Chapter Text
The Polar Tang is not a quiet vessel, this was an aspect of traveling in a submarine which Penguin had to get used to real quick. Her outer husk would groan and creak as she fought the sub-aquatic pressure of the ocean, occasionally a loud pop would echo through the walls and although Penguin used to be absolutely terrified of these sounds, he anticipated being crushed in the Polar Tang like a tin can under a boot, these days Penguin barely passed the ominous sounds a second though as he's gotten more than used to living in the yellow submarine. Penguin has grown to find her noisiness comforting, to him the sounds meant home and safety. Everywhere he went, the sound of the engine humming or the echoes of his crewmate would follow him to every room. White noise to his constant pressurised eardrums.
For better or for worse, Penguin has learned to sleep through loud noises as a result of life on the Tang. His body has trained itself to become a heavy sleeper much to the dismay of his crewmates. Penguin once slept through a typhoon that swept the Polar Tang into its oppressive currents and woke up several hours later to a pissed off crew.
It became a topic in which his crew would relentlessly tease him about. On more than one occasion, Penguin naturally woke up to his crew’s shenanigans. Shachi, Ikkaku and Haku make up a game which they like to call ‘How many objects can we stack on Penguin before he wakes up’.
As far as he knew, the record was 52, but only because they used a deck of playing cards that time.
Which is why the sudden blaring of the emergency siren and red back-up lights that jolted Penguin from his sleep was all the more concerning. For one, the emergency siren only ever went off once before when the Heart Pirates encountered a rival pirate crew back in Paradise. It was a risky fight in which they barely made it out alive. And for two, as previously mentioned, Penguin is a heavy sleeper. Not only was he a heavy sleeper but he also had the overnight watch, and judging by the completely empty bunkroom which is currently bathed in ominous red lighting, Penguin surmised that he had about a few hours of sleep after spending thirty-two hours awake. From experience, Penguin was able to sleep through a god damn typhoon on a regular sleep schedule. Either the unfamiliar noise of the siren should be his new alarm clock, or his instincts are telling him to get the fuck out.
Scrambling to his feet, Penguin zipped into his jumpsuit and retrieved his hat in record speed then hurried over to the control room where the scope of the chaos made itself clear very quickly.
“Shachi! Clione! Raise us up to periscope depth! Be prepared to make an emergency resurface!” The captain's voice barked out as Penguin opened the metal door of the control room. His crew members were scrambling to stabilize the sub and Penguin could barely register the chaos unfolding around him before Law’s voice called out to him.
“Penguin, you're awake. That's good. Get on the scope and tell me what you see. Bepo, approximate resurfacing location?”
Penguin snaps into action despite his mind not having fully awoken yet and presses his face to the lense of the periscope.
“Approximately 27.5 Nautical Miles away from the North-West border of the archipelago,” Bepo barks out and at the news the captain grips his hair where his white fur hat was currently missing.
“Shit!” Law cursed rather loudly, and after considering his options for about seven seconds, grabs the intercom mic and barks out his orders for the entire crew. “This is your Captain speaking, prepare for an immediate emergency resurfacing! We're expecting an attack from an enemy, all crew members prepare for conflict!”
What in the fuck was going on?
Penguin didn't have time to ponder the current situation as the entire submarine trembled from an impact from above. Penguin cursed to himself, legs almost buckling underneath him. He looked back into the periscope, momentarily relieved to see it still worked fine but the relief was immediately replaced by shock as he realised the Tang just broke through ice while trying to surface.
The archipelago they were passing through was supposed to be of a warm tropical climate; they've passed through here before only a few short months ago. His captain's orders were finally dawning on him as the ice in which they just broke through froze over once again, trapping the Polar Tang in its icy clutches, completely immobilizing the submarine.
“Captain, we broke through ice but now she's frozen on the surface,” Penguin said.
“Can you see anything else?” Law hollered back through the sirens and Penguin shook his head with a frown.
“No, it's all just white. I think the periscope is frozen!”
