Shanks
Neo brushed a leaf away as it fell onto her shoulder. Her eyes remained locked onto the battle below her from her perch on a roof. The crew was once again in a fight with another pirate crew. This time it was them who started the fight. Their captain thought that he could take down Law. And what a mistake that was. The opposing crew was still giving them a difficult time but her crew was wearing them down easily enough to not need her assistance. But Law was glad to be getting more pirate hearts for his mission of becoming a warlord.
A man snuck up behind Penguin. Her heart leaped into her throat. Penguin was distracted with two other enemies to even notice. Summoning an earth crystal, she prepared herself to attack but stopped when Penguin suddenly moved out of the way. She kneaded her eyebrows. The battle ended without her noticing.
'You can come down now.' Law thought to her.
Neo jumped. Wrapping her winds around her body, she lifted herself and landed right beside Law. Her eyes locked onto the six pirate hearts lying on the ground. Her stomach lurched. Burying her face in Bepo's arm she said, "Must you do that?"
Law chuckled and rubbed her back.
"I'll put them in a sack," Conner said. "You can look now."
Neo peaked out from Bepo's arm to find the man holding the sack, which was still twitching with the hearts. She shivered and started counting her crewmates to make sure they were fine and avoid the pulsing organs. Several had cuts and bruises on their exposed skin, a couple were rubbing sore limbs, and Archer was holding his shoulder in serious pain. The man smiled at her, letting her know he was fine, but she summoned her solar crystal anyway and hovered it near him while healing them all. Her eyes then land on Penguin. "What did you do?"
"What do you mean?" Penguin asked.
"A pirate was about to hit you," Neo said. "I was going to help but you stopped him."
"I saw that too," Shachi said.
"Oh, that," Penguin said. "I'm not sure. Its like I saw it coming. I turned around and the man was there."
"Sounds like you awakened your observation haki," Law said.
"Huh," Penguin said. "Well, that's good."
"Yeah." Bepo nodded. "We're going to need more haki users in the New World."
"The New World," Neo said.
"You ready to go there?" Law asked.
Neo pondered on his words. That's actually where they were heading right now. They only stopped for a few items before heading back to Sabaody. And they were going to go straight to the island where she believed Shanks was leading her.
"Neo?" Law said.
"Yeah, I'm ready," Neo said. "Just a bit nervous."
"Let's get back to the sub," Law said.
The crew nodded, leaving their victims behind. People from the town poked their heads out of their homes and stores. All were clearly relieved that the battle was over and the pirates were leaving. Reaching the sub, Neo lifted her crew onto the deck. They entered into their home and scattered about the sub. Those with cuts and other injuries headed up to the medical bay. Neo followed them. She scanned her eyes over their bodies; inventory their wounds while still healing their wounds before following Archer into an exam room.
Law walked over to Archer and inspected his shoulder.
"Is he going to be okay?" Neo asked.
"He'll be fine. His shoulder is only dislocated slightly," Law said.
Neo averted her eyes before Law could pop the shoulder back into place.
"That feels better," Archer said.
"Take it easy for a while," Law said. "Let me know if anything gets worse. Have Jean Bart take over the controls. We're heading for the New World now."
"Will do, Captain." Archer walked towards Neo. He kissed her temple before leaving the room.
Neo sighed. "Rough way to start off going to the New World."
"I suppose it is," Law said.
"I just hope we're not going to be wasting our time in going to this island," Neo said. "I'm still not sure if I can tell Shanks that we're going there."
"He probably already knows," Law said. He slipped his arm around her waist and guided her out of the room.
Heading downstairs they went into the rec. room and curled up together on the couch. An hour later, Neo felt the large presence of the mangrove trees from Sabaody. But they didn't stop. The sub glided under the surface of the water. Before long the roots of the mangrove trees were all around them. "Wow. Those roots are huge."
"They bothering you?" Law asked.
"No." Neo snuggled into him. "I'm more use to nature now."
"Good." Law tilted her chin up and pressed his lips to hers.
…
"I have no idea what I should wear," Neo whined a bit while looking into their closet. She ran her fingers over her dresses, her jeans then her shorts while she named them off. "Maybe a dress? Jeans? Shorts? It should be warm on this island, right? My dreams really didn't say anything about the weather. But with flowers growing, it should be warm."
