Disclaimer: One Piece belongs to Oda Eiichiro
Thank for the reviews, especially the one by Demon Flame. I never intended to make more chapter for this, but that one sentence of yours about Kid and Nami meeting again somewhere, somehow, just got stuck in my mind and blossomed into this 2nd chapter. I definitely had fun writing this!
As I said in the summary, this is a semi-AU fic. I think the Shabondy Auction House incident in the original One Piece story was kinda cool, but I wanted to give it a little twist in this Kid/Nami version. Same place, same people (sort of), but different happenings leading to different results.
"25 million beli!"
"Going once! Going twice! Sold! To the gentleman holding paddle No. 103."
A couple of staff carried the cage of item 39, a white and purple panda that was crying its eyes out, to the side of the stage until the fluffy white butt disappeared behind the curtains.
This exotic animal auction house proved to be less interesting than the Captain of the Kid Pirates had expected, but he still stayed because the banner in front of the entrance promised that the last item would be "the ultimate dream pet." The wording just piqued his curiosity. The other people in his crew, however, said they had better things to do in town than watch rich people buy weird creatures.
While waiting for the next item to be put on display, Kid idly traced the pattern on a golden bangle that he used to wear. He had ditched almost all of his bangles, bracelets, guns, and knives some time ago because his mechanical arm was both a nice weapon and decoration in itself and also because the accessories didn't fit his buffed up forearms anymore. However, he still kept the largest bangle with him at all times in the inner pocket of his coat. It was a memento of a certain someone whom he would always be grateful to. He liked to take it out and play with it when he was bored, like right now.
"And now for today's grand finale, item no. 40!"
"Finally," the Supernova sighed as he raised his head up.
A huge, spherical object was pushed on a sturdy-looking trolley to the center of the stage. It was entirely covered by a shiny sheet of silk. Kid guessed that it was some kind of giant goldfish bowl containing an aquatic animal.
"This one, ladies and gentlemen, is a rare sea creature, neither animal nor human, but half of both! She could be your dream pet or, ahem, slave, and will certainly make the other exotic pets of all your friends look mundane!" the auctioneer wearing star-shaped shades announced exuberantly. Kid glanced around and noticed that the crowd was becoming restless. Excited whispers were being exchanged. Some people were peeking into their sack of money and counting how much they had left, preparing to bid to the death for this mystery item. Hell, even that annoying Trafalgar Law was straightening up in his seat from his slouched position.
"Have your paddles ready, dear guests, for now I present to you..."
Wait a minute, Kid thought as he furrowed his non-existent eyebrows.
Half human? Caught from the sea? Then it's definitely a-
"...a MERMAID!"
The auctioneer barely finished his sentence when the silk sheet was pulled away in one swift tug.
The crowd went wild.
Kid's jaw dropped.
Now that her container was uncovered, Nami was finally able to see her surroundings again. Judging from the auctioneer's previous statements, she already knew that she was on the stage of an auction house. However, the sheer number of bidders was truly overwhelming. Every single seat was filled. The aquatic beauty looked at all those greedy grins and had absolutely no doubt that behind the well-groomed facade lay some sort of twisted, cruel mind. The mermaid shuddered from the thought of having to be owned by one of them and tried to distance herself from the audience. She barely swam a meter backward and her back already hit the other side of the glass container.
The auctioneer named Disco started the bidding at a whopping 100 million Beli. Yet the high price did not seem to discourage the wealthy crowd at all.
"150 million," came the first offer.
"250, no, 350 million!" countered another person.
"500 millionnnnn!" hollered an ugly man in a weird astronaut-like costume.
But then a baritone voice boomed throughout the hall.
"That mermaid belongs to no one but me!"
The auction house suddenly went silent as all heads turned to the speaker, a tall redhead who was marching toward the stage. From a distance, Nami caught a glimpse of a mechanical left arm under the full-length fur coat.
For a moment, Disco was startled by the husky guy's rude outburst, but he quickly regained his professional composure and raised the microphone to his lips again.
"Sir, if you would like to own this exquisite item, you will have to compete with the others in offering the highest price. There are no exceptions to this rule in our auction house. The highest bidder at present is Saint Charloss, who has graciously offered 500 million Beli."