“We might be dealing with the fruit of Aokiji, I need everyone on their guard and ready to fight!” The captain's voice reverberated through the cockpit and Penguin felt a little bit of himself shrivel up and die.
Of all people they had to encounter today it had to be fucking Aokiji! He just woke up not five minutes ago, Penguin is not equipped for this. He begged internally for this to all be a nightmare and that he would wake up in his bunk sometime after dinner, surrounded by a calm crew but even he wasn’t that obtuse. Since when was his crew ever calm?
The emergency alarm suddenly cut out and left behind an eerie silence, which made the glow of the red hazard lights even more forbidding.
For a moment, the crew stood in complete silence, the only other sound came from the sonar on the console.
“Are the alarms supposed to turn off like that?” Shachi’s voice broke through the tense silence, startling Penguin and causing him to jump out of his skin in unexpected fright. He must be more exhausted than he thought.
“Shut up!” Law hissed in response, his head turned towards the wall of the cockpit which separated the crew and the sea, listening intently to something that Penguin’s tired mind didn't pick up on beforehand. That, and the adrenaline running through his veins from the panic-inducing awakening he received made him unaware of anything going on that wasn’t in his direct periphery. Willing his heart to slow the blood rushing in his ears, Penguin tuned into the silence. Without the deafening alarm drowning out all other sounds in the submarine, a deep whistling could be heard through the stuttering of the stalling engine. The sound of wind blowing. Heavy wind actually. If the Tang wasn’t currently trapped in ice, Penguin was sure the sub would be rocking dangerously along with the water.
Penguin grabbed the handles of the periscope and pressed in once again.
“Penguin,” said his captain. “What is it that you see?”
“The periscope isn’t frozen, I was wrong.” Penguin pulled away and looked his captain in the eyes. “It’s a storm. A blizzard.”
Law's eyes went dark before making his way towards the ladder which connected to the latch that led out the submarine. “This is not Aokiji.”
Shachi looked at Penguin uneasily.
“If this is not Aokiji, then who?” Shachi said, putting Penguin’s worry into words.
If this wasn’t the work of Aokiji like they initially thought, then the devil fruit they were encountering had more capabilities than merely ice. The uncertainties of the user’s powers was a cause for a lot of concern, considering the power it has unleashed already. If this is not the full scope of it, they’re going to have a long and hard battle ahead of them.
He shared one last uneasy glance with Shachi before following their captain and a trailing Bepo up the ladder.
The full force of the storm nearly blew Penguin off his feet when he stepped out on the deck of the Polar Tang. He had one hand on his hat to keep it from blowing away and his other arm was outreached for balance, keeping his two feet on the polished wood and not flailing through the air.
“Bepo, do you see anything out there?” Shachi called out to their navigator who seemed unaffected by the blizzard. But Bepo just shook his head from where he was standing at the railing looking out into the white-out conditions which surrounded them.
“There's debris being thrown around but I don't see anyone.”
Law stepped up next to Bepo, peering out with a hand in front of his face to shield it from the wind and buffeting snow. His jaw was clenched as he looked out to the frozen waters in frustration. “Visibility has been reduced to nothing. It's too dangerous to leave the proximity of the sub,” Law half-shouts over the wind and turns to face Penguin and Shachi. “Go back inside and bundle up, and get Uni and Jean-Bart out here too. Whoever this is, they aren’t-”
“Captain, get down!”
The world slowed down for Penguin as Bepo jumped over his captain to pin him down on the deck, barely dodging an uprooted tree from taking them overboard.
But the warning did not come fast enough for Shachi and Penguin, there was no time to sufficiently react. Penguin was forced to watch, unable to attempt an escape as the trunk of the tree collided into the both of them.
The wind was knocked out of Penguins lungs as his back collided with the railing of the deck. He barely registered the sound of snapping metal as his body was swept into the air and with a yell he crashed hard onto ice of the ocean below. Disoriented and unable to find purchase, Penguin’s body kept tumbling over the ice, bumping into the rough edges of frozen waves and then sent soaring into the air and further away from the Polar Tang.
