Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Shanks pov

One stupid mistake.

One unacceptable, inexcusable, barely-there split second of distraction that should never have happened in the first place because Shanks was better than that.

But it had happened, and now his first mate was on his knees with a hand on his right shoulder and his jaw clenched in pain, while the other Captain was laughing and claiming the poison would kill him by the time the next full moon rose.

The next instant, Shanks let his Haki crash over the rest of their opponents at the full extent of its might fueled with incandescent rage, a surge of asphyxiating power strong enough to kill the entire crew in a single second.

Only the Captain was spared, and the sudden fear in his eyes told Shanks he was seeing a monster walking up to him.

"The antidote," the Emperor stated darkly. "And I might kill you quickly."

"HA ! I'll never tell ! Even if I die, everyone will know I-ARRRRGH !!"

"The. Antidote," Shanks repeated after slowly impaling his sword in the guy's ankle.

"You're wasting your time," he seethed. "Not even you can get it !"

Shanks remained silent this time, his expression dark, and took Gryphon out of the ankle to pierce through the knee, cutting through skin, bone, tendon, and then turning the blade inside, making the piece of trash howl in pain.

"Wonderland !" he screamed with snot running from his nose. "The poison's from Wonderland !"

Shanks stopped the movement of his sword, but his dark glare and aura did not diminish.

"I don't have the antidote, don't know what it is, the poison's made wi- with sungrip roots !"

The Emperor took the blade out of the wound.

And then swiftly decapitated the man before turning around.

"Get whatever you can from that ship, then we're off to Wonderland," he ordered sternly.

"Captain," Hongo said from where he was kneeling near Beckman. "Wonderland is a labyrinth, brute force won't cut it. The only ships that come back from that crazy place are the ones who dock at the port and never venture within the land, and even then-"

"They don't always make it out," Beckman completed while sweating. "Heard it too. Goin' in blind will kill us all."

"I'm not letting you die," Shanks stated darkly.

"He said we had until the next full moon, that means we got almost a month since the last one was two days ago," Hongo countered. "I'll see if I can find something to mitigate the symtpoms until then. But if we're going to Wonderland…"

"We're gonna need a guide," the Emperor completed, and willed himself to get a grip on his emotions. "Hongo, do what you can. I'll call Shakky."

Shanks ignored the shocked looks of his friends and walked to his quarters, both to calm himself, down a bottle, and call Ray's wife. Shakky was one of the best informants in the world. One of the most exclusive, expensive, and secretive too, but if anyone knew where to find a guide to the madhouse made island that was Wonderland, it would be her.

The Emperor slammed the door behind him, his Haki barely kept in check while he was still furious at himself for letting his first mate and close friend get shot.

Should've been me.

The red-head picked the bottle of rum near his bed, and emptied half of it in one go, the harsh burn of alcohol just barely chasing the bitter feeling of failure for a moment.

Then he put it back, and picked his personal den-den mushi to compose Rayleigh's number.

Purupurupuru.

Purupurupuru.

Gatcha.

"Rayleigh."

"Ray, it's me. I need to talk to Shakky," Shanks said without bothering with chitchat for once.

"Well hello to you too, brat, I'm doing well-"

"Beck's been shot. Poisoned bullet. I need intel and I need it now," the red-head cut him off through gritted teeth.

There was absolute silence for a moment, then the voice of his father figure's wife echoed through the snail.

"Shakky speaking. What do you need ?"

"Beckman's been poisoned with sungrip roots from Wonderland, what do you have on that ?"

Another heavy silence answered him for a moment, which was not what the Emperor wanted to hear.

"I'm sorry, Shanks. There's no antidote for that, not to my knowledge at least. Wonderland is its own world, there's almost nothing known about it, much less about the kind of plants you can find there," she sighed. "Even if the people and things living there don't kill you, they'll make sure you'll never find your way out."

"Some crews trade with the island often enough to get poison," the red-head countered.

"Yes, but none of them dare to go further than the docks, and even then, not all of them manage to leave alive. It's a risky business, but the products they get out of it are so rare that some smugglers try their luck a couple times a year," Shakky replied. "They wouldn't be able to guide you on the island anymore than they could negotiate an antidote on your behalf."

Shanks felt his heart clench at the explanation. Shakky would not lie to him about something so important, but it basically meant the situation was hopeless.

"Shakky, it's Beck we're talking about," Shanks pressed, his stubborness refusing to give up, not when his friend's life was at stake. "There has to be a way, something, anything."

The snail gave another long sigh, then what sounded like a lighter clicking and a long exhale, which meant the info broker had lit up a cigarette. Shanks waited with baited breath, aware that it was Shakky's way to buy time when she hesitated to speak.

"I… might have something. Nothing sure, though, it's flimsy at best, more of a rumour than anything else, and I can't guarantee its veracity."

"I'll take it," the Emperor replied instantly, his whole body alert at the prospect of a solution.

"Only someone born and raised in Wonderland can navigate it," the former Kuja Empress told him. "I've heard faint whispers of a woman who's made a name for herself in the past six years or so. Not a big bounty, she's more of a chaotic nuisance than a threat by Marine standards, but she's got the reputation of being uncatchable. Some people pretend she's from Wonderland and left by sneaking on one of the few ships leaving the island. Like I said, nothing certain."

"I'll take her name and current location," Shanks said immediately.

Even a flimsy possibility was better than nothing. If there was a chance than this woman could save his first mate, then the Emperor was ready to do whatever it took to convince her to help him.

"Give me a moment," Shakky said.

The red-head nodded, knowing the snail would mimick his movement, and waited the couple minutes it took for the former Empress to find the specific intel she needed.

"You know it's a shot in the dark at best, right ?" Ray told him bluntly after a little while. "If Shakky tells you there's no guarantee, it means you might as well consider it a baseless rumour."

"I'll investigate anyway. I'm not letting Beck die, Ray. Not without doing every-fucking-thing I can to save him first," Shanks retorted grimly.

"Just as stubborn as your dad," Ray snorted.

The compliment made Shanks relax the tiniest bit and a small smile even spread his lips.

"Like you're any different. I take after both of you for that and you know it."

There was some noise after that, and the snail's appearance changed again to take Shakky's features.

"She was spotted in the kingdom of Kukania last week, she usually spends between one and four months in the same place, so that might be your best shot," she informed him. "By the way, I'm not charging you for all that, since it's intel I can't guarantee the truth of."

"I don't really care about costs at the moment, but thanks," Shanks snorted, but felt relieved it was an island not that far away from their current location. "What's her name ?"

"Y/N, better known as her moniker, the Queen of Illusions. User of a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit, model Kitsune. Good luck."

Gatcha.

Shanks stared at the snail for a moment. So his only hope to save one of his closest friend relied on his ability to find a woman no one had been able to catch so far, and who could create illusions to disappear at will.

The Emperor took a deep breath, then his face set into determination. It would not be the first time he did something no one had ever done before, and when it came to protecting his own, there was no length he would not go. If this woman truly was from Wonderland and could save Beck, then Shanks would do whatever it took to convince her to do it.

He stepped out of his quarters, and looked at his crew, who were almost done transferring everything worth looting from the other ship to the Red Force. They all stopped what they were doing to look at him, Hongo and Beck included, and Shanks squared his shoulders.

"Set course for Kukania, lads. We're going to find the Queen of Illusions."

-o-oOo-o-

Beckman pov

Had it been a stupid move and a terrible life decision ? Yes.

Would Beckman do it again to avoid his Captain taking the shot instead ? Probably yes too.

Even if that damn poison was a right pain in the ass. The light burning feeling constantly present in his right shoulder had dimmed after the first hour to become little more than a bother at all time, but after the two days of sailing it took them to reach Kukania, it was obvious the sensation was slowly intensifying and spreading through his body.

Beckman had not needed Hongo doing research or making calls to other doctors to guess what was going to happen to him. The burning would keep getting worse, until his entire body felt like it was on fire by the time of the next full moon, and he would die.

Not a particularly pleasant prospect.

But Shanks' idea was almost worse, and that was saying something. Going to Wonderland on the off-chance there would be an antidote, and relying on the Queen of Illusions to guide them, was nothing short of insane. They had gathered every scrap of information they could on that woman during the past two days as well, and the result did not bode well.

She was said to be chaotic, unpredictable, mischievous, to only work for herself, to have more than earned her uncatchable reputation among Marines and bounty hunters, and the reason her bounty was only at thirty million berries despite roaming in the New World was because her actual crimes were on the lower end of Marine standards.

Light theft, insults to Marines and nobles, resisting arrest, partial destruction of public property, public disorder, this kind of things. Even the few accounted murders could almost be attributed to self-defense. Her bounty poster did not even show her face clearly, since green flames were hiding the area around her eyes like a mask.

In short, this woman was an unreliable wild card.

Yet Shanks was adamant he was going to find her and convince her to help them.

A fool's errand, based on a fool's hope.

Beckman had not vowed to follow Shanks to see him sacrifice everything they had built on a fool's hope. Unfortunately, he had also vowed to obey his Captain, and the first mate did not intend to break this promise. Not further than voicing his objection, at least, which he had done and Shanks had heard and dismissed.

