"LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL, get wrecked, Mary-chan!"

"Go die in a hole, Captain."

"Now, now, Mary. There's no need to waste breath on some degenerate idiot who's most likely going to die from old age before he dies in a hole. After all, by that point, it's going to be his corpse thrown inside."

"GAH!"

Hanging inside their small space within Chaldea, or in Blackbeard's room, were none other than the most notable of pirate groupings aside from Drake and Bartholomew himself. Edward Teach, or Blackbeard as most people would call him, was casually sitting down upon the flat-footed floor in nothing more than his usual casual apparel from his jeans to his simple t-shirt. Of course, sitting right beside him was a smaller, more petite, frame. A lovely young woman with stark white hair and a few noticeable scars upon her face. Mary Read.

She, too, was wearing the same outfit.

And, of course, paired up right behind her with the small woman sat down upon her lap was none other than her counterpart and fellow heroic spirit, Anne Bonney.

She, too, was wearing the same outfit as her counterpart.

In this case, the smaller of the two heroic spirits was clutching her controller tightly in her hands as her Captain stuck his tongue out at her. Honestly, to think he would be so much of an arrogant bastard as to flaunt off his skills on a console she barely had any practice with. There was Osakabehime, but she was far too shy to even come around when they were around, as usual. Nevertheless, the young woman sighed and laid out her controller as she stared at the screen quietly.

"Can't we do something else already? We've been playing for about half an hour now, captain." Mary pointed out as she comfortably laid her head against her comrade's bosom, not even offering so much as a flush as she closed her eyes and sighed.

"Muuuuu, you guys should know we haven't even been cleared for the latest little singularity problem either. Honestly, it's like we're being treated like background characters for the most part when they could use the great Blackbeard-sama-senpai…"

And before their idiot captain could press on any further, Anne had the decency to smash the butt of her rifle into the man's skull. It was swift, precise, and absolutely devastating judging by how the man whined and rolled around the ground for a few moments after that. With a simple roll of her eyes, Anne poked their captain quietly on the back of their neck.

"Wrong answer for the wrong question, Captain…"

"Aha! Well, we could always just binge-watch and have some pizza. I think I can go grab some from the cafeteria since that's what being served up today. I just hope that damnable loli bastard isn't there again…" The pirate grumbled at the thought of that dark-skinned servant with white hair hogging all the kawaii lovely girls all for himself. What did he have that he didn't!? Seriously, he couldn't help but shake his fist right now as he stood on his feet, shaking his head and watching as his comrades slipped into their kotatsu to lounge about and enjoy themselves. There were just some things a true man could never forgive and that other handsome bastard was one of those things.

"Maybe it's because he's handsome, suave, cute, not smelly, and bothers with being sane, right?"

"Yeah, that's just about right, isn't it, Mary?"

"It's pretty much a fact, Anne."

"COULD YOU TWO STOP TEAMING UP ON YOUR CAPTAIN FOR A MOMENT!?"

And how did they even know he was thinking that!? Sure, he brought up the bastard, but they practically already knew what he was thinking and jumped the blade in a moment! Didn't he deserve some manner of respect from his crew, even for a moment?

Without missing a beat, Mary sighed and grabbed the remote to their flatscreen and turned it on while scrounging around Netflix for a few moments. Finding the right anime to watch took some time, but she was sure they could find something they could all enjoy without all the blatant fanservice. The fact that the man that was as disgusting as Blackbeard managed to get them into this lifestyle was a miracle, but it was certainly something to ALMOST be appreciated. Honestly, why their captain even thought about it was unbelievable when he had…

"Mary?"

Mary opened her eyes quietly as she realized her current mistake as the titles kept moving about with her finger on the button. Right, Anne thought on the same wavelength as her most of the time, almost always. Their bond was something else. A bond that couldn't even be called love. It was far beyond lovers and partners. It was a partnership to last them throughout time, as was their proof from the way they lived down to the way they had fallen.

"Sorry, Anne… I got a little drifty." She mumbled quietly to herself as Anne looked down upon her comrade. Hugging Mary just a little tighter, she nestled her chin atop her friend's head and looked to the screen before glancing over to their captain.

