In which the reader, quietly trying to study Poneglyphs in peace, accidentally punches a Yonko and ends up entangled with the flirtatious chaos.
red hair pirates x fem!reader ౚà§đ ONE SHOT
main characters: shanks, benn, limejuice, hongo
tags: fluff, sfw, harem, soft
a/n: this js me trying to write ffs, this is experimental and for fun only so expect this ffs cringe and oc
words count: 1.4k
masterlist | ko-fi
: đČđ àčàŁÂ àŁȘ Ëâ©àżàż đ
You really werenât trying to punch a Yonko.
In fact, your goal for the day was to peacefully study a centuries-old Poneglyph hidden beneath a sleepy island temple. Instead, you were now standing in front of a red-haired man grinning at you with blood trickling from his nose, surrounded by his crew, who all looked one second away from drawing their weapons.
ââŠOkay,â you breathed. âIn my defense, you startled me.â
âYou punched him in the face,â a blond man in sunglasses said, his voice straddling awe and amusement.
âYeah, but likeâaccidentally.â
Shanks wiped his nose with the back of his hand, still smiling like youâd just offered him a drink. âDAHAHAHA strong punch though! You train often?â
âI didnât know you were behind me! I thought you were a thief trying to steal the stone!â you pointed at the half-buried Poneglyph glowing faintly behind you. âYou snuck up on me!â
Benn Beckman gave an exaggerated sigh from where he was puffing on his cigar. âHe always does that.â
âYou should wear a bell,â Hongo added dryly, as he examined your clenched fists. âYou nearly broke his nose.â
âI think Iâm in love,â Shanks muttered, still grinning at you like an idiot.
You blinked.
ââŠWhat?â You deadpan at him.
Lime Juice snorted. âI told you not to lean in so close when people are muttering to themselves. She was clearly in the zone.â
âI was reading an ancient, world-changing text,â you snapped, still frazzled. âI didnât expect someone to breathe down my neck!â
âTo be fair,â Benn chimed in smoothly, ânot many people can actually read those things.â
That made you hesitate. Your breath caught in your chest. Most people only guessed at what the stones meant. And those who could decipher themâlike the Ohara scholarsâwere erased for it.
The crew noticed your shift.
Shanks tilted his head. âHey⊠you alright?â
You narrowed your eyes at him. âYouâre being very casual about all this.â
âWell, you punched me.â He rubbed his jaw. âThat kinda earns you a place at the table.â
âWhat table?â
âOur lunch table,â Lime Juice said, gesturing broadly to a blanket on the grass behind the trees. âWe were picnicking. Captain wandered off to chase âPoneglyph energy.ââ
âYou tracked me?â
Shanks shrugged. âYou glow like a beacon when you read those stones.â
Your jaw dropped. âThatâs notâ?! Thatâs not normal!â
âNope,â Hongo agreed. âVery intriguing.â
âAnd very pretty,â Shanks added.
You turned on your heel. âIâm leaving.â
âNo wait!â Shanks called after you. âJoin us for lunch! I promise not to get punched again!â
You paused, hesitating. The idea of eating with the Red-Hair Pirates seemed⊠suicidal. Youâd spent years hiding your ability, keeping a low profile, ducking Marines and bounty hunters alike.
But they didnât look like they were planning to turn you in.
And the smell of roasted fish was really good.
ââŠIâm watching all of you,â you muttered, stomping over.
âGreat!â Shanks beamed. âYou can sit next to me! DAHAHAHAâ
âAbsolutely not.â
Lunch with the Red-Hair Pirates was insane.
You had to admit: they were nothing like youâd expected.
Shanks, despite being a Yonko, acted more like a chaotic older brother than a fearsome warlord. He kept nudging plates toward you like a golden retriever trying to feed its owner, all while regaling you with stories that involved an alarming number of explosions and nudity.
Benn Beckman, calm and poised, sat at your other side. He didnât say much, but you noticed how his eyes never left youâwatchful, calculating, but not in a threatening way. More like⊠protective.
âYou always travel alone?â he asked quietly.
You nodded. âEasier to hide.â
He hummed. âDoesnât sound easier to live.â
His words stuck with you longer than you cared to admit.
Lime Juice kept trying to impress you with âtricks,â most of which involved lighting things on fire or juggling knives. When he tried to balance a plate on his head and walk backward up a tree, you genuinely feared for his life.
âIâm very flexible,â he claimed proudly as he slipped and crashed into Shanksâ lap.
âYeah, flexible like a bag of rocks,â Hongo muttered under his breath, flipping through a medical book beside you. Occasionally, he asked you questions about ancient glyphs and your translation methods, clearly more interested in your brain than your punching skills.
Which, okay, was kind of flattering.
You didnât know when it happened, but by the end of the meal, you were⊠laughing.
You were laughing with people youâd met barely an hour ago. People who, by all logic, shouldâve either kidnapped you or sold your secret to the highest bidder.
Instead, they argued about who could get you to smile the fastest.
âYou like wine?â Benn asked, offering you a rare vintage.
âYou like beer?â Shanks grinned, popping open a keg.
âYou like really strong mystery juice I made last night?â Lime Juice offered, holding a bubbling bottle that Hongo promptly knocked out of his hands.
âDo you guys always compete like this?â you asked, bewildered.
âOnly when itâs worth it,â Shanks winked.
You choked on your drink.
The day slipped by quickly after that.
You showed Hongo how Poneglyphs resonated when you hummed certain tones. He looked at you like you were the eighth wonder of the world and scribbled notes furiously.
You sparredâlightlyâwith Lime Juice, who was surprisingly nimble when not setting himself on fire.
You chatted with Benn about navigation, philosophy, andâwhen Shanks wasnât listeningâwhat kind of wine pairs best with sea-king meat.
And Shanks? Shanks hovered. Endearingly. Annoyingly. Constantly.
âYou know, I could protect you,â he offered at one point, lying back on the grass beside you with a grin. âIf you joined us. Nobody would ever dare come after you again.â
âWhy would I ever trust a Yonko?â you teased, resting your chin on your hand.
Shanks tapped his temple. âBecause Iâm handsome and charming.â
âDebatable.â
âBecause I didnât press you about your ability.â
You paused.
ââŠLess debatable.â
He turned his head toward you, more serious this time. âI know what it means. What you can do. I know the world will hunt you for it. And I also knowâwithout a doubtâanyone who tries will have to go through me first.â
You stared at him, heart hammering. âThatâs very dramatic.â
âHave you met me?â he grinned.
Before you could reply, Bennâs voice called over, âCaptain, stop seducing our guest and help clean up.â
âI am helping,â Shanks called back. âWith my charm.â
Benn just groaned and threw a towel at his head.
Night fell.
You sat with Lime Juice and Hongo near the fire while Shanks played a drunken game of darts with a tree (he kept missing) and Benn nursed a glass of something expensive, eyeing his captain like a babysitter on overtime.
Lime Juice offered you his coat when the wind picked up. âYou know,â he said, voice quieter now, âyouâre kind of amazing.â
You turned. âMe?â
âYeah. Punching a Yonko. Reading the un-readable. And laughing at my jokes. Triple threat.â
You laughed. âThanks, I think?â
âDonât let Shanks hog you too much,â he added. âSome of us want a shot too.â
Hongo hummed behind his book. âIâll second that.â
You looked between them, blinking. âWait, what?â
Benn walked over, his cigarette glowing faintly. âTheyâre not joking.â
Shanks stumbled into the circle, arms wide. âDid I hear flirting?! I object! Youâre all banned.â
You stared at the four of them.
âYouâre telling me,â you said slowly, âthat all of you are flirting with me⊠at the same time?â
There was a beat.
Then Shanks, Benn, Lime Juice, and Hongo all nodded in sync.
You buried your face in your hands. âThis is absurd.â
Shanks grinned. âAbsurdly charming.â
âI need a drink,â you muttered.
Benn passed you his glass without a word.
You didnât leave the next morning.
Or the next.
Or the next after that.
Somewhere between watching Shanks get his foot stuck in a barrel, Lime Juice trying to build you a âromance swing,â Hongo diagnosing him with âchronic dumbassery,â and Benn pulling you aside just to ask how you were holding up, you realized something:
You were happier than youâd been in years.
For the first time, you werenât hiding.
You werenât running.
You were laughing. Living. Loved.
And sure, maybe the world still wanted your head.
But you had a Yonko, his second-in-command, a chaotic firecracker, and a broody medic wrapped around your finger.
If the world wanted to come for you?
Let it.
You had your crew now.
Hi! Could you write about katakuri and his childhood sweetheart. Like they were pretty close friends since childhood, she has been friends with him from when he didn't used to cover his face. But they never said 'I love you' to each other. And now that they've grown up, Big mom has asked(ordered) the reader to marry Cracker/Oven. She maybe confesses her love to katakuri, but him being the perfect son he is, doesn't want to disobey his mom, so he let the marriage happen.
I know requests are off, but if you like the idea, please do write about it, idc even if it takes like a month or two. I'm absolutely in love with your writing.
oohh! that is good! tis not much but, hope u like this!
The Sweetness We Never Tasted
Youâve loved Katakuri since you were kids. But Big Mom has chosen another path for youâand he wonât fight her to stop it.
katakuri x reader
tags: sfw, arranged marriage, childhood sweethearts, angst
a/n: this js me trying to write ffs, this is experimental and for fun only, so expect this ff cringe, and akward
word count: 1.1k
masterlist | ko-fi
: đČđ àčàŁÂ àŁȘ Ëâ©àżàż đ
The air in Totto Land always smelled faintly of sugar, but today it was too sweetâso sweet it made your stomach twist.
