Author's Notes: I was abroad for two weeks (probably the last time I'll be able to do that for a few years) and as a result couldn't update. My apologies and I realise that the fact that I tried to set a schedule probably pissed off quite a few people after how badly I failed at it. Again, my bad.
Luffy swung his arms about cheerfully as he walked while Risho's hands rested behind his head, his legs crossed as he floated through the air on what appeared to be a current of air. Both were shadowed by their apparent right hands, Zoro and Kintaro respectively, walking a few paces behind in contented, respectful silence.
The town/ village's banality did little to shake the strange camaraderie formed between the 'intellectually-disinterested' captains. Both of them were laughing as they shared stories ("Ya flew clean ovah their 'eads in a pool o' watah… kakakaka! That's priceless!") and ideas ("Then you could have all the meat you wanted! Awesome!").
When they reached the top of a hill leading out of the village, Risho came to a sudden stop and his lips curled upwards even further as he pointed out a few cows grazing in the distance.
"Ay reckon that there's enough cows to afford partin' with one, if ya get me," Risho's laughter lined up with Luffy as they both readied themselves to sprint (Risho still floating in mid-air).
The two moved like possessed beasts, their teeth on full display as they instinctively sized up the largest bovine in sight. The unfortunate creature continued grazing nonchalantly, his jaws monotonously moving around the same bit of grass time after time, as if savouring the simplistic taste.
Zoro debated jumping into the fray himself, hardly intimidated by Luffy's ravenous hunger and efforts. Not even two of the bottomless stomached moron could scare him off, something which he could now oddly claim from personal experience.
Still, his sword hand was stayed by the unmoving figure at his side. Kintaro remained almost statue-esque atop the hill, the shadows of his helmet shielding his eyes from scrutiny and making him seem detached from the surroundings.
Cold, uninterested and unmoved by all, even the sight before him that seemed dangerously close to the idea of a carnivore distilled to its most primal form.
Unapproachable was probably the best summation of the axe-warrior, Zoro decided, his hand unconsciously coming to rest on his sword hilt as his eye worked its hardest to keep Kintaro in the periphery of his vision without letting Luffy out of his sight. The consequences of losing their unpredictable captain were, well… unpredictable, to say the least.
Thus it was a strange event when a deep voice, caught in his mouth guard with an echo, began speaking at Zoro's side and drew his eye to the side.
"Why do you serve him?"
Zoro kept his mouth shut for a moment of contemplation, like a zebra sizing up a new creature at the watering hole, but soon shrugged his shoulders and diverted his eye.
"He's my captain," Zoro said vaguely, answering little to nothing.
Despite the shallowness of the response, Kintaro didn't seem disappointed (or much of anything for that matter).
"So you are the same."
"As what?"
"As me."
While their slow interaction came to its halt, a far more frantic frenzy wound itself down as Luffy and Risho threw the thin remains of their raw meal to the side. Neither man felt like standing as they collapsed onto their backs with a pair of relieved and contented sighs.
"Too bad we can only have one," Risho sighed.
"Why?! I'm hungry!" Luffy whined loudly.
Risho waved it off, "The island's supply won't last that long and I'm going to be here for a long time."
"Just go out to sea… ruling an island's boring for a pirate," Luffy objected while reaching over Risho's body with a stretched limb towards another cow.
Risho swatted the hand away and grinned sadly, "Ay were like that once. Ya'll'll learn soon enough."
"No I won't! That's stupid!" Luffy protested, sticking out his tongue as he sat up.
Risho pulled himself forward too and spoke with a surprising empathy for one apparently identical to Luffy, "Ah get ya, someone'll learn ya the same way they did me though. You should just kick it here."
"You'll like it here, ya'll can live like a king," Risho offered his hand forward with his usual crazed grin but Luffy slapped it away and pushed his forehead aggressively against Risho's.
"I don't want to live like a king! I'm going to be King of the Pirates!" he yelled, his brow furrowed and his teeth bared.
"And ay'm tellin' ya that's crazy-talk. Ya'll 're gonna fail and lose most of yer crew as the consolation prize," Risho mimicked Luffy's movements and the two began pushing against one another.
They soon scrambled to their feet and continued their snarling match while their first mates looked on with disinterest, this type of battle between two men neither requiring nor welcoming either their involvement or that of any other third party.