His other unoccupied hand was hidden behind his back. Nami watched curiously as the Disco stuck out his pinky finger and made a swiping motion. It was some sort of signal for his subordinates who were stationed behind the curtains on each side of the stage. As soon as the men saw the swiping pinky, certain men backed away from the curtain to make way for the burlier staff. If that tall redhead was planning to take Nami away by force, he would have go to through a lot of guards first.
Speaking about the redhead... Nami once more redirected her attention toward the intimidating man, who was already walking up the stairs to the stage. What she saw made her gasp. She didn't recognize him from afar with the mechanical arm, but now that he was up-close…
Square goggles. Fierce, amber eyes. Broken nose bridge. Mauve-colored lips that contrasted ever so starkly with pale skin.
Oh, it couldn't be.
He was buffer than she remembered. The left mechanical arm was also unfamiliar. But there was no mistaking the person.
"Eu... Eustass 'Captain' Kid," the mermaid murmured to herself. Never had she thought that she would be meeting the man she had saved from drowning 2 years ago again so soon, not to mention in a place like this. Aside from the gruff man's name and appearance, Nami didn't know him at all, but she had a feeling that if there was anyone who she would be willing to get out of this auction house with, it would be no other than Eustass Kid.
It made her dare to hope that maybe, just maybe, she could make it out of here safe and sound.
The Devil Fruit user was looking down at the auctioneer who barely reached his pectorals. That feral gleam in those eyes promising pain if things didn't went his way.
"I don't have to buy her. She's already mine," he growled at the auctioneer and opened his metal palm to reveal a golden bangle that had the exact intricate design as the one on her left upper arm. She didn't even need to look at hers to compare the details. After gazing and caressing the bangle for countless times throughout the past year, she had every single curve and swirl memorized by heart now.
Disco seemed to recognize the bangle and snapped his head to look at its twin on Nami's upper arm.
At first, the mermaid was confused about the Devil Fruit user's words, but then she remembered that it was customary in human society for masters to claim ownership over slaves and pets by marking them with a symbol or accessory.
She inferred that, in the human perspective, the pair of bangles served as a symbol of Eustass's, or in other words, her master's, existing ownership over her so he would have the right to take her back.
Nami dearly hoped that her understanding was correct and that Kid's scheme was going to work.
It was a good thing that Kid knew that stealing other peoples' pets was a serious crime on Shabondy Archipelago.
Now that he had found his savior once more and she was in trouble, there was no better time to put that fancy bangle to good use.
If he could make those bastards believe that he was Nami's legal owner even before they brought her here then the auction would be rendered void. Stealing and selling an owned pet would be a sure ticket for this auction house to appear on the first page of tomorrow's local newspaper. He was sure that they wouldn't risk their reputation for just one item, no matter how high a price it would fetch.
"She escaped from me a week ago. I've been searching for her everywhere ever since. Do I have to show you the registration papers or something?" the Gothic captain bellowed at the auctioneer. He was lying about the documents, of course, but there was no need to worry about that. The pair of bangles were more than enough proof. The design on the bangle in his hand and the one around the mermaid's arm were undeniably identical. You couldn't just pick solid gold bangles like those from the market.
"N.. No need, Sir. I believe we have sufficient evidence already," Disco said to Kid directly before raising his microphone to his lips once more.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I regret to tell you that this item is no longer for sale so today's auction has come to an end. Thank you for your interest. We hope to see you at our next session this Saturday."
The front curtains were quickly drawn shut, shielding the stage from the audience's view. A number of staff rushed to the stage, waiting for their boss's next instructions.
The silver-haired male turned to Kid and gestured to the direction behind the stage.
"If you would kindly follow me to the lounge, sir..."
Kid gave a low grunt. The auctioneer took it as a yes and ordered his employees to push Nami's trolley back behind the stage to the lounge room. The Captain of the Kidd Pirates followed the troupe.
The leisurely stroll that the group was walking was too slow for the captain's liking, so he decided to put some extra weight in his next step. The sound of tiles breaking under his black boots did not fail to make the staff hasten their pace.
