A Family Matter
"Really hope Law doesn't take too long to rescue us," Shachi sighed, laying against the cool tiles of the prison floor, staring at the florescent lights in the ceiling, "otherwise I'm gonna die of boredom."
"Agreed," Penguin said from the cell next to him, using his shoelaces to make a cat's cradle. They'd been locked in there for two days, and he had managed to tie and untie every type of knot he could think of for the sake of having something to occupy his brain. "They could have at least let me keep the deck of cards I'd brought."
"Or given us a checkerboard or something. Hell, I'd take a book on Marine rules and regulations at this point—at least I could use it to beat my own skull in."
"Ah, it's not so bad," Ikkaku chuckled from her cell across the room, folding her hands behind her head as she settled against the wall. "There are worse places to be incarcerated than Drake's ship."
It was true; while the brig was grey and boring, it was undeniably clean and well-kept, which was far more than they could say for other prisons they'd seen. On top of that, while the three Heart Pirates were locked up in separate cells, they weren't chained to the walls or even cuffed, there were small cots with pillows and blankets, and no one was being tortured or interrogated. Hell, they'd even been given regular meals that resembled actual food, which was a pleasant surprise.
Really, the only concerning part was the cell in the far back corner that, from the look of things, had Seastone bars and shackles. Anyone could guess who Drake had reserved that one for. He might as well have hung a welcome banner.
Of course, the brig could have resembled a 5-star spa resort with meals prepared by a personal chef and Ikkaku would still have a fairly low opinion of the commodore. He was still a Marine, and she'd never known a Navy dog that wasn't some kind of corrupt scumbag deep down, especially those that attained an officer's rank. Some were simply better at hiding it than others.
But for now, she'd appreciate the decent-by-Marine-standards captivity, then take great pleasure in wrecking their shit.
"Maybe, but that doesn't make me any less antsy," Penguin stated quietly, suspicious of any guards that might be listening just out of sight. "We've got to be ready. Remember the plan."
The mechanic rolled her eyes. "Of course we remember the plan." Law had basically drilled it into their heads; the three of them had been dropped off on Einer Island to cause a commotion as a decoy while Law took the ship to Zwei Island to quietly raid the Marine base housed there. He'd known Drake would take the bait and capture the three of them, and the Polar Tang would intercept his ship a few days later so Law could sneak aboard, free them, and they'd set about causing some wonderful havoc for the commodore and his crew. It was convoluted and complicated and she had no doubt Law would get the exact result he wanted. Which was, she suspected, the ire and attention of a certain Allosaurus.
Her grin widened as she connected the dots. "You're not worried about the plan; you just don't like thinking about the last time we were aboard this ship."
Shachi sniggered while Penguin blushed from his neck to his hairline. His expression was nearly as mortified as it had been during the incident in question. "Damn it Ikkaku! I was so close to repressing that, too!"
"When we next hit land, I'll buy you a bottle of grain alcohol as brain bleach," she cackled without remorse. Really, being locked in a Marine prison cell would never be her idea of fun, but she was glad she was stuck with these two—teasing Penguin was far more entertaining than any poker game.
The good cheer was swiftly vanquished as a deep, cold voice from the doorway stated, "Honestly, Ikkaku, are you really still such an idiot? Or do you find the idea of dying in prison amusing somehow?"
No. It can't be, she thought, freezing as her mind registered the familiar, intruding voice. She hadn't heard in years, save the occasional nightmare, but it still made a wave of dread crash over her like a tsunami. Her palms immediately began to sweat while her heart pounded in her ears. He's supposed to be stationed in the West Blue, not the North.
In sync, Penguin and Shachi turned to observe the unfamiliar man that entered the brig. He was about Law's height but with at least three times the muscle mass. He wore the crisp white suit of a Marine officer, his coat dutifully perched on his broad shoulders. His hair was jet black and gelled back, but it was clear that the locks were naturally curly despite his efforts to tame them. There was something vaguely familiar about him, though neither man could put their finger on it. He wasn't that different from most Marines they'd encountered; he held himself with the same over-bloated self-importance to match his too-polished appearance. His smile was especially disconcerting—there was nothing genuine about the curl of his lips, as not a hint of warmth reached his dark brown eyes.