"It doesn't matter what you wear," Law replied from the bed. "It's not important. Come to bed now."
"I suppose you're right." Neo closed the doors to the closet. She walked over to the light switches and turned the main one off before walking over to the bed. She started to climb on it and over Law when he placed his hand on her hip, keeping her in place over his lap. She sat down on him and waited for him to speak again.
He pecked her lips. "It really doesn't matter what you wear. You're just nervous about meeting up with him. It'll be fine."
"Yeah." Neo nodded. "You're right."
"Lay with me now," Law ordered. He guided her down to the bed. She laid half on it and half on his bare chest. He kissed her hair. "Sleep now, love. No more worrying."
"Yes, sir." Neo giggled. He poked her in the ribs, making her squeak and squirm. "Hey! You said to sleep! I can't do that -Eek- if you keep poking me like that!"
Law just chuckled. After a few more squeak provoking pokes, he finally stopped poking her. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her hair again while she drifted off to sleep. He stayed up, fiddling with her hair, a little while longer to watch her sleep before going to sleep himself with her tucked into his protective arms.
…
Neo twiddled her fingers. Her eyes ran over the horizon. They were close. The bell shaped flowers flashed multiple times in her mind. It was almost like they were calling for her themselves. Which they might have been, somehow.
"Are we on track?" Law asked.
Neo looked over her shoulder. He and a few other crewmates were scattered around on the deck. She nodded. "Yeah. We're close. Have Jean Bart angle the ship six degrees northeast."
"You got it." Shachi disappeared into the sub. A few seconds later the sub angled more to the northeast.
Twenty minutes later, the island came into view. Neo swallowed. Her hands trembled. "That's it. That's the island."
Law stepped closer to her. Taking her hand in his, he kissed her hair.
Neo exhaled. Her eyes remained locked onto the island as Jean Bart pulled it right up to the small cove.
"Wow!" the crew exclaimed as they stared out at the island Neo had guided them to. They climbed down the ladder and scattered over the field.
"I never knew flowers like this existed," Bepo said looking at the bell shape flower now at his feet.
Neo's eyes carefully roamed over the features of the island. Just like in her dreams, on her left was the forest, on her right was the mountain, and in between them was the flower field filled with bell shaped yellow flowers. She picked at her shirttail.
"So when will Red Hair Shanks arrive?" Bepo asked.
Neo looked at him. His eyes were scanning all over their area as well. His black nose twitched, as he took in the scents around him, possible looking for danger too.
"In a little under two hours, I think. I can sense him, but just barely," Neo replied. She looked up at Law. Just like Bepo, Law's eyes were carefully scanning their surroundings, carefully inspecting the flower field where the red haired man apparently wanted to meet up with them. She tried to read him, but he was guarding his thoughts too tightly. She took his hand back in hers, his fingers instantly and instinctively curling around her skin. "Law? You're closed off. I don't like it."
"Sorry." Law looked down at her. "I can't help but think there's a trap here somewhere. But there's obviously not. I think he chose this place for a specific reason."
"But why this island?" Topaz asked. "Why would he choose to come here instead of an island that has people? This island isn't suited for food either, except for fish that might happen to wander close enough for someone to catch it."
"Well, it's obvious," Penguin answered, "that this place isn't good for an ambush."
"Huh?" Topaz looked at the man.
"Take another, closer look, at the island, Topaz," Penguin said.
Neo looked at her brother. He and the others were taking every opportunity they had to teach their fire elemental everything they knew about fighting and battle strategies that they possibly could since she had been onboard.
Topaz scanned her eyes more carefully over the island. She studied the placement of the trees, the field and the mountain. It didn't take her long before she finally got what her male friend was saying. "Oh. This place isn't good for an ambush. The trees are too far spread out for anyone to successfully dash between them. The mountain doesn't look like it's climbable at all, unless you had a devil fruit that could assist you in doing so. And the distance between them and the field is too far. An attack would be spotted ahead of time."
"Right." Penguin nodded.
"So what now, Captain?" Shachi asked. "There's nothing much to do here."
Law mulled over that question for a few seconds before barking out his orders. "Let's get camp set up. It depends on how long our conversation is with Red Hair, but either way, we're most likely going to be spending at least one night here. Might as well sleep outside. Or is a storm coming that will prevent that?"
"Nope." Neo shook her head. "I don't believe any storms are coming to this area any time soon. Unless you consider meeting an emperor and his crew a storm."
