Author's Notes: Alrighty, so this one goes out to Ninskeep and Elit3. Elit3 is the author of Silvers Security Agency. I just bookmarked this story on AO3 and would recommend the read if you're into yaoi fics. It's a Shanks/Mihawk AU fic that's pretty cute. The story inspired me to write the clip where Mihawk appears. He doesn't have a big impact on Nesi's character since I doubt he would bother with the privateers, but he is there for comedic purposes. And, I dunno, I could be wrong. Maybe he would be curious enough to investigate the privateers. You all would know better than me, right? 0_o

~ ... Vampire Tango & Masquerade ... ~

It wasn't like him to go hunting for him. Suspicions were raised to their peak heights for Dracule Mihawk. Normally, he would go out to find Shanks for a proper duel, but this time - this one unusual time - Shanks had it out for him. He was smiling oddly about it, too. Hearing the redhead call his name was strange enough but watching him pull out his sword despite knowing Mihawk no longer had an interest in fighting a man with a handicap alerted his attention sevenfold. This was no ordinary request. Did it have to be today of all days, though? While he was sleeping, no less? Shanks had to have chosen the weirdest hour to disturb a man just to add to the otherworldly circumstance. It wasn't so early in the morning that the sun was still down, but it wasn't late enough to start one's day either. It was right in between dusk and dawn.

"I seek an audience, old rival," Shanks purred, grin changing from one of malice to one of eeriness. One could mistake it for lust.

"Do you know what time it is?" Dracule questioned, unamused by the redhead's ungodly request. This was madness! His eyes visibly narrowed with annoyance before he clarified, "I already told you I've no interest in fighting you since the loss of your arm."

"Ah, but I'm here to fix part of that problem," Shanks replied with a creepily seductive tone. This is not the time to find out this man's sexual preferences! "Will you hear me out or not, dark swordsman?"

"... Go on..." Dracule responded, squinting his eye while tilting his head down with even greater suspicion.

"I need an audience at my base island to sedu - train a new warrior."

"No."

"Then, we'll do battle to settle this like always," Shanks said, eager to get this over with.

"I'm not watching you train a youngster with your hedonistic approach. Bring this warrior to me. You're in no condition to train anyone in swordsmanship anyway," Dracule reminded coldly.

"If you insist..." Shanks replied, sheathing his sword. Success! "Where would you like to meet this kid fighter? Your castle or elsewhere?"

"... Why are you so eager to train this child?" Dracule questioned, earning a smirk as a reply.

"Valentine?" Nesi questioned.

The Spades had just gone into town to hunt for information on any nearby treasure. Nesi remained on the ship to clean it up and train until Baragon squawked at someone. Mothra also chirped to alert Nesi and tugged on her fluffy skirt to get her attention. When Nesi did turn, she was met with Shanks just sitting on the lounge sofa on the deck. He was smiling politely as he rested there. The Red Force wasn't behind him or in the distance, so he had to have come to see her by some other means. Hopefully, he didn't just swim to the Bloody Doubloon like a fish, but this was also Valentine the Charming Huntsman she was talking about. This dude was relentless!

"What're you doing here? Is this your home island or something?" Nesi asked, tilting her broom cutely.

"No. I've come to get you, beautiful lady," Shanks replied.

"Oh, for another game?" Nesi questioned, lightly chuckling. She has yet to realize that Shanks took game night quite seriously. She will learn...

"Actually, for a dance!" Shanks replied, fighting his cuddling instincts for the moment. Must be patient...

"Your emperor of the seas only has one birthday. Does he not know that?" Nesi asked, smiling in a joking manner.

"It's not for his birthday, Lady Llandala," Shanks answered, keeping his warm smile. He forgot that she still didn't know his name or his current title. Good! "It's for a friend of mine. He's a bit of a stiff fellow, but there's a trickle of good in him. He's very competitive and quite honorable. I'd like to believe he can be impressionable sometimes much like you, beautiful lady. He doesn't particularly care for big parties, so I thought I'd do something small. I'll pay you for it."

"There's no need, Valentine," Nesi replied, shaking her head sweetly. "I owe you for cheering me up at the emperor's big party. I didn't get to do much, but I liked playing games with you. Less boring!"

"You didn't like dancing?" Shanks asked, slightly hurt. She was good at dancing.

"I liked making you happy," Nesi answered, shrugging her shoulders but maintaining a cute blush and smile. Shanks had to fight everything in him to not cuddle Nesi. Not yet... Must be patient... "The girls were happy, too. That's pretty much all I dance for these days. To celebrate life and the people who've added value to my life. Even my little friends here like Snookums and Madame."

"Squaw!" "Gumfree!"