As his body was being flung further into the archipelago, he could hear the desperate cry of their navigator and captain echo after him.
❅❅❅
When Penguin regained consciousness, his boiler suit was wet and he was shivering. His arms and legs were buried in a thin layer of snow and he could barely feel his hands when he tried flexing his fingers, he only felt pinpricks of sensation as blood slowly returned to his extremities. He sat up, letting out a pained wheeze as the nerves in his ribcage flared in discomfort.
Penguin blinked a few times, his blurred vision slowly returning to him as the gravity of the situation finally caught up to his awakening mind.
Shachi!
The storm must’ve taken him to one of the islands in the archipelago. Though which island was another matter entirely. Penguin looked around, noting that he was completely alone. The blue pompom of his hat could be seen a few feet away from him, entangled in a bush, the strings of the toque fluttering with the wind. Taking a better look at his surroundings revealed a dense tropical forest covered in a thick layer of white snow. The white covering the Palm trees made for an uncanny sight. Everything about it looked wrong. The storm was still going strong but the dense canopy of the trees and bushes offered Penguin some shelter from the elements.
Penguin quickly took stock of the aches and pain in his body and reckoned that he was relatively fine other than a few tender spots. His ribcage and thighs seemed to have gotten the brunt of the force of the flying tree that knocked him down.
Things could be a lot worse all things considering. Penguin mentally sent a thank you prayer to Cora-san (whoever they were) that he came out of that without a concussion.
Penguin pushed himself up with his hands, not even feeling the snow underneath him. He staggered slowly towards his hat and shook it out before placing it back on his head, his ears immediately warming again. Placing his hands underneath his arms to attempt to warm them up, Penguin looked around one more time.
There were no footprints to be seen. Not even disturbance in the snow indicating Penguins unconscious trajectory through the forest. It was just white, and cold. Very cold. It was then that Penguin noticed the way his body was shivering uncontrollably. His muscles constricting painfully in the desperate attempt to maintain warmth.
He needed to find Shachi and get to shelter immediately.
Penguin devised a quick plan in his mind. First he needed to find the edge of the island, hoping he could see the Tang from the shore assuming he wasn't blown several islands away. Then he finds Shachi, or shelter, whichever came first. Considering Penguin might be treading the line of hypothermia if he wasn't careful, shelter and a fire might be a bigger priority. He can’t find, nor help Shachi if he’s dead.
With newfound determination, Penguin starts walking through the snow.
The canopy and dense shrubs really did shelter Penguin from the elements, but not nearly enough. The wind was still biting, and snow continued to fall from above, but the trees prevented Penguin from toppling over from the force of the wind. The trees were swaying dangerously and there was genuine cause for concern over the stability of the forest. If the wind keeps up like this, there's no doubt the trees would topple over.
Penguin suppressed that worry for now and focused on his plan, though the closer he got to the edge of the island, the sounds of a distant commotion became more apparent.
There were people fighting on the island, and Penguin immediately thought of Shachi.
Penguin picked up his pace towards the sounds of voices yelling and pained grunts, followed by the ringing of steel on steel until he reached the edge of a snow covered beach. The snow was kicked up in a large stretch exposing the sand underneath and Penguin crouched down into some bushes on the treeline, hoping to conceal himself as much as possible to remain unnoticed until he had a better grasp of the situation.
On the beach near the frozen waters, a group of five men were ganging up on one much larger man duel wielding spinning blades.
Now, Penguin had a pretty good idea of the identity of the man wielding the spinning blades. Only a fool wouldn't recognize him. The blue and white striped mask on his head was another indicator. Penguin felt a desperate and tired groan claw its way up his throat but suppressed it. Of fucking course the Kid Pirates were also here at the archipelago. Penguin knew he was prone to bad luck but this was getting ridiculous! With another swing of those dangerous blades a streak of blood splattered the front of the man's mask, perfectly slicing through the arm of an enemy attempting to get the jump on him and Penguin winced in sympathy as a scream of agony was muffled by the wind. Blood pooling on the ground painting the snow bright red from where there previously was an arm.
