WARNINGS: YOAI (boyXboy) Shanks X Luffy, and wide age differences between people in a relationship.
Don't like, don't read. You've been warned.
'…' what they are thinking
"…" what they are saying
Disclaimer: Oda owns One Piece, and a good thing too.
Author's Note: Thank you to the two people who reviewed the last chapter!
Being a Girl
Chapter 15: Helping You
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Shanks and Luffy shot apart at the sound of the new voice.
Luffy looked around bewildered, unable to see who it belonged to, despite the fact that the voice sounded as if it came from right next to them. 'Maybe Shanks is a ventriloquist?' Luffy's brain tried to provide an answer for him.
Shanks, on the other hand, glared at the spot right next to him. Now that he knew to look for it, he was sure he felt a presence there. "Show yourself," he practically growled, annoyance at having been interrupted, again, laced through his words.
"Please, I mean no harm," Said a woman as she appeared from thin air to float right next to them. Her pale face contrasted greatly with her long, wavy black hair and old-fashioned dress. Her legs hovered slightly above the ground as she lifted her hands to face level, palms open, to show that she had no weapons.
"Cool!" Luffy said excited, "You can fly?"
"I'm a ghost," explained the woman kindly.
Shanks wasn't quite buying it. He put his hand on his hip, since he couldn't quite pull of crossing his arms with only one arm.
The ghost smiled, "Nice to meet you, my name is Juliet."
Luffy laughed, "That's a weird name!"
Juliet huffed, slightly offended, "And Monkey D. Luffy isn't?"
Shanks blinked, "How do you know his name?"
"Why, Red-Haired Shanks, I know a lot how things." Juliet giggled slightly, her laugh light and pleasant, "To tell you the truth, when Luffy -- may I call you Luffy?" Tanya asked the younger man.
"Sure," replied Luffy.
"Alright, well Luffy, when you and your crew docked on this island I followed around some of your friends, and found out the situation between you and Shanks -- may I call you Shanks?" Juliet politely asked again, because Mr. Red-Haired and Mr. Monkey didn't sound quite right.
"Yeah," Shanks said somewhat smiling. 'This 'ghost' seems pretty polite.'
Juliet continued again, "I found out the situation between Luffy and Shanks, so when Shanks landed here as well I thought it would be good of me to help you two out… to get back together…" Juliet looked away from the men, "I hope I wasn't intruding."
Shanks blinked, "Are you the person who set up that illusion of Zoro and Luffy together?"
Juliet nodded, "I was able to recreate them because I had seen what they looked like while they were on their ship… I was hoping to stir up some emotion in you so that when you ran into Luffy something might happen between you two… Your meeting actually went really well; you two were practically confessing," Her soft laugh was cut off then she remembered what happened next, "…Up until the wind blew of your hoods…" The lady cast her eyes down to watch her feet as they floated, never touching the ground. "Every ghost, and there are about six or so on this island, has a few powers. Some are special to only that ghost, and some powers we all have. For me, if I close my eyes I can see from any place I want to on this island, excluding inside buildings. I can also recreate people I've seen, and make myself invisible. Most ghosts can make themselves invisible, and also force themselves into the bodies of people who don't have their hood on. But… for all ghosts there are… downfalls. We can't leave this island, go inside buildings, or feel anything, and… if two people, such as Shanks and Luffy, are together with their hoods off and have feelings for each other… Then the two nearest ghosts are automatically sucked into their bodies. But you see, not everyone's bodies can handle another soul, and some… die. If that happens there is a chance they turn into a ghost. Me and Romeo are the first ghosts… and we've… unintentionally caused others to suffer the same fate." The woman looked back up at the two with tears welling up in her eyes. When she saw that they didn't seem to hate her for it, but remained serious and listening, (at least Shanks) she wiped her tears and continued, "When your hoods blew off me and Romeo were automatically sucked into your bodies… and… I'm sorry, I feel ashamed now. As ghosts we don't ever feel anything… and after all these years… Romeo and I got carried away in the moment." She blushed.
"Shishishi, it's ok," Luffy grinned, being the usual forgiving person he was. Or maybe just not understanding what the woman was talking about.
Shanks, also a forgiving person, wasn't bothered from what happened, "It's all in the past now."
Juliet smiled genially at how kind the pirates were and decided that she would help them with what she was about to tell them next, "The reason I came to you though, is to tell your something very important... Luffy."
"?" Luffy tilted his head at the woman's serious expression.
"One of your crew members, I think her name is Nami, was kidnapped by the Marines." Tanya said gravely.
Shanks moaned putting his hand to his forehead, "Oh no. It was Tanya, wasn't it?"
"Yes," Juliet said surprised, "I think she is the leader, but how did you know?"
"My first mate told me she's a Marine Captain," Shanks sighed while rubbing his forehead, "I thought it was suspicious on how she left so suddenly, but I didn't think much of it."
"If Nami's in trouble then we have to help her," Luffy determinedly said, not caring about Tanya when his friend was in danger.
Amazed at how rapidly Luffy's happy personality changed to a serious demeanor, Juliet agreed, "Definitely, and I'll help you too. If you trust me enough to follow me, then I'll lead you through the forest to where they are holding her."
They ran, in Juliet's case; glided, through the forest tothe mansion Nami was being carried to. "You see," The ghost explained, "The Marines are sure you had read the note that was on the paper airplane you threw into the ocean, Luffy. On the note they said that they had Nami, and then lied about being bandits and meeting you at Love's Peak, which is a tall tower that is used as a death trap for criminals. Really, they are headed to a mansion owned by the Marines, but because they don't have a base here it's usually empty… When I close my eyes and look for Tanya and her group, who have Nami with them out cold, I can see that they are heading over there. If we run the whole time, maybe we can get there a few minutes after they do." The ghost glided over a particularly large tree root, "Careful not to trip."
Luffy almost did anyway, but Shanks caught him by the arm, giving support.
The older man followed right behind the ghost, with Luffy running next to him. Shanks's gut instinct told him that Juliet was trustworthy. The same instinct he had bitterly ignored when it had told him something might be written on that airplane, and that Tanya was planning something after she'd hurriedly left the ship. But no matter what, he couldn't leave Luffy alone. Shanks looked at the younger man, who's face seemed determined as he followed closely behind the ghost.
"There's another thing…" Juliet said as she glided along without any apparent effort, "Two of Luffy's crewmembers are also looking for Nami. I think their names are Zoro and Sanji."
Luffy grinned in acknowledgment, knowing that even though most of the crew was probably on the ship sleeping, Sanji and Zoro would definitely find Nami. Even if Zoro got lost.
Juliet continued, "…They don't have any type of hood on, but they are both wondering in the forest, far from other people. It's unlikely they'll run into a ghost, and as long as they aren't near anyone who could even somewhat like them, or that they like, then it's ok. And I mean like as in a crush like-like."
"Like-like?" Luffy asked, his usual dense self.
"Love-like." Shanks said smiling at Luffy and looking at him with a gaze that the young man couldn't quite place, but knew was definitely somewhere in the love spectrum.
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Author's Note: Sorry, this ended up as a really informative (and kind of short) chapter. I just hope I didn't topple everyone over with information. (But it's all very needed for what's going to come later.)
In the next chapter: Our characters are: Sanji and Zoro who are walking around susceptible to ghosts, Nami who's kidnapped, and Shanks and Luffy who are running to the rescue by following a ghost they just met! What will happen? Find out in Chapter 16!