A/N: Happy New Year!

Chapter 11

Victory

The ship at first glance was rather bare. At the base of the front mast was a marine soldier trying to stem the bleeding in his side, a familiar throwing star at his side. His leg was also bent at an unnatural angle, likely broken from his fall. Harry also just barely spotted another two marines when one ran into the captain's cabin and another down into the cargo hold, likely to raise the alarm on the invader's presence.

Harry didn't have to wait long, his fingers barely touching metal as he bent to pick up his rune engraved weapon, before an officer emerged, weapons drawn.

"Well, well, well," the man drawled, lightly twirling his short blades. They were similar to katanas as far as Harry could tell, but much shorter, so they should instead be called something else. Wakizashi? Kodachi? Well, it didn't really matter. "An unidentified male of black hair and green eyes, I presume? How kind of you to bring the fruit directly to me."

Harry slid a pair of daggers into his hands. Finally a face to match the voice that announced the marines' presence back in the cavern with the glowing lake, the voice of one who was resistant to Shanks' haki. The black-haired, brown-eyed man was lower ranked than Rango, but definitely more dangerous than the foot soldiers the wizard had been taking on until now.

In a flash, the ensign sprinted towards Harry, blades both held at his right side. As he neared his target, quick footwork shifted the attacker's body to the leftt and the two blades came down one following the other towards his opponent's neck. Harry just barely stepped back far enough to dodge the first sword. The marine reflexively stepped forward to bring his second attack closer. In the moment between attacks, Harry brought both daggers up over his head in a 'v' shape and caught the second sword in his own blades.

As the marine's right arm froze, caught in the momentum of his attack and his follow through halted, Harry twisted his daggers and lifted a leg to kick his attacker's wrist. The combined movement disarmed the marine who used the wizard's close proximity to do a follow-up attack with his left, drawing first blood from Harry's leg before he managed to twist away.

"Impressive," Harry acknowledged, kicking the blade he stole further away from the two and casting a healing charm on the cut. Healing was not one of Harry's talents, but the simple episky was enough to stem the bleeding.

"You as well," the ensign smiled, switching his remaining sword from his left to his right hand before rushing forward once more. It often took both of Harry's daggers to deflect the powerful attacks, keeping the wizard on the defensive as his reach with his short blades was minimal. In a way, it would have been better to fight someone wielding a longer weapon as that would leave larger openings for Harry to take advantage of. After a few minutes of failed attempts to disarm the marine of his final blade, Harry switched tactics.

Letting his arms down, the wizard halted any defensive blocks, depending instead on his reflexes to keep out of harm's way while he tried to decide what to do.

Killing this man with magic would take but a thought. Sectumsempra, Diffindo, Reducto, Avada Kedavra. Even a simple mutter of Confundus would easily give Harry an edge to deal the finishing blow. But killing an officer with an ability that this world had never before seen would have different consequences than killing foot soldiers with knives and daggers. Rango was already spreading awareness of his ability to apparate as a possible devil fruit ability, though apparently has yet to connect it with his appearance since the lieutenant described him to his subordinate as "unidentified."

As for just using the confounding charm option or a tripping jinx, well, it felt a little disrespectful for a fight where nothing important was on the line.

Seconds then minutes ticked past as the marine attacked and Harry dodged, the former growing increasingly more impatient and frustrated, punctuating his slashes through the air with growls and grunts.

"Man, you guys started without me? You've got to stop stealing my fights, Harry."

Harry apparated towards the voice to the utter shock of his opponent, landing a mere foot away from the railing where Shanks stood, dripping water from his hair. The pirate captain ruffled a hand through it, splattering droplets around before replacing his hat which was slightly wet and misshapen, but otherwise alright.

Harry gave Shanks an obvious glance over. A bare chest was infinitely better than the view he saw under the shirt wet from the rain when leaving Bloom Island.

"Don't pout," Harry finally replied, when the pirate started to fidget under the steady gaze. "There are plenty of soldiers down below with the cannons for you to play with. Though, I'm tempted to simply keep you here. The view would be wasted on that lot."

Shanks stuck out his tongue. "What a boring idea. Enjoy your fight, I suppose." And he loped off, taking his delectable body with him.

It was just as the wizard heard himself sigh in disappointment that he realized this was one conquest he wasn't simply going to let go because the target was a little unwilling. If Shanks was against relationships between crew members, Harry would just have to make it clear he wouldn't be a crew member.

"Shall we continue then?" Harry asked with nonchalance as he summoned his belt of throwing knives and strapped it on. He didn't wait for an answer before tossing two groups of four blades through the air, already running to a new location for a new angle of attack.