The red-head came to him right before they docked.

"I'll go find her. You're in charge until I come back. Make sure to resupply enough for us to go straight to Wonderland after that."

What Beckman wanted to do was asking when his friend would simply accept that he would die in less than a month and that was that.

Instead, he lit up a smoke and nodded.

"Aye Captain."

Shanks put a black cloak around himself and the hood over his head, a half-baked disguise at best, but good enough to fool random civilians, half-witted pirates, and most Marines. He made his way to the docks, and quickly lost himself in the crowd and alleys in search of an elusive woman who was probably unable or unwilling to assist them.

"You think he can find her ?" Yasopp asked him as he stretched his arms.

"If someone can find her, it's probably him," the first mate shrugged. "But even if she's from Wonderland, she left it for a reason. I doubt she'd agree to go back."

Yasopp sighed loudly, then stretched his hands over his head.

"And since that island's a madhouse, we can't force her to be our guide anyway, she'd just lose us in a heartbeat and we'd be trapped forever," the sniper completed the reasoning, then looked at him with sadness. "We've still got time to figure out something else."

Beckman stayed silent at that. The reason Wonderland poisons were so sought-after was precisely because they were so uniquely weird that no one could create an antidote to them. Even Shanks' luck and stubborness had limits.

Chapter Text

Reader pov

Your laugh echoed through five streets at the same time as copies of you ran, a bag of stolen pastries in hand and Marines running after you with shouted orders to stop at once. One of your copies made a sudden turn and vanished, leading five Marines to run straight into a wall and fall on top of each other, properly knocked out.

You led the others on a wild goose chase, running after illusions created with your flames, while you giggled from your watching spot on one of the highest buildings in the city. There was nothing like starting your day with a little shoplifting and watching Marines go crazy after the illusions you created while you enjoyed your breakfast from afar.

You had just finished a croissant and sent the fourth and fifth group of Marines run into each other when a voice echoed behind you.

"The Queen of Illusions, I presume ?"

You jumped and turned on yourself in an instant, your nine tails ensuring your balance as you crouched on the railing of the building's roof you had been sitting on. Your eyes immediately found the man hidden under a black cloak who had managed to sneak up on you.

However, you tilted your head in curiousity. Along the years, you had become good at reading a person's intentions in a glance, and this one did not seem hostile. Tense, but not hostile. A strange combination that intrigued you enough to not flee right away.

"Myself," you confirmed. "And who would you be ?"

The man removed his hood, and your eyes widened as you identified one of the four Emperors of the Sea before he even introduced himself.

"Akagami no Shanks."

"Oh. Pleasure," you said with a blink, then extended your arm with the paper bag opened. "Pastry ?" you offered.

He stepped forward and picked a sweet bun from the bag, which made you smile. Sharing food was always a nice way to start a conversation, after all.

"I've got a few questions for you," he said after taking a bite.

"Oh, how wonderful ! I happen to have a lot of answers !" you smiled brightly. "Want to exchange ?"

That seemed to throw him off, and you giggled at his adorable confused expression. Who would have thought such a powerful man with such a frightful reputation could look so cute.

"What ?"

"Mmmh…" you pondered seriously, your free pointing finger tapping on your chin at the vague start, then replied. "Blue. Only on Tuesdays. Forty-two. Third row on the left. A duck. Not unless you have a roll of bubble wrap and three paper clips. Raspberry smoothie. Last-"

"Wait, no !" he cut you off. "I have very specific questions !"

You stopped talking, sighed, but gestured him to go ahead. You had hoped the red-haired Emperor would be less boring than everyone else, but his serious expression seemed to indicate otherwise.

"Are you from Wonderland ?"

Your entire body froze, but you hid it by nodding confidently the next second.

"Yup, born and raised," you admitted, then threw the almost empty paper bag to him before stretching your arms above your head, your tails following the movement and your ears flickering. "Well, I've got places to-"

"I need to go to Wonderland," he cut you off again, and you rolled your eyes.

"Then go, o great Emperor," you grinned with a mock curtsy, and started walking on the edge of the roof. "No one's stopping you."

"I need a guide who knows the island. If you can get me in and out safely, your price will be mine," he pushed.

"Not interested," you hummed, and twirled on yourself, wondering which building to jump down to next. "Hate that place, never going back."

"Then a favour of your choice ?" he offered instead. "If you help me, I'll do something for you too, no questions asked. But I really need a guide."

"Sounds like a you problem," you yawned, and crouched once you found a decent-looking roof to jump on.

"Please !" the Emperor begged. "My first mate's been poisoned with sungrip roots."

You stopped moving at that, your body going perfectly still right before your jump.

The red-haired Emperor was not the first one to approach you with the intention to go to Wonderland and use you as a safety net.

But he was the first one to do so in order to save someone instead of financial interest. Of course, there was a chance he was a better liar than you gave him credit for, but the sincere pain and despair in his voice sounded too raw to be faked, and you found yourself hesitating.

When you had gotten out of this hellhole, you had promised yourself that you would never go back. Yet, the thought of someone whose feelings were so deep and profound they would risk it all to save the ones they cared for was enough to thaw your heart and make you reconsider your decision.

Especially since you knew exactly what kind of remedy was required to escape the rather violent fate sungrip roots condemned a living being to.

You slowly turned around, and carefully assessed the man who had gone through the trouble of tracking you on the fleeting hope that you could do something for his first mate. Then you remembered what you knew about this specific Emperor, and smirked as an idea popped in your mind.

Maybe you could get something out of this too.

-o-oOo-o-

Shanks pov

Shanks waited with baited breath as the woman slowly turned around and stared at him for a moment with a calculating gaze, before giving him a slow once-over and smirking knowingly. In other circumstances, such a gorgeous woman checking him out would make him offer her a drink at the very least.

But right now, when she was his first and last hope to save Beck, the only thing he could feel was his stomach churning with nervousity.

"If I were to help you," she said slowly, and Shanks felt hope bloom at her words, "I would need proof you're not inventing this poisoned friend story."

"I'll introduce you to Beck, you can check his symptoms for yourself," Shanks offered at once.

She nodded and jumped back on the roof, which was encouraging, so Shanks clung to the idea that he had said the right thing.

"And," she said next while stepping closer to him with a confident smirk, "my help will not come for free."

Shanks braced himself for what might be the most extravagant number he had ever heard, or the most outlandish favour. Invading a kingdom, an amount in the billions, killing a member of the Council of Elders, that kind of impossible demand that he would grant without thinking twice if it meant his friend had a chance to live.

There was nothing Shanks would not do to save those he loved.

"Name your price."

A green sparkle flashed in her eyes, something gone in an instant, but before he could even try to analyse it, she was in front of him and her index was under his chin.

"My price… is your lust."

"Very w- wait what ?"

Shanks' brain crashed at her words, just as her smirk widened.

"You heard me, hot stuff," she repeated, her lips coming dangerously close to his, their faces and bodies only separated by inches. "My price is your lust."

"What does that mean ?" the Emperor asked after a gulp, his desire threatening to take over at the unfairly tempting body almost touching his.

"Well, you see, a kitsune's powers grow by feeding off the lust of the people they have sex with. Right now, I can only replicate visuals and sounds, but with enough intercourse, I should be able to awaken my Devil Fruit and fool all the senses or even decide who is trapped in my illusions and who can see through them," she grinned. "With the way you react right now, I can tell you find me attractive. And since you're an Emperor, your stamina must be greater than random men I can seduce at an inn."

Shanks felt his dick jerk in his pants, obviously very interested by the implied offer she was putting on the table.

"So," she purred, "what I want in exchange for my help is for you to fuck me every single night I will spend on your ship until we reach Wonderland. I'm talking wild, bone-melting, brain-wracking, making-me-forget-my-own-name kind of sex."

Shanks blinked several times before his brain managed to properly process what he had just heard, and even then, he had to repeat it to be sure he had not imagined the words.

"Your price to guide us in the most insane island in the New World and help us find an antidote is that I fuck you every night you'll sail with us !?"

"Pretty much, yeah, but you should keep in mind it's because I want to become more powerful and I like sex, which you are rumoured to be pretty damn good at on top of being very easy on the eyes," she smirked.

The red-head's jaw dropped.

Then the dirtiest part of his mind took control as he racked his eyes all over her curves, and the only thing he could think of was something coming from a kink he was not even aware he had before that morning.

"Are your tails included in the offer ?"

"They absolutely are," she purred happily, her lips still a hair's breath away from his. "So, do we have a deal ?"

"Fuck yeah we do," Shanks agreed instantly.

"Wonderful. I'll take a first payment now if you don't mind."

Her lips crashed on his before Shanks could even answer, but the soft and pliant warm mouth plastered on his own made every thought vanish from his mind. He instantly licked her bottom lip, and she opened readily, her tongue coming to play with his own as their mouths learned to work with each other.

He sneaked his hand around her waist, then instantly moved to reach the spot where her tails started. The second he wrapped his fingers around the soft and fluffy appendages, she made the sweetest moan, almost a demanding whine that he drank greedily from her lips, and his fingers mingled among the base of her tails as she melted against him.

