Disclaimer:
All rights of any one piece related characte or other one piece related stuff belong to Eiichiro Oda.
From A like agent to S like shipwright
„Splendid!"
„Marvelous!"
The huge man boomed whilst examining every single step Kaku made. Latter, who, at first, had felt flattered by the praise of his self taught carpentry skills, had started to feel more and more irritated with each passing day of their training.
He and Lucci had started to groom their abilities as shipwrights about two weeks ago. And since then, every passing day was filled with learning carpentry abilities instead of fighting techniques. The smell of sweat and blood had been replaced by the the ones of freshly carved wood.
At the very first day it became obvious that Kaku already was a fine shipwright who had only to learn a few practical tricks.
But Lucci on the other hand...
well, to say he was not good with wood was a huge understatement.
Really, the man seemed to have never even tried to hold a saw.
The first time he had tried to work on a block of wood he chopped it in half, along with the heavy workbench it was lying on. He managed to do this with just a rasp. An eight inch long very fine rasp.
The huge instructor, who had arrived just the other day, had stared at Lucci like he had gone completely mad. All while Kaku laughed his ass off.
"A' right, boy, just stroke the wood gently, lika swee' little girl. It won't do ya any good to hit it tha' hard."
The look on his fellow agents face just informed Kaku that he was not only hating the new teacher, but also wont suddenly start to cuddle with wood.
Sadly, Lucci's skills did not improve since that day.
A loud crash brought Kaku back from his thoughts and he looked up from his work.
Lucci, who was still trying to saw a piece of wood properly into planks had yet again managed to wreck another saw.
"Oh boy... Wha' did I tell ya? It ain't force ya need. Ya have t' stroke the wood, boy. Ya have t' feel it change under ya caressing hands. Its alive. Treat it bad an it'll break. Now, boy, go get another saw!"
The mentor turned around just in time to miss Lucci's death glare. Hattori, sensing his masters fury, took off and perched on a roof beam, waiting for his master to strike.
Kaku hurried back to looking busy. He had already finished two fisher boats in the last two weeks and had already started on a small ship. Both of them have to build a real ship for their final exam before they are allowed to go on the mission. Originally, it was planned that both build one ship together, but this plan had been dismissed on the very first day.
The plan was, that both train to become shipwrights for three months before the start. This period had been cut down to one month for Kaku. Whether he will be send earlier or has to wait for Lucci to finish his training was not decided yet. Kalifa and Blueno had also started on their own special training and will be send to Water Seven in two weeks.
Lucci, on the other hand, will definitely not go on the mission earlier than expected. Needless to say he was not to keen on staying behind, especially since he will lead the mission. Since the first day, Lucci's mood had started to drop bit by bit and Kaku was just glad Lucci had not started to lash out on him for being better.
At the end of the day, Kaku had already built most of the keel of his masterpiece. Superhuman strength really does come in handy. As well as years of building miniature ships.
Lucci had also succeeded in breaking his already high record in breaking... well... anything.
When the teacher released them for the day, or rather night, since it was already 11:30 pm., Lucci stormed off without even a word, his feathery friend right behind him. It was actually quite a good reaction, Kaku mused. He had estimated that his fellow assassin will try to kill their teacher any moment now.
Kaku sighed in relieve as he retreated to his own room. He felt sore, but also at ease, despite the feeling of an approaching disaster in the shape of a leopard.
Closing his door behind him, he went to his fridge, took out his favorite lemonade, sat down in his favorite armchair by the already burning fire in the fireplace and started to dream of the city of water.
XXX
Kaku finished his final examination at the fourth day. A beautiful little cog he proudly named "Njörd". He had stayed up even longer yesterday to paint the name in old fashioned letters at the side of his little baby. He still felt like a proud dad. Sadly he will leave it soon to start the mission earlier along with Kalifa and Blueno. Well, he still had a few days and could set sail with his baby for a day or two.
The morning started nice. After finally finishing the carpentry training, he had about ten days of free time. After having to rise every morning at 3:30 am., he took that chance to sleep in and did not leave his room before ten o'clock. He wanted to get an ample breakfast and then pack a few things for his little sea trip.
Well, he should have known he wont get his breakfast.
As soon as he opened the door, he got greeted by a really nervous looking young soldier, who constantly hopped from one leg to another. Kaku was half expecting the man to plead to use his bathroom, when the man suddenly bowed so deep, he could kiss the carped.
"What?", Kaku asked, already starting to get annoyed.
The man almost fell over when hearing Kaku's sharp voice.
"I am sorry, sir."
"Don't sweat it. What do you want?", he demanded to know.
