Shanks

The bow cut cleanly through the water, but Shanks wished the ship would go faster. Ahead of him, the sun had just kissed the sea, yet there was no island in sight yet. Laying his hand on his sword, he shifted his stance, almost impatiently.

"Sure you should be up here?" Yuki's voice rose behind him, and he stifled a sigh.

"Hongo said it's alright," he told her, barely keeping the weariness from his voice. Not again…

Since the crew came back and the ship left Ferrow Island, she'd been more persistent. Normally, he would brush her off and she would take the hint, but after most of the crew saw Kiyo and Limejuice together in the crow's nest, Yuki used every opportunity to try to get close to Shanks.

She was grating against his nerves at this point.

Shanks knew that after this mess was dealt with, he would need to figure out how to deal with Yuki. He never forced anyone to stay on his crew, but he'd also never made anyone leave either. The few that left, and of their own accord, joined one of the subordinate crews. But Yuki had joined the crew to get close to someone Shanks truly believed she didn't care about him as her captain, but as something else. And not something he wanted, especially when she was persistent like this.

It was made worse by the fact she obviously thought she was being subtle. Even that first week, when she wanted him to train her, he knew she wasn't asking for a lesson. Not really.

He didn't move from his spot, watching for any sign they were getting close, but he felt her presence just behind him.

"Yuki, help Roux in the kitchen." Benn's voice was quiet, but the warning was clear. A spark of irritation from her direction, then footsteps leaving. Benn appeared to his right. "She's getting on my nerves." His eyes hard, he barely glanced in her direction.

Shanks chuckled. "Mine too." More than getting on his nerves, if he were being honest. She was wearing him down to where there were nights he didn't want to leave his cabin. He almost thanked Benn, but just shot him a smile.

"Hongo told me that Kiyo thought she was jealous," Benn stated. "In didn't know what he meant at first, and I'm not sure he knew himself, but now I think I get it."

Shanks tilted his head, glancing at him from the corner of his eye.

Benn lacked his usual cigarette for once, but that wasn't surprising considering the strong wind blowing across the deck. "You showed Kiyo more attention than her," he grinned and shook his head. "I think she thought Kiyo was after the same thing as her."

Shanks couldn't help but laugh at that. "I'm surprised she's still trying. At this point, I may have to kick her off the ship so she gets the hint." He chuckled, but there was a hard edge to it.

Benn shot him a look. "She getting that persistent?" Had he not noticed? Shanks shouldn't be surprised by that.

"Yes." The word nearly snapped out. "Remember a few nights ago and half the crew was drunk?"

"Isn't that most nights?" The question earns Benn a shove, but he just laughs it off. "I think I remember which night. She wasn't as drunk as everyone and almost hanging off you."

Shanks bit back the groan in his throat. "I think I would've said something if I hadn't drunk so much." His grip tightened and he was glad he had stopped drinking as heavily.

Benn snorted. "Or done something regrettable if you had drunk even more."

Shanks just shook his head. He knew he would've stopped before that point. And even if he hadn't, he knew Benn would've stopped them before Shanks was led away.

"Would you really consider making her leave though?" Benn asked after a moment.

Giving him a nod, Shanks looked back over the waves. "I've never had to do that before, and I don't want to, but she may not give me much choice if she doesn't stop." He hated that idea, but it couldn't be helped. There had to be mutual respect between the crew and she just didn't share that with anyone. "Outside of outright saying it, I've given every hint that she needs to stop."

Benn leaned against the rail, facing him. "No one would fault you for it. And I have to admit, she's not that helpful on the ship. Kiyo's been more of a help than her lately."

"True, and I almost wish she was staying, but I know she wouldn't enjoy this life like we do." Shanks glanced towards the crow's nest, but only Yasopp was there now. Limejuice was nowhere to be seen. Shanks was a little irked that Limejuice wasn't on watch duty, but made a mental note to speak to him later.

Benn said nothing as they watched the waves.

