Familiar

Characters: Shachi, Penguin, Law, X Drake. Rating: K+. Warnings: none.

Dabbling in information as they did, the defection of one Rear Admiral X Drake from the Marines was quick to reach the ears of the Heart Pirates as they geared up for their entry to the Grand Line.

"Doesn't say much for the Marines if their own Rear Admirals are turning their backs on them," Penguin said scornfully when he heard the news. Shachi agreed with a whole-hearted vehemence that had many of their new nakama staring at the pair of them in surprise.

"You don't like the Marines very much," Clione observed needlessly.

"Pirates tend not to," Shachi pointed out, skirting around the real reason because it still hurt to think about it too much, let alone talk about it. Between them he and Penguin had talked about it exactly once since it happened, to Law and Bepo, and they were in no hurry to recount it again. Clione backed off.

"It would be interesting to meet him," Law observed, peering over their shoulders at the fresh bounty poster. It completely overshadowed his own at almost double the amount. Shachi supposed that was because of his defection as much as his actual strength. "I'm interested in what made him leave."

"Because Marines are selfish, greedy imbeciles who would rather rest on their laurels and deal with the big-ticket guys for the glory than actually help the people they're supposed to be protecting?" Penguin muttered darkly, and Shachi fought back a flinch.

"He would have known that for years," Law disagreed. "If that was going to drive him out, it would have done so long ago."

Shachi tuned out the rest of the conversation as Penguin came out with more and more examples of why the Marines were corrupt to the core and that there was no honour in there. He wasn't strong like Penguin; he couldn't stay in that trail of conversation for any length of time before getting overwhelmed. Instead, he swiped the poster while Penguin held everyone's attention, staring at it intently.

There was something about it that nagged him. A sense of familiarity niggled at him, as if he'd seen the face before. Well, he had – a Rear Admiral was a high rank in the Blues, so Drake's name and face had been reasonably well-known even as a goodie-two-shoes Marine – but only ever in photos. This felt more like trying to recall someone he'd met, maybe once or twice. But when would he have ever met the man?

The answer didn't come to him, and eventually he let the poster fall to the deck in disgust before slipping back inside the Tang, away from the Marine-based conversation – debate – and all the memories it brought up and into his bed. He could hide away there for a few hours; all it would take would be a white lie about his eyes playing up and everyone would leave him in blissful peace.

Everyone except Penguin, who saw straight through the falsehood and climbed up to join him on his bunk, arms wrapped around him as he locked away the memories one by one back in the little mental box that housed them.

The mystery of X Drake's familiarity was pushed to the back of his mind until Law got his wish, two months later at the start of the Grand Line, and the two crews met. True to form, his captain promptly began attempting to wind the former Marine up. The man's crew grew more agitated than the man himself, who seemed almost preoccupied with something.

Penguin, well, Penguin's hat, seemed to draw his gaze every few seconds, a fact that clearly bothered Law as he attempted to draw Drake's attention back onto him. Shachi, stood beside Penguin as always, saw the blue eyes flick to himself a couple of times, which cemented the sensation of familiarity.

Drake recognised them from somewhere, and they sure as hell weren't plastered all over the latest paper like the former Rear Admiral was. He gave no indication of how, though, and Shachi watched him finally leave after Law decided he'd had enough of the other captain eyeing his nakama and unleashed a full barrage of offense at him.

"Do we know him?" Penguin asked Shachi under his breath. The ginger shrugged.

"He's familiar," he admitted, voice at the same volume. "I'm sure we've met him before." Those blue eyes, that x-shaped scar-

He froze. He'd definitely seen that scar before, a long time ago. Way back, when they were still angry grieving children on Swallow Island faced with a second pirate crew. The Barrels Pirates, settling themselves on the neighbouring Minion Island, had been less interested in plunder and more interested in trade, which Swallow Island's inhabitants had gladly offered in a desperate bid to escape a second massacre.

The scared kid that had wandered away from the crew and found himself face-to-face with the full wrath of the teenage Shachi and Penguin had had the very same scar. That was the first fight they'd won against a pirate, although now that Shachi looked back it was very clear that they'd won because the boy hadn't fought back, instead choosing to cower and then flee.

He started to snigger, watching the retreating back of the other pirate in the distance, and both Penguin and Law looked at him in askance.

"I don't believe it," he laughed, throwing a casual arm around Penguin's shoulders. "That was little Dory-chan." Law's confused look was ignored as Penguin stared at him in thinly-veiled horror.

"You realise if he decides he wants revenge we're toast, right?" he asked, and Shachi nodded, tears beginning to form in his eyes from laughing so hard.

"Revenge for what?" Law asked sharply. "How do you two know Drake-ya?"

Shachi was too hysterical to answer, leaving Penguin to recount the tale of a pirate child without a backbone to their horrified captain.

I find it likely that the Barrels Pirates would have had some sort of presence on Swallow Island due to their sheer proximity, which means that Penguin and Shachi may well have met Drake as children. It was noted that 'Dory' was strong but too much of a coward to ever stand and fight, so while he obviously would be stronger than the pair of them, if he's less willing to fight then they are they can still count it as a victory.

Thanks for reading!
Tsari