"It possibly could be." Penguin shifted.
Neo was starting to notice traces of hesitation among her crew.
"But you're his goddaughter so we don't have anything to worry about," Penguin added.
"A goddaughter that he's only seen once in his entire life," Tero grumbled. "This still could be a trap."
"Drop it," Law said, instantly defusing the oncoming argument. The sub creaked in the water beside them. They were lucky. Since the water was deep enough for them to pull right up to the shore the crew wouldn't have to be warped or flown to and from the island at all if they needed to leave in a hurry. "Let's get a fire started."
"Aye aye, Captain!" the crew chorused. The crew scattered over the island, some searching for wood for their fire while others were moving over large logs for them to use as chairs.
Neo remained where she was with Law. Her fingers continued to pluck at her shirttail. This new experience was a whole kind of new. She wasn't just meeting new people, she was meeting her godfather and his crew. The crew that saved her and Kailen when she was only a baby. The crew that was important to her people. The crew where the captain was an emperor. Shifting on her feet, she wanted to fly around the island, about a hundred times in an attempt to quell her anxiety, but stuck right beside Law. Her mind pounded along with her heart to what she should do or say to this man that she's only met in dreams, visions and as a newborn.
She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even notice when the crew had their fire started. Nor did she notice Law guiding her over to their gathered logs to sit at or on. Law sat quietly beside her while the rest of the crew sat nearby or did a little sparring to pass time quicker. He sent her comforting vibes through their bond and let her cling to him like always despite the occasional teasing smirk or glance from the crew. They all had grown more accustom to seeing their captain's softer side show more with Neo around, but still couldn't resist a little bit of teasing now and then.
"He's here," Neo said roughly an hour and forty-five minutes later. They all stood up, but didn't move anymore. She looked out at the horizon. They all stared in the direction she was until they saw a ship slowly materializing into view. She sensed the crew's auras turning sharp, as the air around them grew tense with tension. She turned her eyes to them and carefully took them all in. "No fighting. Zero. Zip. Zilch."
They nodded in loyal obedience, even Tero nodded. She then looked up at Law. His body was stiff, his eyes focused on the incoming ship, his left hand squeezing his sword that was resting on his shoulder. He dropped his eyes to her when she lifted up his right hand and kissed his middle finger. She then narrowed her eyebrows at him and smirked. "And, Law, this finger…stays down."
Law's cheeks grew warm. He scoffed, tossing his head slightly while his crew snickered. They all knew he'd easily obey her order. Grumbling, he replied, "Fine. But only this once. And only because it's you."
'You're such a good boy. Maybe I can reward you later for this?' Neo thought to him.
'Maybe.' Law thought back, his cheeks growing redder.
Neo squeezed his hand then turned to wait for the ship to finally arrive. A few, short, but somehow long, moments later, the emperor's massive ship was sidelong next to the sub. Her home never looked so small before. She swallowed hard when she spotted the familiar head of red she had seen in his wanted poster. She watched as the intimidating man swung his leg over the side of his ship and descended down the rope ladder. Through her nervous thoughts, she barely registered Law's body tensing even more beside her. Forcing herself to look away from the imposing red haired man walking towards them with his equally imposing crew following, she did another quick scan over her own crew. Their bodies were winded up tight with tension. Bepo's ear twitched a couple times. Their lips pulled down in anticipated frowns, a couple had curious expressions on their faces in wonder of what was going to happen, but all were obeying her wishes to not engage in a battle.
Neo turned her eyes back to the new pirate crew. Within a few short minutes, the Red Hair Pirates were standing face to face with the Heart Pirates. She shivered at the intensity these new men were displaying just by standing there and at a familiar pressure pushing on her body that reminded her of being back at the auction house when Rayleigh had stepped out onto the stage. She now finally understood why so many people were afraid of this pirate crew. She felt her anxiety wanting to skyrocket with the force of a hurricane, but it didn't rise at all. Suddenly, all of her nervousness just vanished. She knew these men wouldn't hurt her or her crew. With a new found boldness inside of her chest, she released Law's hand -his concerned washed over her body, but he didn't move towards her- and took a few steps closer to the newly arrived crew. She then, for some reason, spread out her wings and summoned one of each of her crystals for them all to see. Her eyes widened slightly when all of the Red Hair Pirates took to their right knee and bowed to her.
