Color Bonds
Summary: Smoker was in hell. This had to be hell. "WOULD YOU SHUT UP?!" he yelled back down for the third time towards the ground where the goddamn idiot was flopped, looking up at him as he floated above the treetops. Written for the OP Marines Week!
DAY 1: Soulmate AU
Squawk!
Obnoxious screeching sent piercing pain right through his skull. God, what were his men doing?
Screech!
Why hadn't Tashigi told them to shut the fuck up yet?!
Smoker cracked open an eye, wincing as the bright blue sky high above blinded him for a moment. Blinking against the light, Smoker became aware that he was not on his ship. He was on a beach, and the sound was not coming from his men, but instead from a few seabirds circling overhead.
He stared for a moment, bewildered, his head pounding. Actually, his entire body felt like he'd been thrown through a wall. Wait, had he been thrown through a wall…? In a flash, Smoker sat up, looking around.
A long but narrow beach stretched out in both directions, to his back was a jungle, trees thick with huge green leaves and bright flowers. He stared along the coastline, peering back and forth. No sign of his ship.
Or the Straw Hats. Son of a bitch.
Smoker glared up at the now clear skies and cursed. He'd been engaging with the Straw Hats, finally catching up to them. Mugiwara's wild laugh rang through his mind, they'd been exchanging blows, and yes he had been thrown through a wall…
And then the fucking storm of the goddamn century popped up. He recalled the Straw Hat Navigator's terrified commands, his own men rushing to pull in the sails. The crashing of thunder and waves, then...the big one. Tashigi's scream echoing in his ears as his body went limp in the onslaught of water then…
He woke up here. Wherever the fuck here is.
Goddamn he needed a smoke. Smoker lifted his arm, sand and dried salt cracking off his coat, and noted (much to his dismay) most of his cigars had been washed away by the sea. Fishing around in his pockets revealed that his lighter was gone too.
Smoker grit his teeth. Mugiwara's laughter ran through his mind again, and he turned to look back out at the ocean. The bastard was still alive, that much was certain. So was Tashigi, since trees still gleamed vivid green. His shoulders relaxed at that thought.
The laugh came again, this time louder. Smoker frowned, nearly drowning must have really messed with his head. He hoped so anyway, he didn't want the first signs of insanity to be that little shit's laugh.
"Smokey! Hey Smokey!" The sound of branches snapping and leaves whipping through the air-
Smoker whirled around just as one of the last people he wanted to see crashed directly into him. They toppled into the surf, a small wave rolling in, soaking them both.
"Get the fuck off of me!" he snarled, shoving the idiot off of and hauling himself out of the water. Great, his boots hadn't been dry, but now they were completely soaked again. Fuck! He glared at the source of all his problems who was grinning like a goddamn moron.
"Boy am I glad to see you! Have you seen anyone else?! Nami, Zoro? Sanji? It would be great if you'd seen Sanji, I'm hungry!" Mugiwara hopped to his feet, looking up and down the beach. The pounding in Smoker's temples increased.
He continued nattering on while Smoker took stock of the situation. No sign of any kind of ship. Midday. Moron just pointed out that he hadn't found any other people yet. If he had, Smoker knew that they would be here at this moment. His palms itched for his jitte, which he realized was nowhere to be found, also lost to the deeps of the sea.
God dammit.
His eye twitched and he turned to look at the trees. First things first, find fresh water, then he'd deal with Mugiwara. With that he stomped towards the jungle. "Hey! Smokey! Where you goin'?!" the pirate rushed to catch up to him, bare feet leaving footprints next to his booted ones.
"Ughhhhhhh I'm hungry! Smokey this island sucks! You see any food up there?!"
Smoker was in hell. This had to be hell. "WOULD YOU SHUT UP?!" he yelled back down for the third time towards the ground where the goddamn idiot was flopped, looking up at him as he floated above the treetops.
The sun was setting, and no he did not see any food. In fact, as far as he could tell, resolidifying on the damp soil, this island did in fact suck. Smoker hadn't seen a single sign of human habitation. Not uncommon in Paradise, the sea was littered with small islands and sandbars with nothing but plants and dirt.
They were also really shitty places to get stranded. Very little food, little water, and not a lot of ship traffic. But Tashigi would find him. The green of the vines entwining the tree next to him brought him a level of calm, she knew he was still out there.