Penguin really should not get involved. He needed to find Shachi and get back to the Tang, anyone else he stumbled upon was not his responsibility or in his best interest. In fact, these people might very well try and kill him the moment he's spotted. Which is really not an ideal situation. Not that his situation is ideal to begin with.
Tightening his resolve, Penguin made to sneak away but another gut wrenching scream drew his attention back to the battle and Penguin watched as, well, someone's guts were literally wrenched from their body. Penguin's whole being stood dead still at the display of brutality, mouth open in pure astonishment.
Penguin has seen a lot of organs in his life, traveling with the Surgeon of Death kind of does that. He's seen injuries that would make a weaker man sick and a stronger man avert their gaze. But that sight… That sent a chill down his spine. Which was curious in and of itself as Penguin has seen much worse things in the past. His flesh broke out in goosebumps as he watched the masked man tearing enemy after enemy into piles of minced meat. The sight was no less revolting than usual, but something was wrong. His nerves felt like they were on fire despite the shivers permeating his body. He had to leave. Now!
Taking a step back, Penguin was gearing up to book it out of there before anybody noticed him but his back collided with a hard wall radiating warmth. Penguin spun on his heels, instincts going haywire as his eyes landed on the sight of three men. They were all dressed in thick jackets appropriate for the weather and from what Penguin could tell at first glance, they were all holding blunt makeshift weapons.
Penguin is pretty sure one of them was carrying a pair of seastone handcuffs.
“Uh… Hi?” Penguin squeaked, hoping for a brief moment that they were here for the man causing the ongoing blood bath on the beach and not him, but his hopes were dashed immediately as the man he bumped into, who was larger than the other two, raised an unimpressed brow while tightening the chain and weight he held in his hands. In fact they didn't seem to have noticed the ongoing battle currently happening on the beach at all.
“Shit!” Penguin shouted and absolutely booked it in the opposite direction, tripping over the bush he was hiding behind which amazingly allowed him to dodge the swinging chain of the large man behind him, feeling the weight attached to the end graze the pompom on his hat as it barely missed him.
Fortunately the adrenaline running through his veins allowed him to recover quickly and make a mad dash away from his assailants, though unfortunately for him it meant the only direction left to go was directly towards the massacre he was hiding from in the first place.
No longer being sheltered by trees or foliage, Penguin grit his teeth as the powerful wind gave his running a lot more momentum than he was anticipating, blowing directly into his back pushing him forward way too fast. Unable to stop, Penguin shouts at the unassuming Kid Pirate.
“Flightless bird incoming!”
Penguin watched as the masked Kid Pirate paused in swinging his blades to look towards the source of the yelling before being tackled, although unintentionally on Penguin's part, to the ground.
Penguin heard the other man let out a surprised ‘oof’ on the way down, the impact causing both pirates to roll in the snow and sand, some entering through the collar of Penguin's jumpsuit making him gasp from the cold against his neck.
When he finally stopped rolling Penguin let out a pained groan, the collision aggravating the pain in his ribs. He's pretty sure one of them has to be cracked by now. Penguin rolled onto his back with a cough of discomfort, looking at the grey and stormy skies as he tried to catch his breath but before he could even sit up, a curved blade dripping with red was pointed at his throat, keeping him completely immobilized under threat of self mutilation.
Penguin and Killer stood completely still as Penguin assailants caught up with them. Stopping in their tracks as they laid eyes upon the carnage that was Killer's doing. The larger of the three extended his hands to the side, signaling to his two crewmates to stop and to prevent them from advancing upon them any further.
“We need to retreat for now!” He said, speaking to his crew though not taking his eyes off Killer for one second and that was when Penguin realised that all five of Killer's attackers were dead. Some in multiple pieces.
Looking back at the enemy, Penguin saw the absolute anger radiating through their expressions and he gulped nervously.
“The fucking bastard killed them and you want to retreat!?” The one on the left said, taking a fighting stance preparing to rip the man who killed his crewmates into pieces. Though Penguin wondered the logistics of winning against Killer of all people when he was holding a wooden club as a weapon. He had green hair with a scar that ran across the bridge of his nose with freckles that reminded him of Shachi.
