Naia smiled as the boys rushed into the forest; their excitement could be heard long after they were gone from sight. The pirates that had listened in on the lesson slowly made their way back to Party's Bar as Naia went about cleaning up the supplies they had used. Her hand reached toward Luffy's forgotten book when a tanned hand beat her to it. She followed the arm up to lock eyes with the Red Hair Captain.
"I have to say I wasn't expecting any kind of formal education in these parts," Shanks said, "It doesn't seem like the type of village."
"It's not, but if the boys want to go out to sea, I might as well teach them all I know about the world." Naia shrugged, holding her hand out for the book.
"Right you are," Shanks agreed, skimming through the book he picked up, "Any more poems in here we should know about?"
"You're welcome to read it while you are here." Naia slowly made her way toward the village when a hand on her shoulder made her stop.
"And miss out on hearing your beautiful voice read it to me?" The captain gave her a roguish smile and she felt a flush rise to her cheeks at the compliment. "How about we read one more while the sun sets?"
Naia let herself be led back to the beach. They sat next to each other, neither close enough to touch but close enough to feel the body heat radiating from the person next to them. The captain lounged while she read a few more poems, keeping away from the love sonnets and poems but keeping to a theme of adventure and life. One poem turned into 3, and 3 turned into at least 10. The sun slowly went down, bathing the beach in an orange glow causing the sand to glitter like little gems all around them. Naia couldn't help but bask in the gentle presence of the man, leaning ever so slightly further into his space, and letting their shoulders brush as she turned the page.
"I'll miss these calm waters when we finally leave," Shanks said, breaking their comfortable atmosphere. Naia halted her reading, turning to catch the eyes of her company.
"Planning to leave us already? The boys will be upset," Naia hummed.
"Hopefully not just them, but we will be going for a couple more voyages before our vacation is up. The ocean is waiting for us!" Shanks gestured to the crashing waves before them. "Who knows! Maybe once the boys are grown, and you are free to leave, we will meet again out there!"
Naia stared out at the waves' constant movements, with the sound of them hitting the shoreline becoming louder as Shanks' voice faded into the background.
"Well, would you look at who we have here?" A deep voice chuckled. "A lover's quarrel, perhaps? Are you not going to try and save her, Red Hair?"
Shanks ground his teeth, and from her position, Naia could see the conflict in his eyes. The ship rocked as they continued to stare each other down. The few marines still alive were cowering along the galleon's sidewalls while some had fled to below deck.
"How fun it would be to see each other where we both belong. You could see me in action!"
"I would have thought you would be raging about now, but instead, you're stuck like a man lost in a maze," The man continued. "She handed over her life for your freedom. What else does she have to give to prove her love?"
"Do not speak of things you know nothing about!" Shanks roared, his sword coming down, but the man was too quick. He jumped away, landing on the other side of him. Naia strained against her restraints, and the gag kept her from warning the captain.
"I could show you a great many places! The amount of fun we could have!" Shanks slung an arm around her shoulder, but the waves were louder than his voice. "I could take you anywhere your heart desires. The sky's the limit! Although it's not a hard limit!"
She struggled, ripping at her wrists in an attempt to get free. Blood flowed down her hand, providing just the lubricant to slip her hands out. She jumped. Not thinking. Not pondering. Only moving. Naia didn't feel anything as she stood in front of the man she had come to love. The endless battles and glorious after parties. His joyful face flashed before her eyes.
"Naia?" Shanks whispered, his eyes going wide as something red splashed against his face.
"Zehahahaha! Look! Look at what you have done, Red Hair!" The man boomed, "You hesitated, and in your hesitation, you have killed her!"
"NAIA!"
"Naia!" Naia flinched back as a hand waved in front of her. Shanks' worried face came into focus as she was dragged out of her memory. "You okay?"
"Yes, sorry. I was lost in my head," Naia reassured. Shanks looked like he was going to argue but decided against pushing the subject. He held a hand out to her, helping her out of the sand as they stood up. Naia stumbled a bit as the water swirled around their feet, burying them in the sand. The water surged and wrapped around her feet. Still, she had the distinct feeling that it was laughing at her as her face landed on the warm and very muscular chest of the red-haired pirate. Naia glared out at the sea as more waves crashed around them, pushing them closer together and drawing them further out into the water. Her long navy blue skirt ballooned as the water swirled around her legs drawing her into them. Its thick material quickly became heavy as it soaked up water.
"Not to be rude, but I didn't wear the correct clothing for a swim." Naia glared down at the water that was slowly creeping up to their waist.
"It seems the sea is pulling us out," Shanks laughed but kept his hands wrapped around her waist to keep her from being swept out. "Quite unusual behavior for a body-"
Naia shut her eyes as a huge wave washed over them, silencing the pirate captain.
"I would recommend you keep any further statements about the sea respectful," Naia giggled, "Especially since we are in it."
"Don't tell me you believe those Davy Jones stories," Shanks said as he raised an eyebrow at her.
"You don't?" Naia countered.
"Ghost ships and the sea in the form of a woman," Shanks snorted, "It's fantastical even for the Grandline."
"Then maybe you're still a little young." Naia shook her head.
"Young? Aren't you younger than me?" Shanks looked at her incredulously.
"How should I know? I haven't known you for that long," Naia laughed.
"It feels like it's been a lifetime," Shanks admitted, his laugh mingling with her's.
Naia let her expression soften as she gazed up at him. His features were alight with humor and the glow of what was left of the sun. The sea itself glowed with an ethereal light as the waves calmed and swirled around them. Shanks' hand slowly made its way up her arm, fingers lightly dancing along the curve of her body as it came to rest on her cheek. Naia sighed as she leaned into the touch, letting his thumb trace the contours of her cheek. They were far enough out that it was up to their shoulders, but the water was warm and welcoming as it continued to push them out. Wait… The sea was glowing. Naia twisted her head around as the light blue glow encircled around them. Her body tensed as the current below started to gain turbulence.
"I think we should head back to shore," Naia suggested, her unease leaking into her voice. "We're getting pretty far out."
"Wow, when did that happen?" Shanks turned toward the beach only to find it slowly getting further and further away. The waves that had calmed started to gain height and power the further the couple went. The cross-current continued to tug at their feet, pushing them under as each wave crashed. However, instead of a dark abyss of water, it was teeming with life. The fluorescent glow lit up the underwater world. It seemed that no matter how hard they tried to swim, the tide continued to draw them out. Shanks was quick to wrap his arms around her waist when it threatened to pull them apart. Naia gasped as something coiled around her ankle.
"Shanks! Take a deep breath!" Naia urged taking a gulp of air.