You stood in the rose garden behind the Chateau, the very place where you and Katakuri used to sneak pastries as children, hiding behind the candy-cane columns and daring each other to steal more from the kitchen. Those days felt like dreams nowâsoft, distant, and a little too painful to look at directly.
And now, you were waiting for him.
You clenched your fists, heart pounding. He was late. Or maybe he was avoiding you.
No. He wouldnât.
â(Y/N),â a deep voice rumbled behind you.
You turned.
Katakuri stood there, tall as ever, shadows cutting across his face from the low afternoon sun. His scarf was on, of course. He didnât show his mouth anymore. Not to anyone.
Except youâonce.
"You're late," you said, forcing a smile.
"I came as soon as I could."
There was always something different in his voice when he spoke to you. A softness hidden under the gravel. He glanced around before walking over to stand beside you, close enough that his arm nearly brushed yours. He didnât touch. He never did. Not anymore.
"So..." You stared down at your boots, trying to summon the courage that had kept you alive in this family all these years. "Have you heard?"
He didnât answer immediately. The silence dragged between you like the end of a ropeâfraying, tension snapping strand by strand.
"Yes," he finally said. âMama told me.â
You swallowed hard. âShe wants me to marry Cracker.â
He didnât move. Didnât react. Only a subtle clenching of his jaw beneath the scarf gave him away.
âI didnât think sheâd do it,â you whispered. âI thought⊠I thought sheâd at least ask me. Or you would. Before it got this far.â
Katakuri turned his face away, eyes focused on something in the distance. Maybe he was looking at the horizon. Maybe he just couldnât bear to look at you.
âIâm not surprised,â he said. âIt makes sense politically.â
You laughed bitterly. âOf course. Because thatâs what marriage is in this family. Strategy.â
Another beat of silence. Your voice shook when you said his name.
âKatakuri.â
He looked at you now. Directly. It hurt.
âI need to know,â you said, barely above a whisper. âDid you ever feel it too?â
His shoulders tensed.
âWhen we were kids⊠when we were teens⊠when weâd sneak out after dinner to watch the stars from the rooftops⊠when you showed me your mouth and told me I was the only one you werenât ashamed around⊠Did that mean nothing to you?â
You didnât mean to cry, but the tears came anywayâquiet, burning down your cheeks.
âI always thought weâd have time,â you said. âThat one day weâd stop pretending and actually say it. I waited for you to say it first. I waited for years.â
He took a step toward you. His hands twitched like he wanted to hold yours.
âI wanted to,â he said.
"Then why didnât you?"
"Because I knew this would happen."
You blinked. âWhat?â
âI knew Mama would never allow it,â he said, voice low. âShe doesnât choose based on love. She chooses for power, for bloodlines, for strength. Cracker is a biscuit soldier commanderâstrong, obedient. Youâve always been one of her favorites. Of course she'd put you with someone she trusts.â
âBut youâre her favorite too. More than Cracker. If youâd said somethingâif youâd just told her we wantedââ
âI couldnât,â he cut in. âIâm not just her son, (Y/N). Iâm her soldier. Her perfect creation. I do not defy her.â
You stared at him. âNot even for me?â
His silence was louder than any answer.
You stepped back like heâd slapped you. âYou wouldâve let me go without a word. Without knowing.â
âI thought it would be easier,â he said. âIf you hated me. It would hurt less.â
You covered your mouth, choking on the sound that wanted to escape. âYou coward.â
âI know.â
âI wouldâve fought for you,â you said. âI wouldâve burned everything down for you.â
âI know.â
You turned to leave. You didnât want him to see you fall apart.
But his hand caught your wrist.
â(Y/N).â
You froze.
âI love you.â
Your breath hitched. You turned to face him again, slowly.
âWhat?â
He stepped closer. âI loved you then. I love you now. Iâll love you after the wedding, and Iâll hate myself every day for not stopping it.â
You stared at him, heart breaking in slow motion. âThen stop it.â
He shook his head. âI canât.â
âWhy?â Your voice cracked. âWhy not fight for once? Why not justââ
âBecause if I do, Mama will kill someone,â he said. âMaybe Cracker. Maybe you. Maybe one of your crewmates. You think she wouldnât?â
Your voice died in your throat.
âI canât risk your life,â he said. âIâd rather lose you than bury you.â
You collapsed into his arms without thinking, fists pounding against his chest.
âI hate you,â you sobbed. âI hate you for not loving me enough to try.â
He didnât say anything. Just held you, trembling.
The embrace didnât last long enough.
The wedding day arrived too quickly.
You wore the gown Mama picked. Something ridiculous and pastel with lace up to your chin and jewels that dug into your collarbones. Cracker looked pleased enough, though he kept grumbling about how annoying formal events were. He barely looked at you.
Your mind was elsewhere anyway.
Katakuri stood near the front, expression blank. You couldnât read anything behind that scarf and those crimson eyes.
You were numb as the vows were spoken. Your lips moved, but they werenât your words. When the crowd cheered, it felt like your ears had gone underwater.
Your heart stayed behind in that garden.
That night, you sat alone on the balcony while the festivities carried on below. Cracker was off getting drunk with Opera and Snack, bragging about how âluckyâ he was to get someone like you. You felt sick.
Behind you, the door creaked open.
You didnât turn. You knew the footsteps.
âShouldnât you be with your husband?â Katakuri asked quietly.
You didnât answer.
âI shouldnât have come.â
âThen donât stay.â
He hesitated. You could hear the tightness in his breath.
âDid you mean it?â you asked.
âMean what?â
âWhen you said you love me.â
âYes.â
âDo you still?â
âYes.â
You turned to him. âThen why did you let them take me?â
He looked like he wanted to shatter.
âBecause I thought I was strong,â he said. âBut Iâm just her puppet, (Y/N). We all are.â
You walked up to him, slowly.
âI wouldâve run with you,â you said. âI wouldâve left everything behind.â
He looked down at you. âYou still could.â
âNo,â you whispered. âNot anymore.â
You leaned up and kissed the scarf covering his mouth, just once.
Then walked past him, back into the room.
That night, Katakuri stood alone on the edge of the island, staring out at the moonlit sea.
He didn't cry.
But if he had, the ocean mightâve wept with him.
sooo what if reader and shank,established relationship,and they keep their relationship pretty hidden for a long while until one day one of their crew m mates found them making out/kiss(?) by accidentally but that crewmate keeps that secret hidden but slowly teasers them during dinner(which made the others confused) but soon after they kind of reveal their relationship and the crew goes shocked or something
thats a nice idea~ hope u like this!
Six Months of Secrets, Five Minutes of Hell
Keeping a relationship secret on the Red Force is hard â especially when your crewmate catches you making out and decides to turn dinner into your personal hell.
Shanks x gn! reader | ONE SHOT tags: sfw, fluff, secret relationship, banter, chaotic crew, red hair pirates shenanigans, humor a/n: this js me trying to write ffs, this is experimental and for fun only so expect this ff cringe and oc word count: 1.7k
masterlist | ko-fi
: đČđ àčàŁÂ àŁȘ Ëâ©àżàż đ
The Red Force rocked lazily on the evening tide, the low hum of laughter and clinking mugs filling the warm air. As always, dinner aboard the Red-Haired Pirates was less a meal and more a festival of chaos. Plates clattered, arguments erupted over who cheated at cards, and somewhere in the back, Lucky Roux and Bonk Punch were having a loud, messy food-eating contest that Makino would absolutely kill them for if she were around.
Amidst the noise, you and Shanks sat far apart â as usual. It had always been that way: yelling across the deck, trading jabs and insults like candy. To the crew, you were the shipâs resident cats-and-dogs duo: always ready to bite each otherâs heads off, throwing punches (mostly playful, mostly), and causing drama like your lives depended on it.
Which made it the perfect cover.
Because behind closed doors â in stolen moments under the stars, behind barrels, in empty storerooms â you and Shanks werenât fighting at all. In fact, if Lime Juice hadn't turned the wrong corner half an hour ago and seen his beloved captain pressed against you, hand tangled in your hair while your legs wrapped tight around his hips, he would still be as blissfully oblivious as the rest of them.
Instead, now he sat at dinner looking like a man who had seen the very fabric of reality torn apart.
You caught his eye across the table. He twitched violently and immediately looked away, face burning. Shanks, the bastard, just kept eating, hiding his smug smile behind a mug of sake.
It was going to be a long night.
Earlier That Evening
It wasnât supposed to happen. You both knew better. But Shanks had looked at you a certain way, had that lazy, half-lidded, I'm about to ruin your life grin â and well, one thing led to another.
You were tucked away in the shadowy corridor near the storage rooms, your back to the wall, Shanksâ mouth trailing hot, open-mouthed kisses along your neck. Your hands fisted the fabric of his shirt, tugging him impossibly closer. His hand splayed along your hip, anchoring you there like he never planned to let go.
"You know," you gasped between kisses, "someoneâs gonna catch us one of these daysâ"
"Let 'em," Shanks muttered into your skin. "I'll kiss you right in front of them."
The taste of him â rum, sea salt, and something recklessly him â made your head spin.
"we're really pushing our luck here." he murmured against your mouth, hands skating under your shirt to press warm palms against your lower back
You kissed him harder in answer, swallowing the grin tugging at his lips. "Youâre the one who dragged me back here, Captain."
He hummed, low and pleased, nosing along your jawline before trailing hot, open-mouthed kisses down your throat. His beard scratched deliciously, making you shiver and clutch at his shirt.
