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Wow, I didn't expect this story to get so much attention. Anyways, I am very happy! I give my thanks to my new favs Narumiyu, Nikanox, Savage Kill and DrAnime203! And also, some new follows, thanks to Nikanox, JayJayftw, Taiya N. Strantegar and Kuroshi-Kayane!
Special thanks to Savage Kill, this chapter and impossibly fast update is for you love!
Chapter 4: Prituri Se Planinata - Nit Grit Remix
Over the next few days, the crew of the Moby Dick got used to their temporary addition, the teenage pilot. The girl had, in return, integrated herself into the pirate group. Ran had found some of the things that she could actually do on the ship, claiming that they were similar to the stuff that she did while flying alone. So, by the time they were prepared to dock, she had an almost fixed routine day on the Moby Dick.
She would get up, wake Izo, this had to be done gently, and grab a quick shower while he was recuperating. She used his Commander suite, where no one bothered her. True, a couple of times a very naked Thatch ran in, asking for shampoo, but he also quickly exited. That mostly had to do with her tossing said shampoo at his head. Years of flying a glider gave her quite a bit of arm strength. The poor Commander found that out the hard way.
After the morning shower, Ran would help Izo with his hair, even though he didn't really need help. She just liked to play with it. He didn't complain though, because she let him do whatever he wanted with her hair. And her chocolate locks were long. They almost reached her waist. Somehow the two decided to dye her hair, or at least a part of it, the next time they had a chance.
Izo and Ran would then grab breakfast, usually Marco, Thatch, Leo or Ace would join them. Then Ran would have some time to wander around because all the pirates had their chores and/or duties to attend to. She would visit Ace and Leo on lookout, sometimes bringing them a bottle of rum. Ran also liked visiting Izo, as his men were on communications. She liked the sound of Den Den Mushi ringing. From time to time, Izo let her take down messages from their allies or crew members on the islands that they protected. Ran also volunteered to carry messages from pirate to pirate on the giant ship. She had most of their names and duties down already.
Then, lunch time would come, and the pirate would laugh with Leo, counting how many plates of food their personal black hole could inhale. They also bet on how many times he would fall asleep during that. Ran had learned that Ace's narcolepsy was quite hilarious, as he had no control or warning over when and where he would fall asleep.
The afternoons were spent similar to the mornings. Ran sometimes excused herself and took the Sparrow out for a spin. She would get antsy with being on the ship for a long time. She missed the quiet often. She missed being alone, in the dark ocean, in the middle of nowhere, at the mercy of the Gods. She missed the thrill of her constant migration. Then, she would remind herself that she was still free to leave, and that she actually chose to stay here, with these pirates, and that this was only for a while, before the wind called her away again.
The evenings were rarely quiet. Most of them were spent in song and dance, partying for no apparent reason. Ran enjoyed it. She loved this ship, in her own way, even though she was just a guest on it. Her nights were spent either with Izo or with Ace.
The young pirate and the pilot had developed a nice friendship. Ace's messed up sleeping pattern, caused by his narcolepsy, allowed him to be awake at night. Ran was used to being up late because of her unusual lifestyle. She often had to fly during the night, or be awake for long trips until she located an island. The two spent much time together. Ace had sworn on his former Captain status to teach Ran about ships. She felt quite proud of herself, as she could now list all the parts of the vessel and knew what to do in emergencies. The pirate had admitted to her that he was curious about her flying contraption. She had shown Ace how to do some basic maintenance and promised to take him up sometime.
Of course, Ace and Ran had gotten grief from Thatch. The man kept teasing the two, calling them lovebirds and making smooching noises around them. The pilot didn't seem to mind, but the young Logia user exploded. Most of the time literally. This only caused the mischievous Commander to try even harder to push the raven's buttons. They often got into it on the deck, with a crowd around them, cheering and betting. Then Marco would toss them both overboard to cool down. Most of the time on different sides of the ship. This usually resulted in Leo jumping after his charge, cursing.
Ran, of course, spent a lot of her time with Izo. They discussed everything. The connection that she felt to the cross dressing man was strange. She loved him dearly. She still remembered how ecstatic the Commander had been when she had given him her present shortly after landing on the Moby Dick. She had bought one of the original hand crafted boxes with little pockets for the eccentric man's makeup. Ran had also gotten him some new cosmetic things. The vendor in Shorira had promised her that it was all natural and great for the skin. Izo had, as usual, insisted that they both try the new goods. Ran thought that Leo and Ace were going to be mentally scarred forever after that. The duo had come to find their friend and they had let out two quite unmanly shrieks after they saw the facial masks. Izo still wasn't letting them live it down.
