Shivered Timbers
by Kaline Reine
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or any of the characters/settings. This is just a fanfiction story. I do own Shiori, she is my character. I also own a few other original characters in this story (not affiliated with One Piece), which will be introduced as they are needed.
WARNINGS: This story contains (or may contain) graphic adult content and language, explicit sex scenes, possible violence, gore, cursing, adult themes, etc. I do not censor my writing, but I do my best to warn people about the subject matter and potential subject matter. So if you don't like that kind of thing or can't handle it, then I suggest not reading this story. You have been warned. Also, I know this doesn't follow canon but it doesn't have to, that's why it's a fanfic. xD
Also... The beautiful cover image for this story is by my friend, EzariaUmiko on DeviantArt. All credit for the image goes to her. c:
Chapter 33: All The Same
Zigging this way, and zagging that way... Their journey continued onward for several more days. Everyone was tired of the constant danger that seemed to be ever present. All of the Spades were nervous the whole way through. Hoko made sure to keep a stern watch on the coral maze, using the map to help them navigate as best he could. They'd actually passed the wreckage of many old ships on their way through. And with each passing fallen vessel, the more tense the crew got.
Their main source of direction was still the strange backwards shark fin that had appeared before their ship, seemingly from out of nowhere. No one had a clue what it was, but they knew by now that they could trust it. They had to, because it's all they had to go on at the present time. Since they'd been following it, nothing bad had happened to their ship yet. They couldn't help but worry if maybe it was some kind of trap though.
Hoko was a decent enough navigator, even if he hadn't been trained for it, but they still had no way of knowing which direction to go. They still didn't know how long this was going to go on for. The Spade Pirates were currently having a meeting to discuss their present course of action. And no one else seemed to know very much about what they should do either. They had no way of knowing which way to go or if they'd even be able to get through it at all.
"Sorry guys," Their makeshift navigator admitted. "I'm still kind of at a loss here."
"It's n-not your fault..." Shiori tried to comfort him, still very fidgety and nervous. She'd been that way since all of this started. She was just trying to be helpful somehow, even though she didn't have much to contribute. "Don't apologize."
"I've heard of this part of the Grand Line before..." Rex chimed in. "It's whispered about in stories and rumors..." He noticed that everyone was now listening intently. "The Dread Coral Maze is not exactly supposed to be a fun place. Some say there's no way through it at all. Many ships have run aground here or crashed onto the rocks."
"Really? You d-don't say?" She chuckled, despite feeling uneasy. The timid girl gestured to yet another damaged ship that was half sunken as they passed it. "Has anyone ever made it all the way to the end?"
Mitch stepped forward. He obviously knew something the others didn't. "There's an ancient legend that says Gold Roger, the Pirate King himself, made it through... Then again, there are those that claim the King of the Pirates could do anything that he set his little black heart to."
Ace stiffened when his first mate said this. The others didn't seem to notice it, but... Shiori saw it. She'd never seen him react that way to anything. His reaction was immediate, like it made him uncomfortable, somehow...
'Maybe we should change the subject...' She thought.
"That just proves that it can be done." The Valkyrie stated, with finality. "I'm s-sure we'll make it through, and we'll reach the island in no time."
"I don't think there's any island," Geirin narrowed his piercing eyes at her, one hand on his gun, as always. "This is probably all just a wild goose chase. It's unlikely that it even exists."
Ace stepped forward, intent on putting a stop to all of this. "It exists." There was something different in his voice when he spoke.
"Are you-"
Suddenly, before their debate could continue any further, something nudged the front of the ship. It scraped by one of the larger coral reef formations. Their argument had distracted Hoko, who was currently trying to steer the boat. A grating sound could be heard as the coral raked over the hull. Luckily it didn't seem to have pierced it.
"Watch it!" The Captain glared at him.
"Sorry Captain, I'm doing my best..."
"Just pay attention to where you're going," Mitch backed him up. He then strode to the very front of the ship, where several of the others were still watching the fin. "I dunno about you lot, but I'm sick of not knowing what we're dealing with here. I've got an idea..." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his fingers scratching through the unshaven stubble.
"Care to run it by me first?" It sounded like Ace was getting a bit testy now that everything was so stressful. Given the circumstances, Shiori felt that he had a right to be though. He took a moment to straighten his hat.