The newcomer approached Ikkaku's cell with measured, slightly-too-loud steps. "What, not going to greet me properly? It's been at least four years."
"…hi, Ushi."
His insincere smile dropped as he scowled in disapproval. "Tch. Try to say my name with more respect, you worthless little brat. I'm a Marine captain now."
"Good evening, Captain Ushi, sir."
Shachi's jaw dropped when Ikkaku didn't make some sarcastic, biting comment. The woman he knew never let someone talk to her like that. She'd certainly had no trouble sassing the Marines when they'd been captured. Hell, once she'd gotten comfortable among the Hearts, she'd taken to back-sassing Law on the regular. It was funny as hell to watch the two of them go at it like a couple of squabbling siblings. In fact, he suspected Law enjoyed and even encouraged it to an extent, as he'd just argue right back instead of pulling rank or disciplining her. The crew occasionally wondered if their captain spoiling her like that was a good thing, as it reinforced her lack of respect for more powerful figures.
To see that fire doused so easily by one man set Shachi's teeth on edge.
"Better," the Marine said blandly, pulling a key out of his pocket. "Though, it'll be Commodore Ushi soon; there's been talk of promoting me. I've made a good impression among some important people. People who want to see me advance. Unfortunately, that's unlikely to happen unless I clear up a few loose ends first."
Instinctively, Ikkaku shrank back, pressing herself hard against the wall as if it might open up and swallow her. Her big brown eyes were fixated on the floor, and her lips were pressed together so tightly they'd turned white.
It was easy to guess what "loose ends" he was referring to. Ushi had always been ambitious. Praised for his strength, intelligence, sense of responsibility, and charisma, the whole island had loved him, giving him a grand send-off the day he left for the Marines. On the few occasions he'd had time to visit home, everyone was quick to call him the pride of Rivet and a future hero.
The handful that knew better had learned to keep their mouths shut long ago.
In the cell across from her, Penguin's hands clenched as he watched the interaction before him. This was very, very wrong. In the year and a half that he'd known her, Ikkaku didn't shrink. From anyone. Not Law, not enemy pirates, not drunken brutes twice her size—even Drake had gotten a few bruises when he'd been forced to subdue her during their capture. She was feisty and scrappy and wasn't afraid of slamming her foot into some asshole's groin when threatened.
It became clear that this particular Marine was the exception when he unlocked her cell door, marched inside, grabbed her by the collar of her jumpsuit, and dragged her to her feet.
Ikkaku didn't resist. Resisting had never done her any good in the past. Ushi always took it as a personal offense and would come up with worse punishments. Or make Hapushiru, Nausagi, and Fukuro beat her up instead so he could keep his hands clean and maintain his image as the "responsible" one.
Of course, she was swiftly reminded that he'd never been shy about taking matters into his own hands when he was in the right mood when he sharply smacked her across the cheek so hard she saw stars for a moment.
At the loud smack, Penguin and Shachi sprang to their feet, ready to fight. "What the fuck—"
"You've got some balls hitting our crewmate!"
Ushi ignored them in favor of sneering down at the woman in question, "Can you believe the twins were actually bragging about you being part of the most wanted crew in the North Blue? As if you're the one the family should be proud of! You're going to come with me, nice and quiet, or we're going to have problems. And you remember how I tend to make problems disappear, right?"
She shuddered at the memory. Three days. She'd spent three days wandering alone in the woods, cold and hungry and terrified that she'd be eaten by wolves. Three days wondering if Ushi was right—that Mama and Papa would be better off without her. Without a worthless daughter than would never amount to anything holding everyone back…
Gramps had been the one to find her. Nausagi and Fukuro had realized that, even if their baby sister annoyed them, and even if having one less mouth to feed meant more money for toys and treats, leaving her out there to die was sick and wrong. The twins had defied Ushi and told their grandfather she was missing. The old lighthouse keeper had searched the woods in the middle of a storm for the sake of finding his seven-year-old granddaughter, and she could still remember his wrinkled face lined with worry and raindrops when he'd finally found her shivering in a hollowed-out tree.