The man had straightened himself up a little before yawning loudly. "Alright, lassies, I'll go and fetch us a box for our room. I don't think that handsome bastard's going to give it up so easily, so I'm sure I'll have to force it out a bit. You two find something for us to watch and I'll be back, hai?" He scratched at his beard and made his way to the door that slid open as Mary and Anne gave their replies in simple nods.

After he left, the pair momentarily paused their browsing and separated for a moment. Sitting side by side, bodies gently leaning into one another, Mary and Anne glanced to the television screen and watched as a preview of some documentary took place, one regarding Earth and her vast oceans.

"...You were thinking about him again."

It wasn't a question.

Mary sighed softly and closed her eyes briefly as she let the past play out in her mind. That day when they met their last days as pirates, as warriors free to do as they wish and fight as they wish.

"Was it a good idea to follow him? To follow Teach, I mean. I can respect him when you look past his silly little facade. He's smart, he's brave, and he's strong. He's the strongest man I think we've ever seen, Anne." No, Teach wasn't the greatest heroic spirit that existed, nor did he come close to the immeasurable powers some of the servants within Chaldea possessed, but despite his odd personality and lifestyle, the man was truly a pirate of pirates. He was a pirate through and through who had shown just how well he could truly live up to the name, Blackbeard. The man who had struck fear into the hearts of sailors everywhere. The man who had faced danger head-on. The very same man who had supposedly died fighting upon his last day aboard the enemy ship. From five shots of lead to twelve up to twenty slashes of steel, the man died with an expression of rage.

"...I don't know for certain, Mary. I wish I had the answer to that one, but I just don't." And Anne wished she could understand it. She remembered just as well what had happened to the two of them, but it wasn't the fear of death that made them quiver and tremble at times. No. It was the fear of being separated once again. One of them died, shackled, long before execution. The other? Free, yet dead at the same time. It was a horrible end. A terrible end.

She remembered feeling so cold. There was no Mary to embrace. There was no warm body that felt the same…

"Do you still…" Anne trailed off before Mary continued.

"Remember? Yes, I remember… I remember him…"

Their hands grew tight, their teeth gnashing together, and the memories flooded yet again.

"JACK!" Anne shouted as privateers boarded their vessel in crews. They flooded the ship as Mary took the front, slashing away and cutting down men in their path without so much as a pause of hesitation. Blood splashed across the floorboards and stained her cutlass as her eyes narrowed, all the while as another body rushed behind her in an attempt to kill her.

A single shot rang out and the man's skull was blown apart as fragments of tissue and skull littered Mary's scalp, but she didn't care. Without a single pause, she leaped right over the falling body and back to Anne's side just in time to slice off a privateer's hand just before they had lunged for her comrade.

Mary and Anne's hearts beat together with adrenaline as more and more men came aboard their vessel. They had been caught in Jamaica with their vessel being raided in moments. They could fight. They had to fight. Mary had already taken ahead whilst Anne guarded the rear. They truly believed their Captain would be there for them.

That he would protect them.

That he loved them…

And yet, all Anne could hear were the men she sailed alongside with, fought with, scurrying into the hatch below and hiding as Jack, the man she had given herself to alongside Mary, went in last. He laid one last parting gaze, a simple gaze, but Anne didn't care for the sorrow or the pain the man felt. Nor did Mary as she paused, staring back at him as the man she killed collapsed at her feet.

It was the fear that gripped him by the throat that truly killed whatever warmth they had ever felt for the man they had served together.

"COME OUT AND FIGHT LIKE MEN!" Mary's pistol rang off once as it struck the hatch before she and Anne howled. They howled like demons and fought. Mary's blade danced across bodies, bringing down cutlasses as she cut down any man rushing before her with Anne's blunderbuss striking men away and blasting apart limbs and even skulls. They roared and howled like the pirates they were, displaying a ferocity never before seen from a woman upon that day as they were surrounded, wounded…

Mary's cutlass danced across the bright dawn, her blade tasting blood as sprays of flesh and more spilled to the ground at their feet. Anne's blunderbuss rang. out with every shot, down to pistols and even smashing the skulls of her opponents in. They cried out. Cuts danced across their skin. They fought for what felt like hours before the inevitable came before the both of them.

