Here we gooo! Another chapter just in time for Thanksgiving(in the US). Hope everyone is getting on well for the impending Jolly Holiday season. Have fun and enjoy this chapter !
These boys didn't understand how some people danced around fire properly. Penguin was the closest to staying on beat as Chef played the drum and Keith strung a banjo or smaller guitar. The basic beat and a good foundation for some other instruments but pirates made do with what they had. I clapped along with Bepo as the bear was too warm to bother dancing around. Marcus tripped over Shachi, and Matt was close to falling into Jackson as he tried to find a right foot to go along with his two left feet. Chuckling under my breath, I tried to ignore the terrible singing from around me. No one here could carry a tune well enough for what ever song they were trying to sing. I had heard a lot of shanties, and tunes in my life and the few I had heard already were no where close to any before.
I couldn't help but wonder if they were from the North Blue, all I knew about the sea was that it was habitually cold. There were more risks of getting trafficked into the sex slave world too. I smirked a bit remembering when Ace had threatened to leave me with some fishy North Blue crew before we met up with Pops, eh wasn't keen on having me with them even after a few months of sailing together. More than likely he didn't want me messing up his chance to get information or shit even to get laid. Many women wouldn't bat an eye at him once they saw me hanging around. It got to the point I would even call him dad just to see him get all bent out of shape from it. I was taken back to the present as someone tried to hit a high note and started coughing. Keith threw his Banjo aside as he rushed over to Marcus was red in the face...and standing directly infront of the smoke from the fire.
"Don't like shanties?" The soft question came form next to me, and I turned my head just a bit to look at the light dance on our captain's face.
"What pirate doesn't like a good shanty?" I asked back the slight smirk on my face growing as I saw the corners of his mouth turn upward. "They couldn't carry a tune if it was dead and in a casket."
The way his body responded told my brain that he was chuckling but I could only see his form shake. "They do like to try."
"We all do at some point." I said wistfully as I took in the men drinking while dancing. "Marco used to squawk like a real bird sometimes when he got to drunk."
"Are you sure it wasn't your own singing?" He bantered back at me, and I couldn't resist the smile that stretched across my face.
"Trust me, you'd know if I was the one singing." I quipped back at him, taking a bottle of what seemed to be juice that had rolled over to us and took a swig of it.
"Penguin sounds like his namesake when he's drunk." The statement had me choking on my rum and laughing at the same time.
The sound was lost to the loud bold shanty that Penguin and Shachi were duetting. Law seemed like he was relaxed, but the way he had his nodachi close and placed himself between the crew and the trees told a different story. We were both the only ones that weren't drinking, along with those on watch on the sub. I was glad when he had put his foot down that we weren't to sleep out here. We needed the log post to reset and hopefully it wasn't going to be too long. Tearing my gaze off of his face, I turned my attention back to the jungle. The ever present feeling that I shouldn't let my guard down was still here, and I knew well enough to not ignore it. Some parts of me remembered the weird training that I had under gone as a child. If my gut was telling me that something was off then it was accurate, I just needed to find exactly
It was still silent as we let the guys stay out until the early hours. I refused to become a pillow as I started to drag them inside. Bepo had turned in with Law long ago, and I only had Marcus to drag back in. The brunette was out cold, and had to weigh more than 200 lbs as his arm muscles were the size of my face. Concentrating just enough to pick up the heavy man with my newly acquired ability, I felt it. I could sympathize with Vista and Thatch as they were usually the ones dragging back drunken crew members. I was lucky enough to always sleep next to Pops, so I was one of the first taken in after a night of partying. The hammock I landed in could be different each night, I did have my own bed with the nurses but I refused to be apart from some. Pops stopped trying to make me stay in my own bed after one of my many nightmares came for me, I didn't remember what it was about, but I had spilled my guts to him about it in the early hours of the morning. After that I was allowed to sleep where I wanted, and rarely did I even return to that bed if I could help it.
