A gentle reassurance
"I told you I'll be the one who'll end this, Remmy! I kind of fit in that role anyways, don't you think so?" Kruz grinned, already running into the forest after the figure who was no doubt Mine, morphing into his bird form and flapping off, melding in with the darkness far too quickly for Reimbrad's liking. Reimbrad grinned, pulling back from a well-placed punch that made his opponent barrel into the side of a building. "Don't call me that, idiot. And come back alive!" He would place all his faith into Kruz now, since believing was the only thing he could do at this moment. Turning his back to the forest, he leapt back into the fray.
Reimbrad opened his eyes, blearily trying to make sense of what was going on. "Commander!" A joyful chorus of voices assualted his earbuds, making him wince in both irritation and pain. "The hell...?" He grunted, sitting up and ignoring all the clamoring of his men as they expressed degrees of worry and relief. "Shut up, the lot of you" He snapped wearily, pushing away some person's face and swinging his feet off the cot, the brush of grass against bandaged feet somewhat comforting. He inspected his body, which was expertly covered with strips of cloth while he wore only a pair of shorts. It must have been the reindeer of the Strawhats, reminding him that he would have to go and thank the pirates later. Right now, he had something extremely important to do. He turned towards the group of men, addressing them sternly and asking, "Where's Kruz? Did he return yet?"
He was met with silence.
Panic filled his throat and he asked once more, "Where is he?" This time, one guy, the one who he pushed away by the face, answered almost remorsefully, "Vice-commander Kruz hasn't returned yet. Because the Gale Regiment was heavily impacted by the recent fight, we couldn't risk sending out any of the Jaegars. Almost all of them are injured, Commander Reimbrad!" Reimbrad almost felt his heart stutter in his chest, pausing as he inspected the men around him and beyond that, indeed all of them were hurt to some degree, something he couldn't decipher beforehand due to his worry for Kruz. Silently reprimanding himself for being so careless, he stood up unsteadily, much to the alarm of the group. "I'm fine" Reimbrad said reasurringly, trying to soothe their panic at their Regiment Commander already walking about despite his wounds. "You need the rest more than I do. Go and take a break" He smiled, patting a shoulder before walking off, towards the direction of where Kruz first left.
Reimbrad slicked back his light cocoa-colored hair, leaving two trailing strands on either side of his face as he paused only for a moment, looking into the woods as if hoping a figure with his path trailed with that sea blue scarf, grinning his stupid grin with bits of leaves and twigs stuck in his hair walked out in that moment, rubbing the back of his head like an idiot. he reached into his pocket, feeling around for the vivre card and taking it out. Good, he hadn't lost it in the fight and there was no glow eating away at the paper.
"Oi, Red-ossan!"
Reimbrad turned around slightly, watching one bandaged Monkey D. Luffy walking towards him, covered in a significant amount of bandages. It was confusing that the pirate called him 'Red-ossan'. He wasn't wearing any red nor was he old. 'It must be something with that mentality of his that the Strawhat crew is always repreimanding him about'. Reimbrad dismissed the title and instead acknowledged him. "Strawhat. Where's your crew?" Luffy grinned, shifting the iconic hat from under his shoulder to onto his head. "They're getting stuff for the party!" Reimbrad sighed quietly, never even hearing about the party in the first place but honestly, he didn't care right now. A party can be good for the frayed nerves of all the Jeagars anyways, plus it's amazing how much good food and music can help a person just recently in battle. "Anyways, I've been looking for Kruz! You know where he went?" His cheerful voice jerked Reimbrad out of his thoughts, who looked at the scarred captain with something like curiosity in his eyes. "Why are you looking for him, Strawhat?" He grinned, replying, "I want him to join my crew!"
Oh.
Oh.
So it was like that. Strawhat must have been impressed by Kruz, many were after all. He was strong, reliable, trustworthy and a great partner to rely on, so it was no surprise that Strawhat wanted him. It was almost laughable, but Kruz was a stubborn man. He would feel like he still had something to do here, a place where even though he'd adjusted, just wasn't his calling. Reimbrad knew, hell, everybody knew that Kruz's mother was a pirate and he wanted to become one just like her, but was unable to after Mine massacred the Tuley Family and countless others, including a few Jeagars. He couldn't be the one thing he aspired to be because of Mine, and it tore him apart. Reimbrad couldn't stand Kruz being in so much pain, so he sent him off for a few years to 'get stronger so we don't lose anymore people'. He knew Kruz must had been so deliriously happy, following his dream and quenching that thirst for adrenaline by sailing the seas and after he returned, with a pirate crew, Reimbrad thought that he had finally found where he belonged. It was quite the opposite actually, and instead Kruz greeted the Commander with a, "I've finally gotten stronger. I've come back to finish what I've started".
It was agonizing to watch Kruz like this, denying what he wanted the most and sacrificing everything so he could 'finish what I've started'. It was admirable, but painful nevertheless. Perhaps Strawhat could convince Kruz to leave this place and give him the adventure he always thirsted for. Reinbrad smirked, raising an eyebrow as he shifted his weight to the rubble. "He's stubborn, Strawhat. You think you can just up and take him from our hands like that?" Strawhat was determined as well as unswayed. "He won't be happy here! He belongs in the sea, as a pirate!" Reinbrad too refused to back down from the teen, secretly growing pleased by the passing second as the captain continued, "I know that he wants to be out there, sailing and experiencing new and super cool things but he's stuck here, forced to throw away his dream because of that Mine bastard!" His voice quieted, eyes shadowed by the brim of his hat. "Nobody deserves that, carrying all that pain and smiling like nothing's wrong" At that moment, Reimbrad knew Strawhat was the one. He embodied adventure, recklessness, bravery and everything that he knew Kruz would faithfully follow. All it would probably take was a few nudges here and there and Kruz's carefully constructed facade would crack.
He deserved to be with the Strawhats, fighting and living and laughing alongside them. They already had a close bond with him, and Reimbrad knew that resisting them was increasingly becoming difficult for the vice-commander. Reimbrad barked out a laugh, clapping a hand on pirate's shoulder and announced, "I know what that idiot has gone through and how long he's suffered for. I'd be a dumbass not to notice. Go and find him, Monkey D. Luffy. Make him join even if you have to drag him kicking and screaming onto your ship!" He pushed the vivre card into the rubberman's hand and walked away, eyes closed and a smile still on his lips.
'He's one hell of a guy, that Monkey D. Luffy'
The patter of sandaled feet and the call of "Gomu gomu no Rocket!" seemed to answer his musings.
Kruz was going to be fine.