Mary was brought to the ground with a shudder as blood filled her gums, growling as she struggled underneath the men above her.

"MARY!"

And as Anne slammed the butt of her rifle into a man, she rushed forth, hand out before men piled atop her. She cried out and howled as Mary reached out with her outstretched hand from afar, all the while as Anne did the same…

They wouldn't be separated…

They couldn't…

"ANNE!"

Shackles. The feeling of being tied up was such an unfamiliar concept to the two of them as they were hauled to their feet. Wounds decorated their bodies, scars upon their frames, and yet the men that had captured them looked at them with fear as opposed to the simple glaring they had to their former captain. Their former 'comrades' who could only call themselves pirates…

Even as they were hauled away, the scathing glares of hatred filled their eyes whenever they met Rackham's cowardly visage.

Months had passed before Mary had died… Anne had lived, if only due to her father's connections. She remembered that dreadful feeling, but she remembered the last thing she had said to Rackham before she had left those cold cells.

"If you had fought like a man, you need not have been hang'd like a dog."

The cold…

They remembered it so much…

"...If he ever becomes a spirit, Anne…"

"Then we'll personally kill him ourselves… A coward dies a coward's death. That'll never change," there was no stretch of a smile of sadism left upon Anne's face. There was no feeling of remorse, longing, or anything close to heartbreak anymore. It was simply betrayal. It was for the sake of being a pirate. To call yourself a pirate and never once die as a pirate… You shouldn't have ever started in the first place.

"Teach is different though, mm?"

Mary pondered those words for a few moments. She pondered the thoughts and feelings regarding the most notorious pirate in the world, a man who had garnered fame like no other before them. He was, arguably speaking, by far the most famous pirate to have ever lived. Unlike Rackham, that very idiot had spent his final days fighting and doing what he wished. Even his death, the death of the age of pirates in a way, sang out as a tale for pirates everywhere. They had remembered their first meeting in Chaldea when it came to the man, especially when it came down to the very first words he had said to them…

"Hello, my lovely little waifus! Mary-chan, Anne-chan, LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL, I didn't think I'd end up meeting some lovely pirates such as yourselves around 'ere! Why don't you come with me and join my crew too, eh?"

It was blatantly stupid. It was idiotic. Their first time within Chaldea and they were greeted by the first heroic spirit they had met. He dressed casually. They had already drawn their weapons with Mary's annoyed gaze as clear as the sun itself whereas Anne had a simple smile upon her face, rifle hefted out and aimed for the man who looked not a wink nervous aside from rubbing the back of his head.

"Anne, can we kill him?"

"I'm not sure that'd be wise to do, Mary. Master's going to be quite disappointed if our introduction ended with the death of one of his servants, even if they are a disgusting rat in some measure of way…"

"NANI!? I thought we pirates had to respect each other, eh? It's been boring stuck with that old hag all the time. Big pairs of tits like that aren't too much of a problem, but she's too old for my liking. Not to mention the fact that she's not close to my strike zone even though blade scars are super hot! You two are some pretty lovely lasses yourself though!"

Mary raised her blade once again.

"Anne, can we kill him now?"

"Now, now, Mary, every life deserves to live their life. Even horrendous cockroaches themselves…"

The man before them shivered before huffing as he wiped away at the crocodile tears upon their face. Now that they took a closer look at the man, he was large. Abnormally so. He was the tallest man they had ever seen in their life. Familiar as well now that they both thought about it. Anne could have sworn she had seen such a face before, but perhaps it was simply memories playing a trick on her.

Mary, in her regard, felt the same aside from the fact that she truly did want to stab this man already. She could have sworn she had seen his face once before. They seemed different though. There was something about this man that felt so familiar. He looked stupid. Acted stupidly too. So, why did she feel the need to never let her eyes waver from him?

