Shanks
Shanks watched as they guided Roger to the scaffold's summit. Around him, the crowd was packed and most of them were cheering. Shanks watched as Roger kneeled, his hands chained, marines on either side. Sunlight glinted cruelly off their halberds.
Tears welled up in his eyes and his cheeks became damp.
"My treasure? If you want it, I'll grant it! Search on! All the world had to offer, I left in that place!" were the last words before he was executed. Shanks ran off before he saw anything else, tears streaming down his cheeks. His heart pounding, he dodged past people as best as he could. A sharp-eyed man with black hair moved out of his way, and Shanks felt his gaze on him as he ran, but he didn't stop.
He didn't know where Buggy was, but right now that didn't matter. He just wanted to be alone, just for a moment. Tears blurring his vision, he dashed into an alleyway and collapsed into a deep niche, sobbing heavily. His chest heaved and he fought to catch his breath.
It was several minutes before he was calm enough to hear the crowd cheering, the people praising the Navy, and the scuffing of a foot nearby.
Shanks' head shot up and he blinked as he took in the teenaged boy standing not far off. "W-who are you?" He hated how his breath caught, the sobs that he couldn't hold back. He ran his arm across his face, sniffing.
The teen shrugged. "I'm sorry they took him." His eyes held more sympathy than Shanks's would've expected.
Sniffing, Shanks rubbed his eyes with his hand. They stung and he could feel more tears threatening to show.
The teen sat down across from Shanks in the niche. "I know he was a pirate, but that wasn't fair for you." He leaned against the wall, keeping his body almost hunched.
There was something familiar about him, but Shanks couldn't figure it out. His head was filled with blood, the sound of steel hitting flesh, and people cheering for the death of the person he cared about most. His straw hat was the only reminder he had left now.
"I didn't think Garp would actually catch him," the teen said. His eyes dropped to the ground, and he shifted awkwardly. "But that's what the Navy does," he finished softly.
Shanks sniffed. "He was sick. He must've thought this was better than dying slowly." He truly believed that, but then again, he never knew when Roger went to the Navy. All his life, the great pirate captain had raised him. However, Shanks knew that Roger had kept certain things a secret.
The teen nodded. "But still. I know what it's like to lose a parent. I know he wasn't really your dad, but he was like one."
Like to lose a parent? Why did that sound familiar? Shanks struggled to think, then felt his breath catch. Was that…fur coming from under his shirt? White with black spots! "Osa…?"
Osa nodded, his lips twitching at the corners. "When the Navy announced they had Roger, I asked if I could come here."
Shanks shook his head. "Why? Roger was a pirate. Nothing to you." He had taken Osa to Garp, sure, but that was the last time they had seen Osa. At least until the paper, that is.
"He was a pirate, but you and him were the first person to show me any semblance of kindness." Osa shrugged. His face turned red as he continued, "And I knew you would be here. I didn't think there would be anyone for you out there, and I wanted to repay you somehow." His gaze dropped and Shanks saw his hat twitch; he had a brief memory of Osa flattening feline ears.
Tears still dripping down his face, Shanks shook his head. "I..I don't know where the rest of the crew went. We split up." A year ago, but he wouldn't admit that.
Osa was quiet for a few moments and Shanks looked at him properly.
His skin had darkened to a soft bronze. His hair, sticking out from under his hat and reaching his ears, was a brilliant shade of red tinged black. He was skinny, but lean; much different from the starving six-year-old Shanks remembered. His brilliant green eyes had darkened but looked much brighter at the same time.
But that's when Shanks noticed his clothes. "You're Navy?" He wasn't sure if he had really believed that paper years ago. He had pushed it out of his head, though he never forgot about Osa.
Osa nodded, though Shanks thought he didn't look happy. "Garp handed me to someone in the West Blue and I was trained at a base when I was ten." He shrugged and looked at his feet. "I was part of the crew that brought him here actually…"
Shanks scrambled to his feet, tensed to run.
Osa stood up quickly; he was a little taller than Shanks now. "Wait! Even if you're still a pirate, I won't catch you!" He cringed back against the wall, his eyes meeting Shanks'. They were wide with worry.
Shanks placed one hand against the edge of the wall, his knuckles white. "…why? I am a pirate. You're Navy." His eyes hardened and he saw Osa flinch. A twinge of guilt arose, but he paid no attention to it.