Her own fingers were lost in his hair and – wait when had she opened his shirt – roaming the expanse of his chest greedily to get a feel of his skin and muscles. When she pinched his nipple, Shanks growled hungrily at the little sting, desire building heavily in him. Then her tails started roaming all over his body, a soft and insistent caress sending sparks of desire and sensual pleasure everywhere they went.

It took him a while to realise they were grinding against each other, her clothed pussy rolling on his clothed dick, their respective arousal made more than obvious by their frantic movements. Shanks used the grasp he had on her ass to press her further against his crotch, and she moaned at that, a delightful sound he caught just as it passed her lips.

Their orgasm built with the urgency of teenagers, which neither of them were anymore, but the desire and absolute need to cum and reach his climax were overpowering Shanks in a way he had not felt since he was sixteen, so he bit her lower lip, making her whine sound sweeter than any of his partners' ever did.

"You close ?" he panted.

"Yeah, gonna feed off- of- ooooh yessssss !"

He went back to kiss her fiercely and felt her climax wash over her, only a few seconds before the friction on his dick sent him above the edge as well, and he came in his pants with a groan and stars bursting behind his eyelids.

They fell to their knees together, Shanks feeling a little dizzy all of a sudden, which confused him until she moaned again and completely fell on the concrete with her tails cushioning her body and a more-than-blissed expression as she started mumbling incoherently.

"Oh fuck- mmmh- this is soooo… fuck," she panted, then raised on her elbows and stared at him.

Her eyes were wild, crackling with green lightnings, looking half-crazed, and she suddenly dashed to kiss him again, hard and intense with her hands holding his cheeks, and Shanks let it happen happily, let her devour his lips with her own and lick or bite all she liked, his brain still failing to compute what had happened beside overwhelming pleasure.

Then she drew back, her eyes dark with intent as she stared at him.

"I'll be at the docks in three hours. Bring whoever is poisoned with you in the alley behind the pub called the Merry Shrimp," she instructed. "And don't tell anyone what I asked for as payment for my help."

Before Shanks could utter more than a dazed uh sure, she had left and jumped away from the roof, leaving him alone with an almost empty pastry bag, a light tiredness, and feeling somehow still horny.

Holy sweet and sacred seas, what even was that lady.

-o-oOo-o-

Reader pov

Later in the day, you pranced on the Red Force's deck with a duffel bag over your shoulder and innocent smile on your face, none of your kitsune features visible but a swing in your hips. You followed Shanks to put your stuff in his quarters, not that you travelled with much. Since your deal implied you would fuck at least once a night, it was the most convenient arrangement.

The meeting with his first mate had confirmed what you suspected, which was the Emperor telling the truth. His first mate truly had been poisoned by sungrip roots, and you knew exactly what remedy would work and where to get it, which unfortunately meant going back to Wonderland.

Very unfortunately.

But the single sample of Shanks' genuine and powerful lust you had felt on that roof had purely and simply blown your brain away. His desire and sincere love of sex had given you a boost unlike anything you had ever known, while you both had your clothes on to boot.

Even having sex only once a night would be more than enough for you to unlock the ability to fool the sense of smell before you reached Wonderland, perhaps even touch as well.

"Out of curiousity," the Emperor asked when you were alone in his quarters, "why do you want to keep the nature of your payment between us ? To protect the secret of your Devil Fruit ?"

You turned around with a mischievous smirk.

"To mess with your crew."

His eyes went wide for a second, and then the red-head burst out laughing, wild and free, and your opinion of him changed the tiniest bit. It seemed he was not as serious and boring as his first impression had led you to believe.

"Oh, you're going to fit right in," the Emperor chuckled when he calmed down.

You grinned proudly at that, then the two of you made your way back on deck, where you could see the rest of his crew preparing for depart. As long as you succeeded in making your mind ignore the destination, you could even fool yourself into thinking this was going to be a nice fun cruise.

-o-oOo-o-

Hongo pov

They left Kukania with the tide, an eternal log pose set to Wonderland, and a woman who turned into her partial Zoan form as soon as they were away from the island, with the only explanation that she felt more comfortable that way. The Queen of Illusions – or Y/N, as she had insisted everyone called her – seemed to have fun exploring the ship without giving any thoughts about safety.

Watching a kitsune make cartwheels on the railings or backflips on the top masts was undeniably weird, but since it did not prevent anyone from doing their job and Shanks only waved it off with a smile, no one said anything.

So Hongo joined all the officers for a quick meeting on deck after they reached the high sea, and they started to talk about the kind of antidote they needed to find in Wonderland.

"I'll do my best," Hongo sighed tiredly, "but there's a reason no one knows how to cure Wonderland poisons. I'll have to test several plants to see which one might be the best counter to sungrip roo-"

The doctor was interrupted by the fox-like woman jumping from the masts and landing on the table in a sitting position, her tails cushioning the shock. She smiled brightly, and a burst of green flames poofed above the palm of her open hand to create the shape of a flower with a black center and silver-white crescent-shaped petals.

"Oh, easy, you just need to make him drink an infusion of moonloose. Wonderland's all about opposites, you know ? To counter the roots of sungrip, you need the petals of moonloose. It grows in the metaphorical heart of the island and only blooms at night," she explained casually, then used her tails to push herself away from their table and sauntered away toward the stern.

Hongo's jaw dropped, Beckman lost his grip on his cigarette, and everyone stared speechless at the fluffy tails leaving their sight.

"Uh, guess that's one problem solved ?" Yasopp asked awkwardly after a moment.

"Holy shit that's one hell of a guide that you found, Captain," Bonk stated with his eyes still wide open and his monkey nodding on his shoulders.

"Shanks," Beckman said seriously. "What the fuck did you agree to pay for her help ?"

That was the question everyone was wondering about, since their Captain had not said anything on the matter and she had not mentioned it either. None of them believed such a chaotic woman would agree to help their crew to that extent without a massive compensation.

"Don't worry about it," Shanks grinned. "I'm handling it personally, it won't affect the crew."

"What did she ask for ?" Lucky asked curiously.

"Nothing I wasn't ready to give," the red-head replied with an even wider grin. "Trust me, lads, I've got this."

They all sighed loudly, since it seemed their Captain was not going to tell them the truth any time soon. Hongo only hoped it was not another situation where Shanks was way in over his head and trying to solve a problem by taking the weight of the consequences on his shoulders alone.

It did not help that she had rushed the medical check-up Hongo had insisted to give her, only to realise she was in perfect health and up to date on all her shots. She had taken a clear delight in confusing him with random questions and answers, then left with a laugh.

Their informal meeting was dismissed quickly, and everyone went back to their usual tasks, though Beckman followed him to the infirmary, and Hongo had an inkling as to why that was, since it was about time he needed his next dose. And indeed, as soon as the door was closed, the first mate went to sit on a cot with a heavy sigh and a hand running on his face.

"Until we know what her price was, I'm not trusting her," he said out of the blue.

"Captain seems sure she's legit," the doctor shrugged half-heartedly.

"He's also sleeping with her," Beckman snorted. "Not sure when it happened, but I bet they already fucked at least once."

"Already ? Dang, I thought they'd wait a few days before going at it," Hongo laughed, then went to pick light painkillers from a cupboard.

"With the way he looks at her ? It'll be a miracle if they wait until tonight," his friend said with a shake of his head.

"Maybe that's how he's paying her," the blond pirate smirked as he put some water into a cup and diluted a teaspoon of brown paste inside. "Would explain why he's so confident about it."

"Right. The most elusive woman this side of the New World agreed to lead us to the island she escaped years ago for the mighty price of sex with Shanks," Beckman deadpanned.

Hongo snickered at that, and handed the cup to his first mate. Even with their Captain's reputation, that was simply too ridiculous. Fun to suggest, and weirder things had happened on the Grand Line, but still ridiculous.

Chapter Text

Reader pov

As soon as the door closed behind Shanks, you turned around and plastered your body on his, your lips hungrily pressed on his mouth while he kissed you back with just as much desire.

"Thought you'd never call it a night," you mumbled between kisses.

"Got a ship to sail, babe," the red-head countered with his hand already pulling your top upward. "And you've been a fucking tease all day."

"Me ? I would never," you purred after tracing his bottom lip with your tongue and caressing his legs with the soft yet insistent presence of your tails.

He groaned at that, and you used two tails to swiftly push his pants down before dropping on your knees, three more tails ensuring you would be comfortable when your prize was revealed.

"Any objection ?" you asked with the tip of your fingers already in his underwear.

"No teeth, anything else goes," he told you in a heated voice.

"Awesome," you hummed, and licked your lips when you slid the annoying garnment down and his cock sprung out, already filled with blood and leaking precum, big and thick and everything you had hoped it would be. "Give me a few minutes to adjust, and then you can fuck my mouth if you want."

"Wait wha- oooh shhhiiiiit yes, just like that," he moaned with his head thrown back when you lapped the little bead of precum at the top before swirling your tongue around the head.

