"Ha ha! Missed me!"
I swung my foot in a failed attempt to splash Mattie, who was giggling delightedly at my current situation. It was hard to kick with someone's arm locked in the pit of your knee.
We had just spent the better part of two and a half hours hiking up the side of a mountain through the thick jungle brush. Even in the most ideal conditions, it would've been a challenging hike – the dense boscage making the steep incline even more arduous.
But it was still hotter than holy hell outside. The tree canopy above was the only thing saving us from getting absolutely cooked. It was so thick that most of the sun's rays were blocked, with just enough filtering through for us to see where we were going.
The last fifteen minutes had been spent walking through a cave system, which Shanks assured those of us who hadn't been brought out here before meant we were in the home stretch.
That had brought some relief… Until I heard running water. I had been operating under the assumption that water wouldn't be a problem until we actually made it to the falls. Or, more so, I was operating under the assumption that if water were going to be a problem, I would be forewarned.
Wrong. The last 200 feet before the opening we needed to exit through was filled with water.
It wasn't too deep. It came up just beneath Shanks' knee, which meant it would've been maybe an inch over mine. Enough that I couldn't use my devil fruit- not that I had reason to, enough for me to feel the drain on my energy, but not high enough to leave me immobilized. It wouldn't have been my favorite feeling in the world, but I could make it across.
That was, of course, what I thought, being that I was (at least in my own opinion) a rational person. Instead, I ended up being piggybacked for "safety reasons," as suggested by Mattie. Shanks had offered, a teasing glint in his eye. It quickly disappeared when, in apparent retaliation for his additions to the earlier conversation regarding Benn's weakness for women, the first mate pointed out that his captain only had 50% of his grip and was clearly a much better choice.
My protests had fallen on deaf ears, save for Shanks, who was still a bit pouty, and here I was draped across Benn's back, my arms wrapped around his neck, while his were hitched under my knees to keep me above the water below.
The kiddos thought that it was hysterical.
"Liz, how does it feel to be the second girl to ride Beck today?" Mattie teased.
"I don't know. Ask your mom," I fired back.
"Weak."
"I'm gonna-"
"Be helpless if Benn puts you down," Mattie finished.
I kicked again in another attempt to splash the brat.
"Watch it there, Liz," he said around his cigarette. "Can't be dropping you in here."
"I hate all of you," I huffed. "Longest 200 feet in fucking existence," I groaned.
"Now, Miss Elizabeth, it'll all be worth it once we get to the other side."
I glared at the back of Shanks' head. "Better be one hell of a waterfall if it's gonna make up for me being toted around like a child."
"Beck's right. Can't have you drowning on us," Yasopp teased, picking up his pace to walk alongside his captain.
"I wouldn't drown, you asshole, not unless you pushed me. Quit acting like none of you know how devil fruits work."
"Not personally," Yasopp chimed.
I rolled my eyes. "You know enough. Unless one of you is planning on actively drowning me, I can walk."
"Can't risk it."
"Precious cargo."
"You all suck," I muttered—no point in further fighting about it. We were almost at the end of the tunnel. Once we were through and I was on solid ground, not located beneath the water, I could get my revenge.
Shanks stepped out of the water, near the mouth of the cave, taking a second to slide on his sandals, which he had held in his hand through the water. Once he was secure on the rock, he reached out to me.
I grasped his hand, warm despite the cool water we'd just trekked through, rough calluses at the base of his fingers from his grip on Gryphon. He pulled me up so that I was back on solid ground.
The ease with which the Red-Haired crew could toss me around was still startling. Logically, I knew that they were freakishly strong, but they were just so casual about it. My brothers could, too, some of them, but it wasn't without some exaggeration.
I squeezed his hand in appreciation, which he returned. His grip loosened, and I thought he was going to let go, something that brought a touch of disappointment, though not unexpected at this point. However, he laced our fingers together instead.
"Can't have you slipping into the falls. I'm sure you could take the rocks, but the water would get you, and I'm not prepared for my lifeguarding duties yet," he said.
I rolled my eyes, not even bothering to fight the urge to smile, before gesturing for him to lead the way.
The mouth of the cave was hidden from the outside by a layer of foliage, which I pushed out of the way, revealing one of the most stunning views I'd ever seen.
At the center was a large ponytail fall with step falls on either side of the main basin, gradually descending to its edge, where the water lapped gently against the smooth pebbles there.
The water was such a vibrant shade of teal that it didn't look real. Every color almost felt over-saturated.
The rock faces peeking out from under the thick flora were pitch black, contrasting wildly against the almost fluorescent greens, blues, pinks, purples, oranges, and yellows of the leaves and flowers that grew from every surface.