The good news was that he had found a small stream that appeared to have drinkable water. Fixing the location securely in his mind, he set back off for the beach, snatching a few sticks and dry brush as he went.
The idiot followed after him. Smoker couldn't seem to shake him, and this did not make the damn headache any better. "Oh! An orange flower! Guess that means Nami's okay!" the brat chirped brightly as they approached the beach once more. "Can you see orange Smokey?" He turned towards Smoker, hands behind his head, black bangs in disarray across his forehead.
The marine grunted, ignoring the question but glanced at the flower anyway. The sheer redness of it brought long flowing pink hair and purple eyes to mind and he looked away. The cerulean ocean filled the horizon, not a single cloud in the endless sky as they hit the beach. Despite the sun setting and turning the sky a riot of pink, the island was still hot, perspiration beading at Smoker's temples.
He dropped his pile of sticks onto the earth, and settled on his knees, digging into the sand with his fingers. After a minute or two, he had a shallow pit. Mugiwara walked away from him, looking out at the waves. Smoker watched him out of the corner of his eye. The red of his overshirt glowed nearly the same color as the setting sun, the pinks beginning to fade to purple.
He huffed, the promise of lighting one of his few precious cigars making him work faster. Soon enough, a small campfire was burning in front of him. "Oh a fire! Good idea!" Mugiwara happily bounded back to him, nearly kicking sand over the fucking fire as he flung himself down on the opposite side of it.
"Watch it!" Smoker snarled, moving to shift the sand away. After a second of making sure the flames weren't about to go out, he stared through the smoke to glare at his irritating hanger-on. "Go away," he growled, hoping that the threat in his voice would intimidate the hat wearing moron.
"I wonder what the others are eating..." Mugiwara sighed, completely ignoring his threat and rolling over, tucking his hands behind his head to look up at the sky. Smoker's eye twitched. He sucked in a breath, pulled a now dry cigar out of his holster and lit it. The nicotine hit his system like a cold drink on a hot day. He could taste the seawater that had soaked into the fibers, but he didn't care. For a moment, his goddamn headache was easing.
It was blessedly quiet for a few minutes, only the little pops from the fire and the ocean waves. As his cigar burned down, Smoker took stock. Stuck on an island with Mugiwara. On one hand, this was a good opportunity to capture him. On the other hand, he was marooned on a fucking island.
"I'm so hungry...maybe we'll find Sanji tomorrow. Or meat. Let's find meat tomorrow Smokey!" the brat flashed him a grin.
His temples throbbed. " We aren't doing anything, I am going to build a signal fire, you are going to fuck off to the other side of the island," he hissed. The pirate gave him a confused look.
"What's on the other side? Is that where the meat is?"
Smoker gave him a look. "Don't know, don't care."
"Hmmm, okay, if I find meat though, I won't share when I come back! Shishishi!"
How fucking dense could one person be?! Smoker pinched the bridge of his nose, resisting the urge to strangle him. Barely. "You're going to stay on the other side, and I'm going to stay here," he growled through gritted teeth.
That seemed to have gotten Mugiwara's attention as he sat up, giving Smoker a strange look. "But… then you'll be all alone Smokey." There was something there, an intensity in the pirate's gaze. The campfire smoke drifted up into the night sky, the stars beginning to come out. Mugiwara wasn't going to listen, was he? Smoker breathed out the last of his cigar smoke and settled onto the sand, putting his back to the flames.
"Whatever," he grumbled. He had more important things to worry about than whether the brat was going to hang around.
God was the island always this hot? Smoker wiped sweat off his face and stepped back from the tall pile of sticks and logs he'd been building up. It was almost done. Once he spotted a ship, he'd be able to flag it down.
Smoker walked towards the nearest palm tree and sat down in the shade, hardly cooler than the direct sunlight. He leaned back against the bark, watching the surf. The quiet made him itch instead of relax. How strange it was to go from the sounds of his men operating his ship and Tashigi's endless chatter to just the sound of the ocean waves. There weren't even any birds.
It was easy to see why so many people went off the deep end after being marooned. A crashing noise behind him nearly made Smoker jump. A second later, a lanky rubbery body came flying out of the trees and smashed into the sand. Smoker blinked slowly at him then back to the waves. Nevermind, the quiet was fine.
"I'm gonna be King of the Pirates! Stupid island won't beat me!" Mugiwara yelled as he popped up and raised his fists at the sky. After a moment, he turned around and spotted Smoker. He jogged over and collapsed next to him.