"Well, that's what I need for my friend! He doesn't celebrate life like he's supposed to. I think your dancing will help him see things differently. Plus, I like dancing with you. I'm no good at it, but it's fun," Shanks complimented.

"That's not true at all, Valentine," Nesi said gently, smiling warmly. "You learn dancing quite quickly, and you understand rhythms just fine. I think you dance beautifully. Don't let anyone tell you different. You didn't let anyone call me a lizard lady. I won't let anyone call you a bad dancer. Now, about that friend of yours! What's he into? Super masculine stuff, maybe scientific stuff, is he into music?"

Fight it, Shanks! The redhead wasn't going to make it if Nesi kept being cute, but he had to hold back for his plan to work. He then answered, "Actually, he's a little more... sophisticated."

"Hm?" Nesi questioned with a pout.

"I'm not understanding why you needed a stage for this," Mihawk said with obvious suspicion.

He was seated next to Shanks, who remained oddly quiet and focused on the stage Mihawk provided, and was waiting for an explanation on things. But, the redhead refused to expose anymore details about this warrior he wanted him to meet. He couldn't insult him, punch him, spit on him, nothing! Shanks was homed in on the lighting and roses being placed onto the stage. The band that played music at his own birthday party returned for this new function. Suddenly, violins and cellos cued up. It was a dark tango song playing. Piano soon accompanied the strings and a romantic flair was added with Spanish guitar. Analyzing the room, Mihawk wanted to make sure this wasn't a trap before taking out a sword. When a set of large, red, dramatic feather fans appeared, Mihawk settled down and followed Shanks's eyes to the person dominating his stage. Don't ask why he had one. Dracule would never tell you, but the woman who appeared behind the fans... well, he might be inclined to spill just that one secret.

Those red lips, dark eyebrows and hair, Spanish hairpiece and dress, long legs... she was a dancer. One that knew how her body and movements could entice even the most stubborn of men. If she didn't know it, she was putting on a convincing act. The story she was telling was quite tragic. The narrator/singer was voicing the story of a woman who loved - wait, was she looking at him? A man she loved didn't want her to leave home again. She was a street walker from the implications of the chorus. Her work hurt him because they loved each other so. She promised that she would do the work no longer, but... when she came home, her love was murdered and she had to flee for her life. Heartbroken... she turned to vengeance. Ripping her dress apart to show more of her body in a lingerie dress, the dancer strutted around in her heels and became a pistol-wielding piratess. Confident and cold, she made sparks dance across the bodies of her guns. She fired a few shots. No bullets came out. Mostly reddish smoke. Her theatrics were mesmerizing. As the song ascended to its climax, she used the smoke to disappear like a shadowy bat had come to collect her. The illusion was complete.

"Dahahaha!" Shanks laughed once Mihawk turned to him slowly to silently question him.

"What amuses you about this exactly?" Dracule asked aloud.

"Several things, actually. For one, I needed your stage to introduce the kid fighter we talked about. Two, the girl you were clearly interested in on that stage is the kid fighter."

"Pfft!" Dracule spat out his wine at this revelation.

"Yeah, same," Shanks said, slapping Dracule's shoulder with a heavy hand. He then got serious for a moment to say, "You've heard of the rookie pirate crew, right? The ones called the Spades? She's their floor scrubber."

"She's a galley man?" Dracule questioned, confused by this information. "Why not leave to do dancing?"

"She wants to get into politics - namely, the ones involving pirates like us. She has a lot of potential, and it sounds like she wants to be like you. A warlord. I don't know about her fighting power, but her intelligence is admirable. The only way I can get any of you people together to meet with her or even teach her is by using her skills to get your attention."

"Valentine?" Nesi called, gaining the man's attention instantly.

"Ah, that was fast!" Shanks complimented, leaning back to introduce Mihawk. "This is my stiff friend I told you about. What are you hiding, Lady Llandala?"

"Huh? Oh!" Nesi said, hurriedly taking out her gift boxes. She opened the larger one to reveal a small cake with a candle already in it. "Happy birthday, Mr. Mihawk! Valentine wanted me to give you something special, so I thought maybe a cake that goes with wine would do. It's not too sweet. We still had an antique piece on the ship that no one knows what to do with. I hope you like it as a small gift!"

Dracule simply gave her a long glance before he licked his finger and snuffed out the lit candle. Nesi smiled warmly at him, nodding at his actions before placing the cake down to cut it with a small knife she brought with her.

"Ah, the lady also offers a dance with the birthday boy. Wanna tango?" Shanks asked, smiling brightly.

Dracule said nothing to either of them. He took a piece of Nesi's cake from the plate, put it in his mouth, and chewed maybe once before the cake melted in his mouth on its own. When he paired it with his red wine, his eyelids lowered before he slowly rose to stand and offered his hand. Shanks took in a sharp breath at this. He was actually going to do it?