"We've got a lot of huge fishing nets. Why not put them to use?"
"It could scare away whatever is down there," Rex was quick to point out, shaking his head. "And then where would we be? We might never get out of here if something happens to it or we piss it off."
"Sounds like bad luck to me..." Haji agreed.
In the end, they all turned to Ace for instructions. "Don't look at me like that! I'm not too sure about any of this. All I know is we've been following this strange fin, and it's been working. Hasn't steered us wrong yet."
"M-maybe we should leave well enough alone then?" Shiori suggested. This was met with several looks of disapproval from the rest of the Spades.
'Or maybe the status quo is making everyone too nervous...' She settled down, taking a step back, and regretting her words already.
"Don't tell me you're going soft because of the girl!" Mitch glared at her, as did several others.
"I thought it was cute at first," Geirin cut in. "Thought it might even good for you, Ace-sama... But now I wonder if maybe bringing her along was a bad idea... It seems to be clouding your judgment."
Ace threw his hands up in the air, and let them fall, frustrated. "Fine. Do whatever you guys want!"
"Thank you, I will." Mitch grinned cheekily. He began issuing orders. "I just want answers. And we aren't getting any this way."
"Alright. Don't come crying to me when it blows up in your face." The Captain scowled.
Despite his warnings, they began to prepare the ship, steering it around the rocks and coral to avoid hitting anything else. Shiori shuffled her feet behind Ace awkwardly. She didn't know what else to do, and she certainly didn't want to be a part of what they were doing. It was probably a bad idea.
"Hate it when he goes above my head like that..." Ace mumbled, where only she could hear him, due to her close proximity.
She patted him lightly on the back, in the hopes that it might make him feel a little better. Although it felt strange, she was pretty sure she saw him visibly relax. She knew they were all exhausted and stressed out from running nonstop these past few weeks. The small port town that they'd recently departed from seemed like it was only a distant dream from the past by now.
The albino girl watched on as the crew assembled a large net, splaying it over the front of the ship. It stretched all the way from one side to the other. They were making the necessary preparations to try to capture whatever was lurking beneath the waves.
"Ready? On my signal..." Mitch raised the net above his head, and the others who had agree with his decision followed suit. It was impossibly heavy, but it looked durable enough to get the job done. Hopefully... "Now! Lower the net!"
It felt somehow wrong to be doing this. Like they might be throwing off the one thing that had been helping them survive lately. Shiori hoped they weren't about to disrupt the natural flow of things. This was going to be difficult to pull off... Especially while their navigator was busy steering the ship. She held her breath.
Hoko had to pay very close attention, as he adjusted the sails to help slow the Royal to a grinding halt before they hit anything. The fin stopped moving when they did.
"Wait!" Ace yelled, rushing toward the rear of their vessel, where the anchor was located. "We'll need a better plan than that! Once the fin, or whatever it is, stops leading us, we'll crash into the coral again, unless we drop anchor. Idiots..."
He rushed to get things ready to do that, even though their anchor was huge, and way too big for one normal person to lift by themselves. Fortunately for all of them, Ace was not normal. He lifted it like it was nothing, taking the opportunity to show off his muscles. They weren't just for show, after all.
Shiori looked around, her eyes going wide. Anything to avoid staring at him... Everyone on board seemed to be tense. Their plan worked, and the weights at the edge of the net reached in front of the strange fin, interrupting it's path as it sliced through the water with practiced ease. They awaited the contents of the net with baited breath, as they all pitched in to pull it out of the water.
Once they had slowed down enough, Ace tossed the anchor overboard to keep them where they were. Normally he would have asked the others for help, but everyone was busy crowding the front of the ship. There was a loud splash as it broke the water's surface.
"The moment of truth..." He muttered, walking up to stand behind Shiori, who was trying to get a better look at the net as they pulled it up.
There was a writhing mass of pink and black squirming around in it. So it was indeed some kind of creature that lurked within the murky deep... Since it was alive, they hauled it on board, depositing it onto the deck.
"You assholes! Let me go!" A feminine voice that could only be described as silky cried out. "Ahhh! You humans are pathetic, unhand me! Motherfuckers!"
No one seemed to have any clue what to do with their strange find, now that they had it... Mitch just stared and stared, and so did Ace. Eventually he stepped forward, feeling that he should do something, as their Captain.