"Sir, Spandam wants to see you right away, Sir!" The man, now saluting just as though he could barely remember the basics of his training, retorted in a fear shaken voice.
Kaku rolled his eyes. "Fine.", he sighed and started to walk down the hall to his bosses office. Passing by the lovely smelling dining room.
When he knocked at the door, he got greeted by a loud "HOT, HOT, HOT!" and let himself in without further ado.
Spandam, at his table, was still busy doing his famous "Spilled coffee on my pants and its hot"-Dance. So Kaku took the time to look around the room and, to his surprise, spotted Lucci casually leaning against the wall on the right side of Spandam's office. He greeted Kaku with a short nod, looking almost amused and... cheerful?
Kaku greeted back the same way whilst trying to hide his irritation as best as he could. Why on earth wasn't Lucci down in the workshop? He really had a bad feeling about this.
"Well, Kaku – god, the coffee was hot- take a seat."
"I prefer to stand.", Kaku answered curtly, crossing his arms before his chest.
"All right. You want some cookies instead?" and a box full of chocolate cookies appeared out of nowhere right under his nose.
Despite being very hungry, he blankly stared at Spandam. Surely the man had not summoned him here for spilled coffee and chocolate cookies.
Since the idiot did not get the meaning of his silence and still waved with the cookies before his face he stated: "No. I don't."
"You sure? They are very good!", Spandam chattered.
"Yes, I am sure."
"Well, if you say so..." he mumbled, placing the box at his table and stuffed his moth with three of the really delicious looking cookies at the same time.
"Cohee?", Spandam offered with a crumb-splattered grin.
Now, Kaku was really starting to loose his nerves: "No. I don't want coffee or tea or any kind of treats. Thank you. Now, would you please tell me about what you wish to speak with me?"
"I eed ou elp, mph..."
"Mayhap it would be wise to swallow first?", Kaku suggested.
A small chuckle from the right. Damn, that furry bastard was in a too good mood.
After one gulp and a couple of coughs, Spandam was finally able to speak again.
"You see, Kaku... Lucci here... he..." his boss stammered.
"had a little accident.", Lucci helped out.
"Yes, with Carlos, your teacher."
Oh... that guy had a name?
"And it just so happened that the poor man was hit by a flying ship.", Spandam stuttered, looking interested at the cookie box.
Kaku sighed: "Was it my poor Njörd?"
Spandam, looking confused: "No, his name is Carlos. Or did I get that wrong?" He started to roam through some of the paper-piles on his desk.
"I mean the ship. Was the ship I build involved in the flying Dutchman incident?"
Lucci smirked:" I did not have another ship at hand to have an accident with."
"I see... is it all right or did you break it?"
Lucci's grin went even wider. " The head of your teacher was a little harder than I expected it to be. Therefore it has a little dent or two."
"A little dent? I leave you with my ship for just a few hours and you already damaged it? I cant believe it! Break your own toys!", Kaku scowled accusingly.
"Carlos is fine, by the way.", Spandam chattered happily:" But he refuses to teach Lucci again. And since we don't have a spare teacher at hand. So... why don't you teach Lucci carpentry?"
Silence.
This must be a joke.
"I will leave for the mission in ten days."
Spandam fidgeted nervously with a cookie in his hand.
"About that.. I have decided it would be best to send you two together on the mission. So, you will stay and teach Lucci until he is ready. That's an order."
"My pleasure, senpai.", Lucci said silkily and even had the nerve to bow slightly, his eyes glinting dangerously at Kaku.
Kaku met is gaze with an icy glare. "Is that all?", he asked Spandam without breaking the eye contact.
"Yes, that's all. Off you go and have fun!"
Getting dismissed like little children, the two agents left the room. One pleased with himself and one absolutely furious.
XXX
One hour later, Kaku had finally managed to grab some food and felt a little better. That is, until he entered the workshop.
Lucci had already waited for him, sitting on a huge pile of wood. Wood, that could have been part of a ship, if you had enough fantasy to picture it. Though, a look on a larger piece with the letters "N" and "j" on it proved Kaku's fears.
The fact that Lucci sat on the huge pile like a cat who was just about to present an especially huge catch it had made, was not helping one bit.
"My ship...", Kaku whispered in a weak voice.
Lucci stood up, grinning toothy: "Like I said, a dent or two."
Kaku's eyes darkened. He seldom was the one picking a fight, but he knew, this was one of those rare days and Lucci knew that too.
It took only a second for them to clash into one another.
