Shanks
"I'm surprised Luffy didn't try to sneak aboard." Ben glanced back at the little port village with a chuckle.
Shanks laughed. "He'll try it next time we're here, mark my words."
The crew echoed his laughter as Yassop swung down from the ratlines. "So how long are we staying out, captain?"
Shanks looked back at the village, then out at the waves. "Maybe a month? Two? Then we'll come back here for a few weeks." He winced as the scars across his eye throbbed, but ignored it. "Let's head north, see what we can find!" Damn that Blackbeard…two years later, and it still hurt.
The crew scattered about, making the necessary changes, as Shanks stepped onto the quarterdeck. He leaned against the railing, hand on his sword, and watched the waves as the village quickly disappeared behind them.
"Thinking about Mihawk again?" Ben's voice was low as he stood next to Shanks, facing the crew.
Shanks shook his head. "He'll show up if he wants to." He missed Mihawk; it had been almost a year since they had met last. But there was no point in worrying about him. He could easily take care of himself. And Shanks had found company in various bars in the meantime.
Ben glanced at Shanks. "Something on your mind?"
Shanks felt a twinge of annoyance; sometimes his first mate was a bit too observant. "Nothing more than usual."
"You're thinking about the Navy ships again." Ben didn't state it as a question.
Shanks shook his head, grinning. "Fine, you caught me. But they've been pretty active lately." It was true. Pirates, with much lower bounties than this crew's though, were being caught at a regular rate in the last year. Someone must've triggered a sweep from the Navy patrols here, done something bad enough to catch their attention more than usual
"Maybe we should avoid going south for a while. I think that's where they've been seen the most." Ben suggested.
"Or we can try to scare them off," Yassop laughed. He had jumped down on Shanks' other side. "We can take them easily."
Shanks shook his head, laughing. "Yeah, but then how will the other pirates get any better?"
Ben and Yassop grinned at that. Laughter could be heard from the rest of the crew.
"Think they'll be a problem, captain?" Roux asked as appeared from the stairs.
Shanks gazed back out over the waves. "I doubt it. They haven't tried to tangle with us in years."
It was quiet for a few minutes, then Ben asked, "Think Osa had something to do with that?"
Shanks cut him a glare, his good mood suddenly gone. There was an intake of breath from Yassop. The air shivered.
Ben held up his hands. "I'm being serious. We hardly had any issues with them before Osa, then we meet him, he disappears, and suddenly no Navy is messing with us at all? Not even an empty threat?"
"Can't be a coincidence," Yassop muttered, exchanging a look with Roux.
Shanks sent out a small blast of haki, startling them. "I don't think he said a thing. Not with the way he left." That stung, and he was sure Ben knew it. Shanks never mentioned missing Osa to anyone, and he was careful to keep it hidden from even his first mate. "And besides, that was a couple years ago. If he had, we would've encountered them by now."
Ben exchanged a glance with Roux and Yassop, but shrugged. "Just a thought, Boss, that's all."
Shanks let out a quiet sigh and relaxed against the rail. "The other pirates cause a lot more trouble than us, anyway. We don't go around attacking random villages." That was true. Shanks let no one on his crew hurt an innocent.
In the silence that followed, Yassop and Roux left uneasily, but Ben stayed.
"Sorry," the first mate muttered after a few minutes.
Shanks leaned back, trying not show his annoyance. "Don't be. I shouldn't let that get to me, not anymore."
"Still think about him a lot?" Ben raised an eyebrow, facing him.
Shanks shrugged. "Still can't get him out of my mind." And sometimes it drove him almost nuts.
The ship rolled and laughter could be heard from the rigging. The helmsman was ignoring them.
Shanks glanced over as Ben moved. "What?"
Ben was studying him, and it was a little unnerving. Shanks hated when he did that, because it always meant a serious talk was to follow.
At least Shanks wasn't drunk this time.
"I don't think I've ever seen anyone bother you so much." There was no accusation in Ben's voice despite the tone. "Not even Mihawk."
Because no one had ever refused to leave his head before. And as if he would try to forget Mihawk any time soon.
"Still think about offering him a spot on the crew?" Ben's question came as a surprise.
Shanks shrugged. "I doubt he'd take it even if I asked him. He's Navy, he made that clear." Very clear. Leaving without a warning, and nothing since. It was almost as if he had…
"If it makes it any better, I know he's still alive." Ben dug in his pocket, then pulled out a clipping and handed it to Shanks.
Taking it, he scanned the article. It was from a few weeks ago. "Cipher Pol? What do they have to do with Osa?" The government's assassins, they rarely showed their faces. Shanks was aware of them; stronger than most of the Navy, though not as much as the Vice Admirals. Usually. He was surprised they were mentioned, as they tended to work in the shadows.