And then he offered up his hand.

"Edward Teach! I prefer onii-chan if you would call me that, but I also accept Blackbeard-sama-senpai-kuuuuuun! Great to meet some pirates again, especially some super kawaii ones like yourselves! You've got this yuri air about you that I like! Wanna join my crew?"

Their eyes widened briefly before focusing in again. This man was Blackbeard? This was the most notorious pirate to have existed before? The way he held himself, the way he stood, it didn't speak of weakness at all. That didn't matter though. Men had played them once before, Rackham had played the idea of being a pirate and it ended terribly. Anne's eyes narrowed and she bit back a snarl, but her smile never wavered. Mary's eyes narrowed and her grip upon her cutlass tightened.

"Why would we ever join your crew, Teach?" Mary asked with about as much bluntness as a cannonball.

"Are you the sort of man that can be followed? How do we know you're no coward? Hm?" Anne added, raising her brows at the man who didn't so much as look insulted at their words. Even at such a distance, even with Mary's cutlass brandished so close to his body, Anne's rifle aimed straight for his head, he didn't seem deterred in the slightest. His cheeks were flushed red, his body held nervously, but he didn't once back away.

And his eyes…

They never once looked away from theirs.

Mary's eyes met Blackbeard's.

Anne's eyes met Blackbeard's.

And yet, no matter how fierce their gaze, he didn't seem deterred. He even seemed willing to stare back quietly, a thin line across his lips as they stared at one another quietly.

Right before he grinned.

"Because I'm…"

"BLACKBEARD'S BACK AT LAST, LOVELY LASSES!"

Mary and Anne were jostled from their thoughts the moment a familiar face burst through their room once again. There was Blackbeard. Aside from a few bruises left upon his body and even a bloody nose, the man looked happy as he slammed down a box of pizza onto the center of their kotatsu. A sharp grin upon his face, a proud stance that never wavered, and eyes as firm and strong as ever before.

Taking a seat at the far back of the kotatsu, the heavy pirate sighed softly and chuckled as he opened up the box to reveal freshly baked pizza with a slew of toppings. There was one piece missing, but the pirate seemed more bothered by the fact they still hadn't picked out a channel more so than the actual missing slice. Most likely because of one certain feline chef that had nearly wrapped her claws around the poor Rider servant.

"Maaaa, maaa… You two still haven't decided on what we should watch, huh? Maybe we should try Heaven's Lost…"

And, like that, the pirate paused for a few moments the second his eyes caught the shuddering forms of Mary and Anne. His silly expression dwindled for a brief moment, his eyes sharpened, and the man was left to consider their next actions. They didn't say anything other than looking at one another and adopting curious expressions. He paid it no mind, however, and went to continue with his statement.

"Teach, would you fight to the very end with us?"

Blackbeard paused as he reached out for the remote whilst staring at the screen up above. His eyes drifted down below to catch the slight meekness of the voice he had heard. Much to his surprise, it had been Mary. The young woman who had always let her blunt and short attitude cut down most tensions in moments. The very same young woman had stood up, looking at him quietly, her fists clenched together as Anne rose right behind her. Hand upon her shoulder and staring at him quietly, she, too, stared at him.

"Would you fight your last breath with us? Would you fight alongside us out on the frontlines? Would you lead us out there? Together?" Anne's tone had grown firm, the never wavering smile washed from her face and replaced with a thin line as the young woman's hands tightened into fists. They stared at him, both of them, with a gaze familiar to the very same one he had met so long ago when they had first met in that hallway.

'Are you the Captain for us, Teach? Can you be there for us? Can you stand by our side even as our blood spills to the floor? Will you hang with us when the time for our days comes? Will you stand together with us as pirates?' Mary and Anne thought quietly, both of them staring at the man who had gone quiet.

Maybe they were…

"PFFFFFFFT! You two are a bunch of bakas, aren't you?"

"..."

"..."

"Eh?"

"Huh?"