As relieved as her parents had been that she was safe, Ikkaku had been scolded for causing such trouble and forcing Gramps to abandon his post and risk something happening, like the light going out and a ship crashing into the rocks. How dare she run off without telling anyone? She'd put herself and others in danger! Why couldn't she be more responsible like Ushi?
Neither she nor the twins had told anyone that it had been Ushi's fault—no one would believe them, and he'd just make them pay for it.
He had made them pay for it. He'd taken his aggression out on Nausagi and Fukuro, beating them both bloody while making Ikkaku watch, telling her that it was her fault, that he wouldn't have to hurt his beloved little brothers if she'd just stayed gone…
CLANG! Shachi threw himself against the bars of his cell, desperately grasping for Ikkaku in hopes of getting her away from the Marine. She hadn't even noticed that Ushi had dragged her out of her cell—she'd been too caught up in the past. Of the memory of how pointless it was to fight Ushi.
"Buddy, I don't give a shit if you're an Admiral—you let Ikkaku go right the fuck now, or so help me I'll rip your goddamn throat out!"
Meanwhile, Penguin was yelling towards the doorway, "Hey! Is somebody out there? I know this asshole isn't part of Drake's crew! Get him out of here!"
Ushi gave the younger men a death glare. "Shut the hell up. I sent the guards to get some coffee so I wouldn't have any interruptions. Not that they'd step in anyway; what self-respecting Marine would help a bunch of pirates?"
As if to prove his point, he slammed his fist into Ikkaku's stomach, his grip on the collar of her boiler suit the only thing keeping her from crumpling to the floor.
She would have sobbed if she had the breath to. He was right. Ushi could do what he wanted, and no one would help them. Hell, they'd probably thank him for taking them off their hands; no need to expend resources on prisoners, after all.
Men like Ushi were the reason she could never trust the Marines. The fact that they'd allowed such a violent bastard to advance to a position of authority—that "certain people" wanted to give him even more power—told her everything she needed to know. The World Government was just a gang of bullies who liked to push people around just for kicks. She'd seen it plenty of times; Navy dogs refusing to help innocent civilians, valuing the glory of arresting a notorious pirate over human decency.
Hell, Commodore Drake was probably lounging in his cabin, greedily counting however many belli her brother had paid him to take a single problematic prisoner off his hands.
No one would come to help the Heart Pirates.
That didn't stop Shachi from straining against the bars harder, the veins in his neck bulging as he struggled to rescue his friend. "Go fuck yourself!"
Smirking, Ushi moved so he was just out of reach of Shachi's grasping fingers, making sure to harshly shove Ikkaku behind him to keep her out of the way. "Do yourself a favor and stand down, scumbag, before I break that spindly arm of yours. This is a family matter, anyway."
"Then it definitely involves us! We're nakama!" Penguin snapped, turning away from the door to face the Marine. If the guards couldn't help them, he'd just have to figure out how to take down this asshole himself.
Ushi raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "Seriously? You wanna fight me for her? Why? Is it because she's the only woman on your ship?" He glanced over his shoulder at Ikkaku, who was still clutching her stomach in pain, silently praying that the boys would back down before they got hurt. She knew from experience that breaking an arm was far from an empty threat. "Are you the ship's whore or something? God, you're an even bigger disgrace than I thought."
Eyes lighting up with fury, Shachi pulled his arm inside his cell, took several steps back, and then rushed forward, slamming his shoulder against the door in an attempt to break it down.
"She's our mechanic!" Penguin defended, teeth grinding as he tried to figure out some kind of plan. Damn it, there had to be something in that stupid cell he could use as a weapon. He couldn't just stand there while this bastard manhandled and insulted Ikkaku! He'd throw his boot at the son of a bitch if he had to!
"Tch. You people must have been really desperate to hire a talentless brat like her."
"Ikkaku! Are you really gonna let this guy talk to you like that?!" Shachi shouted as he futilely slammed into the door again. He winced at the pain the shot through his shoulder, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Not when his shipmate was in trouble.
"She's the best damn mechanic in the North Blue," Penguin stated, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Soon she's going to be the best in the whole world. And you'd better let her go right now; otherwise, you're in for a world of pain when Law finds out you've threatened his nakama."
