Shanks

Shanks glanced out the window, wiping his hand over his face as he saw the island recede into the distance. He tried to ignore the scent of smoke still on his clothes, the ash still on his arms, soot in his hair. It was harder to ignore the bandage around his arm, or the numb feeling of burn cream, but he just avoided looking at it.

Turning away, he looked at the box sitting on his desk. Simple, just plain cedar with a sandalwood inset with two small protrusions along the sides. A bronze lock, almost blending into the wood except for the shine, sat in the center. There were no hinges, but he guessed they were hidden inside somehow.

"Am I really going to do this?" he muttered.

While this was Osa's, his partner's, box, it almost felt like a violation. He didn't want to remember the desperate look on his face, the fear in his voice, as Osa begged him to hide it. He was sure Osa knew it was under Shanks' bed, but if he did, he never said anything.

Shanks wished he knew what Osa intended with it, but all he had ever said was "When I meet the right person, it's meant for them." But he never explained who that could be. Even over the three weeks on Fishman Island, he refused to tell Shanks.

He groaned and picked the box up before sitting on his bed with it. Reaching over, he grabbed a dagger in case he needed it and set it to the side. His hand hovering over the box, he couldn't help but hesitate. Finally, he set his hand on his leg and looked at the lock. There was no key – if there had been, there was no way to figure out where it was. And that's if it wasn't in Osa's pocket when he-

His dagger flashed out, busting the lock before he could finish that thought. Gingerly, he opened the box, which opened smoothly and quietly, and…what?

It was filled with notes, papers, diagrams, an image dial from Skypiea even. The dial had nicks in it, but Shanks avoided pressing the button. Osa's handwriting scrawled, messy, sometimes almost illegible, in his effort to record whatever this was. No wonder he spent two weeks writing all this! Shanks wasn't sure he had ever seen anyone write this much before. And he knew that Osa's handwriting was incredibly neat usually.

He spent the next several minutes carefully sorting through the papers, unable to make out what he read. Sometimes due to the handwriting, a few were blotted by drops of blood, but mainly the terms.

Seraphim Project. Vegapunk. Pacifist. Weapon technology. Cloning. Green Blood. Bloodline Elements. Something about the Warlords.

None of it made sense, and the diagrams were no help either. Incomprehensible markings and terms, cut-out parts of machines or something, there was too much. While Shanks was smart, he wasn't sure even Benn could understand half of this. And there was no way he was going to let Benn read this. A seed of fear settled in his stomach and he stopped looking through the remaining papers.

Carefully, he stacked everything and went to put them back when he noticed a thick, yellow envelope at the bottom; it blended in neatly with the sandalwood inset, almost invisible. What caught his eye was Shanks, scrawled out in messy handwriting.

Pulling it out, he replaced the other papers in neat stacks within the box before he used the dagger's tip to careful unseal the envelope. Slowly pulling the letter out, his eyes blurred as he took in Osa's handwriting; it was neat, probably whatever he wrote before Rayleigh dragged him out. He blinked several times before trying to read.

Shanks,

If you're reading this, then I'm no longer there. And my job failed. This letter is here as a safety net, in case I am not able to get this box to my contact within the RA. I know I scared you, scared everyone, when I came back, but I promise you that I never meant to. I had been hoping to hide out on my own, but when I passed out for a day, I knew I needed to come back.

Shanks briefly shut his eyes, feeling his throat constrict so much that he couldn't breathe. An entire day?! How had he not been caught? Or had something else happened? Shanks didn't want to keep reading, but forced himself.

I'm sorry I never let you see me, but no one else is meant to read this information. It's too sensitive, and I fear the World Government will retaliate as soon as they can. I was spotted, and recognized, and they know I'm a member of the Red Hair pirates by now. I didn't want anyone to get hurt because of my actions.

The World Government would retaliate? Retaliate why? Shaking his head, he continued. That bothered him, but it made too much sense. Whatever information Osa had written down, it was not something meant to be seen by anyone else.

I need you to burn this box, and its contents. Even this letter. If they ever find out I recorded Vegapunk's work, they'll come after you. And I don't want you joining me, wherever I am. And if I'm dead, I don't want you there with me until you've lived a long life.