Ran was sitting on the railing of Moby Dick, enjoying the air. It was afternoon, the breeze was nice. Ace and Thatch had left for their punishment in the Ninth Circle and Leo was in the crow's nest. Izo had disappeared off somewhere also. This left Ran to her own devices. Most of the time, she didn't have a problem with that. But, right now, there was a warning sign going off somewhere in her head. The girl was staring out to the ocean, her back straight, eyes glazed. She could see the waves going up and down, small white capes appearing in the distance as they broke. She could feel tiny drops of the salty water on her face. The smell of the sea was in her nose, in her head, in her mind. Ran, the Migratory Bird, sat completely still. Because if she didn't, she would take her glider and fly off. The sea was calling.
"You going to leave, yoi?" Marco leaned on the railing beside her. She twitched, surprised by his sudden appearance. She was so focused that she hadn't heard him coming. The pirate was looking out into the ocean calmly.
"I want to, but I don't." Ran answered. The man flipped around, back to the sea now. He leaned on his forearms, looking at the pilot's face. The sea was calling her, he could tell. He had felt the same pull many times. Now, he didn't anymore. He had found his home, right here, at the sea.
"Have you practiced that close combat I taught you last time?" He asked, calling her back to Moby Dick. She focused on him again. Ran was like a bird. She could leave at any time. And Marco knew, if she left now, she would regret it.
"Not really." Ran shrugged. The calling had simmered down. "I don't really use it, you know." She gave the first mate a smile. "I'm not a fugitive."
"It comes in handy, yoi." Marco was grinning at her. "I have some free time right now."
"That's hard to believe." Ran retorted. She didn't want to fight. She knew what happened when Marco got her worked up. True, she had asked him to teach her how to fight, but that was a long time ago, when her position as a delivery had been unstable. Now, she had a good, neutral relationship with the Marines and the pirates. She didn't need combat. Some fancy flying could get her out of any sticky situation. However, by the look on the Commander's face, she was going to practice what he had taught her. Hopefully, he wouldn't toss her into the ocean again. "Oh, Gods, alright. Just take it easy on me, ok?" All that she got in response was a smirk.
Marco led her to the somewhat empty part of the deck. Ran could see Whitebeard sitting in his chair, nurses around him. The First Commander stood still, looking bored. He motioned with his hand for her to come at him. Ran could feel her temper spiking at his dismissal of her abilities. She knew very well that she was weak, but she was fast. Gathering her courage, Ran ran towards the Commander, aiming a straight punch to his gut.
Needless to say, Marco caught her wrist effortlessly, spinning her around. She felt her back hit his rock hard chest. "You're not even trying, yoi." The Commander's voice said somewhere above her. He sounded fairly annoyed. There was a crowd forming around the duo. Ran aimed a low kick towards Marco's precious man parts. The phoenix let her go, causing her to stumble forwards. Despite his healing abilities, a shot like that would still hurt. Ran whirled around, facing her opponent again. Marco was grinning in amusement. The crowd around them was cheering and probably placing bets.
"That's better. You're trying, yoi. But if this was a real fight, you would be dead or worse." He left that statement hanging. It was very clear, though. There were worse things in this world than being dead. And unfortunately, many of them could happen easily and unexpectedly. More than often unpunished. The cheering pirates simmered down slightly. "I think you're just scared of getting hurt." Marco baited.
It worked. Ran saw red and ran forward yet again. She used her speed and agility that years of flying had given her. The girl slipped around Marco and tried to hit his vital points. Her attempt at being sneaky was easily stopped by the Commander. The girl was getting angrier and angrier at his aloof and amused demeanor. Her punches and kicks were getting faster but sloppier. She surprised Marco when their eyes met and he saw that hers weren't glazed with rage. She was faking it.
Marco tried to step back. Ran was clearly planning something. But she was fast. The bell on the end of her chopstick jingled softly when she pulled it out and aimed a quick stab at the Commander's neck. The pirates around them were cheering. The clapping and yelling was deafening. Ran could only hear her own blood rushing through her head, through her veins as she swiftly attacked the first mate. Marco's smile widened as he got excited. His body reacted on pure instinct, answering Ran's attack. He caught the hand holding the, now harmless, weapon and flung the girl. Only when he released her wrist did he realize that she could get seriously hurt. Ran, after all, was a civilian.
