Scar

Characters: Shachi, Penguin. Rating: K+. Warnings: None.

Everyone had their own share of scars on the Heart Pirate crew. Injuries were an occupational hazard, and while their captain was good, sometimes it was better to leave the scar than not. They served as reminders for their mistakes, and warnings against their recklessness. Some of the crew had their own scars from before they joined, the founding four chief among them.

Law's scars were well hidden, concealed under black ink and other techniques designed to draw the eye away from the slightly paler patches of skin he hated to see. There were some from his time as a Donquixote Pirate, too, and a couple on his fingers, flashbacks to a young boy playing with his parents' scalpels unsupervised, sneaking into the office when they were busy to admire the sharp edges and what they could do.

Similarly, fur covered Bepo's own scars, occasional odd tufts of fur the only indication that the skin beneath was not as unblemished as the pure white implied. His wounds were mainly from bullets; a hunted young cub lost in North Blue, where no-one knew what he was or what he could do. Where he was seen as a predator, or as dinner, depending on the human in question.

And then there were Penguin and Shachi. While neither were particularly self-conscious of their numerous scars, they didn't go out of their way to display them, either. The hail of bullets had pummelled Penguin's right arm and leg, hobbling him at the time but healing up well with time and begrudging patience. Shachi's were similar, temporarily-crippling wounds that had pinned him just long enough to watch his parents die but with no long-lasting affects.

For Shachi, the one that stood out the most was the one by his left eye, usually covered by his shades. That was one that was intentionally covered for much of the time, as much as he claimed the constant use of the shades was due to a case of snow blindness he'd contracted as a wilful child who refused to listen to his parents and wear snow glasses when he went out to play. It wasn't strictly untrue – he did have snow blindness, and while Law had offered to treat it once he'd finally learnt the nuances of his fruit, Shachi was too used to the sensitivity to accept, although the offer had been left open.

It was only after he'd been shot, the bullet grazing by his eye and gouging out a line that would never disappear, that he willingly wore glasses, as if his sudden obedience would bring his parents back, despite his snow blindness having nothing to do with the pirate attack. The scar left by the bullet was another reminder, how close he had come to death that day, and while that by itself rarely bothered him (he had several other scars, many from dancing on the edge of death and giving his captain conniptions over his recklessness), the placement did.

If he'd been wearing glasses, like Penguin, like everyone else, then he wouldn't have a scar there. It was a reminder of his constant disobedience as a child, a disobedience he grew out of too late to apologise for. Perhaps that was another reason he'd never taken Law up on the offer of a cure, putting himself through some twisted penance to ease the regret of his suddenly orphaned seven year old self.

Penguin didn't approve, one of the few things they disagreed about, but his best friend never forced him to see Law, to get things fixed. Instead, he would be the one to fish out a spare set when Shachi's shades were damaged in battle, or guiding him into the darkest place around until he could get them, letting him close his eyes and stumble along like a trusting blind man. And when Shachi got his new shades, Penguin always placing them on his face for him, he'd be there with a steady smile.

Maybe one day Shachi would take Law up on that offer, finally putting his regrets behind him. But until then, he'd hide that scar behind his shades and his nakama's kindness.

Shachi's shades could just be a fashion statement... or they could have some nice angsty backstory reason for them. As for the snow blindness, while it's usually temporary, repeated exposure can presumably cause long-term damage. In the SBS image that accompanies the Penguin and Shachi backstory, Penguin's also wearing shades, and there's snow around, so it's also a probable risk on Swallow Island.

Thanks for reading!
Tsari