The feeling of being watched was something you'd never shake once out on the sea. Whether it was sea kings, sharks, pirates, bounty hunters or marines themselves you were always being watched. The feeling was one I couldn't shake for the last hour or so. Throwing the last bucket of sea water on the dying flames, I nodded my head to the smoldering embers as I walked back to the gang plank. Once I was across, I pulled the planks to the sub's deck and got them properly stored inside the main door. Taking a last glance into the night, I took note of the small sliver of moon I still had. Tomorrow would probably lead to a blackened sky with its disappearance. The soft crash of the waves did nothing to sooth me, my instincts were rarely wrong, and I could feel it. Something was off about this island.
Closing the door behind me, I latched it into place. The dog tags were needed as parts of the sub needed to be water tight. I had a whole run down from the engineers, well more like they yelled at me when I asked what they were. Going through the second door, I paused for a moment, but decided to lock it down as well. There wasn't much on the first level anyways, just some storage and a freezer of some sort, but it had a biohazard symbol on it and I didn't want to know. It was becoming apparent to me now, that Law didn't get the name 'Dark Doctor' for his brooding personality. Softly landing at the bottom of the ladder well's landing, I turned in the direction of my room.
Gently opening and closing the door I tried to not make as much noise as possible. The guys birthing was down the hall, and I didn't want any rambunctious drunks wanting to continue to party. That would land us in potential danger as Law would dismember us for fun I supposed. I wasn't ready for the days after Ashflakes were some of the guys were limbless, or even headless as Law gave them their punishments for going to try and find treasure without his permission. Not bothering to turn on the lights I made my way to the bathroom, I had memorized the room now that I was staying in it. It was smaller than Law's captain quarters which was fine by me,
Getting in the bathroom, I shut the door as I turned on the light and started the water. It could take a few moments for it be warm enough for me to get under it. I could warm my self up, but it took energy that I didn't have at the moment. Under the now warm pray of water, I looked down at my own hands. Clenched and unclenching the appendages I realized I didn't quite know how much it took out of me to use these abilities. I did know however that I couldn't fully use them. Ace was able to turn his whole body into flames at a given moment, however I could not. I could light the island on fire, watch the flames and become on if I was still in their clutch. However, I wasn't a logia type user at heart I supposed. I would never be able to have those abilities from the people I touched. I could pass lightening through my body and into something else, or even generate it if I had enough energy but I wouldn't be able to transport like I had seen that guy do once.
Scrubbing myself clean and ensuring I had no more sand on me. Worse thing would be to lay in bed and find sand later on. I could never get it out properly after Ace or even Vista would lay on my cot after being out on an island. Standing in the light, I turned my attention to the mirror for a few moments. My skin looked a bit tanner than I had last recalled, but other than that I couldn't' find much of a difference. Ah, the sharpness of being under weight was gone, I had some chub on my cheeks. Feeling my mouth curl up at, I thought back to a time where they were pinched by a beautiful man who had taken it upon himself to try and make a lady out of me. Those fancy clothes could only do so much when I was running free across the sea with little to no fear of my own wellbeing. Something that had turned on me in such a away that I couldn't properly recover from while being on the sea.
Turning off the light, I basked in the silence of the darkness, while there was a hum from the sub itself I couldn't hear anything besides it. My hair wrapped in a towel so I could dry it properly, I started to open the door to my room. In the slight moonlight we had left, I could see all the shadows I tried to pretend weren't there some nights. The map of the Grandline was more haunting than I imagined it being. Drawings of sea kings looking more like the monsters they were than just abnormally big fish. They weren't particularly scary when the captain of the ship can throw them across the horizon. Seeing the shadows move, I stopped my slow opening of the door. Listening to my instincts I looked at the porthole in the room from where I was. There should be no reason that there was a shadow there. My porthole was facing the open sea…and there was no pier on the island what so ever.
Yet something was looking into my room.