As if in slow motion the pilot hit some of the boxes and barrels on the deck, halting her short flight across the ship. The crowd of pirates was suddenly silent. Marco felt dread creep in his stomach. She was just a little kid. The First Commander ran forward.
Ran sat up slowly, cradling her wrist to her chest. Marco appeared above her, a worried look on his face. He extended his hand towards the pilot. "C'mon. Let's get you to the doc, yoi. She'll fix you up in a second." The girl slowly grasped his hand and allowed him to pull her upwards.
The next thing that happened surprised everyone. Marco was so startled he didn't even react. One second he was helping Ran up and the next he was flat on his back, looking up at the sky. The smaller girl had used her momentum and flipped the unsuspecting, completely off-guard Commander onto the floor, using her back as a lever.
"Ha!" Ran exclaimed, arms up in the air. "Ha-ha!" She started laughing loudly in triumph. "Are you not entertained?!" She yelled out to the snickering crowd. Soon everyone was laughing, including the still lying Commander. "Ouch." Ran massaged her left wrist gingerly when the pirates quieted and slowly dispersed. They were giving each other beli and gold.
"Let's get that checked out, yoi." Marco brushed off his rear. He had noticed her movement. "Izo is going to go ballistic."
~~~~pb~~~~
The doctor of the Whitbeard Pirates was a rare sight on the ship. Not only was she a female pirate, but she was also dark skinned and absolutely breathtaking. The woman was exotic, the epitome if perversion in her short skirt and white sleeveless shirt. She had wavy hair, long and untamed and when she straightened, she reached Marco's height.
"What were you thinking?!" The doc pushed through her teeth at said Commander. "She is a civilian you reckless man! Ignorant!" The woman bustled around, gathering supplies and wrapping the young pilot's wrist securely. She shooed the nurse that tried to help her away.
Marco didn't retort. He knew this woman well. She had been on the ship almost as long as he had. And he knew her fiery temper. It was impossible to handle. He figured if he just allowed her to let off some steam, the woman would calm down on her own. Wrong move. His silence only caused the doc to yell louder.
Ran looked at the scene in front of her, her pain forgotten. Marco was getting scolded. This was priceless. Ran hadn't been to the doc before. She had met the woman, but she had never seen her in action. And this. This was awesome. The dark beauty radiated with power. Ran could feel some kind of energy coming off of her. One of the nurses fainted. The First Commander frowned. The tension in the air then dispersed and the doc gave her verdict.
"You can go now. Don't strain that hand for a while and drink these daily. No alcohol either." She passed the pilot some pills and shooed both her and the Commander out before Ran could even thank the woman.
Marco and Ran stood in the corridor for a moment. The First Commander focused on the pure white bandage on the pilot's wrist. The young woman caught his look and smiled up at him, softly rubbing the wrapping. "Don't worry about it, dear. I can handle it." She headed towards the deck. "When I was first learning to fly, I was banged up all the time." Marco gave her a curt nod, his hand coming up to mess up her hair.
"We're going to dock soon, yoi. Take care." With that the First Commander left her on her own in the medical wing, nurses rushing around her. Not many would notice the slight change in the man's tone, but Ran had learned to be very observant over the years. She could see the slouch of his shoulders deepen and the way he casually walked away. He was relieved.
The pilot headed towards the cafeteria. She wasn't really hungry, but she didn't want to go back onto the deck. There was a pit in her stomach. A feeling of extreme urgency. She sped up, entering the loud cafeteria. She asked the old cook on duty for a cup of hot cocoa. He gave her a smile and whipped up her request after drinking a large gulp of wine. The girl thanked him and took her beverage. She settled in the furthest, most secluded area she could find in the cafeteria.
She drank some of the sweet beverage and sighed. The pit in her stomach didn't go away. The feeling of urgency was persistent and deep. Ran knew exactly how weak she was. The pilot wasn't afraid of hard work. If she wanted o, she could probably learn and be able to best some of the weaker pirates. But she knew that she was never going to reach Marco's level. She was still as big of a coward as she had been those few years ago. She was still running away. It was much easier to run away than to face what she was feeling.