"I uhh..." He stared at the... thing's strange appearance. She looked to be some kind of shark. But sharks couldn't talk, and everyone was thinking the same thing. "I'm sorry?"
Shiori noticed that her fin was pointed backwards, which was unusual for a shark. 'So she's actually been swimming forward this whole time and not backwards... Interesting.' Other than that, she had no clue what to make of it.
"Forgive me, but... What the hell are you?!" Mitch demanded, still wanting his precious answers.
"I could ask you the same damn question!" The shark-like being crossed her arms, freeing herself from the net with ease, now that she was on board their ship. She had a long tail like a shark's, and proper fins and gills, but... She also possessed a lovely set of legs, and was able to use them to walk right over to the men who had her surrounded. She didn't seem afraid at all, the anger showing clearly in her inhuman eyes. "Dragging me out of the water in such a dangerous way... That's the last time I help lowly humans..." She grumbled under her breath, but everyone could still hear her.
Long cotton candy pink hair cascading down her back, bedraggled and hanging low, framing her hourglass figure. The solid black shark-woman gazed at them through deep purple eyes. Her attire was very skimpy, and due to the short purple shorts she was wearing, her legs seemed to go on forever. She did seem to have some white tattoos or markings scattered here and here that contrasted well with her dark complexion. But the clincher was her T-shirt, pink with white lettering that said 'I don't need you, go fuck yourself.' It was short and left her midriff exposed, in addition to showing a lot of cleavage. She didn't seem to care at all.
"Thank you for all of your h-help." Shiori bowed politely to her, not knowing what else to do.
"You knew I was helping you? At least not everyone here is as stupid as I thought." She instantly perked up, approaching the shy girl before anyone could stop her. "I'm Artemis." She extended a fairly human-looking hand, somewhat hesitantly. "This is what your people do when they first meet someone, right?"
"Y-yes..." The two girls shook hands. "I'm Shiori..."
Artemis scanned her up and down. "Cool. What's with your eyes and hair? Are you albino?"
"Yeah..." She shied away, taking a step back and realizing that she was now against the outer railing.
"Why so shy? You're gorgeous hun!"
Shiori had no clue how to react to that comment. She wasn't used to people calling her that. "Aww th-thank you... And... And you as well."
"I'm a fishman... Err, technically a fishwoman. But whatever!" The strange being turned to face the men. "Which one of you is the Captain? I know it isn't this frail, meek little thing. Show yourself already."
Ace stepped forward, also unafraid. He felt like he could filet this fish if he needed to. "I'm the Captain. Why were you helping us? We don't even know you."
"Not so fast," She clicked her tongue, grinning and exposing her razor sharp teeth to the Pirates who were all staring at her. Most of them cried out and took a step back. "I'm tired. We've been traveling for a long time. Mind if I stay on board for a bit and get a little rest? This seems like a decent place to stop, at least."
"Sure," The freckle-faced Captain grinned, nodding. "That's a reasonable request. You helped us make it this far, so you're welcome to stay on the Royal with us for a bit. I'm sure you're hungry after swimming for that long without a break."
"I am."
"Rex-san! Prepare a nice hot meal for our guest."
"Actually," Artemis cut in. "I prefer sushi, if you've got it."
"You got it! I'll have it done in a few minutes..." Rex assured her, already heading for the kitchen to get to work.
"Now, back to business," The sharkwoman seemed to have no problem taking charge of the situation. "Why the hell did you decide to just pluck me out of the ocean?" She placed a hand on her hip, awaiting their response.
Shiori was just watching her. She sort of liked her demeanor because it reminded her of Whitey Bay, in a way. Although she was always fierce and unafraid of anything, she would always treasure her time with her bold mentor. Artemis appeared to have a similar attitude, despite being a bit more vulgar.
"We needed to know what was going on," Mitch explained. "And Ace-sama was against it, but there was no other way-"
"I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to the Captain."
"Well I'm the one who made the call."
"Too fucking bad!" The shark girl hissed. "Ace-san, was it? Would you mind providing me with an explanation? You are the one in charge, after all."