“Carlo stand down!” The bigger one said, and the one who Penguin now knows is named Carlo followed the order though didn't look happy about it. “You'll just end up dead like the rest of them. We'll be back with reinforcements.”
At this, Killer scoffed loudly. A mocking sound that got all three attackers to look at him in apprehension.
“What makes you think I'll let you get away?” Killer said. His voice dripped with menacing intent like the blood running down his blades, which one was still being held at Penguin’s throat by the way!
Killer’s threat didn't seem to have any effect on the leader of the remaining trio of attackers. The large man simply smirked before raising his hand. His index and middle fingers were pointing downwards, and with a flick of his wrist he pointed those fingers up and suddenly, all three were thrusted into the air at breakneck speed. Leaving nothing but disturbed snow and sand from where they once stood.
That power was going to be an issue later on, Penguin could feel it.
Now completely alone, surrounded by dead bodies and gore, Penguin cleared his throat.
“You gonna put those away, big guy?”
Killer's head snapped towards him, looking down at where he currently has Penguin pinned and cocked his head to the side.
“Why would I do that?” Killer said and Penguin considered his question for a moment.
“Because I'm not a threat?”
“I think I can determine that for myself,” Killer replied, withdrawing the blade from Penguin’s throat and okay, ouch.
Asshole.
With the blade withdrawn Penguin sat up, but just as he's about to push himself to stand Killer crouched in front of him, placing the curved blade of his weapon around his neck, effectively trapping him once again. Penguin felt the cold metal brushing the hairs on the back of his neck and he swallowed nervously. His heart pounding painfully against his injured ribs.
Penguin looked into the blue and white mask. It gave nothing away as to what Killer might be thinking and he knew he had to tread very carefully. He knew relatively nothing of The Massacre Soldier unless the information came directly from the newspaper or spread through rumours. The last time Penguin ever saw the Kid Pirates was just a little over a year ago on Sabaody when a desperate situation called for an unlikely alliance. Penguin steeled his gaze, refusing to show fear or weakness in the presence of the Kid Pirates’ first mate.
Their crews only ever encountered each other once, so there was a slight chance Killer didn’t recognize him or the Jolly Roger currently decorated over his rapidly beating heart.
“What is a Heart Pirate doing here?”
Well fuck him, nevermind.
“I could be asking you the same thing. But you don't see me pointing a blade at your throat,” Penguin said, forcing his voice to keep steady despite his chattering teeth.
Killer didn’t bother with a response, but he didn't move away either. For a few tense moments the two of them looked fixated at one another, almost daring the other to move first. Penguin had no doubt that Killer was looking intently into his own eyes, searching for something though he couldn’t be sure as to what that might be. With his helmet on, Penguin had no way of discerning his facial expressions or intentions. No way to figure out what thoughts might be running through his mind, so Penguin had to resort to reading his body language. And yet despite holding a scythe around his head, Killer seemed relatively relaxed. He really didn't think that Penguin could pose any kind of threat.
Which, again… Asshole.
Penguin could totally kick his ass if he wanted to! But thinking about this realistically, Penguin knew that in this current moment there was no way he could win against the other pirate. His body was cold and aching and his fingers were too numb to hold a weapon in any way that would help him turn this altercation around. And speaking of weapons, Penguin had nothing on his person that would help him either. His spear was back in the Polar Tang, and he didn't think to stuff his knives in this suit before rushing to the chaos that woke him up from his deep slumber. Realistically, Penguin would lose this fight within seconds.
Killer’s reputation precedes him, and in the right conditions it would take everything Penguin has to be able to take him down alone. If he wanted to come out of this alive he had to play his cards right.
Penguin forced his body to relax as much as it could with his near constant shivering and raised his chin up in defiance to the threat currently trying to oppress him. Penguin stared him down, almost goating Killer into decapitating him right here, right now. Stretching his neck in a challenge.