~~~~pb~~~~
"Drop the anchors!" Someone yelled from the deck. Leo sat in the crow's nest, perfect view of the island in front of them. The Moby Dick was docking. Since they couldn't really hide the huge ship, Pops chose to boldly go into the harbor. They didn't own this island. They didn't stop here frequently, either. But, since he couldn't see any Marine vessels, he figured that they would be alright.
The blonde scouted the small town as best he could. There were colorful houses everywhere, flowers and trees decorating the vibrant city. The streets were narrow and looked like a labyrinth. Leo grinned in anticipation. He loved to travel. He loved to explore. The young pirate looked to the deck once again, searching for his charge. Ace had been busy with Thatch, doing their punishment in the Ninth Circle. However, Leo had seen him on the deck earlier, helping out. He located the orange hat quickly. The raven was helping his division raise the sails.
Leo smiled contently. His job was done. The boy was fitting in, accepting himself as a Whitebeard Pirate. He would have to tell Pops that Ace was ready to go without a mentor on the ship. Once his shift was over the blonde greeted the next lookout and headed to the deck. As Pops wasn't in his usual seat Leo went to look for the giant man in his quarters. He hadn't seen Ace on deck either. The young pirate was probably with Thatch again, cleaning. He knocked on the tall door. After a moment the Captain's voice boomed 'enter' from inside. The blonde came in, only to notice most Commanders present. He wondered what was going on and threw a look at Marco. The bored man's face betrayed nothing.
"Leo. You came at a good time, my son." Whitebeard boomed.
~~~~pb~~~~
Ace was a very curious person. That coupled with his stubborn head often resulted in trouble. So, when Namur came to call Thatch for an urgent Commander meeting, Ace's curiosity was tickled. Sure, he trusted the crew and considered himself one of them, but he was still just a grunt to them. And, let's face it, the raven was used to being a Captain a.k.a. someone who knew everything on the ship and made decisions. So, after Thatch left with the fishman Ace finished his work in seconds. That meant that he waited for the door to close behind the two Commanders to throw his mop and bucket away and run after the duo. He quietly followed them. By now he knew the ship quite well.
When they entered the Captain's quarters Ace crept to the tall door and tried to hear the conversation. He ended up pressing his ear to the thick wood. He could hear something. There were quite a few Commanders present. And was that Leo? He heard Vista's name being mentioned. Was the swordsman alright? Ace hadn't heard anything. He knew that the Commander was on some kind of a damage control trip, but it couldn't be too bad, right? He had quite a few people with him from his division.
The room quieted and Ace pushed his ear further against the door in hopes of hearing the hushed voices. He registered muffled footsteps a little too late. The door opened and the raven flew forward and onto the floor of the Captain's quarters. He didn't land too gracefully either.
"Looks like we have a volunteer, yoi." Ace looked up only to see Marco's sandals right in front of his face. He followed the legs upwards to the bored grinning face of the first mate.
"Indeed. Gurararara!" Whitebeard boomed and that was the last thing that Ace heard before lights out. His narcolepsy was really pissing him off sometimes.
~~~~pb~~~~
"So, you think you're up for it?" Thatch asked. He and Ace were sitting in Thatches Commander room. The pompadour had briefed his friend on the Whitebeard's decision. Apparently, Vista was having some problems. The pirates that were causing problems on Whitebeard territory had connections with the Marines. Somehow, whenever the Commander prepared to take them out, there were Marines present at the site. Unfortunately, since the island was close to The Holy Land Mariejois, Vista didn't want to go all out. That could cause problems. Instead, they had suggested for someone to go to Sabaody Archipelago and investigate. And who better than the former Captain of the Spade Pirates?
"Sure." Ace grinned. He didn't see the downside. He had wanted to head to Sabaody and get his tattoo anyways. He wanted to get the same person that did Leo's to do his. Selfish, true, but his last tattoo mishap was permanent on his shoulder. He wanted Pop's mark to be perfect. Besides, Ace loved an adventure.
"Then, there's only one thing left, since you have Pop's blessing." Thatch smirked. "You need some transportation, brother." Ace met the Commander's eyes. He caught on immediately.
"Ohhh! Let's go get me some wings then!" And the two pirates left the room, their destination the deck.
~~~~pb~~~~
Ace found Ran later that night. He and Thatch had been intercepted earlier by Marco, who reminded them that they had their punishment to complete. After doing all the shopping and the carrying and running different errands while the crew partied on the island, Ace and Thatch were finally released in the late evening. The Commander headed towards the drinking pirates on the beach right away, while the raven looked for his pilot friend. He found her sitting near the Sparrow on her Den Den Mushi.