"Not at all," He sighed, knowing this wasn't going to be the easiest task. He didn't exactly like her attitude but... If they angered her too much, it would be all too easy for her to leave them out here, high and dry, with no reliable way to figure out how to escape this evil maze. "Take it easy, there's no need to get upset. Rex-kun should be done with that sushi soon and we can all take a nice break and talk things over."
"I never asked for a fucking break in the first place!" Artemis flipped her long pink hair over one shoulder, haughtily.
"Neither did I..." He mumbled indignantly.
"What was that? Speak up, hun!"
"I said neither did I! Mitch-kun was the one who came up with the plan to capture you in the net. We thought that..." Ace hesitated, unsure how to bring it up. "We weren't sure who was leading us through the coral maze or why. And it seemed like..."
"Like what?"
"L-like it was strange that a backwards shark fin was leading us through. It d-didn't make any sense." Shiori cut in.
"Oh, you mean this?" She pointed toward her back with her thumb. The others noticed that she perked up when talking to the albino girl. "I forget all about it sometimes. It's a birth defect, I was born this way."
"Mitch-kun is my first mate," Ace explained, trying to keep the conversation moving. "And we both make decisions for the rest of the crew sometimes."
"So... My hunch was right. You are a Pirate crew..."
'This girl is certainly full of herself...' Ace thought. 'I hope she'll continue to help us though. Right now, we need all the help we can get!'
"Yep!" He chuckled. "We're the Spade Pirates."
"Hmm..."
"All finished!" Before she could react, the spiky haired cook emerged from the galley, holding two large trays full of several different kinds of sushi. "Your meal is served, madam."
"Looks delicious! Thanks." Artemis was not shy about taking an entire tray for herself. She devoured several of the tasty treats before she spoke again. "These are really good!"
"Heh... Glad you like." The cook replied, leaning against a nearby wall and crossing a leg beneath himself.
The shark girl continued to eat, and the others just watched on. Ace took a few sushi rolls from the other tray, and so did some of the others. Shiori wasn't in the habit of eating sushi or fish either. She disliked it just as much as meat. But she wasn't hungry anyway.
"Thank you for the meal." Artemis lowered her head to bow to the Captain in a show of gratitude. She seemed to be in a slightly better mood than she had been previously. "I haven't had a meal that was that good, or that large, in quite a while. That was generous of you."
"You're welcome," Ace told her, stepped forward to confront her once again. He was sick of beating around the bush too. "If you don't mind, I'd like to ask you some questions."
"If it's about Fishman Island, I honestly don't know. Sorry."
"Nah, it's nothing like that... Why did you help us?"
"Me? I didn't do anything much." The shark girl chuckled, her lavender eyes full of mirth.
Shiori, who was still standing in close proximity to her, spoke up. "You've obviously been l-leading us through this coral maze. Why?" She was a little nervous, but seeing how Ace reacted to this newcomer helped her to calm down a little.
She'd spoken the words they were all thinking. The rest of the Spades leaned forward to listen to what this creature they'd fished up had to say for herself.
"Alright... I confess..." She sighed. "I work at a place not too far from here. I was just leaving the club after my shift, and that's when I noticed your ship. I was lured closer by the alluring scent of blood in the water. Somehow it smells all the more enticing when the poor creature that died was in incredible amounts of pain."
The others were looking at her like she was crazy, gaping at her in awe after what she'd just said. Shiori couldn't help but watch her with a strange expression. She recalled when they'd killed the slave drivers that had wronged her, before sailing into port. That must be what she was referring to.
In lieu of explaining, she only shrugged. "It's a fishman thing, you most likely wouldn't understand..."
"You know the way through the maze?" The Valkyrie asked her, tucking a patch of silvery pastel hair behind one ear.
"Yes. I saw that you were being chased by Marines, so... I tried my best to get your attention, hoping you'd notice. And you were clever for following me."
"That makes sense, but why help us?" Ace cut in.
"It's simple. You aren't the only ones who hate the Marines. I figure if I can get even one more vessel safely away from those bastards, the better off we will all be for it."
"Are you a Pirate too?" Shiori asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.
"No... I'm not."
"I see..." Ace seemed to be mulling over her answers. After taking all of it into consideration, he felt like it should be alright. "How is it that you're able to navigate such a monstrous maze?"
