Chapter 27, Romance Dawn - Part 2
Notes: Here we are! The long awaited epilogue ^^
I put up a visual introduction for this chapter that you can find on the link right here: ninjantome. tumblr post/623615493732007936/first-mates-chapters-26-27-romance-dawn
And whether it's days or months or even years after the last udpate, I'll be happy to know what you think of the story in the comments below ^^
Have a good reading!
The tang of soap was mixing with the smell of burnt wood and the sharp scent of metal.
In a span of minutes, the human auction house turned into a battleground, involving three captains of the Worst Generation. Trafalgar Law, Eutass Kid, Monkey D. Luffy… they had wiped out the first wave of marines as if they were nothing. But Penguin's amazement turned into a muffled curse when he saw the reinforcements approaching on the bridges linking the groves between them. They better hurry!
His foot connected with a marine's stomach, clearing a path for the Heart pirates. Penguin quickly assessed their ways out. Marines were spreading fast, meaning that even if they fled this grove unscathed, the soldiers would be on their heels.
In the mayhem of churned up earth and body parts left by his captain, the hatted man heard Bepo's shouts followed by the sound of several marines tasting the soles of his boots.
"Hurry up, Bepo!" Law shouted after him.
Eyes' darting from the crew ahead of him, Penguin turned around and the sight put a grin on his face. His captain was catching up on them with an old enemy by his side. Jean Bart, free of his slave chains, reached Penguin's level in two giant strides.
"Bart! Good to see you walking on two legs!"
"So do I!"
The giant matched Penguin's run, following the rest of the Heart pirates in the direction of a small striped bridge. Shachi was ahead, and Penguin nodded from a distance. Soon, their captain and Bepo caught up with the handful of Heart pirates on the run; and they all rushed on the root bridge toward the next grove.
"Where do we go Captain?" Penguin shouted over the explosions on their trails.
"The submarine! Kizaru is coming!"
"An admiral?!" Penguin's jaw hanged opened in shock.
Why was he surprised? Straw Hat punched a goddamn celestial dragon after all! A bitterness clenched his jaws as he realized how quick the Marine could be when it came to defend the richs… But a surge of fear took over any resentment and whipped him forward on the bridge.
The bright sun of this day was completely at odds with the anguish growing through the crew. None of them fancied being on the wrong end of the hunt. But between flight or fight with an admiral, they made their choice. If Kizaru found them, they were as good as dead!
Second to last, Penguin was shaken from head to toes by the steps of their new giant crewmember on the root under their feet. The hatted man stretched his arms out to keep his balance while Bart crossed the bridge. One by one, they reached the next grove but a quick glance over his shoulder confirmed Penguin that some marines were on their tail, gaining on them.
"Bart!"
As if he thought the same thing, Jean Bart turned around on the edge of the grove. He lifted his arms up and a light breeze blew on Penguin's face when he smashed the bridge with his balled-up fists. Although he knew firsthand how strong the former captain was, Bart's strength was impressive!
Bubbles popped all around them and snapped Penguin into motion again. He ran past Bepo who closed their formation next to Bart. Their navigator was standing out in his orange overall, and he zeroed his eyes on the freshly hired crewmate.
"You're new, so you're under me on the totem pole!" An unusual authority was showing in the polar bear's voice. But Bart had other things in mind rather than hierarchy now.
"As long as I'm not a slave, I don't care…" The giant answered with a sigh, clearly implying that a chase wasn't such a big deal after living in chains.
Penguin propelled himself with a small leap, up to Shachi's level. Guarding their captain's side, they both rushed with the same urgency pushing their legs forwards. The slippery grass was just a green mat under their feet. They were reaching a lawless area, where huge and twisted roots covered with moss were springing all around.
"Didn't go as you expected at all huh?" Shachi yelled in a playful attempt, somehow toned down by the concern showing in his clenched jaws.
Penguin turned toward his ginger mate, but the only color his brain was processing was blonde. At the reminder of their original plan, Killer's long golden mane came to his mind. And despite the escape of the Heart pirates being his number one priority, Penguin couldn't get it out.
Between the ravages caused by the devil fruit users and the arrival of the marines, the hatted man lost sight of the Kid pirates. Penguin hoped with dreadful concern that they got away. He wouldn't plan an alliance with pirates who let themselves get captured so easily! They- they had to be safe somewhere!