Rather than attempt to block the many knives flying at him, the marine ducked under, only to be attacked by another series of knives when Harry anticipated that reaction. The officer was forced to stab his sword into the deck and sweep his jacket from his shoulders to block the hail of blades before gripping his sword once more and rushing at his opponent to close the distance and regain his close-quarters advantage.

The knives simply continued to rain down and as the marine obscured his own vision with his jacket to reflect the blades, Harry moved to a new position and hurled his knives from there.

"So you're the man with the teleportation trick," the ensign drawled when he failed to draw any closer to his target. He was instead resorting to a more desperate ploy of buying time with conversation. "I should have guessed. The Lieutenant described you as best as he remembered which was mainly about your fashion sense. I can't imagine many people who even try to pull off, how did he put it, 'black leather bath robes?'"

Brown eyes flickered to follow Harry who was circling his prey, partially to stay in motion during this lull in the fight and partially for the psychological impact of the action. Harry couldn't deliver a sure kill with his knives long distance, and likewise the marine couldn't get close enough for decent attack either. However, in this theoretical stalemate, Harry was the one with more freedom of movement and thus the one with the upper hand.

The wizard chose not to respond to the question, seeing no advantage in doing so. The silence would unnerve the other, and perhaps even pressure him to continue talking, continue offering information to fill the silence and buy time to plan his attack. The poor man wasn't aware his chances of winning were nil, and that only Harry's temporary decision to refrain from magic use kept the playing field even remotely level.

Was it wrong, Harry wondered to himself, to have fun playing with a weaker opponent?

Only because it was dangerous. How many times had Voldemort failed to kill him because he prioritized his own enjoyment over the goal? Winners can only continue to be victorious if they learn from the mistakes of both allies and enemies, past and present. As soon as this man lost his usefulness, Harry would strike him down, because that was the way of survival.

As if understanding the more primal tone the fight had just taken on, the ensign rushed at the wizard who quickly threw his knives. This time, the marine did not use his jacket as a cloth shield, instead rolling under the blades towards his opponent. Rushing forward, he sprinted towards the air in front of Harry. Believing the marine planned to cut him off along his circling path, the wizard halted his steps, only to see the jacket be swept towards his head as its owner ran past.

Harry fell to the ground under the fluttering cloth. The marine, with quick footwork, spun his body around to attack with his sword. Reflexes more than training or experience had Harry shooting a foot out, kicking the arm that arced towards him. The short katana flew from the attacked grip, but Harry didn't stop there. Lunging out with his arm, he grabbed the marine's outstretched arm, throwing him to the ground face first and chopping hard at the back of the neck with the edge of his hand.

The fight was over.

Half an hour later, Shanks joined Harry on the railing of the marine ship, watching the pirate ship sail towards them as the rest of the crew wrapped up their fights. They were picked up soon enough, amidst cheering and drunken singing as the pirates already started the celebration party. What was left of the day was spent looting marine fleet and emptying barrels of beer.

"To Harry!" Shanks grinned, after a dozen or so toasts. "How about it Harry, did you enjoy your adventure?"

"Immensely," Harry grinned back, chugging down his tankard and holding it out for a refill.

"Then," Shanks continued, edging closer with an angling expression. "How about you join my crew? There'll certainly never be a dull moment!"

Harry gave an exaggerated sigh of regret. "I'm afraid not, Shanks."

The pirate captain blinked a few times. "Well I'm afraid I won't accept that answer," he replied petulantly.

Harry laughed, loud and deep.

"Not even going to ask why, huh? That's fine, but the answer's still no." Flicking out a hand, the wizard plucked the straw hat off of Shanks' head. As the pirate opened his mouth to protest, Harry surged forward, locking lips with the rougher pair of the pirate captain that were chapped from his life in the sea air but deliciously warm from exercise, alcohol, and general cheer. The kiss was brief but forceful, leaving no doubt of Harry's physical desire for the other man. He pulled away before Shanks reacted, positively or otherwise, and dropped the straw hat over the man's head and face, obscuring the gaping shock displayed.

"Here's my question, Shanks," Harry breathed into the pirate's ear, "and you'll find that I can be much more stubborn about not accepting no for an answer."

He walked away amidst the hooting and wolf-whistles of the pirates who immediately began to tease their captain. Said captain was found flushed red under his hat, though that could be somewhat attributed to the large amount of alcohol he chugged before finally showing his face to his crew.

The next day, Harry was one of the few who awoke early morning without a hangover. He didn't drink any more alcohol after kissing Shanks, having a great deal of wariness about the dangers of being drunk. True, he didn't think anyone aboard the pirate ship wanted him dead, but habits could be very powerful.