"Smokey I hate it here, did you find any meat? I'm so hungry! I want the others to show up soon, then Sanji can make me food…" he whined pathetically as Smoker rolled his eyes. The idiot rambled on for a few more minutes before apparently passing out. Smoker raised his eyebrow. Stupid idiot really was related to Garp.
The fire crackled and snapped, the smell of the smoke comforting. The stars glittered overhead, another clear night. Smoker leaned against the trunk of a tree, balancing a few rocks on top of each other, thinking. He'd see if he could scrounge up any food in the morning. Maybe sharpen a stick and look for unsuspecting fish in the shallows...
A loud yawn made him look up. Mugiwara stretched and gazed around, staring at the fire before spotting him on the other side and coming over to investigate. Smoker frowned as he dropped down beside him, looking at his rock tower. "Cool tower Smokey, want some more rocks? I can go find some," he smiled, the fire reflecting in his eyes.
When he ignored him, Mugiwara pouted then sighed. His stomach howled and the kid slumped over. Seriously? It had been a day. A DAY. "Hey Smokey, will you be less grumpy if we fight tomorrow?" he mumbled into the dirt.
Taking his frustrations out on the source of his greatest irritation was undoubtedly appealing. But that would be a waste of energy and… Mugiwara telling him that they should only fight each other at their best on Punk Hazard crossed the forefront of his brain.
With a miserable sigh, he stated "Wouldn't be a fair fight, you're not a challenge like this.". Straw Hat looked over at him, then at his rock pile before snaking his arm out across the sand, grabbing another rock and bringing it over. It was larger than all the others and caused the pile to topple as he dropped it on top. "Oops! Sorry Smokey," he gave his signature laugh. Smoker rolled his eyes.
Quiet descended as they sat watching the fire. This was weird. He glanced at Straw Hat out of the corner of his eye, studying him. Despite being locked in a cage with him more than once (which was absurd), he hadn't had the opportunity to truly study his quarry up close before.
"Is Glasses Girl okay?" the pirate said suddenly, making Smoker stiffen. How did this little bastard always manage to catch him off guard?!
"How would I know?" he muttered. He got a look like he was stupid which was rich, coming from the person he was talking to.
"Because you're soulmates, duh, Smokey."
Smoker pursed his lips, glancing at a leaf near his feet, the green barely visible in the flickering light. Tashigi's face, bright red, her stammering so bad as she hollered at him slid before his eyes. God how her spiel about his complacency with incoming pirates had grated on his ears. Every pirate coming from the East Blue back then had been pathetic, made him listless. Unfortunately though, Tashigi had been right.
So he told her so, and the slightly wilted potted plant in the corner behind her suddenly took on shades of green he'd never seen. The edges of his lips turned up. Tashigi's eyes going wide, staring at his jacket in wonder, argument completely forgotten. A warmth settled in Smoker's chest, recalling her expression, the way she reached out and touched the sea green of his jacket before looking up to his face.
He was her first soulmate, she, his third.
"Why do you care?" Smoker asked, more curious about the idiot's reasoning for asking than about him knowing he and Tashigi were bonded.
Straw Hat turned towards him, his eyebrows drawing together in confusion. "Because I like her, she's nice. She makes Zoro act funny!"
Smoker sucked his teeth. He knew for a fact that Tashigi was also bonded with the damn Pirate Hunter. He'd found her punching the deck of their ship over and over a few days after Alabasta, sword dropped on the floor next to her. At first he thought it was about everything that had happened there. God knew the thought of it still made him want to break things, but… as she noticed him and froze under his gaze, Smoker had known immediately that something else was wrong.
A familiar pain was reflected in her furious tear filled eyes, and his heart ached when she whispered "Why him?! It's not fair!" He didn't have any answers for her then. Still didn't. All he could do was pick up her sword and hand it to her with a muttered "I know."
Smoker clenched his jaw.
"She's okay though right?" The concern in Straw Hat's voice drew him back to the present.
"She's not dead," he stated. Mugiwara gave him a cheerful smile.
"Do you think they'll find us soon? When Nami gets here, you can come with me on Sunny until we find your boat or an island or whatever. I'll show you the aquarium! It's super cool! You can't sit on Sunny's head though, that's my spot. Oh! We have a library! We can fight after we eat!" Smoker blinked slowly, Straw Hat's prattling continuing on with no sign of stopping. Just a torrent of seemingly every thought that entered his head.