They finally arrived at a lavishly decorated lounge with plush sofas and Persian carpets. Kid saw some guys carrying a metal foldable ladder toward them and used his magnetic power to rip the ladder from their grasp and place it beside the over-sized fishbowl. Murmurs of "Devil fruit user" and "Unbelievable" were heard. Another flick of the wrist and the iron hatch sealing the top of the glass container flew off.
The captain climbed up the few steps of ladders and beckoned the mermaid to come up to him like an owner would gesture to his dog.
"Get your scaly ass up here, you good for nothing bitch," he said sternly with a wink that only Nami could see to reassure her of his good intentions despite his foul diction.
She winked back and acted like she reluctantly swam up until her head and shoulders breached the water surface, lips quivering as though she was afraid of her master.
Kid grabbed her by the underarms and effortlessly hauled her onto his right shoulder with his hand securely on her behind. Bypassing the couple of steps, the large captain just jumped down onto the floor. Disco immediately rushed to his side. The redhead already knew that the fucker was likely to try to pay him some hush money.
"My deepest apologies for this incide–"
"Sorry ain't enough, asshole. You stole my slave AND tried to sell her off. I think the reporters would love to know about this little incident," Kid shouted angrily and jabbed his metal index finger at the shorter man's chest, making the guy stumble backwards.
"Now, now, Sir. We're willing to provide you with some compensation. A.. Anything!" Disco pleaded with his hands clasped together tightly in a desperate manner.
The Devil fruit user tapped his chin with the same finger and narrowed his eyes, feigning that he was thinking hard about the offer while in fact he already had a clear number in mind. With such a high amount, the Kidd Pirates wouldn't have to loot and plunder for months (but they would, anyway, just for the fun of it).
"500 million Beli," Kid said slowly. His amber eyes staring intensely into star-shaped glasses, as if daring the other to deny his request.
"In cash. Now."
The auctioneer's mouth gaped like a fish's. Yet no sound of protest was voiced out. After a minute of hesitation, he took a deep breath and finally replied.
"Absolutely, Sir."
Then the auctioneer turned to instruct his staff to gather the some of the money that they had recently collected from the earlier clients in today's bidding. Five large money cases were hurriedly placed and opened in front of the pale captain, who quickly scanned the wads of notes and estimated that it was around the amount that he had asked for. He didn't care if a couple of thousands or even millions went missing. The cash was just a by-product. His priority at present was to take Nami back to his hotel room safely as soon as possible. Poor girl was probably sick and tired of all this shit.
The redhead used his powers to shut the cases, stack them on top of each other, and levitate them by his side.
"Fine, I'll shut my trap. Now where's the exit?" he barked.
Disco thanked him profusely before leading the captain to the doors. Kid walked out without delay.
When the auction house was out of sight, the redhead repositioned Nami into a more comfortable position. He held her bridal style with her long tail hanging off his left arm. The cases of money floated by his side. The townspeople gawked at the strange scene, but nobody dared to get close to the couple.
She looked up and saw that all the hostility in those amber eyes had dissipated. They had turned into soft, reassuring eyes.
"Sorry for manhandling you like that. I wanted to be convincing as an angry owner getting back his runaway slave. I'm Eustass Kid, the dude you saved from drowning a few years ago. Your name's Nami, right?" he said as he used his coat to cover up her upper torso from prying eyes.
The corner of her lips tugged upwards.
"You really do remember me."
Eustass replied with a grin.
"How could I ever forget? If you weren't there back then, I wouldn't be here today..."
The words were spoken with such sincerity, such esteem, that she felt a blush creep up her cheeks.
"I know you're dying to return to the sea, but I think it's better if you stay at my hotel room instead. There are hunters all over the place so you might get caught again. My crew's setting sail in about 5-6 days. We'll help drop you off somewhere far from Shabondy. You cool with that?"
Nami could feel the man's chest rumble as he spoke the words in his baritone voice. She nodded and clutched to his fur coat, laying her head against the soft fur to watch the scenery and people passing by. His strides were slow yet confident, the gait of a powerful man with no fear in the world.
After a while, they finally reached the hotel where the Supernova was staying at. Kid used his powers to unlock the door and push it open without even lifting a finger. Along the way to the bathroom, Nami took note of the spacious living room, the wide veranda, the king-sized bed, and other various stuff.