Osa looked away and mumbled, "Like I said, I wanted to repay you and Roger. I couldn't help him, but I can at least repay you."
Shanks felt his heart speed up. "Will you tell the Navy that Rogers' crew is here?"
"No." The word came out quickly. "I swear." Osa's gaze met his, and Shanks was surprised to feel that he could trust him. They had only met once before, and Osa was Navy now, but there was something different about him.
Taking a step into the alley, he glanced at the crowd, still cheering. "Then I'm going."
"What will you do now?" Osa asked.
Shanks eyed him for a moment, then cracked a grin despite the sadness he still felt welling up inside. "I'm finding my crew and setting sail!"
Osa
Osa watched as the red-haired teen raced off. He hadn't expected to see Shanks so upset, then not upset so quickly, but he just seemed strange that way. Osa watched him for a moment, then headed back towards the square.
He hadn't stopped thinking about Shanks since the red-haired kid and Roger had saved him, and lately Osa had found himself thinking of Shanks more and more often. There was something about him that Osa couldn't place, or shrug off, and it only felt stronger now after having seen him.
A dark-haired man passed him and Osa shivered as unease flooded through him. Looking back, he saw him going the same way as Shanks. Before he could give them anymore thought, his captain appeared.
"Osa." The captain greeted him; Osa saluted. "At ease. We saw that a few of Rogers' crew may have been in town. Have you seen any of them?"
Osa shook his head. "No, sir. Aside from Silvers Rayleigh, I wouldn't recognize any of them." Except Shanks, of course.
The captain met his gaze evenly, then turned away. "I understand you're off duty today, but keep an eye out. Dismissed."
Osa saluted again and walked off, but as soon as he knew the crowd couldn't see him, he raced forward. The ground flashed beneath his paws as he shifted into his clouded leopard form, the stone walls of the alley flashing by as he followed the scent trail leading from the niche where they had talked.
His nose twitched at the golden-spice smell, edged with something bitter, and it was easy to follow. He slowed as he reached a wide street, shifting back human before walking into the busy roadway. Despite more people being familiar with devil fruits in places like this, he usually kept it hidden.
People eyed him warmly, greeting him and praising the Navy's capture of Roger. Osa responded curtly each time, but he felt an itch under his skin. If his captain was looking for any of Rogers' crew, Osa needed to warn Shanks. Osa knew there were others; he could recognize Rayleigh, Shanks, and the kid with a red nose, but the others were blurry in his mind.
He paused briefly, wondering why he felt this sudden urge to protect Shanks. It didn't make sense. But he shook it off and sniffed. There! He followed the trail to a small, hole-in-the-wall bar. But before he entered, he stopped himself.
"You have Navy clothes on, idiot!" he muttered to himself. "This place won't exactly be receptive to you." It was a well-known pirate hangout, but he didn't have a spare set of clothes with him. They were back on the ship, but he knew he didn't have time to fetch them.
Thinking quickly, before someone noticed him standing just outside the door, he dodged into the narrow alley. Above him, a narrow slot sat near the top of the wall. Shifting, he leaped up the boxes, jammed almost wall to wall, and angled himself to listen through the slot.
"No, I don't want to join your crew, Shanks!" It was another teen, Osa was sure of that. His voice was cracking.
"Come on Buggy, it'll be fun!" Shanks sounded enthusiastic.
He sure got over being upset quickly… Osa sighed quietly, settling himself onto the top crate gently. Now if only he would come out…
"No! I'm getting my own crew!" A chair scraped against the floor and the door opened, then slammed shut. Osa stood, but Shanks' scent hadn't moved.
"Heh, you'll find a crew Shanks, better than him." A man said, chuckling. Osa felt a shiver at the powerful aura that accompanied his voice.
He felt a pang of sympathy for Shanks, but quickly stood again as the golden smell scent shifted. The door opened and Osa leaped down, hissing softly.
Just around the corner, he saw Shanks freeze. The golden-spice smell turned sour with fear.
Osa scratched his claws against the corner, and when Shanks turned, Osa flicked his tail for him to follow.
If Shanks was skeptical, it didn't show. He appeared a moment later and looked up at Osa. "Osa? What are you doing here?" The fear scent had faded.
"The Navy are looking for any of Rogers' old crew." Osa didn't hesitate when Shanks' eyes went wide. "My captain just told me to report to him if I spotted you."
Shanks took a step back.