A smoke would be fucking great right now. Even better would be his ship appearing on the horizon and getting him the hell out of here. A breeze stirred the fire, throwing wild shadows around, Mugiwara's voice fading to the background. Smoker sighed and willed himself to ease up with enormous effort.
"Have you ever met a marine named Koby?" That pulled Smoker up short. His eyes slid to look at Straw Hat's face. His eyes were too damn bright and hopeful.
"Obviously every Marine knows each other," he rolled his eyes.
"Wow, that's amazing!" the moron's eyes grew huge. Smoker face palmed.
"Yes, we have an entire division of soldiers named Koby," he muttered, entertained as Mugiwara stared at him in wonder.
"That sounds dumb but if you say so Smokey. Mmmmmnh, guess I should tell you what he looks like!" He dropped his fist into his hand, a determined look puffing out his cheeks. That was the thing that sounded dumb? Smoker sighed and shook his head.
"He's got pink hair and a scar right here!" he poked himself in the forehead, bouncing his feet on the sand in either excitement or concentration. Smoker wasn't sure. Probably both. "Oh, and he's like this tall," he stretched his arm up above them, then slapped his hands into circles over his eyes to describe glasses.
Of all the fucking stupid chances.
Smoker did know him. "Garp's student," the marine grunted. Goddamn small world syndrome. Next time he saw Koby, he was gonna whack him upside the head. Just because.
"You do know him! How is he?! Have you fought him?"
This kid was worse than Tashigi talking about swords. "He's a Captain," Smoker said after thinking it over.
"A CAPTAIN? That's gr-" the pirate immediately clapped his hands over his mouth, and looked away from Smoker, mumbling "Err, I mean, that's terrible, just awful. The worst." Smoker rolled his eyes at Mugiwara's obvious terrible lie.
"Good soldier," Smoker added as an afterthought, remembering the terrified expression on Koby's face as he stood up to Admiral Akainu at Marineford. A smile from the idiot greeted his words.
"Well yeah, it's his dream to be a marine! He's gonna be an Admiral you know!" the conviction in his voice echoed off the sand.
"Sounds like a shit job," Smoker commented blandly, stretching his neck from side to side. Who knew scrounging around for driftwood and breaking branches all day would make him so stiff? He'd keep it in mind as training practice for his men.
"You don't wanna be an Admiral Smokey?" Mugiwara rolled onto his side, propping his chin on his hand. Smoker made an utterly disgusted face. Being at the beck and call of Celestial Dragons? Hell fucking no. How Kuzan had managed still confused the hell out of him. Then again, he wasn't sure he'd seen that ice bastard without alcohol nearby until he quit…
"I'd sooner join the Revs than take an Admiral position," Smoker growled.
"...Gramps never wanted to be an Admiral either," Mugiwara murmured. The tone was a complete shift from a moment prior. Smoker turned to look at him curiously as he rolled onto his back again, interlocking his fingers over the scar on his chest.
"...Have you seen him?" The smallness of his voice disturbed Smoker. Angry, loud, rambunctious, and overly excited were par the course with Straw Hat. Small and hesitant were unfamiliar territory.
"Garp?" Smoker asked.
"Yeah, Gramps."
"...I've met him," Smoker rumbled. He wanted to be him as a kid. Well, sort of. He liked the idea of Garp. Protecting people. The Hero who caught the Pirate King. Meeting the loud bastard was a different story.
"I mean have you seen Gramps since...the war?"
The fire crackled loudly, a damp stick bursting. They both looked towards it for a moment. "Yeah, once." Smoker grunted.
An old man, the first time Garp seemed his age, staring out the window of Kuzan's hospital room. Ancient tired eyes looking at Smoker as though he knew something Smoker didn't. The purple flowers in the vase on the window sill from Tashigi, every time Smoker looked at them, relief filling his chest. A better comfort than Kuzan's heartbeat monitor.
"...How um… how was he?" The hesitancy in Mugiwara's voice yanked on Smoker's ears.
"He's retired." The words filled the air through a gap in the breeze. Mugiwara went still. After a long moment, the kid rolled onto his other side, facing away from Smoker.
"Retired huh? ...Shitty Gramps," he mumbled. He said no more as the fire slowly burned itself out.