"I'd be careful, if I were you... I take offense to words like 'monstrous'." She snapped, but then composed herself again. With a deep sigh, Artemis continued. "I can find my way through any maze easily, even if I've never traveled through it before. I can use echolocation. That's why I got this."
She moved the sleeve of her shirt out of the way so everyone could more easily see her tattoo. It looked like a white dot, surrounded by strange arrows radiating outward in a circular pattern. The white ink shown brightly in the sun. Everyone took a look. Shiori found herself reaching out to touch her tattoo, before realizing what she was doing. She withdrew her hand quickly. This earned a lighthearted chuckle from Artemis.
"You can touch it if you want to, haha... Go ahead."
White bangs fell into her face, as Shiori only shook her head back and forth shyly. he'd taken to fidgeting with her sleeves again. She felt Ace pat her on the back this time. The shark girl shrugged, not caring one way or the other. She could suit herself.
"That's some beautiful ink..." A man with a very deep voice commented from the back. It was Zetsui.
This caught Artemis' attention, because he hadn't really spoken much before. That was when she noticed it... He wasn't a normal human either. She looked him over from head to toe, suddenly crossing the deck.
"My... Aren't you a pretty?" She walked up to him, running a single finger down the front of his torso, and pressing her well-endowed chest against him.
He had no idea what to do, having never been in such a situation before. "Umm..." He arched an eyebrow, clearly not expecting this. A beautiful girl was touching him, and his face turned a bright red color. He became flustered.
"What's your name?" The shark girl grinned. "You're a fishman, aren't you? I can tell."
"You can? Y-yeah, I am... Hi, I'm- Err, I mean, well, ahh... My name's Zetsui." He finally managed.
"What species?"
"Pardon? Oh, uhhh... Rockfish." He smiled at her, not daring to move a muscle.
"That's what I thought." Artemis laughed. "I'm used to working with your type all the time."
It was pretty clear to all the others that she was only toying with him. Zetsui had never been the brightest crayon in the box to begin with... He didn't seem to be aware of the fact that he was pretty much being made fun of. She actually thought his balding hairline was atrocious, and his physique was nothing to be proud of either. The shark girl was giggling to herself now. But she really did feel a lot more comfortable knowing that their crew was welcoming of fishmen and that she wasn't alone. And even if he weren't much to look at, Zetsui still had a comforting presence.
"So... Will you continue to help us, or not?" Ace crossed his arms over his chest, not waiting to beat around the bush anymore. They'd fed her, and seemingly befriended her, or at least some of them had.
"I will," She turned toward the Captain, her smile suddenly fading. "I'm not sure how much longer I can keep up swimming though. I'm in good shape, and I can travel for weeks on end without much of a break, but much longer than that is impossible."
"Would your sonar thing still work out of the water?" Shiori asked, while planning things out in her head.
She wasn't entirely certain that fishmen and fishwomen could survive out of the water for very long. On the other hand, Zetsui had never seemed to have very much trouble with it. She only hoped she was asking the right questions and that they weren't offensive. The shark girl seemed really crafty and they had to be cautious. Especially regarding their destination... She was glad no one had mentioned that yet.
"Yep. It's no problem for me."
"I think that settles it then..." Ace lowered his hat, indicating that things were getting really serious now. When he looked back up at her, and their eyes met, his expression had changed. "Would you like to join our crew?"
There was a collective gasp that passed over the entire crew right then. All of the Spades seemed surprised that he'd ask her out of the blue like that. Shiori wondered if maybe he had an ulterior motive... But it wasn't up for a vote. It was still ultimately the Captain's decision and he would have the final say.
"Me? Join a Pirate crew?" She looked at him like he was crazy. "You've gotta be fucking joking..."
"I'm serious. I'd like you to be our new navigator."
"Hey!" Hoko shrieked, flailing his fists in the air. "What about me?!"
"Oh, give it up..." The Captain waved a dismissive hand at him. "We all know you never really wanted to be a navigator in the first place. This is your chance to retire from it."
This statement was met with a hearty round of laughter from everyone.
"Yeah, I guess it was only supposed to be temporary anyway." He conceded, knowing when he was defeated.
The shark girl realized they were all waiting for her answer. Her purple eyes narrowed. "What's in it for me?"
'What would she like?' Ace had to think for a minute...