"This is the Sparrow, how may I help you?" Ace heard the well-practiced line. He was too far away to hear the other side of the conversation. He could see the little, blue snail making funny faces, though. "No, I am currently in the New World." The girl was rummaging through her glider's small wing pocket. She pulled out a pen and paper. It was crumpled with lots of things already written on it. "I see. I believe I can arrange something." Ace walked quietly, enjoying watching the pilot work. It was strange to see her so professional and dedicated. "Yes, I am able to take your order now." She nodded while writing a couple of times. Ace noted the way she brushed the pieces of her hair that fell into her face behind her ear absentmindedly. He smiled. "And where would you like this delivered?" She wrote something again and straightened up. "Yes, it isn't a problem. Thank you for your business! Please call again!" The conversation ended.
"Hey." Ace called out to the oblivious pilot. She whirled around.
"Hey, Ace." Ran answered, tossing him a smile. She stored her list and pen into the small wing pocket of the Sparrow again.
"You have a job?" The pirate asked, sitting down next to her. Ran nodded. "Which way are you going?"
"Back to the Grand Line. Why? You wanna come with?" She gave Ace a smirk. She knew exactly how much the raven wanted to fly in her glider. He had expressed his wish many times.
"Yeah, would that be bothersome for you?"
"Wait, what?!" Ran sat up, looking at Ace like he had horns. "Why would you want to leave Whitebeard?"
"Oh, no. No." Ace shook his head. "I'm not leaving Pop's crew. I just need a lift to Sabaody." Ran's face relaxed. She nodded.
"No problem. I'd probably stop there anyway." She was feeling giddy now. She liked this pirate a lot. A fieldtrip with him promised mischief and adventure. She couldn't wait. She was a bit scared to let him into her world. He would see how she lived on everyday basis. He would see her loneliness. She was a bit afraid of his reaction, but she pushed the anxious feeling down. She would deal with things as they came. And if he did reject her, she would fly away. She was free.
"You never told me where you're from." Ace called her back from her musings. His face was open. He was curious without ulterior motives. "Ranmao?" The pilot raised her hand, pointing to the sky. Ace gave her a pointed look. "Seriously." He said.
"I'm serious. I come from the heavens." She lowered her hand slowly. Then she grinned at him, eyes twinkling. "I'm an angel!" She told him, giggling. "Is that face supposed to mean that I'm not pretty enough to be an angel?" She was making him uncomfortable and she enjoyed it greatly. Ran loved his red embarrassed face a little too much.
"No, I, errr-" Ace took a deep breath, calming his blush. "You are pretty. That has nothing to do with this."
"Ooooh~ Why thank you!" Ran poked him slightly in the ribs, laughing. Ace sighed giving up. She always flipped and twisted his words somehow.
"You're impossible, you know?" The pilot focused on him, her giggling dying down. Her eyes were still twinkling with happiness. He liked this look on her. It suited her. Unlike that longing look he had seen earlier. The one when she stared out to the open seas like they held answers. He liked her here, in both body and mind. She shouldn't feel caged here, looking sadly out to the sea.
"I really am." She told him, her tone low. Somehow, he felt like she wasn't talking about his previous statement.
~~~~pb~~~~
The next morning Ace and Ran were ready for departure. Thatch was crying, saying something about birds leaving the nest. Izo had already smacked him on the head a couple of times for clinging to his kimono. Most of the crew had said their goodbyes to Ace and the young pilot. She was preparing her glider for the long flight, giving it some last minute tune-ups. Ran had decided to fly suitless, on lower currents. She had never taken a passenger on a flight before. Sure, she did the whole 'let's make a small circle around the ship', but taking someone with her on a trip? This was definitely a first. It was better to be safely low to the water.
Ace had packed his green bag and thrown it into the, now empty storage of the Sparrow. Ran had laughed at the watermelon print on his baggage. He had blushed and told her to 'fuck off'. This only caused the woman to laugh harder. His red face was just too adorable to the pilot. Ran had had a short meeting with Whitebeard that morning. He insisted on paying her for her services as a delivery. In exchange for his previous hospitality, she said she would fly Ace to Sabaody for free. He had laughed and told her that it wasn't his problem. The brat should pay for his own trip.