In their proximity, Penguin could feel the heat coming off of Killer’s body. The wind was blowing directly against Killer’s back which offered some cover from the raging blizzard and Penguin envied the other man’s ability to be completely unaffected by the cold. The warmth coming off the other man was enough to spark goosebumps along his arms, and he wondered albeit unseriously if pressing his hands against Killers chest to alleviate the pain of the cold in his digits would be worth the decapitation for a few moments of reprieve. The thought almost makes him laugh.
Penguin saw Killer tilt his head, if only slightly, and it was then that Penguin knew he won their wordless stand-off.
“You’re not scared,” Killer spoke, not removing his scythe but the hand holding the blade lowered ever so slightly, allowing Penguin to feel relief flood his chest.
“Should I be?” He replied and Killer scoffed before removing the blade completely, resting the undoubtedly heavy metal contraption on his own shoulder.
Truth is he was scared absolutely shitless.
“Where’s your crew?” Killer said instead of a response and Penguin paused for a few seconds. Contemplating the correct reply.
Even though the threat of being decapitated was off the table, Killer was still the Kid Pirates second in command. He had full authority to act on his own beliefs of what he deems is the right course of action and going after the Heart Pirates when their defenses are down is well within his rights. But he knew that lying to Killer or denying the answer he’s looking for at the current moment might not bode well for Penguin. Admitting that he had quite literally no idea where the rest of his crew might be a very unsatisfying answer. But lying about their whereabouts might cause more problems once Killer realises it and comes back for his head.
Not only that, but looking at the way Killer was currently dressed; a pair of faded jeans and black tee, both covered in blood of course and completely inappropriate for the weather, Penguin had a pretty good inkling that Killer was in a similar situation as him.
“Even if I knew where they were, I would rather risk my life than sell them out to an enemy,” Penguin said, choosing to remain honest. The truth wouldn’t benefit Killer in any way if he was also trying to get back to his own crew. “Regardless I have suspicions that you’re in the same boat as I am, metaphorically speaking.”
“Good eye,” Was all Killer said before he stood and walked away from Penguin, the immediate rush of snow and wind at the loss of his human shield made him shiver harshly and his teeth snapped together in an effort to stop them from chattering embarrassingly.
“Uh… Thanks?” Penguin mumbled through gritted teeth and watched slightly dazed as Killer started snooping through the corpse of one of his less mangled victims.
Is he looting? At a time like this? Unbelievable!
Penguin slowly stood to his feet and watched with thinly concealed interest as Killer less than kindly removed a thick brown flight jacket from one of the bodies. The inside was lined with matted fur and stained with coagulated blood. Killer shook the jacket out, snow and sand blowing away in the wind before he shrugged it on without a single thought to the soiled garment.
Penguin wrinkled his nose in disgust.
Killer paused when he turned around, helmet facing his direction and Penguin had the distinct feeling that the other man was looking at him with a look daring Penguin to judge him. Which he was . But Penguin had to admit that it would probably be beneficial to him if he were to grab a jacket from one of the dead men.
It’s not like they needed them anymore.
Without thinking about it too much, Penguin approached the only other less mangled body and, with a lot more care than Killer, removed the dark blue parka. One sleeve had a gash at the elbow and it was soaked red. There was a similar hole near the hip area rendering one of the pockets essentially useless, though at least the hood was clean.
After brushing the sand and snow off the inside of the jacket, Penguin slipped into the clothing. Immediately sighing at the wind cover it gave him. He was still shivering, and his clothes were still wet. But it was something.
Looking back towards the Kid Pirate, Penguin saw that he was gone. Traces of large footsteps lead into the cover of the forest leaving evidence to the direction Killer left in, and after a moment of consideration to potential consequences, Penguin followed.
❅❅❅
When Shachi awakened he nearly threw up. His eyes opened abruptly, his body jolting into an upright position as the last remnants of panic left his system, but the sudden movement made the room spin and his temples pulse with tremendous pain. Every dry-heave he let out, the harder his head throbbed. He pressed his forehead into the hard wooden floor underneath him and willed the room he was in to stop spinning.