You started to take more of his shaft in your mouth, and relished in the heavy and hot weight of it pushing past your lips, even reaching your throat before you could take it fully in, which made you moan in delight. If it could go that far in your mouth, you could not even begin to imagine how deep it would go in your pussy. Both your hands were holding his thighs for now, giving you the anchor you needed to start moving back and forth on his thick dick and coat it in saliva. Shanks was just as loud and expressive in his desire than he had been the first time, and you eagerly drank it all as your nose and lips finally reached a mess of pubic hair.

You opened your eyes and looked up, only to be faced by a most enthralling view. Tanned skin and taunt muscles were moving with every breath, the powerful Emperor reduced to a lustful man in the dim light of the moon glowing through the window of his quarters. Your throat worked around his dick just as you ran your tongue flat along the erect member while it was still inside your mouth, and the red-head gasped a strangled breath, his eyes meeting yours the next instant.

"Fuck, you're-"

His next words were cut off by a curse when you went back to sucking him off in earnest, wanting to feel his pleasure build even more because of you. To add to it, one of your tails went to caress his sack, which earned you another surprised gasp followed this time by a moan.

Figuring he was getting closer to his orgasm, your left hand grabbed his right one, that he had kept in your hair but was not properly using yet. Your fingers applied more pressure on it to convey what you wanted him to do, and thankfully, he seemed to take the hint in a second.

"Sure, yeah, totally, can do," he blabbered hotly. "Fuck, your mouth is a work of art, baby," he chuckled breathlessly.

His fingers gripped a fistful of your hair and held you there, which made you moan in delighted anticipation. Then his cock moved a little back, then in, slowly at first, then faster as he could tell you took it easily, until he was properly fucking your mouth and your eyes turned half-lidded at the way his dick slid through your lips again and again, making drool fall at the corner of your lips.

"Close," he panted at some point, "in or-"

You decided for him and took his hips to bring them closer to you, making you take his entire member in your mouth right before you moaned and swallowed at the same time your tails massaged his sack more thoroughly.

"FUCK !"

You felt thick ropes of slightly bitter liquid spurt in your mouth and throat, just as your Devil Fruit activated and started to feed off the heady pleasure the Emperor was radiating in waves. Between his cum and his lust, you were feeling a little sex-drunk yourself, in a way you usually were after several rounds or with more than one partner.

Stars, what a man, and what a lover.

You let his cock leave your mouth with a soft pop, and made a show of wiping the corner of your lips with your thumb before licking it.

The red-head was staring at you, pupils blown wide and breath short, looking entirely debauched as he laid against the door, and you adored the sight more than you could ever tell.

"That… that might be the best blowjob I've ever received," he blurted out.

Pride and smugness filled your chest, and you stood back up slowly, your fingers running on the skin revealed by his open shirt, your hunger nowhere near sated and your pussy positively drenched by now.

"A gentleman would return the favour," you grinned wildly. "Rumour has it you're really good with your tongue, care to prove it ?"

A growl answered you, and next thing you knew, you were laying on a bed, your pants and panties discarded to the side and your legs spread wide, with one of the most dangerous men at sea eating you out like it was his life's mission to pleasure you.

-o-oOo-o-

Shanks pov

Shanks woke up feeling perfectly rested. No nightmare, no soreness, not even the slightest symptom of hangover, just emerging from a deep slumber that ensured he was at his best.

And to top it off, there was a female body spooned against his own, with a nice round ass against his dick and a breast in his palm.

Best wake-up he had known in ages.

When his brain fully came on and he remembered what had led to that, it somehow got better, and Shanks felt himself smile before he even opened his eyes. He had already been more than on board to pay for this gorgeous fox's help with sex, doubly so when she was so good at it, but to now have the confirmation that her feeding off his lust meant he would get the best sleep ever afterwards ?

Shanks almost felt like he was ripping her off with that deal.

She stirred in her sleep, then moved around and turned into her half-transformed form to snuggle against him, her pointy ears tickling his throat, and the red-head chuckled.

"Morning, babe."

An incoherent grumble answered him, along with several fluffy tails reaching for his body under the sheets and pressing him further against her in a tight hug.

Seas, you're so freaking cute.

So Shanks decided there was no rush to get up, and started to run his fingers through her hair, along her ears, the length of her tails, and on her back, to gently rouse her from sleep. It earned him a soft rumbling sound, almost like a purr, and the Emperor smiled.

They only made their way to the galley one hour later. Y/N still looked more asleep than awake when she sat next to him at a table, and instantly crossed her arms on the wood to lay her head in.

"Long night ?" Bonk asked with a knowing smirk.

"Great night," Shanks grinned back.

Two mugs of coffee were put in front of them, which the red-head appreciated and figured his lover was in dire need of, but to his surprise, when she raised her head and caught a sniff of the drink, the atmosphere changed brutally.

Her eyes opened fully at once and she threw herself away from the table with a snarl, jumping back until she was crouching with a wall at her back. A threatening growl passed her lips and green flames started flowing from her tails and now clawed hands to invade every nook and cranny of the space around her.

Everyone froze, Shanks included.

In a fraction of second, it was as if the mischievous woman and sensual lover had disappeared to reveal a dangerous fighter.

The Emperor stood up slowly, hand held in front of him to defuse the situation.

"Y/N ?" he asked cautiously.

"I wasn't expecting a murder attempt so soon in the journey," she hissed with a glare. "I guess I shouldn't have trusted a pirate's sob story after all."

Her words felt like a slap, but Shanks tried to focus on the first part of her reply and the absurdity of it.

"No one tried to murder you."

"You gave me coffee while I was tired enough to not question what I would have been drinking, how do you call that !?" she snarled.

A beat passed in the galley.

Shanks blinked. Beck blinked. Yasopp blinked. Every member of his crew currently present probably blinked.

"Uh. Good breakfast manners ?" Lucky tried.

"Wait," Shanks said suddenly as understanding dawned on him. "Coffee's toxic to you ?"

"Coffee, chocolate, avocado, grapes," she listed with a glare. "That's basically poison to foxes, as you very well know. Right ?" she finished with a more doubtful expression.

"Oh seas, sorry Y/N, I had no idea !" Lucky exclaimed. "I'll keep all that out of your meals !"

"You didn't mention that during your check-up," Hongo accused with a frown. "Otherwise I'd have told Lucky at the very least."

"Oh please, that's common knowledge !" she retorted with a snort. "How do you think people tried to kill me in Wonderland when I was a kid ?"

Her words sent a chill through the Red-Haired Pirates. Shanks himself went still for a moment. Among everything that had been going on, he had not once wondered what her life had been like on that island or why she had chosen to leave. Growing up on the Oro Jackson meant he knew what it was like to fight for his life before even reaching the double digits, which was not something Shanks wished on anyone no matter how much experience he had accumulated thanks to it.

"People on your island tried to kill you ?" Beckman asked cautiously.

Her flames disappeared, and she stood back up with one last hard look before she closed her eyes. When she opened them again, her face had turned back to her cheerful and mischievous expression.

"Oh you know, it's Wonderland. Everything and everyone tries to either kill you or drive you insane, moreso when you've got a Devil Fruit like mine. Anyway, honest mistake, got it, do you have something else than coffee ?" she smiled and stepped back to the table like everything was right in the world.

Snake handed her a mug of tea, and soon enough, it was as if the incident had never even happened in the first place. But Shanks still spent most of the morning watching her, wondering what this woman had been through, and what else they might have in common.

-o-oOo-o-

Beckman pov

Days passed, with the entire crew adopting the Queen of Illusions as one of them without questions. She was still a bit strange even by their standards, and definitely mischievous enough to play pranks on various people, but she also proved to be funny and kind in her own way.

During the first party they had thrown, she had happily used her flames to illustrate Yasopp's stories and then started a drinking game based on their ability to identify increasingly blurred shapes she created. The melted blob of red and yellow liquid turning out to be Akainu had sent everyone laughing until they fell on their asses, Beckman included.

There had not been another coffee accident, or another time where she had shown anything else than her quirky personality, but that moment of absolute seriousness had stuck with the grey-haired pirate. Unfortunately, between the poison intensifying the pain in his body and how much time she spent playing in the strangest areas of the ship, he had not had an opportunity to talk to her alone yet.

Not to mention how his Captain looked utterly addicted to their foxy guide.

The first night, the screams and various noises of pleasure had kept everyone up for a while, which was a bit annoying yet nothing they were not used to.

But then, it seemed they were going at it every single night for at least two or three hours, and the entire crew learned how to create earplugs from scratch just to get those few hours of peace.

Then one morning, Shanks walked straight to where she was looking at the waves, put his hand on her ass, and whispered something about night and getting stronger and deal, which had ended up with both of them heading to his quarters for another few rounds of sex.

Which meant everyone got to hear how creative she could be with her tails in the bedroom, and how much Shanks enjoyed it.

In other words, way too much information no one needed to know.

"I swear it's like having a couple of rabbits aboard," Yasopp groaned when the noises finally stopped. "Thank fuck it's just for this mission."

Beckman huffed, the painkillers not enough anymore to hide the fact that most of his upper body was uncomfortably hot at all time.

"If it lasts any longer, I'll ask him to soundproof his quarters," he deadpanned.

"Should've done that years ago," Yasopp laughed, then got more serious. "How're you doing ?"