"Look at the picture. Notice anything familiar?" Ben hinted.
Shanks frowned as he studied the somewhat blurry image. "So a pair of Cipher Pol agents took out a dangerous pirate? So what? They wouldn't come after us." When Ben shook his head, Shanks looked again and bit his lip.
There was a man standing to the side. The shape was mostly indistinct, but Shanks could make out feline-like ears…and he was missing a foot.
"A coincidence." Shanks snapped, handed the clipping back and shoot Ben a dark look.
"Even when the article states a clouded leopard showed up before the attack, and that man was seen leaving the wreckage of the ship?" Ben didn't take it.
Shanks sighed. "You've officially ruined my morning now." He crumpled the clipping up in one fist.
Ben shook his head. "Wasn't my intention. But I saved that because I figured you would say something about him eventually."
"So?" Shanks glared at him.
Ben shrugged. "For some reason, Osa has been stuck in your head, what, all your life? You met him before you became an apprentice on Rogers' ship, then again just after Rogers' execution. And then he shows up, unexpectantly, three years ago and spends a few weeks with us, where you hardly left his side the whole time. Despite not seeing him much, you've never once forgotten him."
He was surprised Ben remembered all that, especially since he had only mentioned meeting Osa before once. And had he really not left Osa's side? He didn't remember it quite like that.
"I'm not sure what, but he means something to you." Ben smirked and flicked his cigarette over the railing. "And after the night just before he left, I think he means a lot more than you realize."
Shanks' face burned harshly. "Stop." Ben's words unexpectedly cut him deep. "Seriously. We…might have been sort of friends, or allies of some kind. Roger and I saved his life, he probably saved mine, then I saved his. For one moment, and a drunken one I might add, I thought he could've been one of our family, but he proved he didn't want that. He's means no more to me than any other temporary ally we've had."
His neck prickled as he heard the lie in his words. Osa was his friend. At least, Shanks considered him one. And considering how Osa had apparently kept himself from attacking Shanks that last night, he wondered if Osa felt the same.
He stalked off, feeling Ben's gaze burning the back of his head, and shut himself in his cabin. Throwing himself on his bed, Shanks stared at the ceiling for a while. Eventually, he uncrumpled the paper clipping with a sigh and began to read.
Might make things worse, but he couldn't resist it.
Osa
Osa barely moved his head and the bullet lodged in the stone behind his head with a dull thunk. Shifting, he shot forward using shave and slashed his claws in a wide arc.
There was a squeal and the woman ahead of him crouched down, hands over her head, as a thick crack appeared right where her head had been.
Lucky. And fast. Osa felt a small prick of respect as he morphed fully and pinned her, his teeth in her throat. Her heartbeat was fast and stuttering between his jaws, but she had been knocked out from the force of his attack thankfully.
"Take her out." Osa bristled as Lucci's voice came pealing through the smoke.
Osa dropped her at his feet and planted his stump on her chest. "She's caught now. That's up to the Navy to do. Not us." He kept his face blank, ignoring the fury that threatened to break out. Lucci enjoyed killing. A little too much, Osa thought.
"But we are here to deliver justice." Lucci stepped through the smoke until he was fully visible. At sixteen, he was lean and lithe. Fitting for the user of the leopard fruit. Osa had been surprised when a regular leopard fruit had been found, then offered to the already blood-thirsty teenager, but said nothing.
He could've, and maybe then they would've had someone else oversee Lucci's first mission or given it to someone else, but he didn't. And now here he was, stuck with Lucci for the next few months still. He still couldn't believe he was forced with this…brat…for an entire year.
"And if taking her out is part of that, then that is our job." His face devoid of emotion, Lucci easily met Osa's eyes. His gaze was hard, a cruel edge tainting the depths.
Osa bared his fangs. "Our job was to catch Celosa, and that's what I just did." He stood up, staying partially in his cat form, and picked up the unconscious pirate with ease. "Now get back to the base. You have nothing more to do here."
Lucci's lip curled, but he sprang away with a low growl before Osa could repeat himself.
Osa carefully clambered over the wreckage of the building and stepped down to the road using the airwalk technique. While he might've captured Celosa finally, after accidentally revealing that Cipher Pol was around, he wouldn't hurt her more than necessary.
He was greeted with low murmurs as he entered the base and handed Celosa off to the captain. She would wake up in chains, and with bandages covering the gashes along her neck from his teeth, but she was alive.
He knew the marines, and many others, didn't agree with his sentiment towards pirates, but he refused to murder someone for defending themselves as she had.
"Osa, you don't have any orders for the moment, so you and Lucci are staying at the base for the time being." The captain told him as Celosa was taken away.