A pang went through Ikkaku's chest at their words, warm and stronger than even the pain in her stomach. It was still such a foreign feeling, having people that genuinely cared about her. That believed in her abilities and her dream. Only the twins had really ever had her back, and it had been too dangerous to show it until Ushi had finally left…
She was given a stark reminder of why that was when her oldest brother drew his pistol.
"Ugh, arguing with you two is a waste of time," he scoffed, pointing it casually at Penguin, whose eyes widened beneath the brim of his hat as he realized there was no space to dodge in the cramped cell. "I'm on a tight schedule, and I'm pretty sure Drake doesn't need both of you alive to lure out Trafalgar."
Without even thinking, Ikkaku lunged forward, desperately grabbing Ushi's arm and jerking it upwards so the bullet hit a ceiling light instead of her friend.
"Don't you fucking touch them!" she screamed, spinning around and slamming her foot into his ribs. For a moment, her boot appeared black as it made contact, and the blow made the Marine faulter, the gun falling from his hand to clatter on the tile floor.
Unfortunately, he recovered quickly, and before Ikkaku could dive for the gun he grabbed her by the shoulders, lifted her up, and bashed her right against the bars of her empty cell. The impact shook her to her core, and she once again curled into herself, the blood pounding in her ears sounding like frantic footsteps to her dazed mind.
"You stupid fucking bitch!" he shouted, shifting one of his hands so it wrapped around her throat. "You just never fucking learn!"
Thinking fast, Penguin reached through the bars for the pistol, but it was just out of reach. He yanked off his hat, planning to use it to catch the gun and drag it towards him before Ushi could strangle the mechanic.
Everything came to a halt when the sound of stomping boots became unmistakable.
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!" Drake bellowed from the doorway. He charged into the brig, sword drawn, ready to end whatever fight had resulted in a gun being fired on his ship. His eyes widened at the sight before him; a Marine officer choking his sole female prisoner—who for some reason was out of her cell instead of locked up tight like he'd ordered—while another prisoner reached through the bars for the smoking pistol at their feet. Shards of glass littered the floor of Penguin's cell, the remains of the florescent light sparking dangerously above him while Shachi clutched his shoulder in pain.
Instinctively, the two guards that flanked Drake drew their rifles, though no one was quite sure if they were aiming at the Captain or the pirates.
"It's about fucking time," Shachi said shakily, gripping his shoulder. The adrenaline was beginning to wear off, and the pain was making its presence known. He was sure he'd injured himself trying to break the door down, but there was no way he was going to stand down until he knew his comrades were safe.
Drake didn't spare him a glance, his intense grey eyes solely focused on the two figures that weren't locked up.
"Captain Ushi," he growled, "while I gave you permission to come aboard my ship, I don't recall giving you leave to visit the brig. Mainly because you didn't request it."
"Ah, yes," Ushi said, releasing Ikkaku's throat. His grip on her shoulder remained firm as he lowered her back down to the floor. "I apologize for that. You seemed extremely busy planning Trafalgar Law's capture, so I planned to bring it up at dinner."
"Dinner started ten minutes ago. I was waiting for you."
"Must have slipped my mind."
"Much like I'm sure your hand slipped when you fired that gun."
"More like it was forcibly jerked about," Ushi replied, sparing the wheezing Ikkaku a disdainful glance. "I drew my weapon in self-defense."
Drake sheathed his sword, mainly so he could cross his arms in disapproval. "Against three unarmed prisoners, two behind bars and one of which is a woman a third your size?"
He had the gall to shrug. "From what I've heard, you shouldn't underestimate the Surgeon of Death or his men. I mean, they've been crafty enough to slip through your fingers before, Commodore."
Grey eyes narrowed at the small show of disrespect. "While this is true, I'm curious as to what business you have with them. And why you sent the guards that were stationed here away. Surely if you're intent on not underestimating them, you'd want backup? And given the state I've found everyone in, I'd say it's a damn good thing they came to find me instead of taking a coffee break like you suggested. Otherwise you'd have been shot in the back by Trafalgar's first mate, and the woman could have unlocked the cells, thus allowing them to slip through my fingers once again."
Ushi glowered at the man in question before grimacing, fully aware that Drake had backed him into a corner. "Fine. I'm here because I'm taking custody of the Heart Pirate woman."