"As well as I can with poison burning me non-stop," the grey-haired man replied bluntly. "Still manageable."

"Good thing we know the antidote," his friend said encouragingly.

"Knowing what it is and getting it are two different things," Beckman reminded him.

"Come on, be a little more optimistic ! We've got a guide and all, you know we can totally do this, easy peasy."

The first mate raised an eyebrow, not fully convinced by that enthusiasm. They were still about a week away from Wonderland, and no one knew how long it would take to get the flower supposed to cure him.

-o-oOo-o-

Reader pov

To your surprise, you found yourself adoring life on the Red Force.

And not just because you were getting the best sex of your life multiple times a day with a very talented and very horny lover.

Though it certainly helped.

But the whole crew was merry and welcoming, and Shanks turned out to be a very laid-back and funny person, only getting serious when he was worried about his friends. Yasopp knew an insane amount of stories that at least half were clearly made up, and Lucky was surprisingly into helping you play light pranks on everyone else.

And behind his unfazed appearance, you could see how much Beckman cared about everyone on board. Which was probably why it was obvious he was still a bit suspicious of you, something you did not mind since it was frankly comprehensible.

And the Red Force herself was awesome, you could twirl and play and dance on every part of her while feeling the salty breeze on your skin, happily enjoying the wind and sea as your most precious companions. It felt like this ship was the freest and happiest place on earth, somewhere you could see yourself getting used to.

Which was pretty dangerous when the deal you had passed with the handsome red-haired Emperor was only temporary. You could already tell you would miss it once this whole adventure was done.

You frowned a bit and tried to push depressing thoughts of the future away from your mind.

"What's making you scrunch your pretty nose like that, baby ?" Shanks asked you.

You were both lying in bed and cuddling, and you turned your gaze back to your lover, amusement and respect mixing in your mind. It was more than a little impressive that he was still awake after you had already fed off of him three times that day.

"I'm wondering why a raven is like a writing desk," you lied easily.

Not a complete lie though, this riddle was one you had been stuck on for over two decades and still were not any closer to crack.

"Cause the writer made the desk be like a raven," Shanks grinned and kissed your forehead.

You froze in shock, then raised your head to look at your lover.

"What ?"

"Well, in a story, reality is what the storyteller says it is, right ?" the red-head chuckled. "So if the author says a raven is like a writing desk, it's because they wanted it to. A question that makes no sense means whoever asked it wanted to create chaos, that's its own answer."

You stared at Shanks in disbelief. In the span of a few seconds, the Emperor had solved the most ancient and unsolvable riddle of Wonderland, without realising the might of what he had just done. His carefree and playful eyes watched you with nothing but genuine contentment, and it was as if the beauty of his crimson gaze turned into an arrow swirling all over your skin until it pierced your chest and shot straight through your heart.

A unique feeling ran through you, warm and mushy and powerful, like a cloud of puffy goo directed by butterflies was invading every corner of your very being, from the top of your eyelashes to every fluffy hair on your tails.

And a very dangerous reality dawned on your mind.

Crap. I'm in love with you.

"Hey, you alright baby ?" the Emperor asked you with his hand brushing your hair.

"Huh ? Sure, totally. Great answer, hot stuff," you smiled brightly, and kissed him on the lips. "Nighty night, unless you want to go again ?"

His eyebrows shot up a second, then his expression turned sultry and his hand left your hair to cup your breast, which was answer enough even without his next words.

"Well, if you're asking…" he trailed with a hungry grin while the pad of his thumb teased your nipple. "I always hold up my end of a deal."

Right, you were sleeping together because that was what you had asked as payment for your help with his friend's life-threatening problem. The only required feeling between you was lust, so that you could feed off of it and become more powerful. Damn it, you were an idiot.

But an idiot with a hot lover ready and willing to ravish you again before you went to sleep.

So you did the only reasonable thing to do and pushed aside your newly realised feelings to straddle Shanks and impale your still wet pussy on his nice, hard, warm big dick to ride him till kingdom come.

Chapter Text

Shanks pov

Shanks would like it to be known that no matter what rumours said about him, he was a simple man.

His happiness relied on the sea, good booze, friends to sail and drink with, and sex – or at least pretty women in sight.

So even with Beckman's condition getting worse with every passing day, the promise of a solution was enough to keep his spirits high enough to enjoy life.

Or maybe it was the endorphins constantly flooding his body with great sleep and even greater sex every day, multiple times a day, with a woman who was driving him wild and making him feel like a perpetually horny teenager all over again.

Shanks could simply not get enough of the sexy and sensual kitsune living on his ship. Her eyes, her smile, the sound of her giggles or the way she swayed her hips, the slightest thing she did turned him on and made him want to take her in every way she agreed to in the nearest semi-private space they could reach.

And so he was abusing the terms of their deal to sate his addiction to her. He had barely lasted five days before going to his foxy lover one morning and put his hand on her ass, along with a few words purred in her ear.

I know our deal said every night, but the stronger you get before the island, the better, so… my quarters ?

The excuse had been more than flimsy, but it seemed the prospect of more power had thankfully been enough to make her follow him with a grin and a hungry gaze.

The Emperor was not a complete fool, he was aware that no matter how much she enjoyed having sex with him, her real reason to indulge his desires was to get closer to awakening her Devil Fruit. This thing between them was purely contractual, a mutual arrangement that would end after this one adventure.

Shanks was used to relationships starting with an expiration date. As a pirate, a Captain, and an Emperor, temporary lust and superficial affection doomed to end after a few days, weeks, or months at best, was his lot in life and something he had accepted long ago. A price to pay in order to fulfill his dream of living at sea as an outlaw free of any and all rule.

But this one woman was somehow worming her way past his walls. She was not just the best fuck he had ever known, she was fun, a bit wild, mischievous, living life to the fullest, getting along with his crew, and the freest free spirit he had ever seen. Every second she was twirling and making acrobatics on the railings and masts with the wind making her hair and tails fly was like watching freedom and wilderness incarnate.

And Shanks knew there was more to her than that. The coffee incident had revealed the ruthless and darker part of her soul, even if it had only been for a single moment. It was proof that her cheerful chaotic personality was only the first layer of a much more complex individual, something that resonated deep within him.

This woman had something in her that Shanks was drawn to more and more with every passing day, every moment in bed, every scrap of conversation giving him a glimpse of her soul.

And then they ran into a storm on the way to Wonderland.

Shanks stayed at the helm, barking orders among the lightnings, massive waves, and howling winds. He had seen worse, so had his crew, but it was still a challenge he was not underestimating.

Dark clouds threw raindrops at them like bullets, the sea was testing his ship with every dip and crest, but they would beat this storm.

They had to.

When the worst was behind them, Shanks started to allow himself to release the tension in his muscles and lessen his iron grip on the helm. The rain had softened, the winds lowered, the waves were smaller. Things were back to manageable, which meant the non-stop stress had lessened.

Then a violent burst of wind slapped them out of nowhere, making the Red Force rock brutally for a second.

And Limejuice went flying overboard in the movement.

"LIME !"

"MAN OVERBOA-"

A flash of tails rushed to the railing faster than anyone could act.

Y/N jumped over the railing before Shanks could even blink, then a wood-shredding sound broke through the rain, and within two seconds, she flipped back on deck with Limejuice in her tails, landing on a crouching position with a clawed hand holding onto the deck.

"Get us out of here !" she yelled.

Shanks had no time to think about what had just happened and what it meant to him and his crew. His role was to ensure everyone sailing under his flag would make it out alive by following his orders, and so he did.

Once the weather was no longer threatening, Shanks let the helm to Snake and rushed to the deck with everyone else, only to watch Limejuice be released from Y/N's tails.

"For the record," she grinned, "that's not what I meant when I said you should all bathe more often."

Limejuice burst out laughing and the entire crew followed. The Emperor laughed along at the quip, but as others helped his friend back to his feet, his eyes were glued to the woman who had saved a member of his crew at the risk of falling into the sea as well. Shanks kept staring with his heart beating wildly in his chest, even when she grimaced apologetically and explained that the helm would probably need a few small repairs, and everyone assured her it was fine.

Later that day, once it was only the two of them in his quarters, not even on the bed but with her bent over the desk, with his dick sheathed in her to the hilt and her sweet moans filling the air, Shanks found the will to ask.

"Saving another member of my crew wa- ah !" he panted when her addictive pussy clenched around his cock, "was not part of our deal, baby," he panted.

"You- mmmh right here !" she moaned, and Shanks complied happily. "You hired me t- tooooo oh god yesssss ! To save your crewmate, I ju- YES ! Harder please !" she screamed when Shanks changed his angle slightly, and he followed her demand, "just thought it extended to your whole creeeeeeew fuck yes don't stop !"

The red-head did not even pause and kept fucking his lover the way she wanted him to, hard and fast with his hand holding her waist tightly. He let his lust take control so she could feed off of it all she wanted, since that was the only thing she valued from him.

Yet later on, when he closed his eyes in exhausted yet sated bliss, Shanks thought he heard a hushed whisper grazing his cheek after a featherlight kiss.

"I would do so much more for you, my love."