XXX
Kaku literally dragged himself under the shower. He turned the cold water on and just set under the icy stream of water for a few minutes. He felt his aching muscles growing colder and colder until the numbness finally eased the pain. It felt good on all the swollen cuts and bruises he had now.
Damn this feral cat...
Lucci had wanted him to attack. This lunatic must have yearned for a fight for days, even weeks now. And Kaku had been all to eager to answer his provocations with just what that bastard wanted.
While the fight went on, Lucci seemed to let go of all his frustration and anger he had accumulated over the past weeks and beat the hell out of Kaku.
The younger agents was - of course- well trained and a great fighter himself with a doriki strength of 910. But he was still no match for the thrice as strong Lucci.
More than once, he had nearly fainted from Lucci's blows and kicks. The only reason he was able to stand up each time and continue to oppose him laid in his willpower alone.
At some point - he really could not tell when - Lucci had punched him in the head so hard, that the skin right above his left eye burst open. From that point on, his vision had been more than bad. His left eye had been flooded with blood and he couldn't help but only fight with his right eye open.
Lucci, as the trained killer he is, took advantage of it immediately and attacked from the left in a ducked position to strike at Kaku's throat and landing the final blow. Kaku, on the other hand, was a trained swordsman. Even with one eye, he was better than most at estimating a distance and he anticipated before the attack that Lucci will attack in his blind spot. And instead of leaping to the right, like Lucci would expect, he leapt to the left. Kaku crouched down in the exact moment Lucci attacked and punched the older man at the larynx. A deadly blow for any normal man. But Lucci didn't even flinch, still in the movement of his own failed attack, his own speed worsened Kaku's hit. Although Lucci's Tekkai did not break.
It broke with Kaku's second attack.
Taking advantage of the recoil, Kaku let himself fell to the earth and kicked Lucci in the chest with both of his feet, causing the other to fly high. He instantly sent a series of Rankyaku after his opponent. Whilst Lucci was still in the air, he changed his position until the tower of justice was on his left side. Lucci's next attack could only come from the right side now.
But Lucci's counterattack came much sooner than he expected and the advantage Kaku had was gone in seconds.
He didn't get the upper hand again.
But the beating was worth it.
Lucci had played with him, underestimated him. And when Kaku actually foresaw his movement and even broke through his Tekkai to bruise Lucci's ribs. The older agent had finally acknowledged the strength of the other and had started to fight seriously.
Letting the water stream down his aching back, Kaku didn't know if he should feel privileged that Lucci finally takes him serious in a fight or if he should be terrified by it.
Kaku sighed, stood up and soaped himself, ignoring the burning feeling in his wounds.
Lucci's face of pain and irritation about getting hit sure was a rare sight.
And Lucci's rips definitely will remember this attack for a few days.
Grinning, Kaku decided that this alone was worth all the wounds he had now.
XXX
1st day
The next day Kaku fell out of his bed at 3:37 am. He always hated the day after a horrible fight. It was the worst. But he also knew that it could only get better from that day on. Groaning, he stood up and dragged his sore body to his bathroom.
He still managed to be in the workshop (or rather what was left of it) before Lucci, what he himself counted as a success.
"Good morning. Let's start with cleaning this mess and rebuilding the place.", he greeted the entering predator who just glared at him and scowled.
Well, Lucci is definitely not a morning person, he noted to himself.
The whole day both were busy with repairing (mostly Kaku's job) and cleaning (Lucci's part, since he was still not able to decently use even one tool).
Neither of them spoke even one word.
There was just no need for it.
XXX
2nd day
"Well, lets start at the beginning. Please name all the tools displayed before you and also state what they are used for.", Kaku said pointing at the numerous tools neatly placed at the newly made floor.
Lucci obliged immediately, answering perfectly.
"All right." Kaku started to collect a few tools: "Now let us try to make some fine planks, shall we? I will demonstrate the techniques and you will copy it. Feel free to ask me any questions you have."
But no questions were asked.
After Kaku had finished the first -perfect, as he himself must admit- planks, Lucci took over and tried to copy him. His face was much more concentrated than it had been in the last few days. He worked slowly and gingerly and...
broke the trunk.
Kaku examined the the two pieces, feeling Lucci's already frustrated look on his back.
"That is not too bad. You can still work with both parts. But try to work along the texture here."
He pointed along a certain pattern in the wood. "It wont break so easy if you do. Also, I think it is better if you use a rougher saw blade. Try to use less force too. The movement of the blade is the key, not the pressure you put on."
Without a word, Lucci spun around and picked up another saw. Holding it out at Kaku for his approval. After a short nod, Lucci resumed his work and tried again.