"How the hell did you find this place?" I asked, unable to pull my eyes away from the beauty before me.
"I didn't," Shanks answered. I glanced over to see him. He smiled at the scene in front of him, but it was dampened by something, nostalgia, maybe. "The captain did. He used to bring the crew here."
I wondered if he thought about King of the Pirates the same way I used to think about the Old Man.
Shanks talked about growing up on the Roger Pirates but rarely went into detail about the bond between him and Roger. Everything that I knew had come from my brothers. I remember Marco telling me about the spats they used to get into and how, once the fight inevitably turned into a party of sorts, the dynamic of captain and apprentice reverted to that of father and son, not unlike the Whitebeard boys.
"My thanks to Roger, then."
Shanks led us down a path from the edge of the fall to the shore of the central basin. The rock face was coated in a thin layer of algae and moss. I had to admit that it was slippery and appreciated Shanks's steadfast grip. There, the bulk of the camp was already set up.
Bonk, Limejuice, and Monster sat in lawn chairs. Bonk and Limejuice were both with a drink in hand, while Monster was eating a fruit that looked to have come from one of the surrounding trees.
"Look who finally made it," Bonk said.
"Is this where you disappeared off to last night?" I asked. The three had been noticeably absent from the tavern.
"No, they went to bed early like a couple of old men."
"Some of us had to leave early to take the long way up so that you didn't have to try to carry the cart and the gear," Lime Juice shot back.
"Your service is much appreciated," Shanks said, quieting the spat before it could begin.
"There's another way up?" I asked accusingly.
"Yes," he answered quickly, "But you have to go to the other side of the island before you even start to ascend. It takes at least twice as long. Those caves cut through the mountainside."
"How'd that last stretch go?" Bonk asked.
I pulled a face, causing Limejuice to laugh. "That well," he said. He reached into the cooler closer to him and pulled out a beer, popping the cap off. "For your wounded pride," he said.
"I'll take one of those," Mattie said, joining the group.
"Not until you help finish the setup," Bonk said, gesturing to the other stuff that had yet to be set up.
"Why does Liz get to start before the rest of us?"
"Because Liz drunk off her ass is still more useful than you stone-cold sober," Bonk said.
"Plus, we like her better," Limejuice added.
"If you're doing real work, I can't justify hurling you over the falls," I said, taking a long sip.
"Well, someone needs to help set up if we want to eat before midnight," Luck said. He was pulling the cart behind him.
"I'll help Luck," I offered. "I'll do my part before I park my ass."
"Finally, someone who knows what the hell they're doing," he said.
Benn clapped, gaining everyone's attention. "Ground rules," he started. I gave Shanks' hand one last squeeze before letting go to join Luck.
Benn gave everyone minimal instructions for the duration of our time here at the falls. The rules primarily consisted of don't die and don't annoy him, which was sure to get broken.
Everyone was given some assignment to carry out before they could kick back. While they set up Luck's grill, I got to work sorting out all the food he had brought based on the instructions he had given me.
Others set up chairs and tents, while Shanks took special care to make sure that his hammock was set up just right between two trees with a perfect view of his surroundings. Bags were dropped, games were set up, and in seemingly no time at all, the first of the boys took off towards the water.
Fortunately, there wasn't too much prep work to be done, though it was more than Luck originally intended, seeing that Benn's tryst had cut into his prep time. But between the two of us, we got him caught up fairly quickly, and Luck banished me from his makeshift kitchen, noting that I had been more of a help in one day than the others had been in his entire stay on the crew.
Monster was truly in his element swinging across the basin from vine to vine, climbing up and down the different rock faces to mess the others.
I found my bag, which had ended up at the trunk of one of the trees next to Shanks's hammock. I dragged my towel out and laid it out before plopping down on the ground. I first found the edge of the bandages wrapped around my light, lifting it so I could begin unraveling it.
Once I was completely free of the bandages, I took my hair out of its messy bun and yanked the baseball T-shirt I had worn over my head, leaving me in my bikini top.
As much comfort as I found in my many, many layers, it was nice to be free of them for a change.
I put my shades on my head and kicked off my shoes, grabbing one of the remaining lawn chairs and looking for one of the boys who could point me to that shallow pool I was promised.
"Benny," I said, walking up behind him. He was sitting in a chair, watching over the chaos before him.
Yasopp had launched a rope into one of the treetops, giving them something to swing on. The other clowns were splashing away at each other and hurling themselves from the different ledges into the pristine water or floating closer toward the shallow end.
"Where can I sit and not drown?"
"Now you're concerned with your own safety?" he teased.