Osa suppressed a groan. Dealing with Lucci during a job was bad enough, but with nothing to do? Lucci would demand they train and Osa was in no mood to get his butt kicked. He hated training with the hot-headed teen. Despite having similar fruits and abilities, Osa didn't share the same ferocity that Lucci had and had yet to win a fight against him.
Sure enough, once the captain had left, Lucci approached him. "Show me that technique you used."
Osa glanced at him as they walked towards the quarters they, unfortunately, shared. "You mean the air slice?" He just wanted to sleep. To forget about today.
Lucci nodded. "Yes. How did you get it to slice through the air so fast? And powerfully?" Osa couldn't ignore the eager edge to his tone.
He paused, thinking. "It's a little similar to the finger pistol in a way. But just take your claws and rake the air as fast as you can instead of jabbing." Osa didn't mention that he used armament to coat his claws first, but didn't want to give him any ideas.
Lucci eyed a training dummy sitting in the training yard, and before Osa realized what he was doing, the golden leopard had leaped into the air and kicked with enough force to destroy it entirely. The large, bright slash sent the ground behind the dummy rumbling as well, a cloud of dirt bursting up. Lucci landed softly on the air, grinning widely, as straw and cloth floated down.
Osa suppressed a shiver and waited until Lucci had rejoined him. "Not bad." Terrifying. And not just because he had managed it on the first try.
"Fight me." Lucci said unexpectedly.
Osa stopped and faced him. "Why?" From the corner of his eye, he saw a few men stop and give them worried looks. He motioned quickly with his hand and they sped off. Fear-scent permeated the air.
"I want to train. You didn't let me do anything to capture that pirate." Lucci retorted coolly. "I need something to do, and sparring against someone is the best outlet."
Osa felt his eye twitch. "And why should I agree?" And get his tail broken again. Or another gash that would scar badly. Or potentially lose an eye.
"Because you agreed to train me." Lucci knew this wasn't true. Osa was only to oversee Lucci's progress, see if he was ready for a real mission, but not actually train Lucci himself. They both knew it, but Lucci had never forgiven Osa for punching him hard enough to knock him out years ago.
And Osa knew he was always looking for equal payback. But he wouldn't give him that satisfaction. It wasn't worth the effort.
Osa turned to leave when he heard Lucci growl, "Coward."
Osa halted and the few Navy personnel he could see ahead of him fled the moment they saw his face. With a roar, he leaped for Lucci and struck out.
Lucci disappeared in an instant and Osa grunted as the teen appeared on his back. Taking ahold of Osa's arms, Lucci yanked back hard. There was a snapping feeling in his shoulder and he felt Lucci dig his claws deep into his skin.
Osa shrieked and covered himself in armament haki before twisting himself around to grab the teens shirt. He flung Lucci towards the ground and felt a moment of satisfaction at the deep thud. Using shave, he fled to the edge of the yard and watched the rising dust cloud. He gripped his shoulder and popped it back into place easily.
He was panting hard, but didn't even attempt to tear his gaze away. He was glad he didn't, as in that next moment, Lucci appeared in front of him and kicked out while in the air.
Osa dodged in time, but was horrified to see the building behind him split open. Through the stones and dust, he could hear people yelling and running. He dodged around the yard and Lucci kicked out, sending crescent wave after crescent wave after him.
"You'll never stand a chance if you keep running!" Lucci called out. He sounded…excited. And how he mastered, and modified, Osa's move so easily?
Osa snarled and turned, fully morphed now. Digging his hind claws into the ground, he shot forward, striking Lucci's chest as hard as he could. He was rewarded with a pained grunt, but in the next moment, claws dug into his shoulder fur as Lucci flung him away.
Osa rolled until he hit the wall, smashing into it with a cry. He lay dazed, struggling to breathe, as Lucci walked up.
The teenager was eerily calm, with hardly any signs of the fight. Aside from some dust and rubble littering his shoulders and arms, he was completely unfazed. Osa barely kept his eyes open as Lucci knelt in front of him and spoke quietly, "I believe this calls us even."
Osa just closed his eyes and sank into the welcoming blackness, not wanting to face…anything at this point.
The feeling of something cold against his forehead woke him. He shivered. "Easy Osa, you've got a nasty lump." A woman's voice, light and low.
Groaning, he opened his eyes to the medical center's ceiling. Beside him, a young blonde woman was sitting with a bowl of ice. "Annie?"
She nodded. "I'm glad you're awake." She gave him a small smile and stood up. "The captain wants to talk to you. Do you feel good enough for that?"
Osa closed his eyes. "Just send him in." He couldn't keep the weariness from his voice even if he wanted to.
Footsteps sounded, and then a chair creaked. "He really did a number on you." Anger. Not at Osa though.