Another bubble popped loudly beside his head, and Penguin's head jerked on the side. He caught a glimpse of blonde hair. For a fleeting moment, he thought his need to see Killer was messing with his head. Then he saw a shock of red hair and he was certain that his imagination didn't summon that.
"Captain! That's–" The hatted man blurted, short of breath. Killer was here, in a polka dotted shirt and tight fringy pants. Damn, he was breathtaking! The Kid Pirates were right behind him, scattered at the edge of a lawless grove. Weapons left their sheaths among the pirates in sync with the metal scraps gathering around Captain Kid's arm.
Law's incredulity matched his first mate's one. "Eustass and… That's–!"
Penguin lifted his eyes off Killer at a new metallic sound. It was clicking like the engine of the submarine when it depressurized. Familiar, without a doubt, but that wasn't it. There were small bear ears, that wasn't Bepo's. And a high black collar that didn't belong to any of the Heart pirates…
Their captain tightened his grip on his sword. "Why is a shichibukai in a place like this!"
The scowling figure of Bartholomew Kuma held his hand up, but no pads were visible inside his palm. A dreadful tremor shook Penguin at the memory of its heat beam, tearing the night apart while he fled the marine ship with Killer.
The shot fired and pierced right through Kid's mechanical arm. The red-haired captain snarled, crouching to return the blow.
"We're right by both marine headquarters and Mariejoa. You never know who's going to show up!" Jean Bart fulminated.
"Marines are coming from behind!" Shachi warned, sweating under his cap. A raising tension also showed through Bepo's voice, "Captain!"
The Pacifista slowly turned its head toward the newcomers. Its distorted and amplified voice brought the silence over both the pirate crews, "Trafalgar Law…"
Despite their risky situation, a sly grin appeared on the face of the Surgeon of Death, "You know my name, huh?"
First behind him, Penguin walked down the grove with his captain. In no time, the Heart pirates had merged with the Kid crew. Standing together in front of the giant blocking their only way out.
Eustass Kid spit, falsely unbothered by the blast he just took, "It's just bad luck that this guy is here!"
Killer would have shaken his head at the typical carelessness of his captain, but his eyes wouldn't leave the Pacisfista for a single instant.
Then a roughness slipped into Kid's voice. One he was saving especially for the Heart captain. "Trafalgar, you're in the way."
They played this scene so many times that Law's answer snapped instantly, "Do you want to die? I thought I told you not to order me around."
Side by side, the two captains began to summon their powers. Kid's unsettling waves of magnetism washed over the grove, mixing with the sharp blows conjured into Law's palm.
"Looks like today's a day for meeting unexpected big names…" Trafalgar stated with a dreadful calm. "And I don't want to add an admiral on top of that."
Both crews stood up behind their captain, and Penguin exchanged one meaningful look with Killer above their men. White overalls mixed with spikes and blades. After all the scheming, all the chaos… their rivalry seemed far away as they were finally standing together against a common enemy. And it chose the wrong time to piss them off.
"You're going to let us pass, Bartholomew Kuma!" Trafalgar ordered as his room enshrouded them like a huge bubble.
With a surprising swiftness the mechanical giant held its hand out and fired.
"Captain, watch out!" Bepo's large fluffy hand dragged his captain away from the firing line.
A lighting beam tore the space between the pirates, digging a burning line in the ground where Law had been standing. The smell of earth and smoke filled the air.
Kid's metallic hand creaked and groaned, but Killer's voice roared louder. "That's not Kuma!"
"What are you sayin'?" Eustass snapped back, eyes darting between his first mate and the giant walking upon them.
But Killer and Penguin had a step ahead. They already fought it. During one eventful night, on the bridge of a marine ship. They almost defeated it.
"It's a human weapon!" Penguin shouted, then he turned towards the rest of the crews. "You cannot harm it with bullets or swords!"
Curses and sparkly eyes for this giant robot spread amongst the pirates. How could they hope defeating this thing? They had no idea what other weapons it had in store!
"Stay alert, this thing is fast." Killer warned, before his striped mask turned to his captain. "Kid! It's all metal, you can slow it down!"