"If you're concerned about yours, you'll knock that shit off," I warned, glaring at him over the tops of my frames.
He raised his hands in surrender. "You have a couple of options," he said, standing up. "Here-" he pointed to the edge of the basin. "You have an incline, save for by the stream, where there's a steep drop-off."
I nodded, following his hand as he pointed to the right. "Those first two pools are shallow enough; you should be fine. The first one is only a couple of inches. The second is maybe a foot and a half."
"That's why you're my favorite," I said, heading over to the deeper of the two pools. I set up my chair, and it was perfect height, low enough that the water would flow over me while I was reclined but not deep enough to leave me miserable and drained. Plus, the mist of the falls kept me cool despite the blistering heat.
From behind my shades, I took in everything around me, particularly our daredevils, hurling themselves off the cliffs. Based on their movements, it looked like there was one path that branched off to the different ledges. The start of the path was viewable from the basin, but the rest was promptly obscured by the dense jungle. The lowest ledge was only about five feet above the water level. The next one was about fifteen feet up. That seemed to be the go-to. The last one was about 30 feet high, and so far, only one person was brave enough to take the leap.
"What a fucking idiot," I said, lowering my sunglasses so that I could look up at Shanks, who was currently standing at the ledge of the 30-foot jump, yelling at Yasopp, who was goading him on.
"Yeah," Gab said, handing me a drink and sitting down in the water beside me.
"What is this?" I asked, looking at the bright red drink in my cup.
"Luck didn't say. Just said that you're the only person who will drink this fruity shit with him."
I shrugged, taking the cup. I had the benefit of being able to burn the booze off if I got a little too tipsy. Turns out that Luck had a taste for some of the sweeter cocktails—brightly colored drinks that mixed fresh fruits and sweet syrups and to mellow out the harsh liquors.
Without Rayne, Gene, or my brothers to show out for and full encouragement from the girls, I realized that I also was a huge fan of a cocktail that was admittedly more sugar than booze.
If my brothers could see me, they would've never let me live it down. Being the only girl came with the risk of being stereotyped as "Girl." Rayne drank whiskey; if Rayne was pouring, you were drinking whatever she felt like. And Gene wasn't much better than my brothers.
I took a sip. "Not bad."
"I got the sugar sickness just looking at that," Gab said with a chuckle.
"More for Luck and I," I sang, dancing in my seat.
"How'd they get started on this?" I asked, nodding at Shanks and Yasopp.
"How do we get started on any of this?"
"Good point."
Shanks flipped Yasopp off before taking a few steps back and rushing forward, launching himself off the cliff's edge. He did one complete backflip before tombstoning into the water. He surfaced in the midst of the bubbles, his signature red closer to Carmine to Carnelian.
"I'd give it a five," Hongo said, sitting on the other side of my chair.
"I don't know. Good form. I'd say that's a seven."
"You were also eye fucking the competitor."
I swatted at Gab, who just laughed.
"With the splash… I'd give it a six."
"Six out of ten!" I called across the water.
"A six?!" Shanks cried, swimming over to our side. "That's gotta be at least an eight."
"You can take that up with my fellow judges."
"Oh, I can beat a six!"
"Damn Boss, a six."
With the promise of a new challenge and Shanks' six serving as blood in the water, things picked up.
Those risk-takers willing to take the plunge ran up to the top ledge. Grown men behaving like children. Bets were being thrown out in between the challenges, pulling Benn out of his chair to call some order and collect the money.
Shanks made it to the pool's edge and hoisted himself onto the step with the three of us.
He sat on the ledge, feet dangling into the main pool below. He ran his hand through his hair, pushing the red strands back. He leaned back, propping himself up on his arm.
I was blatantly ogling at this point. But who could blame me?
He'd gotten bigger in the past three years, muscles more defined, highlighted by the water droplets traveling in the valleys between them.
"Hey Liz, why don't you take another sip of that drink there? You look a little-"
"Doc, I will fucking kill you."
Gab choked on his beer, laughing.
"What's this six business?" Shanks asked.
"Hey, I gave you a seven," I defended myself.
"It was sloppy," Hongo replied, not missing a beat.
"And we are unbiased, unlike our third judge here."
"I think you two have it out for me."
"If they had it out for you, there are more effective ways for them to get back at you," I pointed out.
"What ways?"
"Better hope you don't find out."
"YO!" the call brought our attention to the top of the falls, where Yasopp was directing traffic. "Judges, are you ready?"
"I guess," Hongo called back.
"Great enthusiasm," I said, clapping him on the shoulder. "What does the winner get? What's the prize pool at?"
"We should be feeing for our service."