I wasn't sure how long I stood there, only that I didn't move until I was certain there was no one there. Haki was no good to me if I wasn't able to concentrate on it, and damn me for not even thinking of calming down to see what it was. Dashing to my clothes, I hastily threw on the first set of anything I found. Hoping around the room slightly, I struggled to get my shorts on but managed before I could fall. Moving quickly, but as quietly as I could, I opened the door to the hall and stepped out. Snoring from down the hall in a weirdly synchronized way let me know the crew was still sleeping, and those on watch were probably below the water level. To anyone looking from the outside in, we were all sleeping.
Carefully opening the door to Law's room, I took in the porthole which was free of any suspicious being. Quickly dashing over to the bed, I wasn't happy to see him sleeping mostly peaceful. Lips slightly apart as he murmured nothings in his dreams. The blanket was kicked from his body, as it was tangled up by his feet. I closed my eyes and prayed for something as I realized my eyes were skimming my captain in a not so subordinate/captain way. Ignoring the low dip of his sweats, I placed one leg on the bed and leaned over to reach for his shoulder. I was going to get into some shit for waking him, but situations like this required either him or Bepo knowing what was going on.
"Law." I tried calling out to him softly but he didn't move an inch. "I hate to wake you, but this can't wait until morning."
Being slightly calmer, I could feel it. Just on the outside of my field of view, there was something and I couldn't really place was it was. Getting closer to Law, I quickly grabbed the blanket laying at his feet. Hiking it up and over my head, I sat closer to him on the bed and arranged the blanket so it covered us. Hopefully what ever it was would think we were apart of the shadows since it was black as well. Settling my breathing, I focused on the things around me. Law's breathing had changed slightly, but he was still mostly out. The hum of the ship faded as I concentrated on the thing outside of the sub. It wasn't on the water, there was no ability that any person on this side of the world should have that would allow them to walk on water. Even if they were here, that'd be an even bigger issue as I didn't want to have that fight so under prepared.
"Ana-ya?" Snapping my attention down to Law, I quickly covered his mouth with one hand, the other still holding the blanket up.
"Sh." I told him as I felt the presence get closer.
It was here.
I didn't want to put the blanket down to see what it may be. My instincts said it was human, but the porthole had to be a few feet above the water line. Just how were they looking in? It was possible to be on top of the sub and secure yourself with something then lean over the side. Risky if it was only one person, but that's all I sensed. I didn't feel anyone else around, and my haki wasn't honed enough for me to expand it out in my current situation. I nearly gasped as I repressed the urge to jumped as I felt a warm hand on my cold flesh. Glaring down at the sleepy captain, I felt my heart stutter as I lost 'sight' of the person outside. The oblivious answer would be that they went into the ocean so I could no longer feel them. However, haki didn't work like that so I knew they weren't near us any longer. Sighing heavily, I cursed my lax attitude once Ace left me with Alec. If I had been with someone else or somewhere else maybe I would have kept to my training and not be half useful.
Dropping the blanket, I looked out to see nothing in the porthole. Whoever they were, they were gone for now. The mask I had seen today came to mind. Perhaps I had been wrong when I assumed it was from long ago. Not ever island was modern, some places were fantastic with the things they had. Others were still very basic, gods that needed sacrifices, illnesses that were curses from those same gods. Many assumed most places were like their own, but that was wrong to assume on the grandline. Each and every island was different, with their beliefs, currency even, and culture to assume how they operated could mean death. The island we were currently on didn't seem like it had a hidden city of the modern age with lights and fancy machinery. This place if it had anyone here, was remote and probably just barely past hunter and gather type thinking.
"Ana-ya, get off me." The gruff voice pulled my attention back down to my captain.
Which I was now realizing that I had sat on him, and not on the bed like I had thought. I could feel my face getting warm and just thanked what ever being out there that I was cloaked in darkness. "There was someone outside the porthole."
"What?" The sleep that was still in his voice cleared as he sat up, coming near nose to nose with me.