Please Cora almighty make it stop!
Shachi had a bad concussion, he could tell that much. But any events leading up to his current predicament were completely lost on him. The last thing Shachi recalled was his captain barking orders at him to fix the failing propulsion system, but even those memories were hazy. He remembers the emergency lights and that obnoxious siren being triggered but other than that, his memory drew a blank.
All Shachi could tell so far is that he wasn’t on the Polar Tang anymore.
Taking a few deep breaths Shachi opened his eyes, slowly this time. When the room stayed still, he lifted his head with a groan. He felt blood pulsing behind his eyes as they adjusted to the dim lighting of the large room he found himself in. There were metal tables and chairs pushed against the walls and in the very center next to Shachi, there was a circular steel furnace with a chimney that pierced through the ceiling of the room. Coals were simmering in the metal grate and on the drying rack next to it Shachi could see his hat, socks and boots placed meticulously to dry. Reaching out to touch revealed them to be warm and crisp.
What happened to him?
Shachi looked down to the quilt that was laid on his lap. Different textures of fabric were woven together with no order or pattern. The colours were faded and the edges were fraying from years of use, reminding Shachi of the blanket he used to share with Penguin during the long winter nights in the shed. The quilt was soft to the touch, the calluses of his hands catching on the loose threads as he passed his hands over a square of fabric decorated with tiny multi-coloured fish.
Shachi felt worry surge through his chest at the thought of his best friend, though he didn’t quite understand why. His crew had to be somewhere close.
The place he’s in had a very cabin-like feel to it. The walls were wooden and tinted with a deep cherry red stain, the floors were wooden as well but less polished and well worn.
On one side of the room revealed an entrance to a large kitchen and opposite of it was a set of open double doors that led down a long unlit hallway. He was placed on the floor of some kind of mess hall, there were no windows and all lights were off leaving the stove in the center to be the only source of light. There’s a staircase on the left that lead to an upper platform with an intricately decorated railing looking out into the large mess hall一
Shachi’s heart jumped to his throat as he realised exactly where he was.
How in the world he got here, Shachi will probably never get the chance to find out. Because he’s soooo dead!
He’s on the Kid Pirate’s ship.
Why does he know this? Because Eustass ‘Captain’ fucking Kid was crouching balanced on the railling looking directly at him, like some fucked up bird of prey!
Shachi’s fingers grasped around a quilt that was laid across his lap like it offered him some protection and swallowed down what was going to be a very manly sounding yell thank you very much!
Did he一
No, he couldn’t have…
Could he?
As countless worst-case scenarios rushed through Shachi’s head, Captain Kid kept absolutely still, observing, watching . If it wasn’t for the slight rise and fall of his chest, Shachi would have thought him to be an eerily accurate statue. The fact that he sat unmoving made Shachi even more nervous. He felt like he was prey at this very moment, his own body stayed completely still like any slight movement would cause the other man to pounce, though his hands began to tremble. Kid gave him the sense that he was being studied. Like his every movement and reactions were being committed to memory. Both were at a standstill.
Cora-san, please lend me your guidance in this moment to make it out alive! Shachi prayed internally to himself, sweat running down the back of his neck from the intense stare of Captain Kid.
Shachi swallowed in an effort to wet his parched mouth. It didn’t help.
“Uh… Hi?” Shachi’s voice whimpered out pathetically and visibly cringed at himself when his voice cracked with barely concealed fear.
Who are you? Penguin? Get it together Shachi!
Kid didn’t react, he didn't even move. In fact it’s like he didn’t hear Shachi at all!
Shachi really didn’t know what to do in this situation. He woke up on the Kid Pirate’s ship, with no recollection of how he got here in the first place. Dread replaced the fear in his bones as the full weight of his position came crashing down. He’s completely separated from his crew isn’t he?
Someone took care of him though and ensured he was warm and his clothes remained dry by settling him beside a furnace. Other than a concussion his body was unharmed, and a nice warm blanket was placed on his body in a very thoughtful gesture considering Shachi was supposed to be in enemy territory. There was no way the captain of the Kid Pirates did not know which crew he was a part of.