"You stay safe, alright?" Thatch said to Ace on the deck full of pirates. "Be careful not to catch a cold. I heard the currents up there can get icy."
"I can't catch a cold, Thatch. I'm a Logia." Ace smiled at the worried Commander.
"You ready?" Ran asked, standing by her glider. Ace threw one last look at the gathered crew on deck. He smiled at his family.
"Yeah."
The two walked over to the Sparrow and Ran climbed up, Ace following. She made him stand in between the parallel bars on top. He positioned himself like she had shown him last night. He was surprised when he felt her skin on his own. Even through the fabric of his shirt he could feel the small amount of heat her bare arm gave off. Ran adjusted her goggles and stepped on the small paddle of the glider. A sudden gust of air came from the bottom of the machine and the Sparrow rumbled below Ace's feet.
He felt himself become strangely weightless for a second, but then the glider flew forward with another burst of air. His orange hat flew off his head and flipped in the wind behind him. He realized that he was gripping the metal bars for dear life. Ran's body was relaxed beside him, one arm securely around his waist. She was deceptively strong. Ace could hear the pirates cheering from the deck over the wind in his ears. The rush that he was feeling was amazing. It was better than any fight he had fought. Better than any food he had ever tasted. It was like being thrown through a vortex of colors and feelings, the only purchase on the real world Ran's heat beside him.
"Pretty amazing, no?" The pilot yelled from beside him. Ace barely heard her. He turned to see her looking at him, carefully watching his reaction to the takeoff. There was a bright smile on her face. Ace nodded in answer to her question. He didn't trust his voice.
The glider leveled out and the uncomfortable roaring of the wind became much softer. Ace noticed something out of the corner of his eye then. There was a blue phoenix flying right next to them. The first mate was seeing them off. Ace threw a look in Ran's direction and saw her smile turn into a grin. She shifted her weight to lead the phoenix. The two birds circled the Moby Dick. Once. Twice. And for the last time. Three in total. Ace saw his family cheering. Thatch was hugging Izo and crying. The cross dresser was trying to push him off. Pops was drinking sake in his usual chair. Leo was waving from the crow's nest, smile on his face. Old man Kondor was on the deck, too, hands on his hips, dirty apron hanging loosely. Ace got brave and raised one hand from the safety bars, waving back with a wide grin. The phoenix separated from the glider and Marco landed next to Leo, hand raised in a lazy wave.
The Sparrow left the loud pirate ship behind it, heading towards the open seas.
That's all folks!
Review reply:
Savage Kill: Thank you very much for the reviews! They made me write like a crazy woman :D I loved your questions, by the way! No one has ever given me questions before Q ~Q Tears of joy
Her glider is very similar to the one Nausicaa uses. I was very inspired by Nausicaa and Aang from ATLA and really wanted to make a flying OC. Then, she somehow formed in my headcannon OP universe and I realized how compatible her and Ace were. I did draw both Ran and her glider, I will try and put it somewhere and direct you to it. Hopefully in the next chapter :D
How tall is she? Errr somewhere around Ace's height I suppose? Everyone in WB crew is so friggin tall!
Yes, WB finds it very convenient to have someone deliver his stuff. And let's face it, when you have a large Yonko territory, it really does help. Besides, he's an old fashioned pirate, I think that he would invite a lady to stay at his party. Ran is the kind of person who doesn't really think about it, she accepts the free stuff and runs off when it gets ugly, so yes, she knows the crew. Not all of them really well, but she mostly knows them.
I hope that this chapter answered your question about her combat abilities… They are close to null. She is a civilian, but she can toss a punch or two in a regular brawl. She doesn't like to settle her conflicts with combat, she is a coward in that sense. She would fly away and be a better (wo)man rather than fight. At least that is her view at the moment.
Elder Pinjao… Ooooh he's gonna be back… With his handsome grandson, too!
So WB Pirates vs Red Hair Pirates drinking contest…. Hmmmm my prediction is: WB crew drinks more (they have more, and bigger, people) but, RH Pirates can drink longer (their captain gives them a drink work out a lot, after all) I really adore Shanks... I should just write a one-shot for him! :3
Ran started her delivery service because that was her only skill. She didn't know how to live any other way besides with her glider, flying. It makes her feel free. She started the whole thing to get money for food and clothes, but now she considers it her lifestyle. She doesn't have a very tragic past or anything. It will come up eventually. :D
Hope I answered all your questions, and see you soon :D