"I saw a shadow outside my window, so I came to tell you and well they came over here." I explained as I tried to get off of him.
"Wait a moment." The other warm hand came up and let itself rest on my bare thigh. "Start from the beginning, how did you know someone was there?"
"I just said it, I saw a shadow outside my window." I looked at him like he was slightly crazy, maybe he was still partly asleep.
"Yes, but you were acting like they were here, outside my own." He spoke slowly like I was a child.
"Yeah, and I had us hidden by your dark blanket you emotionally stunted teenager." The snarky insult coming forward as I was getting antsy.
"Ana-ya…" He groaned out my name, and I ignored the heat rushing to my face, mostly because he couldn't see it.
"Whatever, I'm going to sleep with the guys." Giving up on conversing with him, I started to get off the him.
As my weight shifted, the warmth I felt on my leg vanish and reappear on my back. I let out a startled yelp as I was rearranged on top of him. My body pressed down into his own as I tried to plant my hands down to give me leverage to get up. Legs tangled up in my own as I realized that I was now stuck to my captain. Letting my head hit the solid surface of his chest, I let out a sigh of defeat. I had spent some time sleeping next to him until recently, I knew I wasn't going to get out of this unless I used my abilities. Which wouldn't go over very well since the man was technically in charge of me. Although, the punishment couldn't be that bad Penguin did something just the other day and was still walking around after receiving punishment.
"Relax Ana." His low tone made me still for an extra moment before I just let go. Feeling myself dead weight on top of him, he didn't make a noise or show in any way I was to heavy. "How did you know they were here if you weren't look outside."
"I saw them, you know?" I mumbled into his chest as I started to match my breathing to his own. It felt weird to breath in while he was exhaling.
"No, I don't, hence why I'm asking." I was lifted higher than normal by the next breath and the warm air tickled the top of my head as he expelled it.
"Hm, that's right you probably barely heard of haki, or even know how to use it." Blowing a lump of hair out of my face, I stared at the desk near by once again littered with texts and what not.
"You can use haki?" My next breath caught as a warm hand started under my shirt, tracing up my spine.
"P-please stop that." I could feel the anxiety welling up in me, as I put a name to the emotion I was feeling.
I arched my back, and pressed into his chest as I tried to escape the sensation on my back. That backfired completely as I felt the firm muscle under my finger tips dip as I pushed on the skin. The strokes themselves were so faint, one might miss them completely if they weren't expecting it. It was just enough for me to register that he was doing it, but not enough that I felt sheer fear from it. I didn't like how my body tensed up, like it was just waiting for something else. I could hear the words in my ear as I was told it was a natural reaction, and knew that I was exaggerating things even if they weren't going to happen. He may have spoke again, but all I could hear was water roaring in my ear. Screwing my eyes shut, I had to remind myself of where I was and who I was with. The Polar Tang was nearly impossible to infiltrate unless you knew how to open the doors and somehow make it past Law to get to the rest of the crew or his operation room. I was on the sub, not on a island. The man underneath me was Trafalgar Law, the Surgeon of Death Captain of the Heart Pirates. I wasn't with Pops, Marco wasn't here. I wasn't there.
Picking my head up just a hair, I moved it over to the right some and waited until I heard it. The loud thump under my ear letting me know that he was calm. This was a calm situation, I had nothing to fear. Law's my captain, he isn't going to do something to me that I wouldn't ask for. Taking a few deep breaths to match him once more, I found that he stopped. His hand was flat on my back, still on my skin but I could rationalize the warmth I felt from it. The tension I barely registered in my body was easing up as I felt my body melt into his own. I had spent time here in this bed with him, sleeping next to him, if he was going to try something like that it would have happened already. Time healed my wounds physically, but I didn't take the soft words whispered to me the next few days seriously. It was something that I'd never be able to run from, and I would never be able to forget what happened. I had to simply cope until one day it didn't effect me anymore. Letting my mind clear the night filled with heat and dampness left my scope as I took in the cool air around me.