Shanks set the letter down, covering his eyes with a trembling hand a memory threatened to overwhelm him. The strange, other-world where he had seen Osa last. He knew where Osa was, and wanted to join him so much he ached, but he couldn't. Not yet. Wiping his eyes, he picked up the letter and read the last bit.

It hurts to hear you almost knocking the door down, yelling for me to come out, but I just can't. I can't risk you seeing what I did. I can't risk you seeing the damage that I know Shakky didn't tell you about. It would only break your heart and, since you're reading this, I don't want to make it worse.

I love you, no matter where I am, and I'll be waiting in the shadows until you come for me.

- Osa

There was more than what Shakky told him? Shanks choked out a sob and bent over, the letter crumpling in his hand. It had been hard enough, seeing Osa dragging himself with front paws into the bars back door. Seeing his fur drenched in blood, his eyes wild with pain, yet not uttering even a growl or whine. Before anyone could understand what was happening, he collapsed and fell into a rapidly expanding pool of red liquid. That image still haunted Shanks, stalked his nightmares.

Clutching his left side, he sobbed as the memories threatened to overwhelm him. Pieces flashed through his head; the night on the beach, Loguetown, the giant bear, after Osa lost his eye, Drum Island, the volcano, the autumn island, Skypiea, the night they reached Sabaody before he was hurt, Fishman Island. Every moment they spent together raced through his head.

Shanks wasn't aware when he stopped crying, or when his hand ached, or that his body complained about his position, only that eventually he was laying against the wall, staring at the pillow next to his head. He slowly reached out, almost able to imagine Osa laying there, but stopped and clenched his fist. The letter, rumpled now, lay just out of reach.

He didn't move until there was a quiet knock. "Captain?" Benn.

Sitting up, Shanks quickly wiped his face and stood. "Come in."

Benn slowly opened the door, but closed it behind him when he saw Shanks' face. "Everything alright?" Alarm sparked through his gaze.

Shanks shook his head and sank back onto the bed, leaning over. "I opened the box."

Silence, then his chair scraped as Benn sat down. "You can tell me to bugger off, but what was in it?" Curious, but understanding. There was a reason Benn was the first mate and this was one of them.

Shanks cast a sideways glance at the box sitting at the end of his bed. "Osa…" His voice failed and he tried again after a minute. "Osa went on some kind of reconnaissance mission in Sabaody."

"Information?" Benn asked.

"I…I'm not sure what it is. But it's something that he knew they would hunt him for," Shanks replied. "I'm starting to wonder if that's why Hisakan was there when we came up from Fishman Island."

Benn didn't say anything for several minutes, then nodded slowly. "It would make sense. But I don't remember her going after Osa…" His eyes went wide for a moment, then he looked away. But not before Shanks saw the look on his face.

He realized what Benn meant a second later. "She expected him to…" Of course!

By that point, it was clear that Osa was one of their top fighters, among Shanks and Benn themselves, and he was rarely seen away from Shanks' side. The marines probably guessed there was something there, knew he would protect his captain with his life.

And they used that.

Haki flared out as he hunched over again, his fingers gripping his hair to the point it hurt. His throat tight to the point of pain, his chest aching from no breath, he didn't notice Benn sitting next to him until the older man had his arms around him. There were no words, but he felt his haki dissipate after a few seconds and sat back up, his face damp.

"He wrote a letter. Asked me to burn this if I found it," Shanks said hoarsely.

Benn watched him for a moment, then grabbed the box. "It didn't say who this was for?"

Shanks shook his head, wiping his arm across his eyes. "No. Just his 'contact in the RA'."

He watched Benn's hand twitch, as if he wanted to open the box. But he just set it to the side. "The Revolutionary Army?"

Shrugging, Shanks stood and grabbed the box. "Maybe. But I don't want to risk trying to give this to them if he meant someone else." Setting it on his desk, he turned to Benn. "I'll burn it, but not on the ship."

Benn nodded and left before Shanks could say anything more. The door closed with a soft click, but Shanks wasn't worried about going after him and asking what he was doing. He knew Benn, and knew the course he would have Snake take.