Eustass nodded, "Cover me!" Then the ground began to rumble, and his mechanic hand reached in the direction of the giant. A low vibration shook the atmosphere and the hand of the pacifista halted in midair.
The tension grew as the giant fired a new beam on the ground. The ray kept going, melting the grass and the earth inch by inch, arm wrestling against Kid.
Suddenly the light was clear-cut. Law's blade whistled in the air, leaving the pacifista's arm behind him. The false Kuma looked down at its missing limb without showing a single trace of emotion.
"Keep it still Eustass-ya!"
"You, do not order me around!"
Kid's attention faltered for an instant, enough for the pacifista to summon another light beam inside its mouth.
"Shambles!"
The shot fired, but instead of hitting Kid, it cut an old log in half. Eustass stared at dumbly at the smoking dead wood, fighting against a growing nausea when he realized that he'd moved from his original position. He shared a look with Law, but the Surgeon of Death only had a cunning smirk and fingers crossed to answer him.
The sound of the giant robot brought him back to the urgency of the situation. With a groan, he used his powers to slow the giant down again. Veins was growing on his forehead, as his jaws set under the effort.
"Any time now Killer!"
He knew he must be quick, but they also wouldn't get a second chance at a shot like this. He needed… Penguin!
The hatted man's hand found the cold touch of his metal armband. Penguin looked up to Killer, ready to fight by his side. Killer could have taken over the world if those eyes followed him.
The masked man crossed his scythes, in an almost reverent gesture, and lowered them to give Penguin a leg up. Then Killer propelled him into the sky with all his strength. The pacifista's head followed his white silhouette rising among Sabaody's bubbles.
During this fraction of second, Killer had sheathed one scythe and dashed forward at full speed toward the distracted giant. Leaving an impact on the grass as he jumped, Killer's opened scythe glistened sharply as it aimed for the giant's head.
The pacifista assessed the danger of the blade and moved out of the scythe range at the last moment. The pirates on the ground cursed the swiftness of this damn robot, but then Killer's second scythe caught the light of the sun. The blade appeared so suddenly that the whistle of the metal pierced the air after what seemed an eternity.
Unable to avoid an attack so close, the curved blade hooked the pacifista's mouth like a fish. Killer's feet pressed on the giant's back, before he yanked his mechanical head back with a loud metallic tearing. The pacifista tried to get Killer off him but Kid prevented him to lift his last arm any higher.
Then Penguin's shout echoed in the heavy soapy air. His right fist coated with the black of his haki, all the way up to his elbow. And he plunged on the pacifista's head with the strongest punch he could pull out. Penguin's hit wrecked the giant robot's neck in one blow and the exposed wires began to sparkle.
The pacifista's heavy body fell on the grass, shaking the earth in its landing. Then the sparks triggered an explosion, erupting in huge ball of fire, and sending the remains of his body flying away in a rain of smoke and burning scraps.
When the smoke started to fade away, the Heart and Kid pirates rushed to safety, looking for their first mates between the bits and pieces.
They were holding onto each other, as if they had jumped down the pacifista together and it had been the only way to keep balance. But even as they stood on their feet; Killer's grip barely untangled from Penguin. Their heavy breaths turned into a smile, crazy on the edges and overjoyed by victory.
.
The shouts of their crews running toward them, popped their bubble.
"That was amazing!"
"Where did you pull out those sick moves?!"
"Guys, you were on fire!"
"Can you teach us to do that too?!"
In the middle of the praises and the excitement, their mates parted to make way for their captains. Law's tall shadow casted on Penguin.
"How did you know?" The Heart captain questioned, furrowing his brows, "The way to destroy it."
Killer's arm slid from Penguin's waist, unnoticed, but his fingers lingered on the Heart pirate's back.
"We fought it before," the masked man answered.
"Together?" Kid asked with his usual grumpiness, this time tainted with genuine surprise.
"Yes," Penguin stated crossing his arms in both a defiant and protective gesture. Whether from pride or the excitement of their victory, the hatted man eventually found the words that couldn't pass his mouth when he faced Kid earlier in the morning. "We infiltrate a marine's ship, stole their logbooks, fought our way out against a whole battalion and one of those giant robot shichibukai!"
Awestruck murmurs followed up Penguin's story. His eyes crossed Shachi's and he caught a proud smile on his friend's face.