After several minutes, Shanks internally sighed. He couldn't keep something weighing on his mind any longer. Without turning, he asked, "Do you think grief can make people see things?"

Benn cut him a sharp look. "Not sure, why?"

Shanks waited a moment before answering. He wasn't someone who talked about this thing, but he knew that what he saw before waking up in the shed…he needed to tell someone. And Benn knew him the best, would understand why it bothered Shanks. And he wouldn't repeat it to anyone. Shanks glanced over his shoulder, but none of the crew were nearby. "After I collapsed…I thought I saw Osa."

Benn narrowed his eyes. "You've dreamed about him before though." That was true, and Shanks felt a pang as he remembered the nights where he was woken by Benn shaking him awake from a nightmare.

But this?

A pause. "It wasn't a dream," Shanks murmured. "It was far too real." He could still remember the scent of blood and bark and greenery that clung to Osa. Still remember the feeling of his fur against Shanks' face, under his fingers. And not just a memory, but as if Osa had really been there. He closed his eyes, his throat tight.

"Shanks…" Benn began slowly. "What did you see?" His eyes bore in Shanks so intently that he winced.

He took a deep breath before telling him. "It was the ship, up in the crow's nest. He didn't say much, mostly that I shouldn't be there. That I belonged with the crew, waiting for Luffy. I couldn't see much, just us and the closest parts of the ship." His eyes stung, but he stared at the water.

Benn's voice nearly frightened him; it was too low, too dark. "I've heard of things like that before, but it only happens when someone…"

Shanks waited, but Benn didn't finish. That only confirmed his fear. "Whoever is behind this, they've done much worse than attack our territories now." He wasn't surprised Benn had heard of something like that and he felt a bit of weight lift from his chest.

"Hongo said the villagers found a dart, and that's the only reason he was able to make an antidote." Benn's hand tightened around his rifle. "Regardless of their intentions, that was a deliberate act to take your life."

But Shanks heard what Benn wasn't voicing. That if that dart hadn't been found, Shanks may have died, most likely would have. He closed his eyes, trying not to think about that.

Yasopp's voice rang out, interrupting them, "Island spotted, starboard side!" Shanks turned, but it was almost too dark to see anything. But he trusted Yasopp's call. The ship groaned as the rudder moved it, and before long, the island loomed through the darkness. Shanks quickly ran his gaze over the dark shape.

It was small, but that would make it easier to find whoever was there. No kind of lights could be seen.

Limejuice's voice sounded behind him. "Boss." Shanks turned around to see him and Kiyo standing together a few feet away. "Kiyo had an idea, and I think it might be a good one."

"What's the idea?" Shanks fixed her with his gaze, his haki crackling almost audibly.

"You mentioned Osa had asked for papers," she started. Shanks ignored the looks Benn and Limejuice shot him as she continued. "But what did he do with them?"

"He kept them somewhere safe, why?" Shanks glanced at Limejuice this time, but kept his attention on Kiyo.

Her eyes shifted to Limejuice before locking onto Shanks' gaze. "Limejuice explained who might be on the island. I think wherever those papers are, if they're on the ship, keep them elsewhere when we get to shore."

Shanks shot Limejuice an angry look before speaking to her. "Why would we do that?" It wasn't exactly a bad idea, but it depended on who they found. But he was a little more than annoyed that Limejuice had said anything to her; that was meant to stay between the senior officers.

"What if they try to look on the ship for him?" The question caught him off-guard, and he could see Benn hadn't fully considered that either. Kiyo looked between him and Benn. "They may not guess he wrote anything down, but if it was something important, do you want to risk them finding it?"

Benn's glare burned the side of Shanks' head. "She has a point. It might be dangerous taking the box off-ship-" He didn't stop at Shanks' blast of haki,"-but why would they think it would be somewhere not far away but on the island?"

"And if they find someone guarding it?" Shanks shot at him, the air shimmering around them.

No one spoke for several minutes. The island loomed ahead, and they could almost see the shore when Limejuice spoke up. "Doesn't have one of us guarding it."