Sitting down, his hand running over the box, Shanks closed his eyes and tried not to think about the next three months. Or their destination.

Kiyo

The beach was empty except for a few seagulls. A single line of footsteps led away from the lowered gangplank. Kiyo hesitated, then looked back at Benn. "Are you sure?" The brisk breeze felt stiff, the smell of salt thick in the air.

He nodded, his face grim. "We need to take you home, then we have other matters to deal with, unfortunately." He gave her a sympathetic look, then went back to the ship. She wondered if it had to do with the newspaper the other day.

Someone called "Straw Hat" Luffy had taken Fishman Island. At first, the entire crew, mainly the older members, had been happy. She wondered if they knew him. But then Benn had pointed out he had taken it from Big Mom, another one of the Yonko's. Everyone had gotten tense at that. That's when Shanks told them they could only stay at Ame Island for a night when they arrived, but then needed to make sure Big Mom didn't try taking some new territory from one of the others.

Ignoring the gazes of the rest of the crew prickling her shoulders, Kiyo followed the line of prints to a path leading up the hillside. She looked up the narrow dirt path, unable to see anything. However, Benn had mentioned earlier that the path twisted due to the bending hill, so she continued towards the tree at the summit.

She walked slowly, not wanting to trip on the uneven terrain. Flowers sprouted up along both sides of the path; purples, blues, reds, she thought she could spot almost every color. There was even a deep purple one that looked almost black until she leaned closer. The air almost felt heavy from the wild scents, which only grew as the breeze picked up.

She twisted her hair back with one hand, but it didn't help much. Strands blew across her face and she moved faster, wanting to get to the tree before the wind grew much worse.

Slowly, the tall tree rose at the top of the hill, getting bigger with every step. A slender wisp of smoke drifted upwards, but it wasn't until she caught sight of Shanks facing away from her she realized what it was. The breeze hid the smell of smoke, but then again, the fire hadn't been that big. She paused for only a second, then crossed the last few steps.

"I'm guessing we need to go?" He waited until she was close before asking. There was a weariness in his voice, a subtle undertone of pain that made her wonder if he had been crying. Not that she would blame him, not with the grave in front of him. Long grass grew around it and a freshly picked white flower lay in front of it.

"Benn asked me to get you. He thought it would be better than him coming up here." She shrugged and sat down next to him awkwardly. She had no balance with her arm in a sling still, but his hand shot out and steadied her briefly. "Thanks."

He didn't look at her, but she saw the corner of his mouth twitch up. "He was right. You were the better choice." There was a vague outline of a box made of ashes sitting in front of him, right before the grave and its flower. "I'm sorry we got you mixed up in this." He glanced sideways at her arm briefly, but otherwise kept his eyes on the grave. "You wouldn't have gotten hurt then."

He wasn't wrong, she thought, but it was worth it. If she hadn't been here, who knows how far his depression and stress would have gone? There may have been one less Yonko then. It didn't matter that her arm got infected, or that she laid in the infirmary for a week with a high fever. Or even that it was refusing to heal, forcing her to keep it bound. It was well worth it.

"What will you do now?" he asked, bringing her out of her musings.

She gave a snort. "Tend to the sheep, if there's any left. Maybe the horses, or the cows, too." Make sure her home was rebuilt before winter came. Despite being the Grand Line, she knew Ame Island had two seasons: winter and fall, with no summer or spring to speak of. It might've started while she was gone, but she hoped not.

"You can still stay with us, if you'd like." He turned to her slightly, but she shook her head. "I'm serious. I know Limejuice would like that." He smiled at her.

Kiyo couldn't help but laugh at that. "I know he would, but he wants me back home, actually."

The look of surprise on Shanks' face nearly made her laugh again. "Even though we may not be going back to Ame Island?"

She went quiet at that, but sighed and gazed at the tree. "Yeah. Neither of us likes that, but he won't leave the crew, and it's too dangerous for me to stay. I'm not like you guys. I can't go through stuff like that and come out unscathed."

"Unscathed?" Shanks laughed. "Most of us were hurt during that last fight, and some of us got burns!" He held up his hand, showing her the faint red mark along the underside of his arm. "The only one who got out without a wound was Limejuice."