"For starters, the prestige of being the official navigator for the Spade Pirates. You'll get to party with us, day and night. You'll likely get to kick some Marines' asses at some point. And we'll protect you from anyone who messes with you."
"Hmm... None of that particularly interests me." She feigned a yawn. "And I don't need any protection either. I can more than handle myself."
There had to something else she wanted, something more... And then it dawned on him.
"There's more sushi in it for you... And all the gold you can carry." Ace added, then side-eyed her carefully, watching for a reaction.
...And he got it. Artemis' face lit up. "Really? How much do you think I can carry? We fishfolk are far stronger than you lowly humans, haha!"
Though she seemed serious, the way she laughed at the end indicated that she was most likely joking... Or trying to.
"I'll help you carry it, if you want." Zetsui made an awkward attempt at flirting, but it went nowhere.
She only looked at him with a blank expression. Then her purple eyes narrowed into slits. "Like I'd trust you."
"We're on our way to a very special island... We could use an extra deckhand too. Everyone does what they can to help out, regardless of their position on my crew." The Captain explained, taking her sudden interest in gold as a sign that she had decided to join. "And I'm sure you'll make an excellent navigator."
"Welcome aboard!" Zetsui called to her, still oblivious, and smiling in a silly fashion. Shiori thought his face just might melt off.
"Yes, w-welcome." She also smiled at the shark girl. Shiori wanted to make sure that she felt welcome here. She'd felt just the opposite when she'd joined, and she knew how uncomfortable it was.
"Cool!" Artemis replied, shuffling over toward the helm. "Someone needs to like... Show me how to steer this stupid fucking thing, or something? I've never steered a boat before."
"I thought you knew what you were doing?" Mitch crossed his arms, cackling at her. His tone was extremely condescending. "Since you're such a supreme and experienced navigator and all. Hah!"
'I'm glad he doesn't talk to me that way. Wow...' Shiori couldn't help but think.
"I never made any claims like that." Artemis quipped, ready to defend herself. "As I recall, you asked for my help, after I mentioned that I have echolocation. So you can shut it."
"I didn't ask you for shit..." He grumbled, earning himself a stern look from Ace. He couldn't mistake the way her sharp features were arranged for anything other than a threat. "But since my Captain did, I'll stand by his decision and show you the ropes."
"Gee... Thank you. How generous of you." She replied snarkily, approaching the helm. This was accompanied by a roll of her eyes.
"Awfully feisty little thing, isn't she?" Mitch commented, once she'd walked away. The others admired the intricate white stripes that ran along the length of her tail as she walked away. They adorned her limbs too, matching sets swiping across the back of her legs.
Luckily, she hadn't heard him. He moved to follow her, not daring to say anything else that might upset her. Especially not where she could hear...
Shiori could just imagine the two of them being at each other's throats constantly the whole way there. And she didn't even know how far away they were right now. She wasn't sure whether to divulge the information regarding their destination to this newcomer either. She'd joined the crew, but anyone could always say that and then leave or betray them later.
She knew all about betrayal... And as a result, she had learned to trust no one.
The only thing she trusted in was the truth. And the truth consisted of facts. The fact was, she was going to have to do her best to get along with her new crew mate, and most likely roommate. The thought occurred to her while she was walking around the ship, lending a hand to Haji with the sails. They had to re-adjusted for their new course... Once that was done, she was free to retire to her makeshift room.
Having yet another female on board with them was going to be a challenge. She hadn't counted on having to share her room with someone else again, especially not this soon. The Valkyrie sighed, flopping down on her bed for what would most likely be the last time she would be alone in her room for a while.
Watching the way Ace had so skillfully procured a new member for his crew had been interesting. It had definitely taken some finesse to avoid making her angry. But she'd had a long day and was very tired, so thinking about it was only exhausting her even more. She felt Vanora crawl out of her shirt, to climb onto the bed. She curled up into a little ball, grooming herself before tucking her tail over her nose for warmth. The chill in the air was steadily growing, the closer they neared their destination.
'I wonder how much longer it will be...' Shiori sighed, letting her eyes fall closed.
The next time she opened her eyes, she didn't feel all that well-rested... It was like she'd only taken a nap instead of going to sleep for a while like she should have. And Shiori discovered this to be the case, because when she looked out, she saw that it was still dark outside.