"Do you have some sort of official paperwork formally requesting a transfer?" he asked, lifting a critical eyebrow.
"Well, no. I was hoping I could make that request of you personally. Of the record, so to speak."
"Why?"
Shooting Ikkaku a sharp warning glare—the kind that promised unimaginable pain if she dared speak against him—Ushi indicated the woman he had pinned against the bars. "You see, sir, I'm ashamed to admit it, but Ikkaku of the Heart Pirates is my baby sister. She's always been a spoiled, disobedient brat, but I'd never expected her to devolve into piracy. Maybe it's my own fault; I left to join the Marines when she was twelve, and I guess without me around, there was no one willing to discipline her."
Drake looked thoroughly unconvinced, giving a meaningful glance at her cheek, which was already darkening into an ugly bruise. "Is that what you were doing? 'Disciplining' her?"
Penguin and Shachi could practically hear the air quotes around the word, and the duo found their hopes beginning to rise just the slightest bit. Drake was their enemy, but they knew for a fact that his tolerance for bullshit was exceptionally low.
Ikkaku was less convinced. There had been plenty of times when it seemed like someone would finally see past her brother's lies, but he always managed to talk his way out of it and push the blame back onto her. Partially because people didn't want to see the town's Golden Child as anything but the perfect, responsible young man everyone had set him up to be.
Seeing that his superior was less than impressed with him, Ushi immediately set to justifying himself. "Look, our parents worked long hours to put food on the table for five kids; keeping them all in line fell to me. I did my best but, well, I guess her career choice shows she's always been a bad seed."
Drake actually scoffed. "Your failure as an authority figure among your siblings does not fill me with confidence, Captain Ushi. Get to the point—why do you want me to hand the woman over to you?"
His jaw tightened in frustration. "Because this is a family matter. I'd rather spare our poor parents the shame of the world finding out their daughter became a pirate."
"You fucking liar!" Shachi shouted.
"You just care about your damn promotion!" Penguin grabbed the bars of his cell in a fruitless attempt to break down the barrier and get to the man who held his crewmate hostage.
"Like he'd listen to scum like you," Ushi jeered.
"And yet I find myself inclined to believe their side of the story over yours," Drake snarled, jerking his head towards the prisoners. "I have no time for games. If you don't start telling the truth in the next three seconds, I will report you—and your little 'off the record' request—to Headquarters."
Frustration finally coming to a boiling point, the Marine captain snapped, "Look, I know it's a bit unconventional, but my superiors say I could be up for a promotion soon, and I can't let her cost me everything I've worked for. Surely you understand just how difficult it is to advance your career when the Navy knows you're related to a pirate, right Commodore Diez?" he finished with a sneer.
Silence filled the room at the utterance of the ginger's surname. Penguin and Shachi actually froze; they vividly remembered the name Diez Barrels, the pirate captain that had made the neighboring Minion Island his base of operations. They'd never seen the man himself, but their parents would often whisper about bodies of those he'd brutally murdered washing up on Sparrow Island's beaches.
Drake was the son of a pirate?
Meanwhile, the man in question took a deep, calming breath as he assessed the situation. As tempting as it was to rip the man to shreds for daring to bring up his father, doing so would do nothing but make things spiral into blood and chaos. He needed to keep his temper in check and be rational before he made his call.
He regarded his colleague carefully. Captain Ushi had been perfectly cordial when he'd requested permission to board his ship. Had commended Drake's bravery and impressive record, and the way he led the men under his command. He'd been polite, professional, and while perhaps a bit heavy-handed with the praise, a generally respectable man.
Now, he had his little sister pinned against the cell he'd dragged her from, a smoking gun at his feet, and two prisoners declaring he'd basically tried to kill her for the sake of a promotion.
Drake turned his full attention to the woman. She hadn't spoken a word since he'd arrived—very odd based on what he knew of her, though their interactions were limited. What he did know was that the mechanic was mouthy and quite the plucky fighter. After all, she'd tried to break his nose and had called him a rather colorful array of curse words during her arrest. Yet now, she was silent.