For that, she was glad. She would've hated to see him hurt.

"If you're sure, then we'll take you back." With another look at the grave, Shanks stood and held out his hand.

Kiyo took it, grateful for the help. "As much as I'd like to stay, I don't think Limejuice would let me, anyway."

Shanks arched an eyebrow. "Oh? I thought that was up to the captain to decide?" There was no anger or annoyance in his tone though. His gaze flicked towards the ship, the crow's nest barely visible from here, and back.

Kiyo shrugged, her cheeks warming, but she said nothing.

Shanks narrowed his gaze, then shrugged. "I might have a guess to why, but I won't pry." With one last look at the grave, he turned down the path.

Kiyo walked next to him quietly. She knew that had been Osa's grave even before Benn sent her to fetch Shanks. Neither man had let anyone else off the ship when they arrived, and the crew had been unusually quiet. Especially those she knew had been there when Osa was. She didn't want to interrupt anything that was going on in the captain's mind and just watched the flowers along the path.

The breeze had died down and nothing could be heard but the crunch of gravel under their feet, birds, and the surf.

They were almost at the beach before he spoke. "I know I thanked you back on Ferrow, but I don't think I told you how much it meant that you talked to me." He stopped just before the sand. Across the beach, they could see the ship. Benn was waiting at the foot of the gangplank. "They probably told you how I disappeared for a few months when we finally landed."

Kiyo nodded. "Yes, and they had to drag you back?"

Shanks chuckled. "Yeah, Benn even threatened to tie me up if I resisted." His smile faded and he looked at her. "But I'm serious. It…hurt to talk about him. A lot. And I think it always will. But after I woke up on Ferrow and talked with you, I feel like I can continue like he wants me to."

While Kiyo was glad, she felt a little unsettled. He almost sounded as if he had spoken to Osa lately, or…

"He wrote me a letter." Shanks must've been able to read her thoughts. He shrugged. "Explained some things. I'll have to talk to a friend of ours back in Sabaody the next time we go back, but I think I'll be able to without getting upset." He shook his head with a sheepish smile. "Or at least, I'll be upset with them for some things they didn't tell me."

Kiyo smiled, relaxing. "I'm glad I was able to help. I understand what it's like to lose your partner, and I know that while your crew was probably helpful, it makes a difference when someone's been through the same thing." She glanced at Benn. "It's good you have them."

Shanks laughed and walked out onto the sand. Kiyo followed a step later.

Benn raised an eyebrow at Shanks, who nodded. Turning around, Benn started calling out orders as Kiyo followed the pirates back onto the ship.

Limejuice met her immediately, hugging her gently. "Ready to go back home?"

Kiyo nodded.

"We're making a stop before we do, but I doubt you'll mind." Shanks appeared a moment later, hand resting on his sword.

Kiyo glanced behind him and caught herself before she grinned. "I'm guessing to drop someone else off?"

Shanks nodded, but Kiyo saw the uncomfortable look in his eyes. "Yuki's not happy with it, but she's joining one of the subordinate crews nearby. She doesn't want to give up pirating, but she understands she can't stay here any longer."

Kiyo was a little glad, though she shouldn't. But everyone knew how Yuki had been and on the way here, Shanks had actually snapped at her. Despite her growing tolerance for haki, Shanks' blast had knocked her out. Nearly knocked out Kiyo too, but she managed to stay conscious at least.

"'bout time too…" Ben grumbled, joining them. "Be nice to not have to see her act that way with you again."

Shanks shook his head, but Kiyo saw him smiling in agreement.

Benn glanced at her. "Hongo just sent me. You'll want to talk to him. Limejuice, go with her." His voice was gruff, but he was giving Limejuice a suspicious look.

Limejuice was pointedly ignoring him.

Walking away, Kiyo heard Shanks ask, "Any idea what that it's about?"

She knew he was just being curious, but couldn't help but grin at Benn's response. "Let's just say now I know why Limejuice and her keep disappearing, and why she's not staying with the crew." He sounded annoyed.

Before she could hear any more however, Limejuice hurried her along and muttered, "Let's go talk to Hongo before I get in trouble."

Hiding a giggle, Kiyo didn't resist him.