Osa flinched at the fresh wave of fear that threatened to overwhelm him. "I won't turn you in. Not now." Not ever, if Osa could keep from it. "But you need to leave." He let a touch of desperation creep into his voice.
Shanks relaxed and met Osa's gaze evenly. "Why are you warning me?" Osa admired that Shanks didn't sound scared. He was gazing at Osa steadily, his face calm. The fear slowly faded, and Osa breathed a sigh of relief.
He shook his head. He didn't know why, but he wouldn't admit that. "I don't want to see you caught." True, but not all of it. Just what he absolutely knew.
There was a whistle outside the alley, and Shanks suddenly cursed and started up the boxes; there wasn't enough space for him to squeeze between them and the wall. Osa was surprised at his immediate reaction, and at the new wave of alarm emanating from him. It was just someone whistling to their dog, but Shanks was scrambling up quickly.
Osa shrank to the side, but as Shanks reached the top, there was a terrible cracking sound and the crates wobbled beneath them. Osa didn't have time to react as he and Shanks were thrown into the alley behind the now-broken pile of wood. Osa closed his eyes and instinctively reached out. His breath left his body as his back hit the ground and stars danced across his vision.
It was several moments before he could move. Something was pinning him, something…not as heavy as he would've expected.
"Um, Osa?" Shanks' voice was quiet. A hot whisper of breath tickled his whiskers.
Osa opened his eyes to see Shanks barely an inch from his nose. He felt his skin grow hot and released his grip; he had grabbed onto Shanks and pulled him down! Osa scrambled out from under Shanks, almost tripping backwards. His face felt like fire, and Shanks had red spots appearing along his cheeks.
Shanks' eyes were wide. He opened his mouth to say something, but Osa reacted before he could. He swung around and stepped into the air, using the new technique he learned to escape the alley…and hopefully, his embarrassment.
Shanks
Shanks watched as Osa disappeared in a snap, but he didn't notice how Osa had leaped into the air. He hadn't touched anything to give him a boost, but Shanks glimpsed a black-spotted white tail disappear over the roof edge above him a few seconds later.
His face stung, but not enough to distract him from his racing heartbeat. When the crates had fallen, he was heading for the ground when Osa dug his claws into his arms and put himself between Shanks and the stones.
The fall hadn't hurt Shanks at all, but he noticed Osa had been dazed for a second. But the moment he was aware of Shanks sprawled on top of him, he had freaked out. Shanks didn't think Osa had realized what he had done.
He waited a few moments, then turned to the crates. Something had happened there…and he wasn't sure what. All he knew is his skin felt hot and he wanted to follow Osa, not that he'd be able to replicate what he'd seen though, and talk to him more.
But he couldn't stay here, not if what Osa said was true. And for some reason…he believed him. He thought about the desperate undertone and the worried look in his eyes.
Shanks tried to ignore his burning face. Clambering over the mound of broken wood, he noticed that the surrounding people had fled. A lone man, or maybe an older teen, stood nearby, but that was it. Shanks took a deep breath to calm his heart and looked at him.
The stranger met his eyes and gave a small snort. "Fight with a leopard?" The man's voice wasn't dull, but he sounded bored. A long sword hung at his side.
Shanks grinned. "And won." He walked over to the stranger and saw that he couldn't be more than 16, only a year older than himself. But he was tall, and the serious look on his face made him appear much older from a distance.
The teen grinned for a second. "Pretty brave." Admiration tinted his voice. Shanks felt a small rush of pride.
"I'm Shanks," he said, introducing himself.
"Dracule Mihawk." The teen's gaze was unnerving, but Shanks didn't think that in a bad way. "So who was that?" His yellow eyes flicked to the alley and back.
Shanks shrugged. "A friend." He stopped, surprised at how easily the world fell from his tongue. Was Osa a friend? They had only met once before today, but Osa had also warned him of possible trouble. "Just came to say hi when the crates gave way." He found Mihawk easy to talk to.
Mihawk eyed the crates, then turned his piercing gaze on Shanks. "He left in a hurry." When Shanks didn't respond, Mihawk shrugged. "He said the Navy was looking for members of Rogers' crew. Maybe other pirates should leave for the moment as well."
A sober mood settled through Shanks at this. "Yeah, it might be safer. Are you a pirate?"
Mihawk nodded. "I was just about to leave for the docks, and it appears you might have the upper hand in avoiding the Navy currently."