A few words conjured by his wishful mind, nothing more than his heart longing to hear he was more to her than a way to increase her power. An illusion created by his yearning, yet one Shanks chose to believe for a moment, and he drifted to sleep with the delusional thought that she wanted him the way he had realised he wanted her.

Someone to give his heart to. Someone who would give him her own heart in return. Someone who would defend the ragtag makeshift found family he had built. Someone who cared for them as much as he did, and maybe, hopefully, would care for him, protect him, love him just as fiercely as he loved her.

Someone to spend forever with.

-o-oOo-o-

Reader pov

Shanks had become more affectionate with you after the storm.

Not hornier, just more affectionate.

He touched you more often, in a way that was not sexual or teasing. His fingers caressed your shoulders or waist at every opportunity, his lips pressed kisses on your cheeks, hair, or hands whenever he could, he hugged you as soon as you were close enough for him to do so, and he brought you next to him at every meal, to the point you were basically sitting in his lap whenever you ate.

You could almost fool yourself into thinking you were in a real relationship with the handsome red-haired Emperor.

But then he would make a comment about your deal, or Beckman would wince in pain, and the illusion would vanish.

Not even the special ability of your Mythical Zoan could fool you forever, regardless of how often your inward fox tried to tell you it was real. Shanks counted on you to bring back the flower that would heal his first mate, even if it meant sleeping with you all the time to ensure you would guide him in and out of Wonderland safely.

You were a tool.

A pleasant tool sating his desires and making him see stars whenever you fucked.

But a tool.

Nothing more.

Nothing less.

A pleasant experience that would be relegated to a nice memory once you brought back the remedy for his friend and were dropped at the next port.

A mean to an end.

No matter how much your heart begged and yearned and longed for more.

However, you had learned the hard way to enjoy whatever happiness you were given in life for as long as it lasted, and so you did.

Even if every orgasm felt more and more like a lie. Even if your heart clenched every time Shanks felt asleep in your arms. Even if a thousand words of undying love were just one tender look away from passing your lips.

You had been hired for a job, a very specific job you very much did not want to do, but had agreed to do in exchange for increasing your illusion powers through sex with a handsome red-head.

And a job you would now do out of love for a man who only valued you for what you could bring to his crew, because who cared what made a mischievous chaotic kitsune's heart beat or break, after all. Still, you wanted your time with Shanks to remain a good memory for you as well, and as such, you kept your love safely hidden behind your lust.

-o-oOo-o-

When the sparkling blue fog surrounding Wonderland came into view in the last lights of the sunset, you lost your cheerfulness and slammed your foot on the wooden planks of the deck.

"Stop the ship now," you ordered. "Don't get closer to the island."

The Red Force steered to the side so she would stay at good distance, and all officers joined you on deck along most of the crew. Even Beckman was there, no matter how much pain you knew he had to be in at the moment. You were aware of the outrageousness of your next words, but you also knew they were necessary.

So you put one hand on your hip and stared at the Red-Haired pirates, your usual smile nowhere to be seen.

"I know Shanks is Captain, and I respect that. But the second we enter that fog, my word becomes law, or everyone dies."

For a second, no one said anything, then Shanks stepped forward.

"You know this land best. Until we leave again, you're in charge."

Your eyes widened for a single instant at his easy acceptance of such a mighty request, but then you nodded in determination.

"Limejuice," you said while turning to the man, "do you have what I asked for ?"

"Sure do," the blond pirate confirmed, and you relaxed slightly. "And I told you it's just Lime."

"Alright, Lime. Now listen to me, everyone," you said as sternly as you could.

In front of you, an entire pirate crew was looking back in silence, and you could only hope every single one of these merry dumbasses would do as you said.

"I will ignite a flame in every single sphere Lime prepared, and you will wear it around your neck until we leave that fog again. Everyone in Wonderland will know it means you're under my protection, but if they push, the only thing you are allowed to say is do you remember what the fox did ?"

"And what did you do ?" Gab asked, and you glared at him.

"None of your business. My turf, my rules," you stated harshly. "Don't trust anyone there, no matter what they look like or what they tell you."

"You're the expert," Shanks declared confidently. "Lads, you heard her instructions."

"Aye Captain !"

"Good," you nodded. "You stay at the dock, I'll go alone and get that flower. Then-"

"Absolutely not," the red-head interrupted you. "I hired you to be a guide on that island, you won't take all the risks alone. I'm coming with you."

You glared back, but you had learned how stubborn Shanks could be by then, so after a few seconds, you closed your eyes briefly in defeat.

"Fine, but keep your Observation Haki active at all time. It won't save you, but you will be able to see through most illusions that aren't mine," you stated seriously. "Even with that, don't trust anyone but me."

"Alright," the Emperor nodded, then looked around him. "Everyone else stay on the ship until we're back."

"Aye Captain !"

You stared at Shanks for a moment.

Did you want your lover to set foot in Wonderland ? Hell to the no.

But you had to admit it was a tiny bit reassuring to think he would have your back in this madhouse.

He looked straight back at you without a word, as if he was trying to convey any attempt to make him change his mind would be pointless. Then Limejuice brought a crate filled with transparent little spheres held on makeshift necklaces, and you moved to stand in front of it.

The next minutes consisted of filling those spheres with your special green fire, and ensuring every single person aboard was wearing one, plus a dozen more spread all over the ship just to be on the safe side.

Once the entire crew was blatantly under your protection, you jumped on the figurehead and took a deep breath. You did not want to go back into this mad hell, but you had agreed to. So you made a forward motion with your left arm, and the Red Force turned to enter the sparkling blue fog.

-o-oOo-o-

Shanks pov

His lover's sudden grim behaviour had been a bit unexpected, but after the two weeks she had spent with them, the abrupt change from her airy and cheerful attitude was all the more effective. Shanks could tell every single member of his crew had taken her warnings and instructions seriously even without his intervention.

That little tidbit about reminding Wonderland inhabitants what she had done also seemed to point out she could hold her own in a fight, possibly more than the Emperor had given her credit for.

But the second she had announced going alone, Shanks had snapped. He had not even thought it through, just plainly refused to let her go alone on this quest. The idea that she might be in danger or injured because he was not there to protect her was simply unbearable.

They made their way toward the weird glittery blue fog, and as soon as they were inside, the bonus effect of her flames became apparent. With every man on board wearing those around their neck, they could see pretty well and not bump into each other.

Then suddenly, the fog turned purple and then pink with even more sparkles, and feminine voices echoed from the sea.

"Oh, such pretty sailors !"

"Come play with us !"

"The water is perfect, join us !"

There was a weird ring to their voices, and Shanks and several of his men went to the railing to discover very pretty ladies swimming in the waves. Suddenly, a flurry of tails jumped to crouch on the railing in front of them, barring the view. The second his lover appeared between their group and the ladies calling them from the water, the sirens screamed and swam away from the ship, all thoughts of seduction vanishing at once.

"What's the matter ?" Y/N chuckled, something a little darker than her usual happy laugh. "I'm always happy to play !"

"Y- Y- You !! You're the fox !" a siren with white hair yelled before hiding behind another.

"Aww, you remember me," the kitsune cooed with both hands on her heart.

"We'll tell the Queen of Heart !" another siren shouted.

Y/N laughed freely at that and started walking and twirling on the railing, her white tails fluttering behind her with little flames bursting from them.

"Oh really ? So she's finally lost the habit of beheading the messengers bringing her bad news ?"

The group of sirens paled drastically at that, and after exchanging hushed whispers, they dived underwater without a word and Y/N hopped back on deck with a roll of her eyes. Because apparently, beheading messengers was a common enough practice in Wonderland that it warranted not bringing bad news to its leader.

"Keep going, we'll reach the port soon," their guide said before going back to the figurehead.

Shanks watched her jump on her chosen spot, and went closer to his first mate instead. Beckman was sitting on deck and focusing on his breathing, the way he seemed to be more and more these past days.

"Wonder what the fuck she did that was so bad it scared those off," his friend mumbled.

"As long as her reputation keeps us safe, I don't care," Shanks replied with a shrug. "Hold on a bit longer, Beck."

"Not like I can do anything else at the moment," Beck huffed with the beginning of a smile. "You're still sure about this madness ?"

"Yep," the Emperor grinned and patted his first mate's shoulder.

The docks came into view, though it looked more like a weird colourful mishmash of strangely shaped buildings with no particular coherence in front of the actual docking part. Once there, Y/N came back on deck and Shanks readied himself to go on land.

"Remember, don't leave the ship no matter what happens, don't trust anything or anyone, and in case they push, show my flames and ask them if they remember what the fox did," she instructed.

"Aye !" his crew replied.

Shanks put his hand on his sword and looked at the foxy woman his heart was dead set on keeping close to him.

"Any special instructions for me before we go ?" he asked her seriously.

"Pretty much everyone on this island either hates me, fears me, or both," she deadpanned. "And the few who don't aren't exactly what I would call reliable allies."

"So not trust anyone's words, stay close to you, follow your lead. Got it," Shanks grinned.

She smirked at that, a bit of playfulness back in her expression before she turned around and jumped on the railing.

"Well then, hot stuff, welcome to Wonderland."

