turned half an eye to the sea, checking for some idiotic Devil Fruit User who still hadn't learned (or forgotten again) that he (or she) couldn't swim. More often than not the idiot was wearing a straw hat.
Luckily this time no one was in danger of drowning since a big form landed on Deck with a plank-vibrating thud.
Blue as ever, the Shichibukai Jimbei had arrived.
A big smile on his face and dripping wet he made his way over to the part of the deck he knew Whitebeard to be at, who, without a doubt, already knew of his arrival, since the yelled greetings and demands for a welcome feast were not everyday occurrences on the open sea. Even on the Moby Dick.
"If it isn't Jimbei," Whitebeard greeted a mug of one kind of alcohol or another more or less stuck in his face. "What brings you here? No trouble, I hope?"
Jimbei laughed heartily. "No, nothing of that kind, Old Man." A united breath of relief from all the surrounding crew members, who had formed a respectful circle, created something akin to a breeze. "I just had some business to attend in this part of the sea when I saw the ship overhead and decided to come by for a visit. Hope I'm not a bother."
This time Whitebeard laughed drowning the last of his drink and crashed it down on a nearby table (a wonder it wasn't broken yet) for refill while he gave a dismissive wave with his other hand (tugging dangerously on all the cables inserted into his arm in the process), signaling Captain Business to be over.
No sooner than the hand stopped moving, Jimbei found himself assaulted by a flying tackle hug of surprisingly long limbs accompanied by a childish laugh of delight.
The phenomenon of long arms was self-explaining, Jimbei decided, when he tried to extract himself carefully and the limbs just stretched.
"Luffy-kun, I can't breathe."
He was freed a second later and an enthusiastic child with the biggest beaming smile stood in front of him. Strawhat dangling around his neck and a still not all healed cut on his chin. Jimbei absently wondered who that fool had been while the child excitedly started talking about the next best interesting thing he had to share.
Coincidently it happened to be the story of the little cut that was by no means live threatening.
"-and Jonny was juggling with knives. When I asked him he said it only looked hard and that it was really easy, so I tried it too, but somehow it didn't work and I almost stabbed Hana with one on accident. The knives were just flying all over the ship. And it didn't get better when I stretched. Then I dropped them and one hit me here." He pointed at his chin, smiling widely as if he hadn't just told a tale about how the legendary Whitebeard Pirates had almost been destroyed from the inside.
"I haven't seen Jonny since, either. I still have to complain; it wasn't easy at all. Do you think he is hiding, because he feels guilty for lying?" Jimbei thought it was more along the lines of 'still recuperating in the infirmary', but he wasn't going to tell Luffy that.
So he said "maybe" instead.
"And did you know-"
"Oi, Luffy!" The bodiless yell came from far above and Jimbei turned to look up.
Somebody stood on the highest mast screaming at full power, apparently thinking that it was the best way to search on such a big ship.
"Ace!" Luffy yelled back, waving his arms all the way.
The figure on the mast moved and fluidly jumped the few hundred feet down to the deck. Not seeing all those he scared half to death with that stunt. Jimbei didn't expect him to either.
"Oh! Jimbei! What are you doing here?" Ace greeted, already having pulled his little brother at the collar of his shirt towards the next hatch for whatever mischief they have come up with this time.
"Just a coincidence, Ace-san," he explained, not really thinking that said young man listened to a word he said. He was right, of course, since both teens in his presence had put their heads together, whispering mysteriously.
Jimbei felt a bread of sweat roll down his neck when they suddenly whirled to face him, with identical expressions of innocence that not one sane or insane (as that was the norm on this ship) would believe.
"Say, Jimbei," Ace began, "on Fishman Island you wouldn't happen to have," he dropped his voice to a very quiet conspiring whisper as he told exactly what they were looking for.
Jinbei feared for the future mental health (that perhaps had never been there in the first place) of this ship.
"Could you bring one along for us next time you come, Jimbei? We –"
"PORTGAS! SABO! STRAWHAT!" The scream was admittedly furious. Enough to freeze even two of said three on the spot. Jimbei was mildly fascinated to witness an expression very close to fear settle on their face as the two turned stonily to the side.
Still somewhere down along the deck a young woman stood, giving off an aura that probably came right from hell itself.
Dressed in white with an overly large fork and spoon strapped to her back, whirling an equally giant knife (that was surely not meant to be used on food) around like it weighed as much as its normal sized counterpart that usually was used to eat (not on this ship, though), cutting down everything that came within reach.
Possessing some kind of survival instinct all crew members had long since vacated the area, pointing the objects of her fury beautifully out to her.
Jimbei worried about his own skin since he stood just next to them.
"Well then….we are counting….on you, Jimbei," Ace managed to press out, Luffy nodding beside him, eyes wide from fear, before both decided to finally run for their lives.
Not a second later a beautifully sparkling, polished knife impacted where they had stood, cutting smoothly through the planks.
The evil woman turned her eyes on him, hopefully only in search of her original prey. Luckily she recognized him as innocent and her devilish aura disappeared in favor of a bright smile.
"Oh my, if it isn't Jimbei. It has been sometime," she smiled happily, "do you want to stay for dinner? We are having idiots today."
Jimbei gulped. "No, thank you very much for the offer."
"I see," she still smiled, pushing a loosed strand of hair behind her hair, "if you will excuse me then. I have to go hunting."
Just like that the murderous air returned and she screamed names and yelled and took off in pursuit of the brothers.
After Jinbei had fully recovered from the shock of having been almost been skinned alive he smiled.
It was just like always. Just a normal visit.
For this story thanks go to Shiary for giving me the idea.
This little One Shot is part of my Moby Dick's Tales series.
Leave your thoughts on the way out.