"It proved to be useful here," Law pointed out, before his focus slid in Kid's direction.
However, the Captain Kid was frowning his hairless brows, searching something on the visible half of Penguin's face.
"We could be more than that." Killer started and Penguin's heart jumped. This was the chance they hoped for! So, he completed encouragily, "Join our forces against the Emperors."
A rumble shook the air and the ground trembled under their feet. The pirates' heads wiped toward a distance light beam, cutting through the sick trees of another grove. The steps of the marines approaching grew stronger.
Kid and Law exchanged a meaningful look, the words of their first mates shaking them more than the marines coming after them. However, a new explosion cut short any attempt at dialogue. The captains nodded at each other and Kid and Heart pirates retreated; the firsts in the direction of their galleon and the lasts towards their submarine.
They had been this close! Yet, as Killer's fingers had to leave Penguin's back, they still had hope that their captains heard them. They had one foot ahead, right behind their crews, but they knew. Their crews would not forget what they did together. They opened a door toward a new path.
So instead of parting with a heavy heart, they smiled knowingly, with the certainty that they would see each other again. Penguin took a few steps backwards, taking in as much as he could of Killer. Then he ran after the Heart pirates, the image of the masked man imprinting on his retina. It left such a vivid impression that Penguin recognized his voice at a distance immediately.
"Pen!" He turned around and saw Killer, a hundred of meters away, bringing up the rear of the Kid pirates.
"Find us in the New World!" He yelled at Penguin, knowing that he would, no matter what it will take.
Penguin nodded, just once and Killer's heart swelled with warmth.
Suddenly an indignant roar reminded them of the presence of their crews, especially of Eustass Kid. "Pen?!" He shouted, fulminating as the missing piece of the puzzle clicked in his head. "I knew I saw this fucking face somewhere!"
For once Penguin was relieved to see the marines approaching. It didn't prevent Kid's overly dramatic outcry to resonate in the whole grove.
"Come back here you traitor! You can't have feelings for a Heart pirate! What about our reputation?!"
Teasing cheers erupted among the Kid pirates. The last image Penguin captured of them was the rear-guard shooting at the upcoming marines and Killer running away from Kid's gigantic metal hand.
Penguin ran after his own captain. Already knowing what his thoughts were about Killer. But he wondered: What would people think if they knew? Would you think less of them, who overcome their enmity? What to say of two persons who learn to trust each other?
What do you say traveler, at the end of their journey, of these first mates; who make strange bedfellows, and yet fell in love?
Notes: This story was first published in 2016! Wow! It took me way longer than planned to come to the end of it, but I am so glad of where this journey took me. I find it fatefull in a way that the manga is currently in an arc reuniting Kid and Heart pirates for the first time since Sabaody ^^
I will be forever grateful for the people I've met in the One Piece fandom. The Kilguin chat has become such a wonderful and supporting family. I must thank my dear waifu and the amazing head of the chat, Element crystal, who was such a great beta reader and advisor when I was battling with ideas. Aryes, our wonderful Queen, Al, our beloved King, Shan, who caried the Kilguin flag so proudly, Cereza, who supported me so much for the writing of the final chapters (here's a link for the amazing fanart she did for First Mates: ninjantome. tumblr. post/623615681115586560/first-mates-a-kilguin-fanfiction), Rainalynne, who has been such an amazing and so supportive beta reader (thank you for all your work on the first chapters), and all the members I've had the pleasure to meet on this chat (Leena, Lychee, Ed, Sandra,...).
I will also not forget the marvelous readers I've had throughout the years. Huge shout-outs to Jui Bhaskarrao, Hina714, dehirka, the site didn't notify me of your messages so I only read them today! I'm really touched by your concern, sorry it has taken so long, but I'm here and healthy to deliver you the end ^^ Many thanks to every reader who left a review. I saw all of your kind words, long and short, and I will cherish them forever! You are the reason I kept writing and why this story is so long, and now complete ^^
And to all my followers, the one who fav this story and the silent readers. I know you are there and I won't forget you too! Thank you!
As a final word I'd love to encourage you: Have faith in your creations people, start small, be gentle with yourself when you can't create, find people to discuss your art with and create what you want to see! You can do this :3
Take care all of you 3