Chapter Text

Reader pov

Six years had not been long enough for you to forget the layouts and rules of this blasted madhouse called Wonderland, and you guided your lover out of the first village easily. You could tell he was curious at the way everyone took one look at you and gasped or jumped behind the nearest hiding spot, including ridiculous ones like a tiny flower pot or a single brick.

You kept a bright smile on your face all along, with a spring in your step and your tails fluttering behind you.

Three almost-full moons rose on different spots in the sky, two of them fake, and you nodded to yourself at the confirmation that you had enough time to do what you were here for. However, you turned your head to Shanks once you reached the limit of the woods.

"Okay, this is where the weird turns dangerous. I'll keep a circle of flames around us at all time, don't step out of it," you warned him seriously. "And if you see a tiny guy with a very tall hat and a hare wearing a suit, don't listen to a word they say and no matter what, do not drink their tea."

"Alright," Shanks nodded, even if he looked confused.

Your tails slashed through the air, and soon enough, the two of you were surrounded by a floating circle of green fire moving along as you walked through the forest. It was both a warning for everyone else, and a way to ensure you would be more than ready to act should you be attacked.

"Who's the Queen of Heart ?" Shanks asked you after a moment.

"The closest this island has to a ruler. She's got a thing for beheading people, and she hates my guts more than anything or anyone else," you huffed.

"Because you left ?" the red-head guessed next, and you laughed bitterly at his question.

"Ha ! No, because I stormed her castle and killed every single guard on her payroll, then trapped her in a room filled with illusions of her worst nightmares for several hours, and finally made the whole island believe a giant meteor was going to destroy everything. Then I made it disappear, broke her crown, and told her the only reason she lived was so she would spend the rest of her days knowing I was more powerful than her," you replied, then tilted your head in careful consideration. "Probably didn't help appeasing her violent tendancies, now that I think of it."

Complete silence reigned behind you at this explanation, and you turned your head with a smile that you knew was making you look a little deranged. To your surprise, however, Shanks looked more thoughtful than anything as his eyes found yours.

"That was revenge, wasn't it ?" he asked you knowingly after a few seconds.

You stopped walking a moment and turned fully toward your lover, quite shocked that he had reached the right conclusion so fast.

"Yeah," you confirmed. "She learned about my Devil Fruit six years ago and sent guards to my village to cut my tails and bring them back to her castle so she could have a scarf made from my fur."

"She fucking what !?" the Emperor exclaimed in revolted disgust.

"Not the worse thing she ever ordered," you chuckled as you turned around and kept walking without looking at your lover. "I refused, obviously. One week later, more guards came back, and I agreed to go if they spared the village, since, you know, they might be assholes who tried to kill me a few times a month, but it was all in good Wonderland spirit and I didn't want them to actually die because of me. The second the guards put seastone handcuffs on me, they broke our deal and killed everyone, including my family. My grandmother used her last moments to lockpick the cuffs while everything else was burning around us. I kind of lost it after that."

You willed the painful memories away, but to your surprise, Shanks grabbed your wrist to make you turn around and engulfed you in a hug. His warm and strong presence soothed you somehow and made the pain soften in your heart.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that. And I'm sorry I made you come back to this island when it holds so many painful memories," he apologised while holding you tight against him.

You let yourself go a second with a few shaky breaths, just letting your lover's embrace and empathy appease your own emotions.

Then a chorus of high-pitched off-key voices broke the moment altogether, and you left Shanks' arm to turn around and refrain a curse at the group of giant flowers singing about rain or sun or spring. Thankfully, you knew how to deal with them and immediately clapped your hands with a bright smile.

They stopped singing to bask in your praise.

"Oh, that was simply beautiful !" you complimented them.

"Of course it was," they replied proudly.

"If only this one voice was in tune with the rest of the group, I'm sure it would have been perfect," you said next with a regretful sigh.

The pansies instantly turned against each other and started throwing accusations of ruining their song based on the colour of their petals, and you used the distraction to grab Shanks by the hand and run away from the flowers. Once you were far enough, you went back to a more normal pace.

"The fuck was that ?" your lover asked incredulously.

"The pansies' choral. They're awful singers, and even worse gossips," you grimaced. "I bought us a little time with that dispute, but the Queen of Heart is definitely going to hear about our presence soon."

"And when that happens ?"

"We get an army on our asses and whatever twisted weapon or monster she came up with during the years I was away," you told him bluntly, then noticed a blue-grey smoke coming your way and sent a wave of flames to dissipate the volutes before they could reach you.

"Why, if it is not the fox returning from her exile," a slow voice said distantly.

"Absolem, always a displeasure to be near your smoke," you grinned as the huge caterpillar appeared on his signature mushroom in a cloud of heavy fog.

"Such poor manners in front of your paramour."

"Such wild words for a lazy lord."

"Keep your temper, little fox."

"Keep to yourself, big caterpillar."

"Remember, one side goes small."

"And the other goes big," you completed with a smile.

Then you went on your way, wondering idly whether you were going to meet all the major players of Wonderland during this trip.

"So that was also a normal encounter ? For Wonderland, I mean," Shanks asked you dubiously.

"Oh yeah, absolutely. Absolem isn't a threat, more like… neutral. And high as a kite twenty-four seven," you added with a chuckle. "That's why his advice can sound a bit weird."

"Right. And the reason he called me your paramour ?"

"He was trying to taunt me into revealing the kind of relationship we have, so if the Queen of Heart threatened him, he could exchange knowledge for mercy," you replied with a shrug. "Like I said, he's neutral."

You kept going after that, every step bringing you closer to the heart of Wonderland.

-o-oOo-o-

Shanks pov

They kept walking for the next hour or so, and Shanks got increasingly weirded out by the various encounters on the way. The boys answering to Tweedledee and Tweedledum tried to give them a flurry of contradictory indications that Y/N seemed to navigate seamlessly, and then she guided him in the opposite direction of the one the weird boys had agreed on.

Because that was how things worked in Wonderland, apparently. Seas, it was a miracle his lover had retained as much sanity as she did after spending almost her entire life on this island.

The two people – beings ? It was hard to tell – calling themselves the Mad Hatter and March Hare, however, immediately got on Shanks' nerves. A bit because their song about a merry unbirthday quickly became annoying, and a lot because they started trashtalking his lady's manners and intellect in a haughty way that reminded the Emperor of his brother and father's attitude toward him the one time he had met them.

Which Shanks was not going to stand for when it was aimed at the woman he loved.

Fortunately, it seemed drawing his sword and cutting all their teapots and teacups in half was considered incredibly rude by those two assholes' standards, as well as an excuse for them to leave on a river made of tea.

"You didn't have to do that, but I can't say I'm mad that you did," his lover chuckled and kissed him on the cheek. "Though now they're definitely going to dislike you."

"Don't care, they deserved it," Shanks grumbled as he sheathed his sword. "How far are we ?"

"Maybe half an hour, less if you feel like running, more if you feel like walking backward," she grinned.

"Let's keep to walking forward," the Emperor laughed.

As they got closer to the place that held the key to save his first mate's life, Shanks noticed even the trees and ground were getting more colourful and troubling.

"Wait," he said after a moment. "We've been past this tree before."

"Oh yeah, the trees like to move around to confuse wanderers and make them believe they're going in circles even when they're not. A classic trick to lose people in the woods," the kitsune replied confidently.

Because of course even the sea-damned trees were evil masterminds in this madhouse, why would they not. With every new crazy fact, Shanks felt more relieved that he had managed to get a guide. Without Y/N's help, he would definitely have ended up lost in those woods for who knew how long, Haki or no Haki.

The Emperor looked at his amazing lover, who had agreed to come back to the island that held so much trauma for her in order to save someone she did not even know, and was clearly risking a lot by doing so.

The second we leave this blasted island, I'm asking you to be part of my crew for good.

It was a thought Shanks had been ruminating since he had realised his feelings for the beautiful kitsune who fit so well in his life and made his heart beat faster every time their eyes met. Even if she did not want him the way he wanted her, the Emperor had to try and offer her at least a place on his ship.

Not until after Beck was cured, so she would not feel pressured in any way, but as soon as she held her end of the deal, Shanks was going to pop the question. Maybe not in the marriage sense straight off the bat, but at least to let her know he wanted her to join his crew permanently. And turning their arrangement into something more permanent too, with the possibility of perhaps adding more romantic feelings if she was willing to give him a chance.

Though before all this could happen, they still had a flower to bring back to the Red Force.

The end of the forest was in sight when a wide toothy grin appeared out of thin air a few steps in front of the green flames of his lady, startling Shanks for a second before a cat's face surrounded the teeth, quickly followed by the rest of a huge pink and purple striped cat's body laying on a branch and staring at them.

"Cheshire !" Y/N exclaimed happily. "How are you doing, misty kitty ?"

"Oh I don't know," the cat purred as he rolled on himself and floated in the air instead of falling. "Wonderland is an upside-down river for us fluffy roamers."

"That it is," the kitsune confirmed with a nod like it made sense to her. "Well, sorry I can't stay, but we're busy, so bye !"

"Oh then I will join you on your quest… and who are you ? A new soul for the island ?" the cat asked Shanks and kept grinning as he followed them.