"Couldnât help it," he muttered, voice rough. "You looked too good tonight. Wanted to â" Another kiss, wetter, deeper. "â ruin you a little."
Your laugh dissolved into a gasp when he tugged you flush against him, hands greedy, mouth finding that spot just below your ear that made you tremble.
You twisted your fingers into the front of his open shirt, tugging him even closer, losing yourself in the heat, the hunger, the low rumble of approval he made when you bit his lipâ
âand that's exactly when Lime Juice rounded the corner.
You barely had time to flip him off before you heard a yelp â a very familiar yelp â and the clatter of dropped crates.
You and Shanks snapped your heads around in unison.
Lime Juice stood there, frozen like a deer in headlights, mouth opening and closing uselessly like a goldfish. One of the barrels he was carrying had rolled away, leaking pickles everywhere.
"...Oh" he said faintly. "Oh no."
"Yo, Lime," Shanks greeted casually, still holding you scandalously close.
You elbowed Shanks hard in the ribs, making him grunt and finally step back. Lime Juice immediately spun on his heel and sprinted away, arms flailing.
You both stared after him.
"...Think heâll keep his mouth shut?" you asked.
Shanks grinned, cocky and unbothered. "Depends. Might have to bribe him."
You rolled your eyes. "You're insufferable."
"You love me," he sing-songed.
You did. God help you, you really did.
Dinner â Lime Juice: Menace Unleashed
Dinner was supposed to be your safe zone. Laughs, food, and maybe some semi-violent card games.
Instead, you felt like you were on trial.
Lime Juice sat across from you, sipping soup very pointedly. Too pointedly. He kept darting glances at you and Shanks, grinning into his cup like he knew something the rest didnât.
You felt sweat trickling down your back.
Shanks was no better. His fake casual air was cracking at the seams â his laughter a little too loud, his drinking a little too fast.
"Oi, [Name]," Lime Juice drawled suddenly.
You stiffened.
"If someone was, say, very... energetic... tonight, would it be because they had a good workout?"
"...Workout?" Yasopp repeated, confused.
You nearly knocked your plate off the table.
"You good?" Yasopp asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I'M FINE," you wheezed.
The crew blinked.
"Yeah," Lime said smoothly. "Like, I dunno. Someone looked... very physically satisfied coming to dinner."
You choked on your drink so violently that Benn Beckman actually looked concerned.
"Oi," Lucky Roux said, frowning, "what are you going on about, Lime?"
"Nothing~," Lime Juice sang innocently. "Just making observations."
Benn Beckman narrowed his eyes. "Youâre being weird."
Shanks shot Lime Juice a murderous look. Lime Juice only smiled wider, sweet as poison.
"And you, Captain," Lime said innocently. "You seem... loosened up. Someone helping you relieve that tension?"
You squeezed your eyes shut. He's going to kill us. He's actually going to kill us.
Meanwhile, the others were getting suspicious.
"Somethingâs weird," Bonk Punch muttered.
"Maybe they're possessed," Hongo said wisely.
Beckman was watching you two now, sharp-eyed. "Youâre twitchier than Shanks at a wine-tasting."
"I am NOT twitchy," Shanks snapped way too fast.
You kicked him under the table. He kicked you back.
Even Monster the monkey was looking at you weirdly.
But Lime Juice wasnât done.
A few minutes later, while you were mid-bite, Lime leaned back and loudly said:
"Captain~ Been... getting lucky lately?"
The clang of Shanks dropping his fork was deafening.
You wanted to sink through the floor.
The table stared at him. Shanks cleared his throat, cheeks darkening.
"Just... lucky at cards," he said weakly.
"Riiiight~" Lime said with an evil wink.
Hongo scratched his head. "Is he drunk already?"
"I don't get it," Bonk Punch muttered. "What's Lime talking about?"
"Maybe he's implying Shanks got laid," Yasopp joked, laughing.
Everyone chuckled.
Except you and Shanks â who went rigid.
Lime Juice just smiled, swinging his legs casually like a cat about to knock over a full glass.
When dessert arrived, Lime Juice decided to finish you off.
"Say, Y/N," he said loudly, as you reached for a slice of pie. "Didn't realize you had a thing for redheads."
You froze, hand hovering mid-air.
The whole table turned toward you like vultures.
"...What?" you croaked.
"Redheads," Lime Juice said innocently. "They're so... passionate, right? Bit clumsy. Lots of scars. Missing limbs, sometimes."
He was describing Shanks down to the last goddamn freckle.
"So, Cap. Hypothetically," he said, voice dripping fake innocence, "if you were secretly dating someone hot and chaotic, who throws knives at you for fun... would you keep it hidden? Or would you, say, be caught making out behind the supply crates?"
Bonk Punch's fork clattered to his plate.
Yasoppâs eyes widened.
Lucky Roux gasped.
"Wait," Benn said slowly, staring at you both. "Wait a damn minute."
"LIME!" you hissed under your breath.
"WAIT," Yasopp said. "ARE YOU SAYINGâ"
Absolute silence.
Even Monster the monkey dropped his banana.
Shanks groaned into his hands.
You dropped your forehead to the table with a loud thunk.
Then â
Shanks groaned and buried his face in his hands. "Fine. You win. Whatever."
Lime Juiceâs grin split his face.
"Wait," Lucky Roux said, slowly connecting the dots. "Are you two actuallyâ"
"YES," Shanks barked.
"FOR SIX MONTHS," you added miserably.
Dead silence.
Then all hell broke loose.
"WHAT THE HELLâ"
"HOW?!"
"WHEN?!"
"WHY DIDN'T WE SEE IT?!"
"I THOUGHT THEY HATED EACH OTHER!" Yasopp screamed.
"BECAUSE THEY ACT LIKE THEY WANT TO KILL EACH OTHER!" Bonk Punch yelled.
"Thatâs called foreplay, Bonk," Lime Juice said helpfully.
"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Bonk Punch yelled..
Beckman just sighed like a man sixty years too old for this shit and took a long drag of his cigarette. "I'm gonna need another drink. Maybe ten."
The Aftermath
"You threw a chair at him last week!" Hongo yelled at you.
"It was flirting!" you shouted back.
"YOU BROKE A WINDOW!"
"IT WAS A SEXY WINDOW BREAK!"
Shanks just slung an arm lazily over your shoulder, laughing so hard he was hiccupping.
"So what," Shanks slurred, grinning. "You guys are just mad you didn't notice how hot we are together?"
"I'M MAD I HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT!" Yasopp howled.
Monster made gagging noises.
Lime Juice beamed with the pride of a man who had lit the match and dropped it into a fireworks factory.
You thought, maybe after the initial explosion, theyâd move on.
You were wrong.
They would not shut up.
"So, Shanks," Yasopp smirked. "Who's on top?"
You hurled a bread roll at his head. He caught it and winked.
"Oh my god, did you guys bang in the crowâs nest?" Bonk Punch gasped.
"Don't answer that," Beckman muttered.
"Youâre gonna answer that later, right?" Lucky Roux asked you, waggling his eyebrows.
"IâM LEAVING," you shouted, standing up so fast your chair toppled over.
Shanks caught your wrist, laughing. "Aw, come on, Y/N. You can't leave me alone to suffer."
"Youâre the reason weâre suffering!"
"I call it mutual destruction, baby."
You kicked him lightly under the table. He kicked you back. Several of the crew made knowing noises.
Later â Peace (Sort of)
You slumped against the rail later that night, exhausted and mildly traumatized.
Shanks sidled up beside you, bumping his hip into yours.
"You still mad?"
"Iâm plotting your death," you muttered.
He slung an arm around you, pulling you in.
"You love me."
"Unfortunately."
Across the deck, Lime Juice cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted: "USE A CONDOM NEXT TIME!"
You flipped him off so hard you nearly dislocated your wrist.
Shanks just roared with laughter, burying his face in your shoulder.
Maybe getting caught wasn't the worst thing after all. Not when you had this.
© á”á”ËĄËĄÊžÊ·á”âżËą á¶ á”Êł á”ʰᔠá”á¶Šá”á¶Šá”á”ÊłËą <Âł
Hi, could you write something about Fukaboshi (shirahoshi's brother) and a strawhat reader? And/or maybe something with Blackbeard (ik he's hated a lot, hell I hate him too, but uh he's like super powerful soooo...)
oohh, fukaboshi...hes so underrated, good looking among his brothers too wwww~ here's some fluff w fukaboshi, hope u like it! as for blackbeard...hmmm idk abt it yet, i dont really have an idea for the guy lolol
Shell Shocked
A peaceful shell collecting date on Fishman Island turns into a hilariously competitive (and surprisingly romantic) showdown between you and Prince Fukaboshi
Fukaboshi X gn! reader | ONE SHOT
tags: fluff, sfw, beach date, shell hoarding, goofy flirting, (post-fishman Island arc, straw Hats visiting for a break)
a/n: this js me trying to write ffs, this is experimental and for fun only, so expect this ffs a bit cringe
word count: 845
masterlist | ko-fi
: đČđ àčàŁÂ àŁȘ Ëâ©àżàż đ
You were supposed to be relaxing. That was the plan.
A peaceful afternoon on the sands of Fishman Island. Just you and Fukaboshi. No Luffy accidentally declaring war on someone. No Zoro getting lost. No Sanji turning into a nosebleed geyser.
Just shells. Sunlight. Maybe some hand-holding.
But no.
Because somewhere between âletâs go shell collectingâ and âwhoever finds the rarest shell wins,â the Crown Prince of the Ryugu Kingdom had decided this was combat.