He didn't flinch from Shanks as he turned on him. "I'm not having Kiyo guard it, not without someone with her." He knew immediately this was what Limejuice wanted to suggest, but Shanks would not risk someone's life like that. Especially since she wasn't part of the crew.

Kiyo, who hadn't flinched from Shanks either, tapped her staff against her leg. "I want to help, and they wouldn't expect me to hide somewhere like a thicket or a cave. And I could hide the box somewhere near me, but out of sight if anyone found me."

"How are you so sure they would even find it on the ship?" Shanks asked her.

Benn answered. "If they think Osa had written something down, your cabin may be the first place they'd look. Osa wasn't the captain, but it was clear he was one of our top fighters and close to you. Whenever we got into a fight, he was around you as much as I was. And on shore, you two were never separate. If it were me looking for him, or something he had, I would check with his captain first."

In a weird way, it made sense. But could they risk that?

"Boss, we don't even know what's in there." Benn's hand came down on his shoulder hard, stopping him from sending out a wave of haki. "I think we should risk it."

Shanks shook his head. "Fine. If it's something bad enough that they would be searching this long for him, they can't find it on the ship. And if they found it here, I don't think they'd pass up the chance to hurt the ship." He clipped the words out, but he knew that if there was even a chance at that, it was worth considering this.

"Boss, we'll be docking in the shaded area over there." Shanks looks up to see Yasopp walking up, then followed his gaze to see a dark area near the beach. Trees hang over the water, stretching out almost as long as the Red Force.

"Alright. Tell Snake to anchor as close as he can. I'll be in my cabin for a minute, but then I'll meet everyone in the mess, understand?" Shanks didn't look at Yasopp as he spoke, just roves his gaze over the island.

As Yasopp runs off, Benn releases his grip. "Shanks, maybe you should-"

"Benn, if you say to open that box, I will toss you into the mouth of the next Sea King we encounter." Jerking away, Shanks headed for his cabin, fist tight around his sword, haki crackling out around him almost visibly.

But he knew that eventually, he may have no choice.

Kiyo

The forest was dark, and the cave echoed its silence as she waited. Shivering, she pulled her knees to her chest and peeked around the natural wind block in the cave. Behind her, under a pile of stones, a wooden box sat. She had expected something simple, and she wasn't wrong, but the cedar and sandalwood carved box was gorgeous despite its lack of design.

She thought about when Shanks appeared to the crew, the box tucked under his arm. The way the older members, those who were there when it first came to the ship, were silenced, it had been almost creepy. She remembered Shanks telling her how Osa had acted, but she had the feeling he made it out to be much lighter than what it had been.

The looks of fear on their faces, tempered with a strange mix of grief and hesitation and shock, was something she never wanted to see again. Pushing the thoughts away, she tried to just focus on the three weeks it had taken to get here. Joining Limejuice in his duties when she could, their late-night talks, practicing more fighting skills and trying to keep up with him.

"Are you sure you saw someone over here?" The whispered voice catch her attention immediately and she mentally curses.

Kiyo shrank down, pressing her legs almost painfully against her chest. Behind her, her staff leaned against the wall; she's pretty sure the top could be seen but she's afraid if she moves it, it will be a dead giveaway. It would either be seen or heard. She can't risk it. Trying not to breathe, she strained to listen.

A grunted answered. "There's a cave somewhere around here… Ah! Here!" A lantern flutters to life just around the wind block. "It's not deep. See anyone?"

Silence for a few minutes, then a sigh. "No. Let's get back before the night's done. I can't believe you dragged me all the way out here because a damn smudge on your telescope!"

Kiyo waited as footsteps receded, the two people bickering lightly, and let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. Shifting her foot, she bites her tongue to keep herself from yelling at herself as something moves at the corner of her vision.

A rock that had just been in front of her foot was now rolling towards the entrance of the cave. And it clacked against the cave wall.

Loudly.