"They're bowing to her?" Shachi asked. Disbelief coated his tone. "An emperor and his crew are bowing to one little girl. Why? They're not elementals."
"Dunno," Penguin said just as perplexed as his friend. "Maybe because she's their captain's goddaughter? I'm not sure how loyalty is going to come in to play here. I'm pretty sure Red Hair isn't going to ever attack his goddaughter so his crew shouldn't either. But we're still opposing pirate crews."
"Princess Neo of Luminous," Shanks then said. He raised his dark eyes and looked right at her.
Neo's dream flashed through her mind. That same presence Shanks wrapped around her in her dream was wrapping around her now. Everything around them seemed to fade away when he started talking. She felt like it was only the two of them in the entire world. In the back of her mind, she wondered if she was just imagining this or if it had something to do with their bond.
"It is an honor and a relief to finally be reunited with my goddaughter. And, I must say, you have grown into a beautiful young woman. You look so much like both your parents." Shanks then ran his eyes over the crew behind her.
Neo watched as Shanks eyes came to a stop right beside her. Reality came back into focus when she felt Law take her hand in his. She blinked and could see everything again. She glanced up at Law. He was staring right back at the red haired captain with a light glare and frown.
Shanks' own lips dipped down into a frown before he started speaking again. "So you're the little surgeon who coaxed my goddaughter into the harsh life of a pirate."
Neo felt Law twitch at the older man's accusation. He said, "I did not coax her into anything. She chose this life all on her own."
The air became even thicker when Shanks' eyes glinted with a dangerous light.
Pressure pushed down on her body again. She gasped and wobbled.
Law shot his left arm out in front of her chest while releasing her hand from his so he could put his arm around her waist. "Neo?"
"I'm okay," Neo replied. "Just a little dizzy."
"Sorry about that," Shanks then said.
Neo looked over at him and noticed guilt and sincerity in his eyes.
"I just wanted to make sure that this crew was strong enough to take care of you."
"Did you just use haki?" Neo asked.
Shanks nodded, standing up. He pulled his eyes from her to look at the angry young captain beside her. Setting his own glare on his face, he said, "Don't give me that look, little pirate surgeon. There was no way I was walking away from this meeting without testing whether or not you are worthy of protecting and marrying my goddaughter."
"What?" Law asked.
Neo blinked in confusion while the rest of the Heart Pirates exchanged confused looks of their own.
Suddenly, Shanks and his entire crew started laughing, which sent more confused looks passing through the younger crew.
"You all seriously need to relax. There's no reason to be so uptight. This is just a friendly meeting after all. How about some booze, huh?" Shanks asked. He then turned to look at one of his subordinates. The subordinate immediately understood the quiet order and headed back to their ship with a couple others crewmates. Shanks turned back and looked right at Law. "Now, lets get down to business, shall we? First order of business here is…" Shanks paused to take in a deep breath. He then shouted, "How dare you propose to my daughter without my permission?! But most of all, how dare you give her a ring when she didn't understand the meaning of it?! That's not how a man is suppose to act with the woman he's in love with! You should have asked me before asking her! And you shouldn't have given her a ring without explaining its meaning first! What's wrong with you?!"
Law growled. Shouting back, he said, "What are you talking about?! She's only your goddaughter, not your daughter! And I gave her that ring as another way to protect her! I wasn't going to give any man the chance to take advantage of her naivety! At the time, that's all that ring was! It only became more when she was ready for it to and wanted it to!"
"Goddaughter is daughter! It's the same thing!" Shanks barked. "And you still had no right to give her a ring!"
"No! It is not the same!" Law snapped. "And I just explained why I gave it to her! Sheesh! You're just as bad as the elementals!"
"You better not be bad mouthing my daughter's people!" Shanks yelled.
"She's not your daughter!"
"She is too!"
"She is not!"
"Huh?" Neo blinked in confusion. She tilted her head while watching these two men argue over her. She looked up to Penguin when he put his arm around her shoulders.
"They're arguing like family already," Penguin said with a hint of amusement in his tone.
"Well, when the captain and Neo do get married they will be family," Shachi said with a chuckle. He crossed his arms in thought. "Let's see…since Neo is Red Hair Shanks' goddaughter…that would make the captain his godson-in-Law."