There has to be a motive behind this, that’s the only reason why he was here and alive. If he was being held hostage for ransom, Shachi might actually get out of this alive! The thought makes him a little less nervous. His captain would never abandon him.
Shachi clears his throat with a cough and attempts to regain his composure. “I.. um. I appreciate the help and all,” Shachi starts, and when the other captain doesn't react he takes it as his cue to continue. “But perhaps you can tell me how to get back to my crew?”
At this Kid cocks his head to the side and Shachi feels fear clawing at his throat again.
“I mean! I don’t want to be presumptuous but I really need to get back and一”
Kid jumps down from the railing and Shachi yelps, clutching the blanket in his lap to his chest in a very pathetic attempt at protection. When Kid’s feet fall to the floor with a heavy thud, he’s momentarily thrown off balance and that's when Shachi pauses. The thick fur cape around Kid’s shoulder flutters open for just a moment but it's enough for Shachi to notice. Captain Kid only had one arm.
The other was cut off a few inches below the shoulder. The remaining limb was wrapped in white bandages and from the light pink and yellow staining at the base of the stumped limb, he figured the injury was recent. Not only that but the bandage hasn’t been changed in a while, and it needed to be changed soon or else infection was sure to develop if it hasn’t already.
Instinctually, Shachi’s brain switched from being absolutely terrified to working and determined, giving him a slight mental whiplash which made his temples flare with a dull pang. Years of helping his captain with medical procedures had taken control of his thoughts, making him assess Kid’s injury like he would a patient. The loss of a limb can cause quite a shock to the body, and the resulting blood loss leaves the entire nervous system weak and very prone to infection and diseases if not treated correctly. Even when treated correctly it was still high risk.
When Kid stepped closer to the light emanating from the furnace, Shachi could see the unnaturally pale complexion of the Kid Captain.
The face of Kid betrayed no emotion. He looked at Shachi with the same predatory stare he had when crouching above him on the railing, yet Shachi was not as scared as before as the other approached him slowly with unbalanced steps. Shachi’s heart was pumping his blood faster, his ears started ringing and the pain in his temple flared again but Shachi didn't want to look away from the approaching captain.
Kid stopped in front of him, crouching down to be eye level with Shachi who couldn't help the flinch in his body from the sudden movement. Kid raised a brow at this, almost amused with Shachi’s behavior before slowly reaching towards his pocket and pulling out something he couldn’t see at first.
Kid held the object in front of Shachi’s face, revealing his sunglasses…
Oh.
Shachi reached out and tenderly picked up his shades, being careful not to touch the other captain. One lens had cracked through the middle while the other was completely smashed to pieces. Shachi couldn't help the frown from forming on his face, those were his favourite pair damnit!
With his glasses returned, Kid stood up abruptly, back turned to Shachi as he made his way back up the stairs.
“Hold on!” Shachi said, catching himself by surprise. Kid paused midway through mounting the steps and looked back towards Shachi, waiting.
Shit, he didn’t think this through, but he has to say something!
“Your arm,” He says and Kid growls something threatening, sending a chill down Shachi’s spine. With the warning well received, he scrambled to explain himself and said, “The bandage needs to be changed! Uh… It looks old, and you need to change it to prevent it from getting infected. Your body is very vulnerable to diseases and it might get worse ifyoudon’tdosomethingaboutit一”
Shachi gasps out the rest, voice going higher.
Kid doesn’t grace him with a response, he only looks at him contemplatively before continuing his way up the stairs, using the railing to support his weight. When he reached the last step, he paused.
He looks at Shachi, and speaks in a low, slightly trembling voice. “Y’can go wherever ya want… Doubt you’d be goin’ far.”
And with that, Kid turns around and walks down a hall Shachi hadn't noticed before in his panic. Now alone, Shachi’s lungs deflate with a wheeze. Clutching his broken glasses in his fist, he thanks every deity and Cora-san that he’s still miraculously alive.