~Grace~
What a pleasant it is to have things go my way with such ease. I can't begin to explain the feeling of pride that blossomed within me as I watch my first real capture board the marine ship. The conditions had been perfect for this arrest. Very few obstacles got in our way this time, and the few that did served me perfectly. My colleagues had been given the slip for a moment, but thanks to yours truly our quarry didn't escape!
The infamous "Crimsonblade" Davis will be put behind bars for good. Finally, after years of evading the law, justice will finally be served and he can no longer reek havoc with his blood-stained sword. I know I shouldn't get cocky, but if it weren't for me he could have gotten away. I feel unstoppable. I feel like I can take on anything and have it go my way!
"Nice work, Grace!" Vice Admiral Garp's praise only makes my pride rise even higher. "Keep it up, and you might just get promoted in the future!"
I lift my shoulders in a light shrug. "Eh, I don't need that. I'm just doing my job." I say with honesty. As long as I get to hunt and arrest pirates, my rank doesn't matter. My goal won't change because of a promotion. Suddenly a shock of red flashes in the corner of my vision. I glance over, the familiar spark of annoyance passing through me as an image of that redhead with the straw hat appears in my mind. Ever since that less than pleasant day, the color red has only inspired pangs of anger. I scan the area. There is no trace of crimson among the crowd of civilians that came to watch the arrest take place. Is it my imagination? Part of me hopes not, just because that would mean I'm partially going insane.
I warily brush it off as some sort of illusion or mirage. I must be seeing things.
"Vice Admiral Garp!" Both my superior and I were instantly called to attention at the earnest tone in another marine's voice. "It looks like the Roger Pirates have been spotted!"
"Eh?! No kidding?" A light appears in Garp's eyes, as though he were deeply enthused by the news.
"That's right! We think they may have been anchored in an alcove nearby!"
"Well, it's our lucky day! A notorious pirate has been taken down, and now we have a chance to catch Roger!" Garp grins. "Don't let them escape men!"
A thrill of excitement rushes through me at the prospect of catching the Pirate King, followed by a pang of resentment when I realize I hay have indeed seen that dumb redhead earlier. Without waiting for any specific orders, I bolt in the direction I think he might have gone in. There's no way I'm letting that pirate escape after how he made a fool of me last time!
I half jog through the port town, keeping my eyes peeled for red hair or a straw hat. I also look for that clown-nosed coward that was with my prey during our first meeting. They might be hanging around together again. Rushed movement catches my attention. I glance toward an alley where I see a person disappear around a corner. I take off to investigate.
~Shanks~
A lighthearted chuckle escapes me. This deja vu I'm experiencing makes perfect sense. It wasn't that long ago that I was being chased by this very same marine. Buggy shot me a look. "What are laughing for?! That psycho bitch is on our tail again!" he says, exasperated.
"Psycho...That's a little harsh." I reply. "She's a marine. Chasing pirates is what she does. I'm sure she's perfectly civil otherwise." My friend glares at me.
"Why are you defending her!? She's trying to kill us you know!"
"I'm not..." Am I? It does kind of sound like I'm on her side, but I guess that doesn't matter right now. Right now I should be focusing on our escape. I run alongside Buggy as we take sharp turns in our attempt to lose our pursuer. Part of me wants to stop and poke fun at her, but she doesn't seem to be up for any games today. Not that she was particularly playful last time, but still.
Some sort of sixth sense makes me look over my shoulder, and I'm sure glad I looked. "Buggy! Let's split up!" I say. That young marine is sprinting after us, and she's covering ground really quick. She'll be on us in no time if we don't pick up the pace. It looks like she was driven by fury, almost like a bull who sees red. (Say, my hair is red, isn't it?)
"What—" Buggy looks over his shoulder, and that proves to be a mistake since it makes him slow down just enough for the marine to barrel into him. I skid to a stop just as they both hit the ground. I'm not about to leave my comrade there on his own, even if he did abandon me last time. The marine was pulling herself to her feet by the time I turn to face her.
"You're in my way, you damned clown!" she shouts at Buggy. She turns to me with her sword in hand. "You! You're the one I want!" she hisses.
"Ah, you're still mad at me?" I ask. In no time flat the blade of her sword was pointing at me. Yep. She's still mad. I swiftly draw my sword just in time to block her first attack. The impact of our blades jar my arms. This girl has a lot of hidden power, that's for sure. "Hey, hey! How come you're holding a grudge? I complimented you, didn't I...?"
"I don't—" Our swords clash. "—have to—" Clash. "—explain myself—" Clash. "—to a pirate!" She punctuates her sentence by bringing her sword down particularly hard. "You scum!" she growls.