"No it won't!" Law and Shanks shouted at Shachi.
Shachi laughed and held up his hands in mock defeat.
"But how did you even know that he proposed to her?" Bepo asked. He too had moved closer to the other pirate group, but the rest of their crew remained near the fire.
"I got a very interesting, very long-winded letter from a friend of yours back on Luminous," Shanks said with a smile. "She told me everything."
"Who?" Neo inquired. She wrapped her arms around Law's. He calmed down quite a bit at her touch.
"Zinnia," Shanks replied.
Law growled. "I should have known it would be that healer woman."
"But, wait, how did she even get a letter to you?" Archer asked. "Luminous isn't in the New World. It's back in Paradise."
"Elementals have their ways of getting around. Wind and water elementals can easily work together to pass underwater just like coated ships do. They occasionally travel with me. How do you think I got to the battle at Marineford so quickly?" Shanks replied. All eyes turned to him. He scanned his eyes over the young crew once more before letting his eyes rest upon Topaz. "I've been informed of you as well, young miss. You are quite the brave one for willingly joining a pirate crew and sailing into these turbulent waters."
"Thank you." Topaz nodded. "I will do whatever I can to protect her majesty."
"Speaking of which," Shanks said turning his attention back to Law. "I'd like to hear how exactly you are going to protect her. She has many secrets that need to be kept, as I'm sure you are aware."
"I don't have to tell you anything," Law snapped back.
'Law? Can't you just tell him what he wants to know? You don't have to tell him your plans to take down that other warlord or anything related. But he's going to find out about you wanting to become a warlord when it happens. The navy will announce your admittance into the warlord system, won't they?'
'I suppose you are correct. Fine. I'll tell him, but only what I want him to know.' Law frowned again when he noticed Shanks carefully taking him and Neo in. He wondered if the emperor was able to sense or hear what they were saying to each other. "Fine. I'll tell you my plans of keeping her safe, but you are going to tell us what you know about your bond with her. And you will answer any questions she might have for you about her parents and your relationship with them and Luminous."
"That won't be much on my part concerning the bond, but fair enough," Shanks agreed. He nodded towards the fire. "Shall we get comfortable?"
Law nodded in agreement. The two pirate crews then gathered around the fire. Law immediately put his arm protectively, and possessively, around Neo when she sat down beside him and curled into his side.
Shanks smiled teasingly at the young captain.
Law glared at him then started to explain how he was going to keep Neo's secrets. The tension amongst the two crews broke even more when stories and explanations were being exchanged. It was just about gone when they started drinking, but a small air of caution still remained between them and no one drank very much.
"I see." Shanks nodded. He was leaning against a log while listening to Law talk. He had a mug of boozing sitting beside him, but hadn't touched it yet. "That does seem to be the best course of action for this type of situation. I'm impressed, Trafalgar Law."
Law scoffed at the idea of impressing this emperor. He didn't care at all of what the man thought about him. A brief moment of silence passed between them before he gave Shanks a pointed look.
Shanks chuckled before speaking. "I know. It's my turn to speak now. Well, I'm not sure what to say were this bonding thing is concerned. It took Neo's parents by surprise, too. They told me that I'd have to learn what all this bond is capable of on my own with the help of the princess. A far as I can tell all I can do is sense where she is and that she's alive. I only recently learned that I could send vague thoughts to her through her dreams. I suspect that this will grow stronger just like your bond with her has grown stronger. But since we only bonded once, I doubt we'll be able to do anymore than that. Only time will tell for sure."
"So you can't see or hear what Neo or I have said or done in the past since you've connected to her and when we speak to each other through our bond?" Law forced himself to ask that question casually.
Neo glanced at him then over at Shanks.
"No, I haven't been able to do that. Why ask a question like that when you're not allowed to have sex with her until your married?" Shanks gave Law a smirk that made the surgeon fume in place. The Red Hair Pirates snickered at their captain purposefully trying to provoke the younger captain. "You're not planning on taking away her purity before then, are you? If you are, me and my crew will cut you down here and now."
"Shut up!" Law snapped. "Of course I'm not! I was just asking a justified question! You're bonded to her just as I am!"
Shanks chuckled. He waved his hand dismissively. "No. I can't do that. And I don't believe I will be able to do so. So relax. You're private love life with her will remain private."
"Why did you pick this particular island to meet us?" Penguin asked.