âTwenty-seven shells and counting!â Fukaboshi shouted triumphantly, holding up a glimmering blue conch like it was the One Piece.
You scowled. âYou tackled me for that last one.â
âYou hesitated. The battlefield shows no mercy.â
âI blinked, you lunatic.â
âYou blinked slowly.â
You hurled a clam shell at him. He caught it with one hand, smirked, and added it to his basket.
This had all started when the Straw Hats returned to Fishman Island for a celebratory visit after the chaos with Hody Jones. Fukaboshi had offered to show you around. Youâbeing the only Straw Hat who actually knew how to relax without causing international incidentsâagreed.
It was just supposed to be a beach stroll. Maybe a little flirting. Very light competition.
But you forgot one crucial fact:
Fukaboshi was insanely competitive. Even in a calm, handsome, princely way.
Youâd said, âLetâs collect shells!â
He heard: âLetâs engage in psychological warfare, armed with nothing but beach debris and sexual tension.â
Now you were knee-deep in a tidepool while your royal date was wrestling an octopus to get to a rare cowrie.
âFukaâbabe, please,â you said. âThat mollusk looks pissed.â
âIâm not afraid of a cephalopod,â he grunted, prying the shell free.
The octopus slapped him with a tentacle and slithered off in a huff.
You stared.
He held the shell up triumphantly. âWorth it.â
You sighed and tossed a coral chunk into your bucket. âIâm going to tell your brothers you lost a duel with a sea pancake.â
âTheyâll understand.â
âNo, Ryuboshi will write a song about it.â
âHe would, too.â
You flopped onto a rock to eat the snacks Fukaboshi had packedâsweet kelp rolls, bubble-fruit, and some very smugly presented coral chips âfor champions only.â
âDo you get like this during formal events too?â you asked, nibbling.
âOnly when I care about the outcome.â
âOh? And you care about shell collecting?â
âI care about beating you at shell collecting.â
You rolled your eyes but couldnât stop smiling.
He noticed.
âAdmit it,â he said smugly. âYouâre having fun.â
âNo,â you said flatly. âThis is miserable.â
âYouâve been smiling for an hour straight.â
âThatâs because Iâm hallucinating from heatstroke.â
âRomantic heatstroke,â he corrected.
You snorted, nearly choking on your snack.
The chaos escalated when Luffy showed up.
âWHOA! Are you guys FIGHTING?!â
Fukaboshi and you exchanged a glance of pure dread.
Before either of you could speak, Luffy had launched himself into the tidepools, shouting, âI WANNA HELP Y/N WIN!â
Fukaboshi froze. âThatâs illegal.â
âTHERE ARE NO RULES!â Luffy cackled, slapping at the water like a hyperactive seal.
From a distance, you heard Nami shout, âDONâT ENCOURAGE HIM!â and Sanji yell something about âshells of love.â
You sighed and palmed your face.
Fukaboshi leaned over and whispered, âWe need to relocate.â
âAgreed. Before he brings a sea king into this.â
Eventually, you found a quiet spot away from your crewâs chaos. Just you, Fukaboshi, and the sound of gentle waves lapping against coral sand.
You crouched by a tidepool and picked up a pink scallop. He leaned over your shoulder, the heat of his body warm even through the water.
âThatâs a nice one,â he murmured.
âBetter than anything in your bucket.â
âI disagree.â
He nudged his collection closer.
Your jaw dropped. âYou have forty. Are you building a shell throne?â
âYes,â he said seriously. âSo you can sit beside me.â
You blinked.
âOh,â you said, voice small.
He smiled. âCaught you off guard?â
âJust didnât expect my boyfriend to flirt mid-shell war.â
âI contain multitudes.â
Later, as the sun filtered down through the water above, casting rainbows through the kelp canopy, you both sprawled out on the sand.
Tired. Salty. Happy.
âI think itâs a draw,â you said, yawning.
âNo way,â he said. âI clearly won.â
âYou got slapped by an octopus.â
âYou fell into a crab pit.â
âYou pushed me into it.â
âIt was a tactical move.â
You threw a shell at him. He let it hit him in the chest and then dramatically collapsed like youâd slain him in battle.
You scooted closer, nudging him. âStill breathing?â
âBarely. Your power overwhelms me.â
You chuckled and rested your head on his arm. âThanks for today.â
He turned to look at you, expression warm.
âThanks for coming back,â he said quietly. âFishman Island feels brighter when youâre here.â
Your heart did a little somersault.
ââŠYouâre just saying that because I beat you at shell collecting.â
âYou wish.â
You kissed his cheek, salty and sun-warmed. âRematch tomorrow?â
He grinned. âIâll bring blueprints for our shell fort.â
You laughed. âIâll bring Luffy as a distraction.â
âUnfair.â
âAllâs fair in love and mollusks.â
Hello, thank you so much for writing this story about Marco. I loved it. I've never read a good ending to the war. One of the best. You're a goddess.
hii~ thank uu sm! i really appreciate it!! im worried that its still missing some things but either way im glad u enjoyed it!
Hello!! Please do a reader that has a relationship with shanks, they're like a admirable couple but one day Shanks cheated on the reader, and she said to shanks that she knows it from the very first that he was cheating on her ( unfortunately shanks has been cheating on her for so long now, and even though she knows what his been doing she still loves him. But, now she had enough). After they broke up, the reader left the red force. And, after 3 years, they meet again. But, she is now with another man's arm which is King of the beast pirates. Hehehe please make this, im begging you! đđ
hello! unfortunately requests are off atm since i have a pooling requests to make.
and also i alr made a similar one already which is this one , soo im sorryđ„șđ«¶đ»
LET'S ROCK đ„
Hello, good morning, I hope I'm not bothering you. But I can make a request for Whitebeard and Fem Reader, which is a story of forbidden love where he is a pirate we know and she is an admiral. Respected that they nicknamed her mother to those who go with them, they had a secret relationship a few years ago before Roger's death that he also knew but unfortunately A reader like her had a devil fruit that was mysterious and valuable that deals with control From the dreams, some powers similar to those of MLP's Moon or Maleficent. But she had to sacrifice herself to save her men whom she considers sons. Against a pirate who was a Yonko who was protected by the navy And that devastated Whitebeard and those who knew her, but after a few years Whitebeard met a boy who was his son and reader Only he was raised with Garp who is practically the adopted brother of Ace Luffy and Sabo
Oh, I dreamed it and I swear I woke up crying. But I said it would be interesting to read. Take your time thank you â€ïž
sounds cool anw tried my best>< tis not much but, hope u like it!
When the Sea Dreams of You
A powerful admiral, once known as "Mother" to her men, sacrifices herself to save themâleaving behind a secret love and child with Whitebeard. Years later, fate delivers the boy back into his father's world.
whitebeard x fem! reader | ONE SHOT
tags: slight angst, sfw, ooc, major character death, grief, oc
a/n: this js me trying to write ffs, this is experimental and for fun only, so expect this ffs a bit cringe and akward
word count: 1.1k
masterlist | ko-fi
: đČđ àčàŁÂ àŁȘ Ëâ©àżàż đ
The sea remembered her name even if the world had tried to forget it.
She had once stood atop warships with the wind billowing her cape, marines at her side, and fear in the hearts of pirates. An admiralârespected, strategic, and maternal in a way that felt divineâearning her the nickname âMotherâ from those who served under her.
But Edward Newgate had once called her something else. Something softer. Something forbidden.
âY/N.â
Their love had bloomed like moonlight on waterâbeautiful, distant, unreachable to anyone else. Back when the world was simpler. Before Roger died. Before Yonko politics became tangled with Navy ambition. Before dreams became dangerous things.
She had eaten a devil fruit so rare that even the elders of Mariejois feared it: the Yume Yume no Mi, Dream Dream Fruit. It granted her the power to shape dreams, trap enemies in illusions, or soothe nightmares into serenity. Some whispered she could walk between minds in their sleep, learn secrets, or even leave part of herself behind in anotherâs subconscious.
The World Government had seen her as both an asset and a threat. So they used her⊠and then allowed her to die.
At least, thatâs what the world believed.
.
.
It began in silenceâafter battles, beneath stars, stolen moments between two great forces who knew what their love would cost.
"You know," she whispered against his chest, fingers tangled in his wild blond hair, "this can never be more than a dream."
Whitebeard chuckled, arms like mountains holding her close. "Then letâs never wake up."
They had found each other between skirmishes, on islands not marked on maps, during ceasefires no one else knew about. She would arrive wearing her navy coat, only to drop it at his feet like a surrender flag. Heâd tease her, call her dangerous in more ways than one, and then hold her like the war would never reach them.
Only a few knewâRoger had been one of them. He had laughed when he found out, slapping Whitebeard on the back.
"You're crazier than I thought, Newgate! Falling for the Navy's âMotherâ? You really wanna die, huh?"
But Roger understood. In his own way. And then he died.
And everything changed.
.
.
The pirate was brutal. A Yonko, protected by politics, feared by soldiers. He had come for her fleetânot herâand underestimated what a mother does for her children.
Her men had screamed for retreat. She stayed.
The battlefield twisted around her as she activated the forbidden side of her fruit. A nightmare realm bloomed into existenceâa dreamscape that would swallow both her and the Yonko into an endless illusion, locking them in a dimension between sleep and wakefulness.
It was her final act. Her fleet escaped. Her body was never recovered. The navy quietly declared her dead, sealing all files. Honoring her in silence.
But Whitebeard knew the truth. He felt itâlike a tear in his soul.
And he never forgave them.