XXX
4th day
Lucci was silently working on making more planks for the ship whilst Kaku watched him.
They were already working for thirteen hours and Lucci hadn't broken anything yet.
XXX
9th day
"And that's for the theory to build a boat. Shall we start?", Kaku asked. He had talked for about four hours and had even drawn some blueprints to be able to explain the crucial parts of the process. Lucci did not ask much through the whole explanation.
After Kaku had finished, the black haired man just stood up, waiting for Kaku to show him the first steps.
XXX
10th day
Blueno and Kalifa took the first train in the morning at 5 o'clock. By that time. Kaku and Lucci were still in the workshop building the boat. They both had forgotten the time or the fact, that their fellow agents were leaving for the mission. But they wouldn't have minded it if they had known.
XXX
12th day
The boat was finished. Lucci had to do some parts twice before Kaku let him use them for the boat. It surely was not a masterpiece. But all in all, it looked decent enough.
XXX
13th day
The boat sank when Kaku tried to launch it. Lucci hadn't used enough tar to stop the water from entering. It still shouldn't have sunken though.
Lucci started to work on a second boat whilst Kaku swam down to retrieve the first one to examine it.
XXX
41st day
They had finally started to build a real ship.
Lucci had become quite good in the last few weeks and worked hard to improve his skills.
"Lucci, could you help me with the rear, please?"
The black haired man nodded and they worked together silently. Kaku had completely stopped to give Lucci instructions and only advised him when he saw that Lucci looked at him expectantly.
XXX
49th day
When was it that Lucci had stopped talking to him?
At first, it had not been strange. Lucci never was a chatterbox. It actually was strange that Kaku didn't notice it until Jabura asked him. The sly wolf had watched them work the whole day and asked Kaku about Lucci's behavior later that evening. Kaku only shrugged it off. There had been no need to talk. It was not hindering their work. So why should he care?
XXX
67th day
The ship was finished.
And what ship it was!
It was not a small cog like Kaku had build on his own. It was a huge beauty with two masts towering above. A brigantine. He looked in awe at their own work.
"She is a beauty. What shall we name her?"
Lucci just looked at the ship, his face completely blank.
"Coco. How about Hattori? Cocoo?", a high pitched voice asked.
Kaku stared at Lucci.
What the heck was that?
Lucci met his eyes with a blank stare.
"You don't like it? Coco?" The voice asked from his right shoulder where...
Hattori sat.
Hattori who looked curious at him. Feathery wings crossed before his chest (Kaku didn't even know birds could do that).
Hattori, who was wearing a tie and a small sun-head.
"Cocooo? Kaku? Cocooo?"
Deciding not to indicate that anything is awkward about a talking bird, Kaku looked at the ship again: "I was just wondering why you want to name our baby after your bird. But its a fine name. So... Hattori it is then."
"Coco! Good. Lets get her into the water. Coco!"
Lucci casually strode to the lever and pushed it. It didn't take long for the water to flood around the ship and set it free from the dock, carrying it to the ocean.
Kaku hopped on board, following behind Lucci.
"Let's check if there are any leaks."
XXX
68th day
The "Hattori" laid ashore safely at the harbor of Enies Lobby. It really was a fine ship. Kaku felt proud just looking at her.
Lucci stood beside him, his face without even the trace of any emotion. Hattori chirped happily and looked at the ship he now shared his name with. The white letters of their name glowing in the rising sun.
"Hattori sure looks happy about Hattori.", Kaku joked.
"Coco!", the bird answered happily: "Of course I am happy, Kaku. Coco!"
Kaku chuckled:" Lets go work on your techniques. There is still room for improvement."
They resumed their work.
XXX
74th day
"Coco. You ready?"
"Yes. I am. Let's go."
Both shipwrights entered the see train heading to Water Seven.
bold talk in 3...2...1...
I really am a lazy uploader.
I wrote this last year in October and totally forgot about it.
I don't have much time because of my studies. But I will finally be free of all the learning stuff by August. And with finally, I mean finally.
So... here is chapter two, I guess...
Don't expect chapter three soon. It definitely will take a rather long time because I will have neither time nor energy to write it. Sorry for that.
Although, I don't think anyone waited for an upload to this story anyway. ^^'
I mean, It is very old by now.
I still love the CP9 (Kaku is one of my favorite characters) and I like to do a bit with this story.
Besides, it was nice beta reading it after half a year. It was like "nice, I like it. I don't remember it, but I like it."
Kinda felt like a present from my past self.
Funny, I was originally searching a summary for a topic of my studies I didn't remember well and found this instead. And before you ask: I am the chaotic type and proud of it.