"Quick!" a voice called out. In a split second, Kiyo raised her staff to intercept the incoming kukri blade. She blinked, unsure of how she knew to block right then. "I knew there was someone here!" The man smirked at her.

Kiyo hissed as he pressed down, then twitched the staff. His blade slid off with ease and she shoved him away. She darted away, wanting to lead them away from the box, trying to remember Limejuice's instructions.

She tried to kick at the air, but just tripped. Dammit! She knew she wouldn't have been able to skywalk, not after only a few quick lessons, but she didn't think she'd trip!

"Grab him!" one man shouted.

Him? Did they not see her? She may not be the largest of girls in the chest, but did she really look like a guy?

It hit her like a blow, almost making her freeze, as a small strip of hair fell in front of her eyes. Her white hair, loosely tied, stood out in the blackness. And what else was white? A clouded leopard's fur. Surely they didn't think she was Osa? Why else would they have called her "him" then? At least, she couldn't think of anything else at the moment.

Cursing, she swung the heavier end of her staff around behind her, a recent addition of seastone sitting on the tip. She was rewarded with a pained grunt as the blow landed and leaped to her feet. Two men, outlined by faint moonlight, stood before her. One person had a sabre and rubbed his side, while the other carried a kukri and a dagger. The metal gleamed dully.

Kiyo took a step back, the men followed. Another step, followed again. The lantern was near the cave, its light not enough to reach here.

"Give it up. You're coming with us," the kukri-wielder growled. His eyes flashed darkly in the dim moonlight.

Something rustled far behind her, at the edge of her hearing, but Kiyo didn't look. "And if I say no?" Another step back, they follow.

The sabre user leaped forward and Kiyo blocked him with a hiss. "Not giving you a choice!" The tip of his blade almost touched her nose.

She twisted her staff and the sabre was nearly wrenched from his grip. Cursing, he slid the blade along her staff, but she swung it downwards. The stone end hit his ankle as his sabre stuck in the ground. With a yell, he pulled it free easily and made a wild swing.

The movement from behind grew louder; footsteps! And she was pretty sure she knew whose.

Grunting, Kiyo leaped, dodging another slash, to the side just as someone exploded from the trees.

Limejuice swung his staff down and Kiyo felt her stomach churn at the sound of the mans skull caving. But in the next moment, the kukri-wielder dodged under Limejuice and attacked her.

Kiyo gasped as a line of red appeared along her arm, but jabbed with the heavier end of her staff. He ignored the weak blow and slashed again. This time the blow stung and she smelled the blood.

"Back off!" Limejuice casually whacked him across the back of the head and the man crumpled.

Kiyo stumbled back, but Limejuice caught her before she fell. "What are you doing here?"

He guided her back to the cave and made them sit behind the wind block. "My haki told me something was wrong. Boss and the others were doing fine, so I came to make sure it wasn't just an animal or something." Gently grabbing her wrist, he stretched out her arm. The lantern lay on its side, tossed there after the men attacked and rolled against the wind block, but Limejuice grabbed it and held it up. The flame sputtered once, then evened out into a soft glow.

Kiyo bit her lip at the blood dripping down her arm. The gash didn't feel that deep, but it stretched from her wrist to her elbow. A shallower cut lay underneath it, but she couldn't even feel that one. Carefully, she breathed through her mouth to control any nausea that might show itself.

Without a word, Limejuice brought out a roll of bandages, then stripped a length of cloth from his shirt. "Hold still." Carefully, he wiped away the blood with the shirt strip, but Kiyo couldn't hold back a hiss. "We'll get Hongo to look at this when they're done." He worked quickly, the gentle touch just enough to not hurt or make it bleed more, but get it cleaned quickly.

Kiyo nodded, watching as he carefully wrapped the bandage around her arm. When he was done, she held it against her chest.

"You did good, by the way," Limejuice said after a moment. "I didn't see the start, but I saw you trying to lead them away. And you held your own."

Kiyo nodded. "I didn't want to risk them looking where I was." Her arm was stinging now and she grimaced. "I tried to skywalk, but ended up tripping."