Years Later
He appeared on Sphinx Island on a slow afternoon, knocking over crates trying to carry supplies. Hair as wild as the sea, grin just familiar enough to sting.
Marco had noticed first. âOyaji, you might wanna come see this-yoiâŠâ
The boy stood with a seagull feather in his messy hair and a Marine jacket tied around his waist like a belt. His laughâloud and recklessâcouldâve belonged to Ace. But there was something calmer beneath it. More⊠deliberate.
âWhatâs your name, brat?â Whitebeard asked, looming above him like a mountain.
The boy looked up. His eyes were her eyes.
âHoshi.â
Silence fell.
âMy full nameâs Hoshi. Donât really use my last name. Garp-jiji says it stirs trouble.â
Marco blinked. âGarp? As inâVice Admiral Garp?â
âYeah. He's kinda like my grandpa. I grew up with his other grandkids. We were like brothers.â He scratched his head. âBut I donât look like them much. People always said I looked more like⊠her.â
Whitebeardâs breath caught.
The boy looked up. âMy mom was an admiral. âMother,â they called her. I know sheâs gone. But Garp-jiji said she loved me. Said I was a dream she left behind.â
Whitebeardâs knees nearly buckled.
He whispered, âAnd your father?â
âDunno. Garp-jiji wouldnât say. But sometimes⊠I dream of a voice. Loud, laughing. Warm. Itâs dumb.â
Whitebeard was trembling now. Marco placed a hand on his shoulder, steadying him.
âIt ainât dumb, brat,â the old pirate said hoarsely. âYou ever hear the name Whitebeard?â
Hoshi tilted his head. âCourse I have. Big olâ sea legend.â
Whitebeard knelt down so their eyes met.
âIâm Edward Newgate. Your father.â
The revelation shook the crew to its core. Most knew of her in whispers and unspoken glances. Thatch remembered her as the admiral who once spared his life. Vista swore he saw Whitebeard smile softer the weeks after her visits.
Hoshi adjusted fast. He sparred with Marco, pestered Jozu for strength training, and charmed even Izo with his mischief. But some nights, he asked Whitebeard to tell him stories about her.
And Whitebeard did.
âYour mother used to make even the sea stand still,â heâd murmur, staring out at the tide. âShe held nations in her hand, but always chose to cradle her boys instead.â
âDid you love her?â
âWith every bone in this old body.â
.
.
One night, Hoshi woke screaming. The crew rushed inâswords drawn, ready to fight.
âShe was there!â he shouted. âI saw her! She said my name. She held me!â
Marco looked pale. âA dream?â
Whitebeard stepped in. âNo⊠more than that.â
The Dream Dream Fruit never truly dies. Some powers linger. Some souls too stubborn to fade.
That night, as Whitebeard slept, he dreamed of a silver shore, and there she stoodâolder, transparent, wrapped in moonlight.
âEdward,â she said, and his heart cracked open.
âI never stopped,â he choked. âYou should have told me about the boy.â
âI was protecting him. The world wasnât ready. You werenât safe. I thought⊠if he had even a chance at peace, he deserved it.â
Whitebeard reached for her. His hand passed through light.
âIs this real?â
She smiled. âAs real as dreams can be.â
âCan I bring you back?â
âNo. My body is gone. My soul⊠remains here. The price of my power.â She cupped his cheek with fingers made of stars. âBut Iâll watch over him. And you.â
He wanted to scream, but all he could do was weep.
âTell him,â she whispered, fading, âthat I loved him more than life itself.â
.
.
Hoshi grew into his power, showing hints of the Dream Dream Fruit awakening within him. He spoke of visions, soft voices in sleep, sometimes warnings.
He stayed with Whitebeardâs crew, not as a soldier, but as a bridgeâbetween past and future.
And sometimes, when the moon was high and dreams felt close enough to touch, he would feel her again.
A lullaby in the tide.
A hand on his shoulder.
The sea remembering her name.
hellooo I really like your work and would like to request some angst
maybe like reader dies or gets close to it. some more uncommon charcters too like nami, usopp, or franky please!!
thank you for really cool work and I hope you can do this!!
hii! thank u sm~ oohh~ thats a great idea, ive decided to put them all together, hope u like it!
What Remains
The Straw Hats survive a Marine superweapon test â but only because you donât. You made a choice to save them all, and they didnât see it coming.
strawhats x platonic gn! reader tags: angst, sfw, ooc, major character death, platonic bonds, grief a/n: this js me trying to write ffs, this is experimental and for fun only, so expect this ffs a bit cringe word count: 1k
masterlist | ko-fi
: đČđ àčàŁÂ àŁȘ Ëâ©àżàż đ
Smoke curled upward from the scorched ruins of the Marine testing island. The sky was dim, bleeding orange as the sun tried and failed to burn away the choking clouds.
They found your body beneath the collapsed structureâarms still raised like you were shielding the others even in death.
It wasnât the injuries that broke them. It was the look on your face.
Peaceful.
Like you knew.
ONE WEEK EARLIER.
"These weapons..." Franky said, examining the diagrams. "Theyâre worse than anything Vegapunk ever dreamed up. Theyâre built to erase islands."
âAnd theyâre testing them here?â Namiâs voice trembled with disbelief.
Usopp peered over the map. âThatâs not all. Some of this... itâs Poneglyph script. These freaks are mixing history with firepower.â
You didnât say anything.
You just stared at the map. Quiet. Calm. Like a storm on the horizon no one else had seen yet.
âWe have to stop this,â you said.
Of course, everyone agreed.
But none of them saw what you saw. None of them realized the cost yet.
Not even you.
THE BATTLE.
The Straw Hats split into teams. Luffy and Zoro drew the front lines away. Robin sabotaged the comms. Brook and Jinbei distracted the guards. Chopper tended to wounded civilians trying to escape.
You were supposed to go in with Franky and Usopp.
You didnât.
You slipped away the moment they werenât looking, whispering your last words to Nami before disappearing into the smoke.
âI trust you. Donât look back.â
You found the core buried deep underground.
A thrumming vault of seastone and ancient script, glowing with stolen knowledge and raw destruction.
You knew what it meant.
You could read the Poneglyph fragments embedded in the weapons.
You knew what would happen if they were activated.
So you made a choice.
A selfish, irreversible choice.
You overloaded the core.
THE AFTERMATH.
When the blast hit, it carved a crater into the earth.
Luffy felt it firstâhis scream carried across the island like a cannon blast. â(Y/N)!!â
Frankyâs stomach dropped. He bolted toward the smoke, ignoring everythingâorders, pain, fire.
Usopp followed. Nami, too. She didnât even speak. Her Clima-Tact sparked wildly, emotions bleeding into weather.
They dug with bare hands and bleeding fingers.
And finally, they found you.
Still. Burned. Crushed.
But unmistakably you.
And unmistakably gone.
THE SUNNY.
Franky hadnât spoken in two days.
He sat in the engine room, back turned to everyone, arms blackened with soot and oil. He worked until his hands bled, building gods knew what.
Chopper had tried to check on him. Franky didnât even look up.
Usopp wandered the deck in silence, eyes red, mouth dry. He hadnât told a single story since they left the island.
Heâd tried. He opened his mouth once to make a joke, and nothing came out.
So he just sat with your grave marker, talking to it like you were there.
And NamiâNami was broken in a way no one had ever seen.
She didnât cry loudly. She didnât scream. She just shut down.
She went days without food. Sat curled in the crowâs nest, staring out to sea, clutching the note you left her in your final moments.
"Donât look back."
She hated you for it.
She loved you for it.
She never stopped shaking.
NIGHT.
Luffy stood by the railing, his hat pulled low, wind in his face.
Sanji stood beside him in silence.
âYou knew they were gonna die,â Luffy said suddenly. His voice wasnât angry. It was hollow.
Sanji lit a cigarette, fingers shaking. âI knew they werenât coming back.â
Luffy didnât answer.
âThey saved all of us,â Sanji added after a long pause.
âI didnât want saving,â Luffy whispered.
Then he turned and walked away.
FRANKY.
The machine he was building exploded.
He didnât flinch.
Robin found him hours later, crouched beside the wreckage, staring into space.
âTheyâd have slapped me for this,â he said quietly.
Robin knelt beside him. âFor what?â
âFor not stopping them.â
âThey knew what they were doing.â
âThat doesnât make it easier.â
Robin placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. âIt never does.â
USOPP.
He buried the dials you used in a small, unmarked box.
Every trap you helped him design, every gadget you tweaked. Gone. Hidden away like a secret.
âIâm never going to be that brave,â he whispered.
Then he broke.
Ugly, shaking sobs that echoed across the deck.
NAMI.
She didnât speak for three days.
Then, she found Franky. Slammed him into a wall.
âYou let them go alone!â she screamed.
Franky didnât fight back. âI know.â
âYOU PROMISEDâYOU PROMISED ME THEYâD COME BACKâ!â
He wrapped his arms around her mid-swing, held her as she sobbed, her fists pounding against his chest until they were too weak to lift.
ONE WEEK LATER.
Luffy called everyone to the deck.
No one knew why.
When they arrived, they found him standing in front of a small, newly-built monument.
A single beam of the destroyed fortress. Carved with your name.
And beneath itâyour jacket. Cleaned. Pressed. Folded neatly.
Luffy didnât speak.
He didnât need to.
They stood together. Silent.
One by one, they left offerings.
Sanji placed a bottle of sake.
Robin left a single violet flower.
Chopper tied a string of charms around the wood.
Zoro leaned his sword against it for a moment. A quiet nod of respect.
Brook played a low, mournful tune on his violin.