She lit the small oil lamp in her room, which was perched on a crate by her bed. She was grateful for the light. She used some matches that she'd gotten back at port, since Ace didn't seem to like having other sources of ignition on board his ship. Probably something like stubborn pride, or a form of envy, she supposed. Mitch had explained that to her when he'd helped her find a decent wick for it. As for the lamp itself, Hoko had given it to her shortly after she'd joined the Spades. Even though it wasn't much, she had always treasured it. She'd been able to get some oil from Rex to refill it. She smiled then, recalling how it had all happened... It was something so small, and yet many of them had played a part.
'Sometimes Devil Fruits really do come in handy. The others accepted me as a crew mate pretty quickly. I hope they'll give Artemis the same chance.'
Knowing firsthand what it was like to be different, to be the outsider, she worried for the new girl. It wasn't until a few minutes later, once she'd fully woken up, that she realized something... Artemis had never come in to her room. She was supposed to rest like they all did once everything was finished for the day, but she'd never shown up.
Resolving to figure out what had happened to her, Shiori ventured out into the cold of the night. She left Vanora snoozing soundly on her side of the bed.
After checking over the entire ship, she'd found rather quickly that there was no light coming from anywhere except the galley, where the men usually went to drink. It was late, but she decided to check there anyway. A single beam of light emanated from beneath the door, showing outside as it fanned out across the polished wood of the deck; the only sign of life aboard the entire vessel.
She heard voices, their laughter echoing off the walls. Not wanting to disturb them, Shiori crept closer, leaning against the wall that hid the rest of the room from immediate view. She thought she'd heard her name, although she couldn't be completely sure, and that was what had initially piqued her interest. She didn't need to see them to hear what was being said.
"Oh-ho! Really, Ace? You and that little vixen, huh?" It sounded like Rex's voice. He paused to take a sip of what was most likely alcohol. "I never would've figured, she doesn't seem like your type."
"Oh yeah man, the things I'd like to do to that girl... Mmmn!" Ace laughed.
Though she couldn't see it, he was making grabbing gestures with his hands, palms facing upward as his fingers curled around thin air repetitively. The invisible buttcheeks of some unknown person practically jiggled in his face. He then also took a huge gulp of his drink, the imaginary girl momentarily forgotten.
"Hahaha, you're damned crazy, Ace!" Mitch laughed along with them. "But I'll drink to that!"
The sound of them clinking their glasses together was right on cue. It was to be expected that they would be drinking and talking about all kinds of things, even at this late hour. What she hadn't expected, however, was to hear him talking about her in such a lewd manner. That was the farthest thing from her mind when she'd decided not to show herself right away. The rest of the Spades were still talking amongst themselves. The room was abuzz with various kinds of drunken banter.
Of course, there also remained the chance that it might not be her that he was speaking of. The thought of Ace thinking of another girl that way... It caused her to scowl, even though she was keeping herself hidden.
But even if it was her... That wasn't a very nice way to talk about someone.
'Hm. Not sure if I'd like it or loathe it...'
She wondered... Shiori was still unsure what the kiss they'd shared that night had meant. She sort of wanted to know what it meant to him, but to figure that out, it would help to know what it meant to herself first. She was uncertain whether it would happen again or if it was only a one time thing or if he was experimenting just to see what it would be like, or... She sighed, slouching against the wall. It was like she could feel her heart slowly sinking. Such an intense moment had never happened for her, before or since. It was only natural that it was on her mind. She'd even been thinking about it as she fell asleep, although she would never admit it to anyone.
It was clear that Ace felt closer to her after that, but otherwise he was still treating her pretty much the same as he always had... She had no way of knowing exactly where she stood with him, and that was mysterious enough in its own right. The man had always been somewhat of a mystery anyway.
There were times when she wanted to talk to him about it, but wanting to and actually doing it were two completely different things. Every time she almost gathered the courage, she lost her nerve, unable to even come close to bringing up the subject. Shiori didn't know what it meant, only that she wanted to find out on her own terms. She felt like asking him about it might cause him to think that it made her uncomfortable, or that she was trying to ask him to do it again.
'What will I do if it happens again?' She wondered, letting herself get lost in daydreams for a moment. 'What could I do?'
