Tickled Haki
By Silver Dragonfly
"Captain!" The look-out shouted, "Blue gulls on the horizon at 2 o'clock!"
Eyes shadowed by red-hair looked up and a large grin spread across the Captain's face as it was revealed. A sense of anticipation filled the air as the crew all waited for the expected order.
"Well then, boys, it seems we've got some blue-gulls to catch up to."
Bodies began to move quickly as orders were called out from the helm. The Red Force's course altered and the ship began to pick up speed.
Shanks continued to grin. He had been itching for a fight ever since the… well; he wasn't sure what to even call it… with the Rookie Puppies the night before. But it had left a sour taste in his mouth and he found himself, not for the first time, wishing he had a way to send a message to his nephew. Marine Sails on the horizon was just what he needed to hear; he wondered if there would be anyone of particular note aboard the unlucky ship.
"Ah, they've caught sight of us, Captain! They are turning to meet us." The look-out called down.
Shanks grinned. "Good. Any distinguishing marks on the ship?"
"No, Captain, looks like a standard warship."
Shanks nodded. No personal markings meant it was unlikely to carry any of the Vice-Admirals, and he had not heard any rumors of the Admirals themselves in this area. "All right, boys, let's show them what we think of that bounty and alias they so kindly gave Naruto."
There were shouts of agreement from across the ship and then the cannon fire began.
Shanks chuckled as his crew deflected enemy cannonballs and the two ships neared each other. "Grapple her and board!" He shouted out. Angry shouts of challenge and cursing filled the air around him as lines and hooks were thrown. Projectiles began to fly through the air in both directions as the Red-Haired Pirates began to board and bring down the Marine forces. Pointed barbs and dark laughter were thrown at the marines as they were defeated. Yelps and screams filled the air.
"Shanks-oji!" a welcome and familiar voice called out. Shanks' grin lost its dark edge and brightened at the sound as he turned. The red-haired Captain then let out a shocked yelp as he ducked under a barrage of kunai; startled marines let out yelps and curses behind him.
"What did you do with all my winnings?!" The blonde teen yelled at Shanks as he ignored the fight and closed with his uncle aboard the marine vessel, kunai sparking against Shanks' sword as he brought it up to block. "You better not have spent it all on booze!"
The surrounding deck stilled and went silent as nearby fighters turned to stare at the two. A flurry of shouted comments filled the air from various marines that had been facing the Red-haired Pirate only moments before.
"No way…" a marine muttered, "He really does have a nephew!"
"Red-hair stole his nephew's money! What a Bastard!"
"The kid attacked Red-hair! He's got balls!"
"Naruto, of course I didn't spend it all on booze!" Shanks answered and blocked another strike from his nephew.
The blonde teen narrowed his blue eyes skeptically. "Oh? I suppose you just offered to buy drinks for those cheating bastards, after they tried to stab me?"
Shanks gasped and reeled back. "You would accuse your own uncle of such!"
Naruto grinned slyly, "Well, you aren't denying it!"
"That's it, brat!" Shanks replied and then lunged forward to strike. "I'll have you doing deck chores for a month!"
The blow was blocked. "I'd like to see you try, old man!"
"Old!" Shanks shrieked.
The marines stared in open-mouthed shock as the pair continued exchanging blows in front of them.
"They're completely ignoring us…" one of the marines muttered.
Across the marine ship deck, Yasopp chuckled from where he battled beside Benn, both of them taking ranged shots and casually bludgeoning marines that got too close. "Just what did Captain do with that money?"
Benn snorted. "Paid off the bar tab, tipped the bartender, and bought all the surplus booze they had in stock."
Yasopp grinned, "So, he did spend it all on booze."
It was at that moment that one of the marines decided it was a good time to take a swing at the uncle and nephew dueling each other across the main deck of the Marine vessel. All action seemed to freeze as the Marine's blade sliced between the two and clashed with both sword and kunai. Simultaneously, the blonde and redhead whirled to focus on the interloper, scowling, and snarled: "STAY OUT OF IT!"
A wave of force seemed to emanate from the pair causing the Marine and several others behind him to teeter and collapse. Neither blonde nor redhead paid attention as the two had already quickly resumed their duel, their focus on each other, insults flying.
"Benn, did that haki come from the Captain?" Yasopp asked carefully.
Beckman narrowed his gaze and lit a new cigarette as he studied the passed out marines and then glanced to the dueling pair. "I'm not sure. Captain's control is good, but he didn't seem surprised."