Jinbei lit a lantern and pushed it into the sea.
Usopp placed a small slingshot on the beam.
Franky left a blueprint.
And Nami⊠Nami placed your note. The last one you ever wrote.
âDonât look back.â
She whispered, âIâm going to.â
Then she walked away.
.
.
.
They kept your room the way it was.
No one said it aloudâbut they all visited.
Nami would sit on your bed when the nightmares came.
Usopp would fix the shelves you always overloaded with junk.
Franky recharged your tools every week, even though you werenât there to use them.
And LuffyâŠ
Luffy would sit on the figurehead, facing forward, holding your jacket in his lap.
He never cried where anyone could see.
But the jacket was always warm.
As if it still remembered you.
Marshall D. Teach
When he faced Ace and defeated him, he was ready to hand him over to the Navy. But Ace's sister appeared, saving him at the last minute. Ace was almost unconscious, but he recognized his sister
Blackbeard recognized the young woman. He began to laugh, inviting her to join his crew. Before Perl could finish his sentence, a Navy ship fired at the pirates' ship. The young woman placed her brother on her shoulder and escaped.
a/n: hope u like it!~
I Won't Leave You
He never ran from a fight, and you would never run from him.
Ace x Sister!Reader
tags: angst, sfw, near-death experience, hurt/comfort, happy ending, v!olence
a/n: this js me trying to write ffs, this is experimental and for fun only, so expect this ffs a bit cringe
word count: 1.3k
masterlist | ko-fi
: đČđ àčàŁÂ àŁȘ Ëâ©àżàż đ
The world smelled like blood, burning wood, and the sickening sweetness of betrayal.
You skidded to a halt at the edge of the clearing, heart hammering against your ribs as your eyes locked onto him â Ace â crumpled on the scorched deck, shirtless and broken under the heavy boot of Marshall D. Teach.
His skin was mottled with bruises, cuts, and blackened burns, the once-vibrant freckles on his shoulders drowned under smears of blood. His arms lay limp, wrists scorched raw from seastone cuffs. His chest, usually so strong and proud, rose and fell shallowly, each breath a struggle. He looked half-dead.
But it was the expression on his face that gutted you the most.
Even as Blackbeard sneered down at him, even as pain wracked his body, Aceâs jaw was clenched tight. His eyes, half-lidded but burning, glared up at his enemy with undying fury. He would never beg. He would never run.
âAce...â you breathed, the name nearly crumbling in your mouth.
His head stirred weakly at the sound, barely lifting.
And then, he saw you.
A flicker â a raw, shattered light â flashed across his bloodshot eyes. His lips parted, like he wanted to call to you, to warn you, to tell you to run â but no sound came out. Only a broken, rasping cough as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
âOh-ho?â Blackbeard rumbled, turning, grinning like a madman. His teeth gleamed in the firelight. âZehahahaha! Well, well, look what we got here! If it ain't the little sister."
You didnât move. Your fists clenched at your sides until your nails cut into your palms.
Ace struggled weakly. "Y/N⊠run⊠he'sâ"
"Quiet, Ace." You didnât even glance at him. "Youâve done enough."
You remembered Ace as a boy, standing battered in front of you after a fight, a black eye blooming across his face, fists still raised even as the odds towered against him.
"I don't care if they're bigger," he had said, bloody-nosed but grinning. "Iâll never run away in a fight. Not when it matters!"
Your throat burned.
âYou got guts, girlie,â Teach chuckled, raising a thick, calloused hand. âYâknow... you could join me. Family stickin' together, huh? You're wasted on that washed-up old man Whitebeard.â
You didn't answer. You didn't blink. Your entire world had narrowed down to the battered figure barely holding on at Blackbeardâs feet.
Ace tried to move again, a hoarse growl clawing up his throat. His body shuddered violently, trying to rise, trying to shield you even now â even while seastone sucked the life from his veins, even while blood poured from open wounds.
Tears blurred your vision, but you forced them down.
You were his sister. You were Portgas D. Aceâs sister. You would not break.
Teach's mouth twisted into something cruel. "Come now, girlie. Donât be stupid. Join me, and maybe I wonât hand your brother here to the marines. Zehahahaha!"
Ace, barely conscious, bared his teeth in a snarl. âDonât... donât listen to him..." he rasped, voice shredded. "Run... idiot... run...â
He could barely even lift his head. And still, he tried to protect you.
You snapped.
A roar shattered the air â but it wasnât you. It was the Marines.
Cannonfire screamed past overhead, splintering the already-ruined deck. Shouts erupted as marines flooded toward the island. Panic rippled through the pirates.
In the chaos, Blackbeard turned to bark orders at his crew â and you moved.
Faster than thought, you sprinted across the ruined planks, heart in your throat. Ace saw you â and tried, gods, he tried â to push himself up to shield you, but his body gave out, collapsing with a low, agonized sound.
You dropped to your knees beside him.
âAce,â you gasped, hooking an arm under his shoulders. His body was terrifyingly hot and terrifyingly heavy â the deadweight of someone clinging to life by a thread. He smelled like smoke, salt, and blood.
âNo... y-you can't... stay,â he mumbled against your shoulder, trying to shove you away weakly. âRun... don't... donât die here.â
You pressed your forehead against his burning temple.
âShut up, you idiot,â you whispered fiercely. âIâm not leaving you. Never.â
Somewhere behind you, Blackbeard roared your name.
You didn't look back. You didnât hesitate.
Grunting under his weight, you heaved Ace onto your back, wrapping his arms over your shoulders. His seastone-cuffed wrists dangled heavily across your chest. His bare chest was slick with blood against your back. You could feel every stuttering breath he fought for.
Memories crashed into you â Ace at ten years old, hauling you out of a river when you couldnât swim; Ace at fifteen, punching three grown men to defend your name; Ace at seventeen, bleeding and laughing after fighting an entire gang because they "looked at you wrong."
"As long as I can stand," he had grinned, split-lipped and proud, "Iâll always protect you!"
You gritted your teeth, blinking away tears.
"You saved me all those times," you whispered. "Now itâs my turn."
The ship rocked violently as another cannonball struck.
You bolted.
Bullets whistled past you. Pirates cursed and shoved. Blackbeardâs furious roars echoed behind you. You didn't dare look back â every ounce of your strength was focused on one thing: getting Ace out alive.
He groaned faintly against your back.
"Hang on," you gasped, stumbling through smoke and chaos. "Just a little further, Ace. Please."
His fingers twitched weakly against your chest â like he was trying to hold onto you.
Like he was trusting you.
You made it to the edge of the ship â a rope ladder dangling wildly where a smaller escape skiff bobbed below. It would be risky. The seas were rough, the navy ships were closing in, and you had Aceâs full weight on you.
But you had no choice.
You tightened your grip on his legs, whispered a shaky apology â and jumped.
The impact rattled your bones, but somehow, you landed half-right in the skiff. Ace tumbled limply into the bottom of the boat, coughing raggedly.
You scrambled up, grabbed the oars, and shoved off with all the strength you had left.
Gunshots peppered the waves around you. Blackbeardâs enraged bellow tore through the smoke.
But you didnât stop.
Aceâs eyelids fluttered weakly as the sea breeze hit him, cooling his feverish skin. He turned his head slightly toward you.
"...thought I told you..." he croaked, voice barely a whisper, "...not to... run into fights..."
You let out a half-hysterical, half-relieved laugh, tears streaking your face.
"And I thought I told you not to be a suicidal idiot," you shot back, rowing faster. "Guess we both suck at listening."
Ace gave a breathy, broken chuckle â then winced sharply, clutching his side.
You dropped the oar immediately, sliding down beside him. You pressed trembling hands to his ribs, feeling the jagged, shallow breaths rattling through him.
"Stay with me, Ace," you whispered fiercely, pressing your forehead against his. "Stay awake. Please."
He was silent for a long moment.
Then, in the faintest, rawest voice:
"...'course... I'm not going anywhere..."
He smiled â small, bloodied, stubborn as hell â the same way he had when he was a kid, swearing he'd protect you from the whole damn world.
Your heart shattered â and healed â in the same beat.
You pulled him into your arms as gently as you could, cradling his battered body against your chest, feeling the heat of his skin, the faint but steady beat of his heart.
The navy ships shrank behind you. The gunfire faded. The sea rocked you both like a lullaby.
You were safe. You had him. You werenât letting go.
Not now. Not ever.
Later, drifting under the stars in the quiet safety of night, Ace mumbled something against your shoulder:
"Hey... thanks for coming back for me..."
You smiled through your tears, kissing his sweat-damp hair.
"I always will," you whispered. "You're my brother, Ace."
He sighed, heavy with exhaustion, but peaceful now.
"Love you, sis..."
Your arms tightened around him, protecting, promising.
"I love you too, Ace."
The sea carried you onward â battered, bleeding, broken â but alive. Together.
You had survived. And you would never, ever leave each other behind.
The Ones Who Stayed Silent
They thought you didnât knowâbut you saw everything, said nothing, and walked away with a shattered heart and silent grace⊠only to be seen again, happy and healed, with someone who would never make you feel like the only one.
shanks x reader | sanji x reader | ace x reader | ONE SHOT
tags: angst, sfw, ooc, heartbreak, cheating, betrayal
a/n: this js me trying to write ffs, this is experimental and for fun only, so expect this ff a bit cringe, akward, and confusing
word count: 3.9k
masterlist | ko-fi
: đČđ àčàŁÂ àŁȘ Ëâ©àżàż đ
SHANKS
The sea was always loud around the Red Force. Wind in the sails, waves breaking across the bow, laughter from the crew. And yet, in moments like this â with your head tucked beneath Shanksâ chin and his arm wrapped around your waist â it felt like the whole world stilled just to let you breathe.