"If someone doesn't jump, they're not going to stop," Shanks called back. The three of us stopped just enough to scowl at him.
Yasopp seemingly agreed, stepping aside to let the competition begin. Several flips and flops later, our current leader was surprise entrant Lucky Roux, who had appropriately done a cannonball, the resulting splash drenching Benn, much to his annoyance.
Still, no one had received a ten, and Luck led with a nine.
There had been the expected outcry. Currently, critiques of our judging styles were being hurled across the water. I knew it would be competitive, but this was a bit ridiculous. I had voiced as much and been informed that pride was at stake.
I stood up, tapping Shanks on the shoulder. "I relinquish my judge responsibilities to you."
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"To show them how it's done."
His brow quirked upwards, but he said nothing further.
I took my empty cup with me as I made my way back to the bank of the central basin. I made a point to get myself a refill, waiting for either the next jump or a rise in the argument before I made my move.
I carefully made my way around, ignoring the knowing look that Benn sent my way. As I neared my target, I set my cup down, making sure to keep my steps light so as not to draw further attention.
See, Mattie was currently leaning against a tree at the edge of the bank, standing behind his buds as they watched the chaos.
'Perfect.'
I slipped into the tree line. He was utterly relaxed—a rookie mistake. 'Never let your guard down, kid.' I reached out and grabbed him, slipping my hand over his mouth to keep him quiet as I dragged him into the bush with me.
I had him locked in an iron grip. I couldn't let him thrash about and draw attention to us. That would ruin my fun. I had a plan, a vision.
"Ah ah ah," I whispered in hushed tones as Mattie tried to call out. "Save your breath, kid. You're gonna need it to scream later."
I went around the start of the path, rejoining it only when it was no longer in plain sight. It was more well-kept than I had thought. Getting to the top was clear; the overgrown fauna was kept at bay compared to the surrounding area.
Mattie had let it slip after another drinking competition loss that he was afraid of heights—a mistake on his part that was about to bite him in the ass.
The roar of the falls got louder the closer we got to the top.
When the ledge came into sight, I let go of Mattie's mouth, using my second arm to chickenwing him and lift his feet off the ground.
"Liz, what the FUCK?! Put me down!"
He tried to thrash about, but I overpowered him easily, keeping him in place.
"Oh, you want down?" I jerked my arms as if I were going to drop him, causing him to let out a high-pitched squeal. Music to my fucking ears.
I couldn't see the reactions of the rest of the crew. I could vaguely hear laughter and Benn telling me to play nice. The closest to us was Yasopp, who was chuckling at Mattie's misfortune.
"STOP IT!" he yelled.
"I told you I was gonna get you once I was on solid ground," I said. "What was that you said about me being the second girl to ride Benn today?"
"Liz, come on!"
"Now, who's helpless?" I asked.
There was a brief moment where he stilled as realization set in. "I'M SORRY! I WAS BEING A DICK AND I'M SORRY!"
"Oh, come on, man, you can hold out longer than that," Yasopp said.
"Don't listen to Yasopp," I said, lowering him so that his feet were on the ground. "Thank you for apologizing."
He let out a sigh, but before the breath had left his lungs, I sent him off the ledge, flying towards the water. He screamed bloody murder until he hit the water feet first.
Raucous laughter filtered up to where I was standing.
Now that I could see something other than Mattie's back, I had to admit it looked wild being this high up. Thirty feet didn't feel like that much from below.
The boys were scattered about the officers laughing or pretending not to in some cases, while the young bloods looked horrified.
Mattie surfaced and glared up at me, flipping me off before swimming over to the edge.
"Well, that oughta teach him," Yasopp said, standing beside me.
I hummed in agreement before shoving the sniper off, too.
"You can hold out longer than that!" I called down to the water, where he had surfaced.
"TEN!"
I glanced down where Shanks sat in my vacant chair, beaming up at me, Gab laughing to his right. Hongo smirking around his beer bottle to his left.
I bowed dramatically before throwing up the double deuce and making my descent.
Author's Note:
Happy New Year everyone!
So I went through and did some editing to the entire fic, and it's literally just grammar and shit, but somewhere along the way I did a find and replace and ended up with like 10 "Shanks'ss" throughout. If you are a new reader and you made it this far and saw all those, my bad. I've edited the parent doc, but changing it here through the doc manager is such a pain, so that is a battle for another day. On to the replies!
Review Replies:
LairaCapulet: This is so great! Honestly this story is a blast! I so lover Liz character and how shes quick with her responses. How long dose it take you to come up with this? Good work keep it up!
Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it. Usually the stupid quips come first, then I have to think of the context to justify the lines. Like what makes Liz shoot back your mom?