Shanks glanced at him before returning his eyes to Neo and Law. "I picked this island because it's a neutral zone. No one ever comes here because there's no food. I believe some have stopped here briefly on their journeys, but quickly leave. It's not under an emperor's rule either. Plus, those bell shaped flowers do really glow. I've always liked them and thought the princess would like to see them. There are rumors of them being created from magic, but no one has ever confirmed this to be true or not. Besides, I knew you all would hesitate to come see me if I had sent the idea to meet in my territory. That's understandable. I'm just glad that she received my message and you all came here. For a moment I didn't think she would understand and run from it since this experience with our bond is new to her."
"You know new things scare her?" Bepo asked.
"I do. Zinnia mentions that in her letter, but I can also sense it," Shanks replied. He gave Neo a soft, regretful, smile. "I'm sorry that you have to be scare of new things. It wouldn't have happened if only I had the strength that I do now back then. Your parents would still be alive and you would still be with them."
Neo stared at the red haired man. His eyes dropped down to the fire. She noticed his mind wasn't here on this island anymore. It was back on that day. She pulled her eyes from him and looked around at his crew. A few of them also had regretful looks on their faces while others looked sad but didn't have regret in their expressions. She quickly assumed that the ones who did look regretful were on this crew back then and knew her parents too. She could also tell from their expressions, and through her bond with Shanks, that they all felt really bad about what happened back then and the kind of life it left her with. With her eyebrows turned up, she looked at Law. He gave her an instant nod of encouragement. He already knew she wouldn't blame them for what happened and knew she would want them to know that. She nodded back before pushing herself to her feet.
She started to walk over to the red haired man. When she was about five feet from him, she paused for a split second before closing the distance between them. She knelt down on Shanks' left side. She paused again when she noticed that his arm was missing. She kneaded her eyebrows and wondered when that had happened. Somehow she knew it had happened after he helped her parents escape from Luminous. She put that aside for the moment and turned her attention back to her task at hand. Being this close to the man, she was able to smell the booze on him. She found it comforting for some reason. Her mind flashed back to when she had visions of him and her parents shortly after leaving Amazon Lily. His scent mixed with booze must have imprinted on her senses. She suddenly felt just as safe with him as she did with Law.
Hesitantly, she reached for him and cupped his face. He didn't resist in the slightest as she guided his eyes up to hers. She gave him a sweet smile. "Please, don't blame yourselves for what happened back then. You all were up against people who controlled nature and who were under the darkness crystal's influence. I don't blame you." Neo looked at his crew. "I don't blame any of you, for the death of my parents or for losing me back then. It wasn't your fault. It wasn't Kailen's fault. It was all the darkness crystal and Atlas' fault for betraying Luminous."
"Atlas? So it was betrayal?" Shanks eyes widened in shock, as did his subordinates who were there.
"When Kailen told us what happened I could easily tell that betrayal was a strong possibility. The way the attack happened didn't add up to past times when the darkness crystal came into existence," Law explained. He was now leaning back against the log with his arms crossed. He was keeping close eye on Neo, but his posture was relaxed now. "This was confirmed by Atlas himself when Neo foiled his plans and used her solar crystal to purify the darkness."
"I see." Shanks nodded. All the Heart Pirates saw a weight lift off the man's shoulders. "We all suspected betrayal too since the attack was far too precise and happened so quickly. But we never knew what really happened."
"You've been carrying around that guilt for a long time," Neo said, regaining Shanks' attention. She brushed her thumb over his cheek. "I'm glad you've finally let it go. And I want you, all of you, to remain free of that guilt. I will never blame you for something that was out of your control. And, in a weird way, a lot of good has come out of this." Neo looked over at her crew. They all smiled at her. Her eyes landed on Law. He returned her glancing with a knowing one. She turned back to Shanks. "A lot of good."
"You are a very sweet and forgiving princess." Shanks smiled. He placed his hand over hers. "I am glad you have found happiness."
"Please, just call me Neo," She begged slightly, earning a chuckle from both crews.
"Very well then, Neo," Shanks said.
"How much longer can you all stay?" Neo asked.
"We can stay for lunch, but then we need to set sail," Shanks answered. He gestured to his cook to get started on cooking.
"That quickly?" Neo asked. Disappointment settled into her chest and came out in her tone.