âYou always sneak into my bed when itâs cold,â he teased, voice low and rough with sleep.
You smiled against his chest. âBecause your furnace body hoards all the heat.â
âFurnace body,â he repeated with a chuckle, fingers drifting slowly down your spine. âYou really know how to charm a man.â
âMmhm. Thatâs why you keep me around.â
âNah,â he murmured, lifting your chin with a curled finger. âI keep you around because you make everything better. Even the cold nights. Especially the bad ones.â
Your heart tightened with warmth. âShanksâŠâ
He leaned down and kissed you slow. Deep. Familiar.
âLove you, baby,â he whispered, brushing his nose against yours.
You didnât say anything at first. You just melted into him, eyes fluttering shut.
âI love you, too.â
You didnât realize the first warning sign had come days earlier â a moment you almost forgot.
You had been leaning over the railing, watching the stars reflect across the ocean when Shanks walked up beside you, his presence easy and radiant as always. Youâd barely noticed the woman trailing behind him â one of the newer crew members, tall and silver-haired, her laugh like syrup as it spilled from her throat.
She was laughing at something he said. You didnât catch the joke.
You gave him a look. Not angry. Just questioning.
He smiled and curled an arm around your shoulder like it meant nothing. âSheâs new,â he explained casually. âStill getting used to the crew.â
âShe seems to be adjusting just fine,â you replied.
He pulled you closer. âHey. Donât go getting jealous on me, baby.â
âIâm not jealous.â
âGood.â He kissed your temple. âBecause thereâs no one else, alright? You know that.â
You nodded, even though a small part of you felt unsure.
He always made things feel safe again.
Three nights later, you brought him a drink in the captainâs quarters after dinner. He was at his desk, boots kicked up, talking with that same woman again â her knee pressed just slightly too close to his. They both looked up when you entered.
âBaby,â Shanks greeted, brightening immediately. âPerfect timing.â
She excused herself politely, offering a warm smile before slipping out the door. Shanks took the drink from your hand and tugged you into his lap without hesitation.
âSheâs around a lot lately,â you said quietly.
âSheâs an eager crewmate,â he shrugged, nuzzling into your neck. âWhat, you wanna get rid of her?â
âDonât joke.â
âHey.â His voice softened, and he turned your face to meet his. âThereâs nothing going on. I promise. You believe me, right?â
ââŠYeah.â
His lips brushed yours, slow and certain. âYouâre the only one I want, baby. Always.â
You leaned into the kiss, letting the reassurance sink in.
Still, that night, you couldnât fall asleep right away.
You started noticing more of it after that.
The way her eyes lingered on him when she thought you werenât looking. The shared laughs during dinner. The time you caught her slipping out of his cabin early in the morning â she claimed sheâd been dropping off maps.
You wanted to believe him. You tried.
But the ache in your chest started to bloom quietly. Slowly.
A small doubt that pressed harder with each soft âbabyâ he whispered â the very word that used to feel like a prayer now sounded like a lie.
Still, you said nothing.
You waited. You watched.
And then⊠you saw everything.
It was almost midnight when you approached his quarters.
You held a small cloth bundle in your hands â a gift you'd picked up from a small island earlier that week. A pair of rare sea-glass earrings. Heâd admired them in passing. You wanted to surprise him.
You opened the door without knocking.
And there she was.
Her fingers tangled in his red hair. His lips trailing down her neck. His voice â low, teasing, affectionate.
âYou feel so good, babyâŠâ
You froze.
He didnât see you.
You didnât speak.
You just stood there. Long enough to burn the image into your mind. Long enough to feel your throat close, your heartbeat stutter, your entire body go numb.
Then, quietly, you closed the door.
You dropped the earrings into the sea later that night.
You didnât sleep that night.
You sat on the edge of your bed for hours, staring at the moonlight bleeding through the porthole, your chest hollow, your limbs heavy. There were no tears. No rage.
Just silence.
You kept replaying his words â not the ones he said to her, but the ones he said to you.
âThereâs no one else, baby. Youâre the only one I want.â
Each lie sounded sweeter than the last.
You didnât go to him. You didnât want an apology. You didnât want to hear his mouth twist the truth into something manageable. Because now you knew â every time he held you, heâd already chosen someone else.
So you wrote.
Your hand trembled at first. But as the words poured out, your chest began to lighten â like you were finally breathing again.
Shanks, I hope this letter finds you â though I know it will, because Iâm leaving it on your bed. Right where I used to sleep. Right where sheâs probably sleeping now. I saw you. I saw the way you touched her. The way you said âbabyâ like it still meant something. The same way you said it to me just days ago â when you kissed me good morning, when you laughed in my arms. It used to make me feel special. Now, it just makes me feel stupid. You told me not to worry. That she meant nothing. That I was the only one. You were so good at saying it. So gentle. So convincing. I wanted to believe you â God, I did. Because I loved you more than anything. More than reason. More than pride. But you looked at her the way you used to look at me. And I canât forget that. So Iâm leaving. Not because I want to hurt you. Not even because I hate you. But because I canât stay and pretend Iâm enough for you when you already decided I wasnât. I hope the sea gives you peace. I hope you find what youâre looking for. And I hope â one day â you realize what you threw away. Because I wouldâve given you everything. But now? Now, Iâll give myself the one thing you never could. Freedom. Goodbye, â Y/N
You left before sunrise.
The docks were quiet, the crew asleep, and your bag packed light. No goodbyes. No farewells. You just vanished â like mist over the sea.
Shanks woke with a lazy grin, his arm stretched across the bed to pull you closerâ
But there was no one there.
Only the rustle of sheets. The ghost of warmth.
He sat up, rubbing at his eyes. Maybe you were getting breakfast. Or with the crew.
Then he noticed it: a small folded note on the pillow.
His name written in your handwriting.
His heart dropped before he even opened it.
And when he didâŠ
The world collapsed.
He read every line once. Then again. Slower. Disbelieving.
âI saw you.â âYou called her âbaby.ââ âYou told me I was the only one.â
He was up in seconds, barefoot and shirtless, bursting through his cabin door.
âY/N?!â His voice echoed down the corridor. âY/N, waitâ!â
No answer.
He stormed toward your room â empty. Searched the deck â nothing. Sprinted to the galley, the crowâs nest, the storage bay. Every familiar hiding spot. Every place you used to sit and smile at him like he was the only thing in your world.
âHave you seen Y/N?â he asked the crew, trying to keep his voice level.
âNo, Captain,â came the confused reply. âDid something happen?â
He didnât answer.
He barged back into the woman's quarter slamming the door behind him.
The woman â the one heâd betrayed you with â was still pulling on her coat lazily, as if nothing had happened.
âHey, whatâs all the noiseâ?â
âGet out.â
She blinked. âWhat?â
âI said get the hell out.â His voice was low, ragged, dangerous.
She laughed nervously. âShanks, donât be dramaticââ
âOut!â he roared, slamming his fist into the desk. The wood splintered. The room shook.
She scrambled, nearly tripping over herself as she fled.
And just like that, the silence returned.
He sank into the nearest chair, the note trembling in his hand.
You looked at her the way you used to look at me. I wouldâve given you everything. Now, Iâll give myself the one thing you never could. Freedom.
Shanks closed his eyes, forehead resting on the crumpled page.
He tried to remember the last time he said he loved you â the last time you laughed in his arms. The last time you looked at him without doubt.
Heâd called you baby with the same mouth that whispered it to someone else.
And now he couldnât even call your name without shame.
The Red Force had never felt so quiet.
And Shanks had never felt so empty.
You found work on a merchant vessel at first. Later, you traveled alone. You didnât speak of him. You didnât speak of you. You let time do what it does best â wear grief down to a dull ache.
Until one day, someone else came into your orbit.
Dracule Mihawk was not the kind of man who chased after affection. But he noticed you â the quiet way you watched the world, the grief you wore like armor, the strength you didnât flaunt.
He didnât ask for your story. He just stayed long enough for you to offer it.
And when you did, he listened.
He didnât make you promises. He didnât call you âbaby.â He simply treated you like you mattered.
He touched you with reverence. Looked at you with intention.
Loved you without lies.
And somehow, that was enough.
A Year Later
The festival lights painted the harbor gold, laughter echoing between stalls and taverns as music played softly in the distance. You walked beside Mihawk, his coat draped over your shoulders, your fingers laced with his.
You smiled â a real, easy thing â as he said something dry and clever under his breath, pulling a laugh from you. You leaned into him without thinking.
Then you felt it.
That weight. That familiar gravity.
You turned your head and saw him.
Shanks.
Standing beneath a lantern near the docks, cloaked in shadow but unmistakably there. His red hair tousled by the wind. His body frozen.
His eyes â wide, stunned, hollow â locked on yours like he couldnât believe what he was seeing.
You didnât flinch.
You didnât look away.
You simply turned slightly toward Mihawk and pressed your lips softly to his cheek, your hand never leaving his. Mihawk didnât ask. He didnât have to. His grip on you tightened just slightly, grounding you.
Shanks took a step forward.
But then⊠he stopped.
His mouth opened like he might speak â but no words came. There was nothing he could say that wouldnât arrive a year too late.
So you let the silence say it all.
You gave him one last look. Calm. Final. Then you turned and walked away, leaving him rooted to the edge of the world he once ruled.
He had seen a thousand sunsets at sea. Watched a thousand tides roll in. Weathered storms and battles and death itself.