Another clear day dawned, the island warm already though the sun had hardly risen. Smoker yawned and scrubbed sleep out of his eyes, stomach tight from hunger. With any luck, he'd find something to eat today. The marine rolled to his feet, brushing dirt off his jeans. Mugiwara slept spread out all over the sand.
Smoker didn't bother waking him as he stepped into the beckoning green trees.
The cool water of the stream felt like heaven as he took a break from trekking through the foliage. Smoker had been following the stream for the last couple of hours, hoping to find game. He'd seen a few birds high overhead but they were smaller than his fist. They'd be all bone and not worth the energy expenditure. At least not yet.
He hoped it wouldn't get to that point.
Bugs hummed drowsily, a butterfly taking a moment to land on a cluster of small violet flowers in a patch of sunlight. A rather fat bee squirmed its way into the center of a blood red flower. Smoker made a mental note to forbid Tashigi from telling Hina about him getting stranded with Mugiwara.
"Oh, stranded with him and still not captured? If Hina didn't know better, Hina would think you're attached." He could hear it already. Like she could talk. Smoker huffed.
"SMOKEY! I FINALLY FOUND YOU!" Rubber at speeds it should not go barreled into his back and sent him careening through the bushes. Smoker lay in the dirt, stunned.
"Aw, there's no meat here either."
Smoker's eye twitched violently. He jumped to his feet, stomped back towards Mugiwara and punched him in the head. With that, he continued following the stream, making a face as the brat sprung back up from the pirate shaped hole in the ground to follow him with an excited yelp.
The swishing sound of rushing water met Smoker's ears. They had to be close to the source now. The stream had turned into a river, the trees larger and older. The ground had been steadily sloping upward, mossy boulders breaking up the foliage.
Mugiwara leaped from rock to rock, laughing as he almost slipped into the river. Idiot. He was not pulling the dumbass out if he fell in. Smoker drifted over the water, the river flowing upward at an odd angle. He was going nearly vertical by the time he reached the top.
Smoker raised his eyebrows. Alright, he'd seen weird things, but this was still odd. A massive rim like a crater spread out before him, a big lake sitting in the middle. Giant lily pads and flowers floated on top of the surface.
Mugiwara joined him at the top, panting heavily. "Whoa, that's cool! Think there are any-" Strawhat froze, his nostrils flaring. Smoker's eyebrows furrowed. The idiot turned as if possessed, focusing on the nearest lily pad.
Drool started dribbling from the pirate's mouth and he whispered "M e a t," demonically then rocketed past Smoker to tackle something large and green in the lake shallows.
The thing struggled for a moment and threw itself deeper into the water. Not that it did much good, as Mugiwara emerged a minute later, covered in algae but dragging an enormous frog behind him.
He turned towards Smoker and screamed "SMOKEY! DO YOU KNOW HOW TO COOK THIS?!"
Smoker wiped the back of his mouth, the grease from the frog meat sticky. The mostly eaten beast sat on an utterly massive spit. Mugiwara was laying on the sand, stomach bulging.
The surf was calm, the sun on its way to setting. With a slight frown, Smoker wondered if he would have to start tracking the days. The sphere that was Straw Hat moved slowly into a sitting position, reached for a bit more meat and crammed it into his cheeks chipmunk-like.
The motion drew Smoker's attention and their eyes met awkwardly. Like hell was Smoker going to be the first to look away though, no matter how awkward! The seconds ticked by, neither of them blinking, refusing to back down. It was a competition now. In the back of his mind, Smoker knew this was dumb and pointless but it was too late to stop now.
Mugiwara swallowed, his balloon shape vanishing comically. Still staring at Smoker, sweat beading at his temples, he hopped to his feet and took a fighting stance. Fists up, knees bent.
Now they were talking!
Smoker got to his feet with a smirk, placing his right foot before him, motioning Mugiwara forward. In a flash, shin met forearm, the force blowing Smoker's hair off his forehead.
Mugiwara leapt backward, a fierce grin on his face as he charged again. Smoker grabbed his wrist and flung him towards the ground but lost his footing as a rubber leg wrapped around his leg and yanked.
Letting go and twisting, he turned to smoke and backhanded Mugiwara away before following after him with a downward midair kick.
Before he knew it, a grin was stretching across his cheeks as they collided again and again, sand filling the air. Smoker spat blood out of the side of his mouth, hardly feeling his split lip as Mugiwara shook his hair out of his eyes, one eye swelling up already from the punch he'd taken.