"Your room's huge," she said in awe after being placed against one of the two headrests in what Kid called a whirlpool bathtub, which was long enough for her to fully stretch her tail fin.
The captain shrugged his shoulders while he turned on the water.
"Hey, I'm a big guy. I need lots of space. I hate the lovey-dovey theme of this honeymoon suite, but it's the biggest room they got. Usually, my first mate Killer shares the room with me, but I'll tell him to stay with another roommate this time. My crew's probably having fun downtown right now, so it's just you and me here. And I ain't no rapist, so don't worry."
Nami giggled at the joke and watched the man bend down to dip his fingers into the water to check the temperature. Satisfied with the temperature, he shrugged his fur coat off and sat down with his back leaning against the tub. Then he rested his right arm on the edge of the tub and laid the bulkier left one on his own lap instead. The Supernova was facing forward but he was looking at her sideways from the corner of his eyes. His gaze wandered down her torso but quickly returned to her face
The gleam of lust was there, alright.
Nami was fully conscious of the effects that her curvaceous appearance had on male's hormones. After all, she had charmed many mermen for some pleasurable nights when she felt lonely at sea.
However, it seemed like this guy was trying to be polite towards her. Kid was no gentleman, that much she knew, because despite their relatively short time together, it was noticeable that his manners were as horrid as most pirates. On the way to the hotel, Kid had to squeeze through a crowded bazaar. He had shouted at a couple of women to move aside, kicked a few kids who bumped into his legs, and even hauled an elderly man out of the way.
It was possible that the redhead had developed some kind of consideration for Nami due to the fact that she had saved his life before. She never knew that such an experience could dramatically change one person's perspective towards another.
However, there was absolutely no need for Kid to suppress his interest in her because she was attracted to him as well. Who wouldn't fall for that well-built frame and sharp features? Not to mention that dangerous aura he emitted.
The water filled up quickly and was up to her collarbones by now. There were streams of bubbles everywhere. How did humans find any fun in merely a handful of bubbles? They should try swimming near the ocean surface during storms. Now that was thrilling. But before Nami could voice her question, the male beat her with his own.
"So, how did you end up here?" he asked in a lazy drawl and tilted his head back a little, giving the mermaid a better view of his muscled neck.
Nami put her hands on the edge of the tub as well and rested her cheek on them. She studied the gears and wires in his mechanical arm all the way to where metal met flesh at the shoulder, then finally locked eyes with the captain.
"You can think of me as a vagabond. I swim here and there and everywhere, just for the fun of it. I like seeing new oceans and new acquaintances. A couple of days ago, I was resting on a rock on Shabondy Beach when some men came from nowhere and caught me before I could jump back in to the sea. I was put in that fishbowl for 2 nights before they placed me on the auction block, and then you came to the rescue."
"Good thing I decided to take a look inside the Auction House today, huh? Your knight in shining armor came just in time." he said with a devilishly handsome grin.
They talked about what each party had been doing for the past few years. Kid had been building his reputation as one of the most feared Supernovas while Nami had been exploring trenches and underwater caves that she was certain that land dwellers never, and ever would, set foot on.
Eventually, Kid ordered room service dinner for them both. He placed a dish of fish with tarragon sauce on the edge of the tub for Nami and sat down nearby to tear into his own blue steak.
Nami's dish was amazing. The sauce was so sweet and creamy, and the fish almost melted in her mouth. The mermaid would definitely be thinking of this later when she returned to the sea. Raw fish just tasted.. raw.
After they finished eating, Kid put all the crockery on the tray and grabbed his coat from the floor, preparing to stand up.
"I'm gonna go take a quick shower in one of my crew's room and come back." he said while still chewing his last piece of beef.
"You can take a bath with me. I don't mind, really."
She heard him swallow with an audible gulp.
Quizzical amber eyes bore into serious gray ones.
"Hey, it's not like I haven't seen a guy's junk before. And there's space for another person. See? Come, come, come." she chanted as she patted the other vacant headrest.
He contemplated her offer for a moment, still staring at the pleather headrest.
"Yeah. Enough room for two, alright" he conceded.