"I haven't used it in a while, but it's like sparing you pick it up like second nature." I quickly mumbled out as I waited for my own heart beat to match his or slow down at the least. I sputtered out any words that seemingly fit with the conversation as I derailed my thoughts of the past in this moment. "I can see things, not like Pops or some of the others who can see way more. I've got a rudimentary handle on it is all."
"You can see things…" He trailed off for a moment, and I took it as some extra breathing time.
"Yes, it's how I found the water earlier. I have to concentrate a good amount for it to be clear, but it's a much smaller area I can see now." I kept speaking because I knew there was no out for me. I could speak about it him now, or I could wake up chained to the metal slab again as he questioned me. "I bet my armament is none existent now, I was just able to grab Marco's tail."
"You could train to get the abilities back?" There was a soft whoosh and I felt the thin blanket covering both our bodies.
"Yes, though it'd probably take some time, which I mean we do have for right now." I thought out loud. "Once we get to the New World, there will be many pirates out there that can use it. It'd be better to have it be more useful then than now."
"How did you awaken it?" The soft question was accompanied with arms coming around to hold me securely to him, as if he knew I would run before he got all of questioned answered.
"When I was young, we used to spend weeks in the forest alone." I spoke quietly. "The wolves were quick, but what use is that, if I can see you coming? I didn't know what to call it at that point. When we had gotten closer to the New World, I was able to put a name on it. I tried for a bit with Pops and them but it was hit or miss."
Hm?" I wasn't sure if he was slowly falling back to sleep or allowing me to by being this silent. There was much he'd want to know and I needed more time to remember how things went.
"Pops didn't want me actually fighting, there were a few times he turned a blind eye but I knew it was eating him up. Training only happened when someone had time, other than that I could really only meditate to pull it forward. It's hard to cloak yourself when you're on a ship of rowdy people. Marco said I would be able to pull him out of the sky if I trained hard enough, and I was able to grab it twice." I could blissfully remember the first day I had grabbed hold of him, not expecting it he almost fell from the sky. I was taken for a ride once he realized I was holding onto him and fell into the ocean. The view of the ship, and the ocean was breath taking enough for me, that I had actually let go by accident, and didn't even realize I was falling until I saw water was only feet beneath me. The impact hurt, but I was laughing away my precious air from the stupidity of letting go.
"You can use two forms of it, hm…" He trailed off into thought and I stayed still.
We trailed off into a comfortable silence as the conversation came to an end. He seemingly got the answers he wanted tonight and I wasn't going crazy thinking someone was onboard the sub. The drain of the day was finally getting to me, that tagged along with my shitty sleep schedule. I much preferred nights where we could float along the surface of the water .The rocking motion bringing me a comfort that I had been with out for some time. I had even spent a night recently down in the men's birthing just to remember what it was like to be with the crew once more. Bepo didn't snore as loudly as I thought he would, it was Shachi that did in fact with Marcus being a close runner up. Penguin talked in his sleep, and it was weirdly calming that Jackson answered him sometimes.
I was tired, and now I was warm. I had calmed down enough to feel the very slight chill in the room. My body was warming up on its own to accommodate my way into slumber. It had to be the early hours of dawn, and Law wasn't going to let me sleep in. We had ground to cover, and had to know something about who was here. The log post could take years on certain islands, and I certainly didn't want to be stuck here that long. Feeling my mind wander, I let my eyes close and the darkness envelope me. My earlier panic had now left me more tired than I was originally. Activating my haki after such a long time took the wind out of my sails as well, plus being on guard so much. Each muscle from the tips of my toes to my biceps one by one started to relax, making me go completely limp. I could feel the rumble that signaled Law was still talking but I wasn't listening, I wanted to sleep and sleep I would.
Here we go, just some feel goods, and Ana getting closer to the crew as they make their way on the seas. Hope you enjoyed and have a great day !