He flicked an eye open to see the captain leaning back in the chair, his legs crossed. "What?"
"Easy. I just wanted to tell you that you're being reassigned." The captain's voice was quiet. "A lot of people saw that fight, and they all agree that Lucci went too far. Your superiors have agreed that you and him need to be separated."
Osa snorted. "So where am I being sent?" Finally. If only they had realized that sooner.
The captain was quiet for a moment, looking out the window. "I'm assigning you as an assistant on my ship."
"Assistant? Assist with what?" Osa asked coldly. He'd had enough of fighting for the time being. And not just because he could feel pain throughout his entire body right now.
The captain met his gaze evenly. "We're going to look for more pirates. None of them have ever been anything close to Lucci's level, at least what he showed the other day-"
"Other day?" Osa interrupted, his voice ringing out. "How long has it been?"
The captains gaze grew dark. "You've been out for six days, Osa. We were starting to think you wouldn't wake up."
Osa sighed and looked at the ceiling again. "And if I don't agree?"
His skin pricked from the captains surprise. "Not agree? If you don't agree, you're stuck here with Lucci until someone can come get you."
So basically leave and fight, or stay here and get killed. And if he stayed…
But the only other option was to leave and go fight pirates? "Fine. I agree. Now please let me sleep."
The captain footsteps quickly receded as he left.
Osa glanced around until he spotted the window. Biting his tongue against the pain, he slowly sat up and moved his legs over the side of the bed. The room spun and he gripped his head, fighting against the nausea.
No…he wouldn't be able to make it to the window, let alone slip out without being noticed.
"Osa, you shouldn't be moving." Annie rushed over, placing her hand on his chest.
He hissed and she flinched back.
"I'm sorry…just...please lay back down." Guilt flooded through him at the sight of tears pooling in her eyes, but did as she said. It hurt too much to do anything else. "I…I agree with the captain. Maybe you'll do better at sea."
"And what? Fight more people? Kill them?" Osa burst out, fixing her with a glare.
Annie covered her mouth, tears spilling down her cheeks.
Osa closed his eyes, flattening his ears. "Annie…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that." He forced his voice to be gentle, to hide the snarl that threatened to burst out.
Annie looked down at her lap, slowly lowering her hand. "No…it's alright. You're upset. You didn't mean to."
But he was still sorry. "No, I didn't. But I…" He hesitated. He hadn't been open with anyone since… "I just need some sleep." He couldn't make himself talk with anyone, no matter how hard he tried. Even if he wanted to.
Annie nodded and left. Based on the quickness of her steps, Osa knew she was nearly running and probably crying.
Snarling silently to himself, he threw himself back onto the pillow. Why couldn't he tell even Annie, the only person at this base who treated him as more than a CP agent, that he was sick of fighting? That he wanted to toss himself into the sea and let it take him? That he would give anything to leave and never come back?
Shanks would understand, a small voice whispered in the back of his head.
"But he's not here. And you gave up your chance at that, didn't you?" Osa muttered, closing his eyes.
But if you ever found him again, and you know he's in the same sea as you, you could ask for it. Beg, even. You know he'd take you in, the voice whispered.
Osa snarled and shot up, crouching over the bed, his claws digging into the back of his skull. He felt his hair pulling from the root, but ignored it. The scent of blood tainted the air.
"Seems like you're not taking your inner argument well." Lucci's voice curled through the air and Osa glanced up. Lucci was walking towards him slowly, his gaze almost…arrogant.
"What do you want." Osa hissed. Why did he have to come in here? Why did Osa have to watch him? Why did anyone think them being together was a good thing?
Lucci stopped a few feet away. "I heard someone talking to themselves, and I found you apparently having an argument with yourself." His gaze narrowed. "What chance did you give up?" There was a touch of curiosity in his voice, though his gaze was dark.
"It's none of your business," Osa snarled harshly.
"It's the government's business if that chance was a moment where you maybe considered…deserting?" Lucci's eyebrow raised a fraction.
Osa dug his claws into the bed, but he held his temper in check. "Leave, Lucci. Our superiors have dismissed me from watching you any longer."
If he had any thought on this, nothing in Lucci's eyes or voice announced it. "Very well." He spun and walked out of the room slowly.
Osa watched as the door closed and released his grip. Laying back down, he stared at the ceiling and felt his heart thudding. There was no way that anyone had…
No.
Three years ago.
Yurai.
He had caught Osa sneaking back in and gotten him transferred as a result. Had he spread a rumor that Osa wanted to leave?
Osa squeezed his eyes shut and placed a hand over his face. Of course he did. Osa should've taken his chance.
But he was leaving with the captain on his next leave, he reminded himself. It was a slim chance, but if Osa found a way to leave…he was going to take it.
No matter what it cost.