"Or he just didn't bother to notice." Yasopp offered. Shanks could be ridiculously oblivious sometimes.
Benn sighed and then cursed as he spotted a nearby marine taking aim at the dueling pair. "That idiot has a death wish!" He raised his own rifle, and as the marine's shot was fired, Benn's own shot knocked the Marine's weapon from his hands. Everything stilled as suddenly the blonde teen vanished in a faint haze of smoke. Shanks froze in place, his eyes shadowed as he slowly turned and began to stalk across the deck. The rest of the Red-Haired Pirates had similarly stopped laughing. They were now all frowning as they watched their captain cross the deck. The marines blinked, stunned, and began glancing nervously at the Red-Haired crew.
"Just what," Shanks began, his voice cold, "did you think shooting my nephew would gain?"
The marine stammered, whined, and then seemed to almost collapse into himself.
Shanks made a noise of disgust and turned, his cloak billowing behind him. "I'm returning to the ship. Benn, I want this excuse for a tub sunk."
"Of course, Captain." Benn replied and then the crew set to work. Gone were the cheers, taunts and shouts. The Red-Haired crew now moved in silence, the only noise that of their weapons and fists hitting flesh. In moments, Benn spotted Yasopp scampering back up from below deck and heading back to the Red Force, the signal clear. Powder was set, it was time to leave. Already Marines were scurrying to lifeboats and collecting wounded, a gruff man with the insignia of a commodore ignored the pirates themselves and focused on his men. Benn scoffed: this was the New World and they should have never turned to meet the Red Force, not that it would have saved them. The Red-Haired Pirates defended, and if necessary, avenged their own.
Benn was the last of the Red-Haired crew to cross back to the Red Force, and he gave the order to cut loose and set sail as soon as his foot touched down on the deck. He paid little attention to the crew as they set to their work, and instead sought out his captain. It took him only a few moments, stretching out his own awareness to determine the captain had taken refuge in the storage room that held Naruto's strange seal. He moved silently through the corridors and slipped through the doorway of the storage room before closing the hatch behind him. He said nothing as he leaned against the wall and waited.
"The kid did good. We're going to have to find some barren island and have a full-out duel, sometime." Shanks stated, a smile tugging at his lips.
"You weren't holding back much, then?" Benn asked somewhat surprised.
"Oh, I was holding back, but so was the kid. He wasn't hard-pressed at all. It was all just a game, for both of us, really. I had been considering popping him myself just to freak out the marines."
Benn waited several moments before deciding he'd have to speak up; Shanks was probably trying to determine if he had detected it or not. "And the haki?"
Shanks sighed, proving to Benn that this was, in fact, what Shanks had wanted to see if he had noticed.
"I'm not sure." Shanks finally answered after a moment. "I don't believe it was me, but the brat was pushing it with his taunts, and it's so hard to get a clear read off him. You've noticed that, haven't you? These clones feel strange in terms of haki: like they're there, but not there constantly; it's rather distracting and almost feels like I'm being tickled every time I try to read him."
Benn snorted. Only Shanks would claim something tickled his haki. "Conqueror's Haki… your family is full of monsters, Captain." Shanks only shrugged and continued studying the seal inked into the wood flooring.
"Will you teach him?" Benn asked after a few moments.
"If he is ever able to come in person… leaving it untrained would be foolish." Shanks answered, remembering his own first experiences with the ability; it had nearly cost innocent lives. "It's probably been mistaken as that "Killing Intent" that Gamatsukai told us about before from that world. He may have more control over it already then it seemed earlier, or perhaps the Kage Bunshin just can't control it in the same way."
Benn accepted this answer; he had expected as much.
It was at that moment that there was a tickle of something across both pirates' senses and the seal glowed blue. There was a whoosh of air and a glaring blonde suddenly stood before them. "I heard what Benn said to Yasopp, Shanks-oji. You did spend all my winnings on booze."
Shanks chuckled and reached for the newest Kage Bunshin, ruffling his hair. "You'll just have to win more, then."
Thank you for reading! I was very flattered by the flood of reviews on the previous chapter, so thank you again for your continued support, and I hope you continue to enjoy this story. :)
One Piece and all its characters © Eiichiro Oda
Naruto and all its characters © Masashi Kishimoto
Special Thanks to my beta readers (and sounding boards): Blue Melodie, Inazuma Pocky, & Aria Ino.