He found Beckman and Addams in the Navigation room, also relatively bright-eyed, one chewing a dying cigarette and the other scribbling in a notebook, conversing over a series of detailed island maps.

"Good morning," Harry greeted. "What are you two up to so early in the morning?"

"Morning Harry," Beckman replied. "Navigator Addams and I were just discussing his drop off at his new home. He's rather partial to Kuraigana Island, but I don't think Mihawk would enjoy the company."

Harry tilted his head to the side in thought. "Mihawk, I've heard that name before, I think. Just who is he?"

"He's commonly known as the Greatest Swordsman in the World," Beckman described briefly, "so he and Captain often spar with their blades."

"Huh, interesting. Well, I have seen Shanks' skill for myself. The whole crew is filled with incredibly talented individuals, really," Harry complimented.

Beckman raised an eyebrow – which Harry pointedly ignored – with a hint of suspicion. "Exactly what do you mean to say by that?"

The wizard merely blinked owlishly before changing the subject. "What are the plans for the next few days then?"

Beckman lit a new cigarette in the pause and let the jump in topics slide. "Mostly repairs on the ship, maybe some sorting through the loot. Our latest opponents were a retrieval team, not a pirate hunting fleet, so there won't be much in the way of treasure confiscated from previous pirates, but we gained an extra Bird Island eternal pose, for sure."

"Speaking of loot," Harry reached into a pocket for the devil fruit and tossed it over to Beckman who caught it lightly in his right hand. "Since not much will be going on, would it be a problem if I leave the day after tomorrow?"

"We can't sail to any civilized islands in just two days while repairing the ship," the navigator interjected.

Harry shrugged. "You don't need to. I'll just pop myself back to that island you found me at. That was South Blue, right? Obviously sailing the Grand Line alone is suicidal, but exploring the cardinal seas should be simple enough."

Beckman and Addams had little to say to that beyond a general air of surprise that he was capable of traveling such large distances. To be honest, Harry was also surprised that after so long, there still wasn't a single pirate who questioned the origin of his strange power. Did they honestly just not care?

The rest of the day, Harry helped with the repairs, wandering from site to site of ongoing construction to spread word of his plans to leave soon. The following morning, he picked up his dittany plants from Freddy, did another marksmanship show with Yassop, lost a spar against the team of Toki and Taki – the latter of whom performed much more coordinated with his katana partner than during the long ago game of keep-away Harry initiated with a bunch of the other pirates – wrapped up English lessons with Beckman, and enjoyed the farewell feast prepared by George.

Shanks was missing through it all, not even seen during the drinking competitions that erupted at the end of dinner. All the alcohol sent the entirety of his crew to the floor and even Greg, who took his usual place in the crow's nest as night lookout, drifted off into muzzy unconsciousness.

It was perhaps two or three in the morning when Harry and Shanks met up at the ship's figurehead. The two silently clambered aboard the dragon and listened to the ocean.

"I didn't take you for a romantic, Shanks," Harry teased. "Starry sky, calm seas, the two of us alone in the moonlight; are you trying to woo me into a dainty little courtship?"

Shanks snorted. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm most certainly not doing anything of the sort," Harry scoffed with comic arrogance and disdain. "I'm currently seducing you for the purpose of convincing you that your cock belongs in my arse, preferably repeatedly, until your crew mutinies from the sight out of pure jealousy that they aren't getting any."

There was a moment of silence as Harry's words conjured images in both men's minds. Finally, Harry abruptly pulled the pirate captain over his body as he lay back on the figurehead, grinding his hips up into Shanks' with a devilish smile.

"Tell me, Shanks," Harry whispered, activating enchantments on his robes to transfigure the mass of tough leather into a set of bands around his wrist, leaving him in an undershirt and trousers. After all, if this was going where he wanted it to, he didn't want to lose his robes. It also had the added advantage of revealing more of his body. "Tell me you don't want this. Tell me you don't desire this. Tell me you aren't interested in making me use my mouth to slick your cock and fingers before you take me right here just inches from falling into your beloved ocean while I scream your name."

Shanks growled in return, leaning down to capture the wizard's lips in a rough kiss, one hand holding himself up while the other fumbled with his clothes, tossing back his coat and hat onto the ship's deck, before tearing away at what clothes were left on Harry's body.

It was nothing short of miraculous the sounds a crew of drunken pirates could sleep through.

A/N: No detailed sex scenes yet :P

My beta, Indifferent Nobody, is MIA! It's very sad :( However, my old Pirate Potter beta, RedValentino, had volunteered to fill in for a bit, so thanks go to her for her work on this chapter!

184 reviews, 1/1/12

My new year's resolution is to update more regularly -_-;;