Shanks looked at him in confusion, but shrugged as they headed down the street. "Do you have a crew?"
Mihawk didn't speak for several minutes. Before long, the docks appeared. "I don't sail with a crew."
Shanks waited as they approached a small ship, more of a boat, and frowned. "That sounds lonely."
Mihawk shrugged and leaped over the edge. "Do you have a crew yet?"
"Not yet. But I'm starting to look now." Shanks grinned. "Maybe you could join. Be the first member!"
Mihawk gave a dry laugh. "No. But I'm willing to let you sail with me unless you want to risk the Navy catching you here."
Shanks paused. He wanted a crew, and this was a good place to start, but Mihawk was right. And Osa had given him a warning… With a shrug, he leaped into Mihawk's boat. "Sure." He grinned at the dark-haired teen. "And maybe I'll convince you to join my crew on the way."
Mihawk shook his head but didn't answer. But Shanks didn't miss the smirk he tried to hide.
Osa
Osa crouched on the roof, his heart beating a tattoo inside his chest. His face was still burning, his fur hot. Slowly, he morphed back human and collapsed against the edge of the roof. Why had he reacted that way? He was concerned for Shanks, didn't want to see him end up like Roger, but when he opened his eyes to Shanks'…something felt different.
He couldn't get those dark brown eyes out of his head, and he hoped Shanks hadn't noticed how Osa's heart was nearly thrumming under his hand. He could still feel Shanks' body over his, the weight strangely comforting. It wasn't like in training, when Yurai or Luca pinned him. Then, it was just annoying until he threw them off.
And his nose was still filled with the golden-spice and beer-tainted scent of his breath over his muzzle. It was almost intoxicating.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he stopped when he heard Shanks speaking. Peering over the edge, Osa spotted him talking with a dark-haired teen. Osa blinked, recognizing the strange yellow eyes from earlier. He had been in the square during the execution, then walked after Shanks.
"And won!" Shanks' grin was visible even from here.
The other teen smirked, and they talked quietly enough that Osa didn't hear them for a moment. They started moving and Osa hissed. Not understanding why, he leaped from rooftop to rooftop, following them as quietly as he could.
They didn't talk much as they headed for the docks, but when Osa saw them board a small boat together, he let out a sigh of relief. There was also a small, burning twinge he felt when he saw them together, but he pushed it aside.
A fresh but familiar scent touched his nose and he growled, leaping down into an alley quickly and emerging human. Fixing his hat to hide his ears, he stepped forward.
The captain nodded to him as Osa approached. "Cadet. Anything to report?"
Osa paused. He scrambled to think of something when the captain's eyebrow raised. "Nothing to report yet, sir. I was heading for the docks when I spotted you."
The captain frowned but jerked his head towards the two people behind him. "Then come with us. We've been ordered to travel the East Blue for a while. We leave in the morning."
Yurai cocked his head at Osa behind the captain's back. He was frowning, but Osa didn't react. When Osa joined him, Yurai whispered, "You saw someone. I can tell."
Osa shot him a glare, smacking him with his tail. "Shut up!" he hissed under his breath. "I didn't see anyone from Rogers' crew, but there were other pirates." True, technically, but he wasn't going to rat Shanks out. Hopefully, he'd be gone now.
His tail dropped a little and he morphed it back before it gave away his mood. He wasn't sure why, but the idea of Shanks not being here bugged him. He felt his face burn slightly, but tried to ignore it.
Luca nudged him and whispered, "What's wrong with you?"
Osa shrugged. Under his hat, his ears flattened. The heat in his cheeks intensified.
"Seriously. Your face is like really red, Osa." Luca's gaze was burning into the side of his head, but he didn't react.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd think he has a crush on someone he saw today." Yurai's hot whisper set Osa's hackles bristling, fur puffing out under his clothes. Yurai chuckled. "I think I'm right."
Luca hid a giggle behind her hand, but her eyes sparkled. "Seriously? That's cute. But we'll be leaving tomorrow." She gave Osa a small smile. "Maybe you should go find them before we go."
Osa shook his head slightly and murmured, "They left." He didn't think it was a crush, as he had no experience with anything like that, but his heart was still fluttering from the moment in the alley. Forcing his ears back, he tried to push the image of Shanks from his mind.
He didn't miss Luca's sympathetic look though, and didn't fight Yurai's one-armed hug as they followed the captain.