If it did happen again, she wanted it to be natural, and not forced or expected. She only knew that, no matter what, it would have to be real. Otherwise it was pointless. She wasn't even sure if it was a good idea to play with fire. She considered herself lucky so far, but it was only a matter of time before she would get burned. And she knew it.
Before she could delve into the matter any further, the sound of a glass shattering brought her out of her thoughts.
"Oi!" One of the Spades called. "By the way... Welcome to the crew!"
"I had no idea you could hold your liquor so well, Artemis-chan..." Walter said, sounding surprised.
"I can..." She heard the shark girl hiccup. It was odd hearing a feminine voice on board that was not her own. "I can handle my own..." She drawled, long and low.
"Hmm... Wonder what else you can handle?" Zetsui mumbled. Although if she heard him, she certainly didn't act like it, just left him to speculate.
Haji jumped down from where he was seated on one of the tables. It was his habit to sit cross-legged up there so he could eat or drink more comfortably. Benches didn't quite work for him, since they made it hard for him to reach the table. And being relatively small in stature, he didn't take up much space anyway, so the others had never minded. He promptly made his way toward the exit.
"Guys... I dunno how much longer I can hang..."
"Ya look a little green there, shorty! Hahaha!" Mitch chuckled, taking a deep drink of whatever he held. "Figures you'd tap out first, being so small and all!"
"Oh! Shiori-chan!" The midget stared up at her, once he realized who it was. He'd jumped the minute he noticed someone standing there. "I wasn't expecting you to come around 'til morning... Excuse me, I need some air."
He brushed past her. She knew he was most likely headed straight for the railing to throw up. The others perked up when they heard her name, but she was in no mood to deal with them. Her cover had been blown too early for her to really see how well Artemis was getting along with everyone. And to hear more about Ace's mystery girl, while she was at it...
Trying to make the best of it, she stumbled into the open space of the galley awkwardly. "Hey guys... C-could I have a drink too?"
"You?" Mitch raised an eyebrow. "Drink? Feh!" He batted a hand at her, drunkenly. "Never happen..."
"Heh... You can have shh-some of mine, if you want?" Ace offered her his mug, sloshing it around a bit.
"Why?" She eyed him shiftily, not quite trusting this apparent gesture of kindness.
"Seems a waste to pour you a whole mug since we all know you wouldn't be able to handle it, and you're too much of a prude to have a drink with us, is all..." He trailed off, seeming to have forgotten the rest of what he was about to say.
He'd only meant to lightly tease her, but he wore a look on his face that told her he knew he'd said too much. What she didn't know was that he already regretted saying it before it had truly left his mouth.
Shiori was very aware that their Captain wasn't the slightest bit sober at the moment, yet she couldn't help but feel wounded somehow. She watched the new girl downing the rest of her drink hastily, before requesting another. Rex had a bottle of rum that he was passing around to everyone, and he refilled hers only seconds after it had run out.
"Woooo!" Artemis howled, shaking her hair down over her shoulders as she tilted her head back to take another swig. "Partying with you guys is so much fun! You can have some of mine too, if you want, Shi-chan!"
She wanted to yell at her... To screech at her to get out, to chastise her for referring to her in such casual terms when they barely even knew each other. They'd only just met, and Shiori didn't trust outsiders very easily. But the moment she opened her mouth to speak, all that came out was a rather high pitched croak, something close to a squeak but darker somehow, so she closed it immediately.
The way her lower lip began to tremble was a telltale sign. She'd tried so hard to fight it. But the tears that threatened to fall from the corners of her eyes gave her away.
The albino girl bolted from the ship's galley and rushed to get back to the safety of her room. The darkness would conceal her emotions... She knew it was a mistake to bother them while they were drinking. They'd probably been at it for hours, so there was a good chance that no one really knew what they were saying at that point. But that did not mean that the jagged edges of their words didn't hurt, all the same.
A/N: Those who visit my DeviantArt page have probably seen pics of Artemis before. If not, they're located on my main page, just under all of Shiori's stuff. I haven't drawn her before but I did commission a couple of things. I just wanted to mention it in case you're curious or wanted a visual reference of her.
Sorry about the recent lack of updates. I'm always busy, blah, blah... Hope you enjoyed the story so far, and thank you so much for the lovely reviews. They keep me going. c:
-Kaline