And there he was, the very man they had seen upon their first day within Chaldea. A hand planted firmly into his knee, the other into his jawline, the man looked more annoyed than anything else. They swore, for that moment alone, they could see the man Teach truly was within his eyes. Not a hint of silliness, nor a hint of an antic, or even something close to stupid located within those eyes. Instead, the man's eyes were firm, unwavering, and sharpened like the finest cutlass they had seen.

"What sort of half-baked protagonist would I be if I let my crew go ahead and fight by themselves? Sure, I'll go ahead and use those spirits aboard my ship and sacrifice 'em, but they're my shields. If need be, I'll use you to the fullest, both of ya! That's the sort of protagonist I am and always will be! I'll face death head-on with a smile on my face like always and I'll let loose a proud roar when I win! That's just the type of protagonist I am, you two!"

He scoffed for a moment before that grin came aboard his face once more.

"You two are a part of my crew, right? I'll use you both well and I'll fight and die right alongside the both of ya, LOLOLOLOLOLOL!"

He wasn't sure what he expected from speaking honestly. They were pirates. They were his crew. He would use them to fight, to shield him, and to push forward, but never would he cover behind them like a fool. He would laugh and die. Smile and die. Drink and die. Kill and die. So long as he had a good time, even in this life, that was all the man truly cared for as the pirate that he was. What else could a pirate truly want other than to enjoy every waking moment of their life living it as they wished and pleased?

Mary and Anne stared quietly at the man they had called their captain.

They felt something beat deeply.

They felt so…

Warm.

"...Captain…" Mary spoke softly as she walked over to the man.

"...Blackbeard…" And Anne mumbled quietly as she walked on over to the other side of the man.

That look, that type of gaze, was not the gaze a coward held.

It was just the type of stare a true pirate would possess.

Taking a seat on either side of Blackbeard, Anne sat on the man's right, wrapping her arms around his and pressing her chest into his heavy limb. Mary, of course, had sat upon Blackbeard's left and gently wrapped her arms around his, leaning her head close to his arm and closing her eyes briefly as the pirate captain widened his eyes briefly. Was this some sort of new trick they were playing? Were they just messing with him like Miss Nagatoro!? Honestly, he knew he had done a lot of things that made some women flustered but to think that...

"...N-Nani!? Did I reach the love meter at last or did I…" A pair of lips gently graced his cheeks. His eyes snapped wide as Mary and Anne pulled away, a soft flush on either face and yet the heaviest of smiles he had seen before as they stared at him, together.

"You're our captain, Teach," Mary mumbled softly.

"Now and forever, Teach," Anne finished quietly, chuckling as she brandished a heavy smile as opposed to Mary's soft flush and huff.

Feelings were hard. to describe when it came to pirates. In Blackbeard's case, it was difficult to believe in the likes of true love or anything close to it. He lived his life as a pirate. He lived his days with women, many women, who had sought him out only for wealth. Even in this life, he found few women to truly call ones he would want with every fiber of his being. He was a pirate. He wanted what others couldn't. It was as simple as that. However, for the likes of fellow pirates, for the eyes of Mary and Anne to stare at him with camaraderie he had not seen in ages, to affections he couldn't dream of?

Well, what could he do other than grin?

Just as they leaned in once again, the door to their room slid open and Rama, the Saber, stepped in with a DVD in hand.

"Oi, Edward-kun! I managed to find that DVD you were looking for and I…" He was stopped in his tracks by a gunshot smashing into the wall right beside him. He stared quietly at the sight of a frustrated pair of pirates and a rather annoyed Blackbeard staring at him as he quietly observed the situation.

"...Ah, I see. Excuse me."

And like that, he pulled away and closed the door on his way out. Staring ahead at the hallway before him, Rama wasn't sure whether to be astounded by the man that was his friend or genuinely scared from the fact that he most likely couldn't step in at any point without being shot/stabbed.

"...Aren't you a lucky man, Edward-kun?" The young man mused, smiling briefly as he made his way across the hallways. Though, despite that, the young man was still pondering one certain thing.

'I wonder why he insists on me calling him Edward-kun...'

A question for another day, perhaps.