Her body language spoke volumes, however. Glistening eyes averted to the floor so as to make her assailant feel dominant. Shoulders hunched in pain. Teeth digging into her bottom lip so as to hold back any defiant words that might slip out. Hands and knees trembling ever-so-slightly.
It was when a pair of tears bubbled over and trailed down her bruised cheeks that he made his decision.
"You're right," he said slowly and calmly, taking a few casual steps forward. "I do know how difficult it is. It takes an exceptional amount of hard work and ambition to overcome the stigma that comes with being related to a pirate. You may have her."
One of Drake's hands shot out to rip Ikkaku from Ushi's grasp while the other fisted the collar of his shirt, lifting him up so his toes dangled over three feet off the ground as the ginger growled, eyes momentarily burning orange, "When you have the appropriate transfer paperwork, signed by an Admiral, stating the exact reason you wish to take this particular pirate into custody. Until then, she remains my prisoner on my ship. And speaking of, I'm revoking any permission I gave you to come aboard. As such, I'm going to ask you—once—to leave quietly. Immediately."
For his part, Ushi stared at his superior in unconcealed shock, however any argument he might have made was swiftly silenced as Drake unceremoniously dropped him to the floor. He crumpled a bit, but at the larger man's ferocious glare he backed off, clumsily scooping up his gun before marching out of the brig with his head held deceptively high, not even sparing Ikkaku a glance.
"Athos, escort Captain Ushi to his ship so he doesn't get lost," Drake ordered.
One of the guards nodded and lowered his gun, running off after the chastised officer.
Silence weighed down the cramped room until the pair's footsteps faded. It didn't escape Drake's notice that Ikkaku's slight shoulder still trembled beneath his hand. Duty momentarily fought with compassion in his mind. Her reaction to her brother's presence was painfully familiar. And while he shouldn't give any preferential treatment to a pirate, even a female one, he had no doubt this would not be the last time Ushi came after her.
"It's Ikkaku, correct?" he asked her, voice gentle but firm.
She blinked up at him, surprised at his tone. "Uh…yeah."
Nodding to the remaining guard, he shifted his grip so his large hand wrapped almost entirely around her bicep. "Given the current circumstances, I believe it is no longer safe for you to reside in your cell, at least until I can be certain your brother is well and truly gone."
Loathe as she was to agree with a Marine, Drake was right on the money; Ushi may have retreated for now, but there was no way in Hell he'd let Drake's ship out of his sight so long as she was on it, especially with the added threat of his superiors finding out about both their relation and his attempt at an under-the-table transfer.
Marines were shady bastards, but they liked to pretend to be squeaky-clean. Ushi's screw-up might have cost him his promotion, but that didn't mean he'd give up. If anything, he'd be even more determined to kill her.
She glanced at Penguin and Shachi, who seemed just as conflicted. Separating them wasn't in Law's plan. Sure, there was no place on the ship they could put her that he couldn't find, the it could cost him the element of surprise if he had to Scan the whole ship.
Then again, if Ushi did manage to sneak aboard before Law arrived, there was the very real possibility that he'd come to find a dead engineer, and potentially even the corpses of his first and second mates, too.
On top of that, Drake's firm grip on her arm and the fact that he'd managed to throw Ushi around like a rag doll made it clear that, as polite as he was being, she didn't really have a say in the matter.
Heart in her throat, Ikkaku found herself nodding. "Ok. Yeah, that's…that's reasonable."
Pleasantly surprised at the Heart Pirate's compliance, Drake gave her a brief smile before leading her towards the hallway, turning to the remaining soldier. "Porthos, double the guards in the brig, and if anyone you don't immediately recognize as a member of this crew shows their face, notify me at once."
"Hey, where are you taking her?" Penguin called, eyes narrowed. In all honesty, he didn't disagree with either Drake's or Ikkaku's decision—it was more important for his crewmates to be safe than conveniently together. Law should be there to get them tonight, and it didn't matter if they were on opposite sides of the ship or not; he'd rescue them all. The plan would be fine. Drake wouldn't know what hit him…
His blood ran cold when Drake actually smirked at him over his shoulder. "When he comes to rescue you, tell your captain that he can find Miss Ikkaku safe and sound in my quarters. And that the cell in the corner is reserved just for him."