Author's note: New and improved version, thanks to Zorin is ZoroxRobin and AliceInTheSunlight. Thanks for beta'ing guys, you are awesome!
And Zorin and Kyogetsu for reviewing – it warms my heart, truly. Oh, and Kyo, should you happen to read this, that random otter is actually Zoro, from "Zoro the Otter" by mustangisinflames.
Also, I realized that I had forgotten to add a disclaimer!
"Ahem" – I do not own One Piece or any of the related characters. They all belong to Oda-Sensei!
What the Klabautermann heard
In the dead of night, the spirit walks the hallways of the strange ship upon which part of its crew has taken temporary residence, and for once, there is peace and quiet. The spirit hears the sleeping breaths of the sleeping people carried by this new vessel. Some are booming snores that crash into the silence of the night like waves on a rocky beach, others are uneven and disturbed, and some are soft and quiet, like the footfalls of a cat.
The spirit moves down darkened corridors and into a cargo hold filled with provisions, weapons, and bottles of sake, and a thousand other paraphernalia that pirates cannot set sail knows humans appreciate and consider needed for their chosen lives as pirates.
As it drifts through the hold, a voice catches the spirit's attention – a voice it knows well. Surprised, the spirit follows the voice to its source, behind a large wall of crates. The space is full of inky darkness, but the spirit does not need eyes to detect the presence of two humans in the small space between the hull and the crates. It is was the taller of the humans that had spoken. The spirit hovers over them, protectively. They are part of its t had spoken, and now the spirit realizes that it knows both of them, they are part of its crew, and its wants to the spirit hovers over them, protectively, wanting to makemake sure that nothing is amiss since they are in this unusual place at this hour.
"Did you enjoy the view?" the woman asks, playful as a dolphin frolicking in the bow waves of the Sunny.
There is a moment of silence, and then her companion replies, sharply,: "Oi, woman, I'm not a pervert like swirly brow!"
"Mmmm."
Soft, moist sounds, and a faint pant, and then the masculine voice is heard again, rougher, more worked up.
"I did enjoy the view, though I would have preferred that you did not flash a whole kingdom."
There is another pause, and then a quiet laughter.
"Oh, you are adorable when you are jealous!"
"I am not jealous!"
"Of course not."
There is a rustle of clothess and the clang of metal on metal as something heavy hits the deck. A sharp intake of breath, a groan and then several more, and a muttered "careful" and "don't be so tight then", a muffled giggle and an annoyed huff and then the sounds of energetic movements. Skin, skin rubbing against skin, and uneven breathing and low moans and fragments of sentences.
"Ah, please, harder," – "Fuck," – "I'm coming."
The spirit is perplexed. It is not familiar with this kind of human interactions, and its first impression is that they are fighting, but it does not sense any hostility. It seems like the humans are enjoying their unusual activities. Their moans of satisfaction twine together and echo through the narrow space, spilling into the empty cargo room.
In the darkness, the woman whispers,: "Do you think anyone heard?"
"No, the shitty cook would be screaming by now if they did."
"Sometimes, I think you pay more attention to Sanji-kun than me."
More giggling and the darkness seemsed to take on a thunderous aspect.
"I'll go break those precious legs of his right now, just to show you how much he means to me."
Into the ensuing silence , words of affection are muttered, and the Klabautermann decides to move on. The sea is quiet and the night is peaceful, and it sets out across the moonlit sea for a place named Zou.