"You're not bad without your stick Smokey!" The little bastard grinned at him before rushing him again.
"It's called a jitte dumbass, you'd better remember that!" He turned to smoke, dodging away from a dizzying flurry of blows before grabbing his shoulder and flinging him away.
The brat stuck his tongue out at him as he backflipped away, landing on his feet, the ocean at his back. They stared at one another, sweat itching across Smoker's shoulders and this time he made the first move.
With a shout, the marine shot forward, fist aiming for the pirate's face! But the brat bent his head backward and down in an utterly inhuman way, grabbing Smoker by the arm and throwing him. As he went down, he caught Mugiwara's shoulder and they both toppled into the water before springing apart, coughing.
Smoker shoved his hair out of his eyes with a curse, looking around for his opponent. He stared as Mugiwara rolled to his hands and knees, spluttering, a piece of kelp stuck to his face like a bad mustache.
Before Smoker could stop himself, a snort came out of his mouth.
Straw Hat blinked at him, a look Smoker decidedly didn't like entering his eyes and before Smoker could do anything, the stupid brat raised his arm and brought it down heavily, launching a small wave.
Smoker barely had time to close his eyes before he was drenched again. Wild laughter met his ears and he flushed, shoving a wave of his own at the little shithead before moving to get out of the water.
Before he could get out, the bastard tackled him from behind. They rolled over and over, Mugiwara laughing, Smoker cursing before he finally emerged out of the water and collapsed on the beach, breathing heavily.
By this time, the sun had almost fully set, the first twilight stars appearing high above. "It'll be fun when we fight for real Smokey!" came a wheeze from his left.
"Don't think you'll be saying that when I put you in cuffs," he growled, sitting up.
"We'll see! Shishishi!" Mugiwara got up and walked back towards the significantly smaller fire, grabbing some more meat. Smoker followed after him, dropping onto the sand. He threw a piece of driftwood into the flames. He dried out slowly in front of the fire, grabbing his rocks and stacking them, putting Mugiwara's on the bottom. The kid was laying on his back, staring up at the stars.
Smoker watched him for a few minutes, feeling… odd. The brat had a small smile on his face and hummed absentmindedly. Smoker made a face. He didn't like this feeling. This...easiness. The bastard irritated him all to hell, like every pirate, but differently.
Pirates were pirates. They obliterated towns, homes, people. Left swaths of destruction in their wake. Granted, Mugiwara left destruction in his wake, but in a different way. The moment on the execution platform in Loguetown, that grin in the face of death. Unexpected, like rain in the desert.
A leaf dropped onto Mugiwara's face, a sneeze blowing it back into the air. That… reckless nothing-will-stop-him drive, so like his grandfather. It was unsurprising that the idiot punched a Celestial Dragon based on who his father was. But Mugiwara was a pirate. Not a Revolutionary.
The question he'd been wanting to ask since Alabasta itched the back of Smoker's throat. The leaf floated in the air over Mugiwara's face, fluttering up and down from his breath. The idiot was entertained by the simplest shit.
"Why the hell are you a pirate?"
The question broke the silence, the first time Smoker was the one to do so. Mugiwara sat up and tilted his head at him.
"To go on adventures, duh."
Smoker stared. Waiting for more. Because that couldn't be the reason. It was such a dumb reason. When more didn't seem to be coming, Smoker opened his mouth then closed it, thinking. Mugiwara never had hidden motives or agendas. The idiot wore his stupid heart on his sleeve.
"Why Pirate King?"
A light entered the brat's eyes. "To be free of course!" He took his hat off and looked at it before placing it back on his head, giving Smoker a grin only to receive a frown in return. How the fuck was being a pirate being free? Always chased by the Navy, hunted by the World Government. Feared by people the world over. Hell it was right there in the title! Kings weren't free!
"Why do you chase me Smokey?"
Smoker started, not expecting...that. He looked away, staring at the flames. Loguetown, the bars empty. The port clean of scum. The people happy and smiling, but his nights were empty. Every day the same.
Then… the all encompassing horizon. The sea and the sky stretching on forever, an indescribable shade of blue.
"It's the principle of the thing." He grunted. Now Mugiwara raised his eyebrow at him.
"Your dream is to follow this princi...principal?"
"What? Dream? No," They stared at one another in apparently mutual confusion.