"I'm sorry, Neo," Shanks said apologetically. "I really wish we could stay longer, but we can't."
"I understand," Neo replied, lowering her eyes and hand from his face.
"Hey, we still have a few hours before we have to leave. How about I tell you everything I know about your parents? I'm sure Kailen left some stuff out since he was only a kid back then and not even born yet when I first landed on Luminous." Shanks suggested.
"I'd like that." Neo smiled.
Shanks nodded then proceed to tell them all of stories of her parents and of Luminous. He started off by telling them the whole story of how they landed on Luminous and how it was Mira who found them. Then told them of how Mira was obsessed with his red hair and was constantly trying to cut off a lock of it, eventually did too. How he got Rylan drunk and set lose mini tornadoes on the islands. The crews, now completely relaxed, laughed at all the funny stories the red haired captain was sharing with them. He even told them about having her parents on his ship when they were trying to escape Luminous. That story brought back the tension and bad memories so he quickly told it then changed the subject to his straw hat. He told them about his promise to Luffy, how he lost his arm and gave the now captain of the Straw Hat pirates his hat.
e also
All too soon it was time for the Red Hair Pirates to set sail. All of them, but for Shanks, was already onboard the ship. Shanks remained on the ground to say his finally farewells to his goddaughter. "Don't look so sad, Neo. I know we'll meet again someday. You can be sure that I'll be keeping a close eye on your adventures like I have already done so. And you can call me at any point in time if you ever need my help."
"Thanks," Neo said. She rubbed the heel of her hand in her eye in an attempt to keep herself from crying while Law squeezed her other hand. She knew she wouldn't have been able to spend much time with her godfather from the start, but she didn't think the time they did spend together would be so short. And she felt more connected to Shanks now that she had met him and heard all of his stories.
"We don't need your help," Law pointed out. "We can take care of ourselves."
Shanks nodded with a smile. "Of course. But still, if you ever get in a situation and you need me, don't hesitate to send me a message through our bond. I will help you all in anyway I can. Also, be aware that observation haki users will instantly be able to tell that Neo is different while others will just sense it. They won't know why they see her spirit differently, but they will and they might try to get answers."
"Yeah." Law nodded. "She met a marine not long ago who can use that type of haki. Luckily, he didn't push the matter."
Shanks nodded again. He turned to climb up the ladder, but paused to look back at Law. "By the way, you have my permission to marry her."
"I don't need your permission!" Law growled.
"Take care of him, Neo." Shanks winked at her. "Don't let him get too carried away with his pirate ambitions. If he ever gets out of control, don't hesitate to let me know. I'll gladly come and settle him down for you."
Neo laughed. "Sure. But I doubt that will be necessary."
"Of course it won't be necessary," Law grumbled.
Shanks tilted his head while Neo just stared at him. She chewed on her bottom lip while she debated something in her head. Dropping Law's hand, she ran to Shanks. He turned his body away from the ship just as she jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck. She could no longer hold her tears back. She cried while clinging to him. "Thank you. Thank you so much for what you did for me, my brother and my parents back then."
"Think nothing of it, Neo," Shanks replied circling his arm around her waist. "You are my goddaughter. While we haven't known each other for every long, I still love you. And I will protect you. My entire crew knows of your existence. None of them will harm you or your crew if you happen to cross paths with them."
"Thanks. But I know that's going to be a bit difficult since we are on opposing pirate crews," Neo said pulling back from the hug slightly. She momentarily noted how strong he really was by how easily he held her in place against him with just one arm. His muscles easily pressed against her torso through their clothes.
"Perhaps. We only know what will happen in the future when the future gets here," Shanks said. He sat her back down on her feet then patted her head. "Don't worry about that or the future, just focus on the here and now. You'll have a lot more fun that way. Take care, okay?"
"Okay. You too." Neo nodded in agreement.
Shanks cupped her face and took one last long look at her before finally climbing onto his ship. They both watched each other while the ship, and the island, faded away from each other.
…
Neo sat staring into the fire. The snapping of the tinder was distant while her mind was going over all the things that had happened today. She had gotten to meet her godfather, learned a bit more about her parents, and basically gained an extra crew that was going to do all they could to protect her if and when the occasion arose. She glanced up at Law, who was sitting beside her like always. He too was lost in thought of what the day had brought about to them. She glanced around at her crew. They all were dealing with their own thoughts of the day. No one really was talking much about what happened. She didn't blame them. They had just got an up close and personally view of the enemy. That would shake anyone up. She felt a bit guilty about putting them through this. But she felt even more complete now. She had all the missing pieces of her past tucked deep within herself. And still, there was one thing that was missing.