Risho backed down first, shaking his head and moving away from the enraged Straw-Hat.
"Ay ain't gonna push ya but I stands by what I say. You will regret this," Risho spoke in a soberingly calm voice, his face completely devoid of emotion. "They'll be lying on the ground, beggin' ya ta save 'em and you'll just have ta try and save yer own skin instead."
Luffy pulled his eyelid down to make a childish face at Risho before turning and wandering back the way they'd came.
He addressed Zoro briefly, "I hate people like him, let's just go," and the two began their trek back to the Sunny, leaving whatever remained on the island in the same pile they left the phenomena behind ocean currents that Nami tried to explain in their minds. Not worth their time.
Risho shook his head and decided to take a more circuitous route around the island, having little interest in conflict with a man he simply considered misguided. His own adventures had dulled the flames that inspired such conflicts over matters pertaining to the philosophical (although he would have little chance of explaining that properly to other people).
He soon shook off any disappointment he was experiencing and whistled carelessly to himself, though a slight shadow grazed his expression as he did so. Kintaro took off after him at a slower pace, following along like a faithful knight.
Their arrival at their home was met with an unusual silence, none of their comrades having returned just yet. Risho was just fine with that but upon reaching for his fridge; his slightly pointed ears began twitching. The slightest 'bump' caught his notice and it didn't take long for a second one to follow, although this one was dragged out slightly longer.
"Someone's draggin' somthin' along the floors," Risho murmured before cracking his neck to the side. "Kinaro, wait here. Ay reckon ay need the exercise."
Taking his comrades silence as a yes, Risho stalked up the stairs upon quiet winds generated by his devil fruit, practically ice-skating towards his destination with a strange grace that underlay his experience.
He threw the door open but noticed no one immediately. He started glancing about his bedroom with an uncharacteristic intensity. His plain mattress spread out on the wooden floor, the wallpaper peeling off, the tiny table with the decorative furry reindeer sticking out from the side while hiding one of its eyes, a stain he couldn't quite remember making… hm.
He tilted his head this way and that trying to wrap his head around where the intruder could have gone, wandering closer to the closed window to see if the intruder had crawled out of it.
A gentle breeze caressed his face at the action, bringing a contented smile to his face as his thoughts were chased from his head (not that any of his comrades would have thought the task difficult) by a sense of familiarity he felt with the natural force.
The sound of pattering feet attempting a silent retreat all but dragged his head back in as Risho readied himself for combat. Risho's attitude came to a halt as he stared at the intruder, a tiny reindeer in a poofy hat.
Chopper was readying himself for combat when Risho let out a scream and jumped backwards as he screamed, "Living statue!"
A startled Chopper barely had a moment to react before a burst of wind flung him forward and sent his tiny body tumbling down the stairs like a bouncing ragdoll after he crashed through the upper-floor's white railing. Chopper's miniscule paws pushed against the ground as he stumbled to his feet, gingerly reaching to the back of his head to test the feeling there.
Wincing from the acute pain that followed, he purposefully raised one of his 'fingers' in front of his eyes, "Usually one, only very rarely two… only a little bit concussed. Probably fine."
Risho soon followed, slamming both of his feet down hard while Chopper barely managed to hop out of the way. The floor splintered beneath Risho's bare feet and sent wood chippings flying into the air.
"You tried ta trick me!" Risho roared accusingly while jutting out his finger aggressively.
The little reindeer decided discretion was the better part of valour and took off running on his stubby little legs. Risho tried to give chase but his feet caught in the damage he'd made in the floorboard. Frowning angrily, Risho ripped at his legs while shouting, "Come on! Not now!"
Chopper continued to flee, adrenaline pumping through his veins as he darted past the unmoving Kintaro without so much as a second glance. Risho did likewise, Kintaro giving them both a head start before slowly following to observe the aftermath.
Changing into his 'Walking Point', Chopper attempted to sprint away only to be quickly overtaken by Risho who landed in front of him with a high jump. Seeing no alternative, Chopper fattened his limbs, returning to a more human-esque appearance while placing one paw forward in challenge.
"Kung-Fu Point!"
Author's Note: Again, sorry for the delay.