He gave a low laugh. "Doesn't matter how good you are, no one could've gotten it right after only two lessons. But still, I'm glad you're okay."

Kiyo sighed and leaned against his side, ignoring the prickling along her arm.

Limejuice's arm wrapped around her shoulder. "When I left, I think they were almost done. We'll get back to the ship as soon as we can."

"Did you find out who was behind it?" She couldn't help but ask.

He shook his head. "Boss will know soon enough." A crackling came from outside and Kiyo shrank against his side, but he just tightened his grip lightly. "Easy, it's just Benn."

Kiyo breathed a sigh of relief when he stepped into the cave.

"Nice to see you two having a moment, but we need to leave," he rasped. There was soot on his face and he lacked a cigarette. He looked annoyed, but then again, he usually did.

Exchanging a look with Limejuice, she uncovered the box. Limejuice handed it to Benn, then grabbed Kiyo and slung her across his back.

When she squeaked, more with surprise than anything, he chuckled. "This will be faster." She nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.

Benn took off at once, Limejuice at his heels, explaining as they ran, "The bastards had this place rigged to explode. Boss got into their control room, but before we could so much as blink, someone activated an alarm."

Looking over Limejuice's shoulder, Kiyo noticed the ash and rubble peppering Benn's hair and back. Glancing to the side, she could just make out a dark column of smoke in the night. It rose thick and heavy, its darkness strangely darker than the night sky, but just barely.

"Kiyo, what happened to your arm?" Benn's question startled her; she was thinking about where everyone else was and not paying attention to the two men with her.

Limejuice answered before she could. "Two men were out here and attacked. One got close while I was busy with the other and she got cut."

Kiyo's cheeks warmed. "I didn't think he could attack with a kukri that fast!"

Limejuice chuckled. "You still held them off long enough for someone to show up though."

Benn coughed before he spoke, but Kiyo was almost sure he sounded at least a little impressed. "I know you're leaving once we get back to Ame Island, but you've done well with all this. I think some of the crew will actually miss you."

She ignored the tease she heard and just wrapped her arms around Limejuice tighter as they approached the ship. She felt him squeeze her wrist lightly and smiled against his shoulder.

"Benn, Limejuice, good. She alright?" Shanks was waiting on the beach, ash speckling his hair almost black in the night.

"Just a cut on her arm," Benn reported, handing him the box.

Kiyo didn't miss the look on Shanks' face as he took it, but said nothing.

"Alright. Limejuice, take her to Hongo. We're leaving immediately." Shanks looked at the forest behind them, then at the ship. "It's too dangerous to stay here any longer."

Before Limejuice could move though, Kiyo spoke, "Shanks, did you find out anything about why they were looking for him?"

Shanks exchanged a look at Benn, who nodded, and answered, "Yes. He knew information that was meant to be confidential. That's all we could learn before they set the alarms off. But they won't be looking for him anymore."

Limejuice cocked his head. "Why not?"

Shanks' eyes turned dark for a moment. "Before we left, I spoke to whoever was on the other end of the den den mushi they had for the people behind this and told them he was dead. I know they heard me, then that's when the place exploded."

"While I'm glad they aren't on our tails, you didn't have to get us caught in the blast!" Benn grumbled.

Shanks just grinned and headed for the ship, but stopped when Benn grabbed his shoulder.

"Shanks…" His voice was low; Kiyo had never heard his voice like that. Limejuice waited patiently, keeping his grip on her.

Shanks didn't turn to him for several heartbeats, then sighed. "Now that this is done Benn, and we know it, I'll look. Okay? Just…we need to get away from the island first."

Then first mate said nothing, just let him go.

"Do you think he will?" Limejuice asked quietly.

Benn let out a sigh, pulling a cigarette from his pocket. "He will. But I don't think he'll be okay."

Kiyo pressed her face into Limejuice's neck. While she agreed with Benn, she hoped he was wrong. Shanks had been through enough with all this.