"If that's not your dream, then why are you doing it?" the brat crossed his arms, the fire turning his shirt maroon, his chest scar more noticeable than ever. This had taken an unexpected turn. Discomfort flitted under Smoker's skin, making his shoulders hunch. Why the hell was he talking about dreams with a pirate?
The only people he ever spoke about shit like this were...green and purple and red flashed before him. People who were an outer part of him. Integral to his whole Being.
Blue pressed against the back of his mind and he shoved it down.
"That's not… I want a worthy opponent," he finally breathed out, clenching his hands into fists. Worthy of the chase. Someone who shook the world. Straw Hat studied him for a moment, before he smiled.
"I'm gonna be King of the Pirates, that's my dream," he nodded and held his hands out towards the fire, flexing his fingers. There was no doubt in his voice.
"Even if it hurts others?" Smoker asked quietly. How many times would his luck hold out that he wouldn't back someone with bad motives? How many horrible bastards had he broken out of Impel down? The havoc they were wreaking across the world… Protecting Nico Robin at what cost?
Mugiwara looked at him, suddenly older, a faraway look in his eyes. "I'm no hero Smokey," he stated.
"You'll do it even if it kills you?" Smoker's heart was beating fast. Mugiwara stared at the flames, a look Smoker couldn't decipher crossing his face.
"Everyone dies, Smokey."
The air rushed out of Smoker's lungs. The War, the sky fading almost to gray, the blue disappearing from his world altogether. That he, Smoker the White Hunter, might be the one to make the color disappear from his vision forever.
The Marine clenched his fist, stood abruptly and walked away from the fire, into the darkness. The moon reflected off the ocean as Smoker sat down on the sand, finally cool from the hot day. It wasn't like he hadn't known this. After Ennies Lobby, after punching a Celestial Dragon, after the War, after Dressrosa. Mugiwara lived a life on the edge, willingly. It was what made the chase so thrilling, so worthy of his efforts.
But somehow hearing it from the horse's mouth... Smoker wouldn't be able to change his mind. He'd have to put him down someday. If only the idiot was like every other goddamn pirate. If only he gave Smoker a better reason than just the principle.
But...it wouldn't be the same. Then he wouldn't be worthy. Footsteps approached and a warmth settled at his back. Smoker stiffened.
"Hey Smoker? I'm glad we're soulmates."
The tide was coming in, the dark water reflecting the vastness of space and all its endless mystery. Smoker said nothing, just took a deep breath and watched the world turn slowly, the sound of Luffy falling asleep against him louder than the rest of the world combined.
A ship sat on the horizon. Two ships actually, coming straight for them. Smoker watched them, wondering which one would arrive first. Closer and closer, he made out the shape of the Straw Hat ship's ridiculous masthead, and the G-5 boldly written on his warship's sails.
He got to his feet, Luffy dropping onto the sand and grunting, eyes blinking in the early morning light. In the late hours of the night, clouds had appeared in the sky, painted in warm shades of gold and rouge as the sun rose.
"Luffy!" A chorus of voices of voices were calling out as the Straw Hat's ship got as close to the island as possible. Luffy jumped up and down, shouting and waving at his crew. Up close, Smoker could see that their ship had taken damage in the storm, their shipwright working on repairs still.
"Smo-yan!" came an equally loud chorus from his men and Smoker sighed. Tashigi stood on the prow of his ship, smiling gently at him. His ship was damaged too. The paperwork from this was going to be a bitch.
Guess the time had come to part ways.
"Well, see ya later Smokey!" Straw Hat stretched his arm out towards his ship.
"Oi, Mugiwara."
Luffy tilted his head as Smoker took a breath.
"Blue," he said softly, looking away and willing his skin to stop turning red. Luffy grinned at him, a near identical smile to that goddamn one back in Alabasta, then pointed at the clouds.
"That color right there!" He whooped and flung himself off the beach. Smoker stared at the sky. Specifically at where the sun was beginning to peek out from between the clouds.
Silver huh?
Smoker allowed himself a small grin as he boarded his warship, the chase once again underway as his men started up the cannons.
Notes:
Guess who Smoker's soulmates are :D
This was my first time writing Luffy, what did y'all think? This fic was written for One Piece Marines Week (check out the fic collection and all the artwork on twitter under the tag #OPMarinesWeek!) Let me know your thoughts!
As always, thank you for reading and you can find me on twitter at buggyisbest