Neo glanced back up at Law. She elbowed him on the arm to get his attention. "Let's go for a walk."
Law nodded. He obediently stood up with her.
She waved to the crew when they looked at her then walked off with Law's hand in hers. They walked along the coastline, silently enjoying each others company. Neo glanced up at the moon. It was crescent shape and half hidden by the gathering clouds. She dropped her eyes to the bell shaped flowers as they passed by them. They were glowing, just like in her dream. She could sense a light trace of magic with in them, but she didn't know if they grew here automatically or if some magic creature planted them here. She also noticed that they didn't have a fragrance to them. They did give them more than enough light to compensate for the disappearing moon.
Law's voice soon broke the silence. "How are you feeling? You look a bit solemn."
"I suppose so. It feels a bit…surreal? I guess." Neo twisted a piece of hair around her finger. "Maybe I'm just sad. This is the second time I've meet someone from my past and had to leave them."
"But you feel more complete now. You're whole for the first time in your life," Law said. He paused when he felt her stop walking. When he looked at her, he found she was staring down at the ground. "What is it, love?"
"I'm not complete just yet," she replied, keeping her eyes down.
"Why not? What else is there?" Law asked. He tried to read her feelings, but she was closed off to him. He watched as she took a deep breath and slowly let it out. She then looked up at him with a sweet, innocent, devoted smile. The only kind of smile that a woman in love could possible give. It made his chest grow warm.
"Marrying you," she replied in low voice.
"Oh?" Law tilted his head. His eyes began to shine when she reopened herself to him. He could see what she was talking about. "Are you saying yes then?"
Neo took another deep breath. Both their hearts pounded rapidly. As she spoke her answer out loud, their hearts started beating in sync with the other. "Yes, Law. I want to marry you."
Law's lips spread into a bright smile. He took her face in his hands and kissed her deeply. He moved his hands from her face to her hips as she put her arms around his neck. He then wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her up off the ground. Their kiss lasted for several more minutes before lack of oxygen forced them to pull apart and breath.
"It's a good thing we're outside." Neo breathed out.
"Why's that?" Law questioned.
"Because the crew is going to scream out so loud when we tell them," Neo replied.
Law couldn't help but laugh. She was right. The crew was going to be extremely loud the second they tell them they're getting married.
"Might as well head back and tell them now and get it over with," Law said with a sigh.
Neo giggled and reclaimed his hand in hers. She then guided him back to the crew knowing he would put off telling them if he could. When they got back to the crew, they all were holding surprised looks on their faces.
"We didn't think you'd be back this soon," Conner said.
"So what's with the glowing expressions?" Jean Bart asked.
"Hey! They are glowing!" Archer pointed out. "Does this mean you two have some good news to share?"
"I assume a question has been answered?" Topaz inquired. She placed a hand on her hip with a smile.
Neo looked up at Law.
Law returned the glance then looked over at their crew and answered all their questions in just three words. "She said yes."
The crew momentarily just remained in their places. At the same time, reality broke into their blank minds on what their captain had just said. They all screamed out, but Tero who just smiled and shook his head, in joy just like Neo thought. Law was glad they were outside. With all this shouting it would bust their eardrums if they were confined in the sub.
"Neo! I'm so happy for you!" Penguin cried, both figuratively and literally. He pulled her into a tight hug, soon joined by several other members of the crew.
"Captain!" Bepo cried too. He pounced on the spotted man, bringing his best friend's face into his fluffy chest. "This is so wonderful! I'm so glad!"
"Bepo! Can't breath!" Law choked out.
"I'm sorry." Bepo immediately dropped Law and ducked his head.
After regaining his breath, Law shook his head then smiled at the bear. The captain then glanced over at Neo. The crew was still bombarding her. They were hugging her, crying and already asking her wedding questions. He felt it was going to be a while before he could reclaim her by his side. A couple crewmates then walked closer to their captain. They gave him handshakes and pats on the back, with occasional teasing of their wedding night. Once he was able to break free from it all, Law sat down and leaned against one of the logs to wait for Neo to return to his side.