"You're really strong..." I note out loud. She doesn't reply. She only continues her erratic assault, swinging her sword this way and that. At first glance it looks like she has no technique, but at the same time I can't find any openings to exploit. Obviously she knows how to handle a sword. Her style just makes it seem like she doesn't know what she's doing. In reality, her technique is designed to keep her opponent in a corner, figuratively speaking. I struggle at first, but before long I manage to figure out her rhythm and fall into a steady sequence of defensive maneuvers.
I vaguely notice that Buggy is no where to be found. Oh well. I'm not surprised that he would ditch me. Actually, part of me is glad he didn't stick around. This way I'm not obligated to beat my opponent too quickly. I'm free to admire this marine as long as I want to. I can't put my finger on it, but something drew me to this girl. She's strong and determined, fierce, stubborn, fearless...She faces me without hesitation. She knows what her goal is, and she would potentially stop at nothing to reach that goal. Unless of course I decided to flatter her again. Buggy thinks of her as a she-devil. I on the other hand saw more as a vengeful goddess who was on a quest to punish those who have wronged her. A devil would do the same, I suppose, but a goddess is more pleasant than a devil. The thought makes me smile.
"What's so funny?" the marine asks. Her voice is laced with irritation.
I smile falters. "Nothing. I'm just having a good time is all." I reply with a fresh grin.
"A good time...?" Confusion fills her tone now, but her attacks don't waver in the slightest. She certainly is determined to beat me. I'm not about to let her do that though.
"You'd make a pretty good sparring partner." I say. She may not be as deadly as Mihawk, but I can see myself fighting her from time to time just for kicks. "What's your name, sweetheart?" I ask.
A scowl forms on her face at my nickname of choice. "What's it to you?" A fresh bout of irritation fuels another powerful strike.
"Well, it just feels like we might be crossing swords again in the future. It would be nice to know who I'm fighting, you know?" I reply.
She snorts. "I won't see you again. I'm gonna arrest you, and you'll be locked up forever in a place where you can't get on my nerves anymore!"
"Hm...That's not gonna happen." I state.
"No?" She quirks an eyebrow at me.
"Nope." I say. I grin. "You're underestimating me, lil' missy." I surprise her by bringing my sword down diagonally, knocking her off balance as her arms are shoved to the side by my attack. With that single move I've switched our places. Now she's the one on defensive, and I smile as I see the shock on her face. That expression switches to concentration as she focuses on blocking my attacks.
~Grace~
Curses! How can I be so foolish as to let my guard down? I really did underestimate this clever bastard! He turned the tables so quickly! All I can do now is focus on protecting myself. I can't find any openings to counterattack. However I get the feeling that I'm not in any real danger right now. He's playing with me. It feels that way, anyway. I don't appreciate that at all. I hate being toyed with. "Stop going easy on me! I don't care if you're gonna kill me, just don't drag it out like this!" I growl. I hate criminals who make their victims squirm.
Confusion lit up the redhead's face. "Why would I want to kill you?" he asks. It's my turn to be confused, but he shakes his head, apparently deciding to change the subject. "Anyway, my name's Shanks."
"Wh—I don't care!" I shout. His casual demeanor annoys me. "I don't need to know the name of a lying bastard of a pirate!"
Something resembling a pout crosses the pirate's expression. "I haven't lied about anything. Where do you get these weird ideas from?" he asks. I don't realize I'm backing up until my back suddenly collides with the brick wall behind me. Our swords connect again, and at that point my opponent pretty much has me pinned. "I was telling the truth that time."
The friendly sincerity in his eyes distracts me. The next thing I know, my sword is suddenly gone from my hands and all I see is a blade coming toward my head. I flinch just as the weapon was buried in the wall, just above my shoulder. The pirate stepped back, out of my reach.
"Say, I gotta run. Let's meet again sometime, okay? Keep busy with whatever you marines do until then. And why don't you think about telling me your name next time, while you're at it." He flashes me a smile and then takes off towards the ocean, presumably toward the Pirate King's ship.
I move to follow, only to find that I'm stuck. Only now to I realize that I'm pinned to wall, since the sword had pierced through my clothes. I struggle against the makeshift trap. "Hey, Red Hair!" I shout, my frustration rising. I can't pull the sword free; It's too deep in the stone. And the cloth won't rip, no mater how hard I pull against it. That's twice now that he's gotten the better of me. "Damn you Shanks! You won't get away with this!" I'm not sure if he can hear me or not, but I swear I can hear him laughing at me.