But nothing ever gutted him like seeing you again â whole, radiant, untouchable.
You werenât sad anymore.
You werenât his anymore.
You had Mihawk. And Shanks could see it in every step, every touch, every soft smile you gave the other man â the peace he once swore to protect, now in someone elseâs hands.
And the worst part?
You didnât hate him.
You just didnât care anymore.
And that, somehow, hurt more than any scream or slap ever could.
He stood there long after you disappeared into the crowd. Alone. Cold. Remembering the way your voice used to sound when you whispered, âI love you.â
And for the first time in his life, Shanks had no idea how to get something back.
Because you were gone.
And you werenât coming back.
SANJI
The sun kissed the shores of a quiet island nestled along the Grand Line, where the Straw Hat crew had docked for rest and resupply. You sat on a small stone wall beside Sanji, a paper cone of roasted chestnuts between you, your legs swinging gently. His hand brushed yours now and again, but he never held it. You never said anything about that.
âTry this one,â he said, lifting a particularly dark, caramelized chestnut to your lips. You laughed and leaned forward to take it, but he tugged it back teasingly. âSay please.â
You narrowed your eyes. âPlease, my oh-so-generous chef.â
âThatâs more like it,â he grinned, letting you take it before resting his chin in his hand, eyes soft. âHow did I get lucky enough to end up with someone like you, huh?â
The words stung.
Because youâd started to notice the way he said the same line to other women when he thought you werenât listening. When he thought your back was turned. When you were supposedly out with Nami and Robin.
But you smiled. You always did. Thatâs what love looked like, didnât it? Smiling even when your chest cracked.
Later that evening, the crew checked into a humble inn on the islandâs edge. Nami and Robin wanted to browse the market, and they invited you along, but your head hurt and your heart hurt more, so you declined.
âDonât wait up, we might stay out late,â Nami warned with a wink.
You waved them off and headed to your shared room with Sanji, telling yourself youâd rest, maybe write in your journal, maybe stop thinking about how the past few weeks felt like soft unraveling.
But Sanji wasnât there. And the window was open. You stepped closer and overheard his voiceâsoft, but excited.
ââŠSheâs out shopping. We should hurry before she comes back.â
Your heart dropped.
You froze in place, hand still resting on the windowsill. Another voice answered, female, flirty. You didnât need to see her to know.
You sat on the bed and waited. You waited because you needed to see his face when he walked through that door. Needed to see what kind of lie heâd come up with. Needed confirmation for the truth you already knew.
It was nearly midnight when the door creaked open. Sanji looked surprised, almost guiltyâbut he caught himself too quickly.
âOhâyou're still up, my love?â he said smoothly. âSorry, I thought you went out with the girls.â
You didnât answer. You just looked at him.
He walked over and sat beside you on the bed, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear. âYou okay?â
Still, silence.
He blinked, then tilted his head in concern. âYouâre quiet tonight.â
You smiled. That same practiced smile you always wore. âJust tired.â
Sanji kissed your forehead and stood to change into his nightshirt, humming something under his breath. As if nothing had happened.
You left the next morning.
No confrontation. No fight. No angry tears.
Just a note.
Sanji, You used to look at me like I was your world. I shouldâve known you just liked seeing your reflection in mine. I donât even know what to say. I thought I knew you. I thought we had something. I thought you were different. But I know nowâdonât I? I heard your wordsâyour promises. You said, âWe should hurry, while sheâs out.â I never thought you could do this. Not to me. Maybe Iâve always been too trusting. Maybe Iâve been a fool. You lied with the kind of smile that made me question if I imagined it all. But I didnât. Iâm not mad. Iâm heartbrokenâthereâs a difference. And the saddest part is, I wouldâve forgiven you if youâd just told me the truth. But you let me rot in love alone. Donât look for me. This is me leaving. Goodbye, Sanji. â Y/N
He found the note before breakfast. He read it once. Twice. Then again, each time slower. Robin noticed his shaking hand. Zoro asked where you were. Sanji couldnât speak.
By midday, he was running through the island streets. Every alley. Every stall. He asked locals. Showed them your sketch.
No one had seen you.
You were gone. Completely. Like youâd never been there at all.
One Year Later
Rain lashed the docks of a bustling medical harbor. The Thousand Sunny had taken damage, and they stopped at a renowned doctorâs island to repair and rest.
Sanji didnât smile as much these days. He still flirted, but half-heartedly, like a ghost of who he once was. Everyone noticed. No one said much.
He stood at the market stalls, bartering for fresh seafood when his heart stopped.
Because he saw you.
Hair a little longer. A warm coat drawn around your shoulders. Eyes brighter than they had any right to be.
You were laughing.
And beside you stood Trafalgar Law, umbrella tilted above you both, hand casually resting on your back as he pointed to a bouquet of herbs.
Sanji dropped the fish.
He couldnât move.
Couldnât breathe.
He watched as you reached for Lawâs hand, how he intertwined your fingers like it was second nature, like he had every right to. How you smiled at him like Sanji had only ever dreamed of.
Law said something, and you leaned into him, nodding, face soft with affection.
Sanji turned away.
He made it two steps before the weight in his chest buckled him. He stumbled into an alley and pressed a hand against the wall, gasping.
Tears fell freely.
He didnât go back to the ship until sunset.
That night, there was another note. Not from you, but written long ago. One heâd found after too much wine.
A passage youâd once written in your journal, now burned into his mind.
âYou called me baby like I was the only one. But I wasnât. I was just the only one who stayed.â
ACE
Smoke curled into the sky like ghosts of promises you once believed. The air on Karavel Island was thick with ash and gunpowderâanother battlefield in Aceâs chaotic, flame-laced life. But this was your life, too. Youâd followed him here. Again.
âOver here!â Ace called, waving at you through the debris with a wide grin, flames dancing around his arms. âBet you canât beat my body count today!â
You rolled your eyes but jogged toward him anyway, heart tugging like it always did. He looked good with soot smudging his cheek and fire lighting up the storm in his eyes. Alive. Dangerous. The kind of man who kissed like the world was endingâand maybe it always was.
âYou burn it all down yet?â you teased, reaching his side.
âNah, was waiting for you,â he said, leaning in to kiss your cheek. âWhereâs the fun without you?â
And for a second, it was perfect.
Until that second ended.
It was the small things. Always the small things.
The way he took longer and longer to return from missions. The way he stopped writing when he was gone. The way he still called you âbaby,â but his eyes didnât stay on yours for long.
You didnât want to doubt him. Not Ace. Not the man who held you when you cried, who called you his home.
But then came the night at the underground tavern.
You were helping a wounded civilian upstairs when you heard itâhis voice, muffled, laughing. A giggle answered him. A girlâs voice. Slurred. Familiar.
You paused on the stairwell, heart already sinking.
ââŠCome on,â Aceâs voice teased. âWe donât have much time.â
Your breath caught.
âI shouldnât,â she whispered back.
âYouâre the one who kissed me first,â Ace said, and your world tilted.
Silence.
Then another giggle.
Then the sound of lips meeting.
You didnât move. Couldnât. Not even when the world twisted inside you. Not even when the lantern on the wall flickered like it knew the fire inside you had gone out.
You didnât say anything when he came back to your shared room that night.
He acted normalâlike nothing had happened. Like he hadnât just touched someone else and then come to lie beside you.
You stared at the ceiling until he fell asleep.
In the morning, you were gone.
Ace, You once told me that fire doesnât choose what it burnsâit just does. I used to think that was poetry. Now I know it was a warning. You burned me, Ace. Not all at once. Just a little every day until I didnât recognize my own heart anymore. I heard you. I saw you. And I still kissed you goodnight. Do you know what that does to a person? I gave you all of me, and you gave little pieces of yourself to strangers. I donât hate you. I never could. But I canât love you for both of us anymore. Donât come looking for me. This is goodbye. â Y/N
The message was short. But it broke him anyway.
Ace stood in the ruins of the tavern, your letter clutched in his hands, his body shaking in a way fire couldnât fix. He lit it aflame. Watched it turn to ash like everything else he touched.
He ran. Looked for you in every port. Asked the Revolutionaries. Asked pirates. Asked anyone.
You were gone.
One Year Later
It was raining in Yamabuki Port, but Ace stood still in the downpour, unmoving. The Whitebeard Pirates were resupplying, but he couldnât focusânot when he saw you through the mist.
You were laughing.
Your coat was soaked, and your hair stuck to your forehead, but you looked so alive. So whole.
And beside you stood Zoro.
The swordsman from the Straw Hat crew â his brother's crew.
He was holding a paper umbrella above your heads, a quiet look in his eyes as he listened to whatever story you were telling. When you stumbled slightly in the mud, he caught your elbow. You smiled at him with a softness Ace had never earned.
Zoro reached up and brushed your hair from your face like it was second nature. You leaned into his touch without hesitation.
Ace felt it all in his gut. Like a blade through fire.
He didnât approach.
Didnât call your name.
Didnât move.
You glanced across the square and your eyes met.
Just for a moment.
There was no hatred in your gaze. No anger.
Only peace.
You looked away.
And Ace knewâhe was watching a version of you heâd never get to meet.
That night, Marco found him sitting alone on the deck, soaked to the bone even though the rain had stopped hours ago.
âYou saw them, didnât you-yoi?â Marco asked quietly.
Ace didnât answer. Just stared at his hands.
âI thought I had time,â he whispered. âI thought⊠I could fix it.â
Marco said nothing. There was nothing to say.
Because some fires donât go out.
They just move on without you.