"Nah, Wonderland is too much of a tourist trap for my taste," the red-head joked, since his lover seemed fine with this strange cat's presence.

The cat grinned wider, and moved upside down with only his head remaining visible.

"Do you know why-"

"Not now, Ches, you know I love your riddles but we've got work to do !" Y/N cut him off.

"What's your hurry, fluffy foxy ? After all, we're all mad here."

His lover did not reply to this rather worrying but likely accurate statement, and after a few more minutes, she led him straight to a huge rock wall covered in moss and stopped in front of it.

"Okay, usually I'd use a piece of cake or a mushroom's side to make us smaller, but we're a bit short on time and it would make us both way too vulnerable, so… can you cut a path through that ?" she asked with an innocent smile.

"At this point, I'm not even going to ask why cake would make us smaller," Shanks snorted, but drew Gryphon anyway. "Step aside."

The Emperor coated his sword in Armament Haki, and in two clean moves, he cut a passage through the wall, which made the cat look at him with wide eyes, and his lady laugh loudly while he sheathed his weapon back.

"I knew it would work !" she exclaimed and kissed his cheek before taking his hand and leading him forward.

"Wait what ?"

"This wall is impossible to break, it's made from the island's belief," she replied with an elated voice.

"Uh, I just cut through it, baby," Shanks replied in confusion.

"Exactly ! Since you didn't know it was impossible, you were able to do it !"

Her explanation made very little sense to the Emperor, but since it meant they had passed an obstacle, he opted not to question it. They arrived in a garden bathed in moonlight, filled with several coloured flowers following very distinct patterns like they were creating a labyrinth on the grass.

His lover stepped forward without hesitating, followed the spiraling patterns, and ultimately crouched on the ground in front of a pretty flower that had a black center surrounded by silver petals in crescent shape.

"That's moonloose ?" Shanks asked in a whisper.

"Mh-hm. Or rather… sungrip's nocturnal appearance," she smiled knowingly.

Shanks' brain stalled.

"What ?"

"Sungrip and moonloose are the same plant, its proprieties just depend on whether it's under the sun or moon. That's why we needed to come here at night," she chuckled.

The red-head's jaw dropped, and it seemed to increase his kitsune's amusement at the situation since her tails were now fluttering behind her and her ears were twitching.

"Things that are two can be one," the cat grinned. "And what is one is never singular."

Which made even less sense somehow.

"So we just have to grab a flower and bring it back to the ship before dawn and Beck will be saved ?" the Emperor asked instead.

"Yep," she confirmed, and quickly snapped a few stems to get several flowers. "There, one should be enough but it's better if each of us carries more, just in case."

"Alright," Shanks agreed without questioning her decision, and put the flowers in his pants' pocket. "Now let's leave this place."

His lover nodded, and they made their way out of the meadow while the stone wall protecting it was reforming by itself. They started going back to the forest, and Shanks dearly hoped they would not meet all the same strange creatures and people again.

Then the sound of trumpets echoed through the air, Y/N froze, the floating grinning cat turned entirely invisible, and dozens of soldiers that looked like playing cards holding spears stepped out of the woods to surround them.

"Shit," his lover cursed.

"Babe ? What's-"

"The fox !" a voice shrieked.

Shanks turned his attention to the strange woman standing next to an even weirder but pretty damn big dragon-eagle-stag creature. The woman had a heart-shape hairdo, a broken and badly fixed heart-shaped crown, a scepter with a heart at the top, and an opulent red and black dress covered in hearts.

The Emperor had an inkling as to who that was.

"Long time no see, your Majesty," Y/N said with a dark grin, which confirmed Shanks' intuition about that weird woman's identity.

"OFF WITH HER HEAD !"

Shanks unsheathed his sword, but his lover was faster and a burst of flames quickly engulfed the entire area, creating dozens of copies of himself and the kitsune he loved, who all started running around and confused their opponents. While it was weird to see copies of himself surrounding him, Shanks was suddenly grabbed by the hand and led toward the woods by his lover.

"Fucking amazing trick you got here, baby !" the red-head laughed as they ran away.

"Thanks," she smiled and kept his hand in hers as they rushed all the way back to where they had come from.

She looked a little paler the longer they kept running, and Shanks figured she was trying to maintain her illusions as long as possible to buy them more time, so he stayed silent and just followed her lead. They finally arrived at the village near the docks, and the Emperor grinned happily at the success of this crazy mission.

He jumped on the Red Force before his lover did, and pulled the flowers out of his pocket while his crew stared at him with doubt first, then relief when they noticed the sphere with green fire around his neck.

"Holy shit," Hongo cursed when he noticed the flower, "you actually did it !?"

"Yep ! Beck, you're up for a drink ?" Shanks grinned.

"More than," his first mate huffed.

Lucky brought boiling water in a heartbeat, and Shanks smiled while Hongo got to work, then turned to the rest of his crew to order them to start leaving this blasted crazy island.

"Hey, where's Y/N ?" Yasopp asked him before he could speak.

Shanks blinked.

"What are you talking about, she's just behind me."

He turned around in time to see his lover walk uncertainly on deck.

Then her silhouette turned into green flames that vanished into thin air. The next moment, all the flames in the spheres disappeared, as if snuffed out by an invisible power.

The Red Force was left with only a few regular lanterns to counter the night instead of the bright fire of their guide, which could only mean one thing.

The Queen of Illusions had fallen.

Shanks stilled, his eyes stuck on the spot his lover had stood a mere second ago. Then he fully realised what she had done in order to ensure he would get to the Red Force in time to save his first mate.

And his heart shattered.

Chapter Text

Reader pov

When you created dozens of copies of you and Shanks, you used the instant confusion and flash of light provoked by your fire to exchange your place with one of your illusions. With how stubborn your lover was, you knew he would not agree to go back to his ship with the moonloose while you stayed behind to fight.

So you did what you did best, and used an illusion to trick him.

After the two weeks spent feeding off such potent lust so often, your powers had been boosted beyond your wildest expectations, to the point you had unlocked the ability to fool the senses of smell and touch. So you sent a copy of yourself to grab your lover in order to safely guide him back to the Red Force, and the way he left without a look back confirmed you had successfully tricked him in believing the real you was guiding him.

You heard his laugh echo from afar, along with a few happy words.

"Fucking amazing trick you got here, baby !"

You smiled sadly, but still made your illusion reply at the same time you did.

"Thanks."

For everything. If I get out of this alive, I'll try to come and see you again.

You had managed to beat the Queen of Heart and escape this island once, you could do it again. Or so you hoped. However, you had to admit that back then, you had not faced whatever weird draconic creature she commanded now and that you knew nothing of.

But it mattered little. As long as you could focus on the illusion guiding the man you loved until he reached his ship, things would be fine, and it was not the first time you controlled an illusion you could no longer see. The sirens would not take the risk to approach the Red Force again after your little number, which meant you were confident the crew would be able to sail away from Wonderland even without you aboard.

You had lost everyone you loved once because of that bloodthirsty ruler, you refused to take the risk of losing the first person who had made himself at home in your heart after that tragedy. All you had to do was to keep the Queen of Heart, her guards, and her big ugly pet busy long enough for the Emperor and his crew to leave this sea-forsaken island.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING !?" the Queen screeched. "OFF WITH THEIR HEADS !"

You took a second among the ongoing chaos to rush to the tree where you could feel Cheshire was hiding and watching.

"Ches !" you called.

The cat hummed and his grin appeared upside down, which was enough for you. He had been the closest you had to a friend before your village was destroyed, and had not turned on you after you went wild. And that meant he was the only one who deserved to learn the truth about Shanks.

"He knows why a raven is like a writing desk," you smiled with genuine happiness.

"Oh, little fox, how could he ? Tell me, what is his answer, then ?" Cheshire chuckled as he appeared in full.

"It's because the storyteller wants it to," you told him.

For the first time in your life, you saw the striped cat's grin disappear from his face and his eyes take a sincerely shocked light.

Then the Queen of Heart yelled something that sounded like jaguar-pookie, and the weird draconic creature roared, his breath creating a burst of wind strong enough to dissipate more than half of the illusions you had created by making the flames vanish.

Well, shit.

You sent another wave of green fire all around the meadow to create more copies of you and Shanks, and left your spot to start fighting off the card soldiers. Which meant using their distraction and lack of order to sneak behind them and slit their throat with your claws or tear their cards uniforms in two, which incapacitated them totally.

The dragon – or jongler-cookie, you were still not sure – kept dissipating your illusions.

You kept creating more, along with illusions of card soldiers to hide what you were doing.

The Queen of Heart kept screaming.

You kept killing her guards.

This was a game of cat and mouse, but this time, you were not sure who was the cat.

You had no idea how long you kept playing, how many illusions you created only for them to be destroyed what felt like a minute later.

But you kept going, until all the card soldiers were dead or unable to fight, and even if by then you were sweating and panting, you felt vindictive enough to dissipate all your illusions at once.

The Queen of Heart suddenly realised it was only you, her, and her jasper-monkey in the barren land between the forest and heart of Wonderland.

You stood up straight and smirked, feeling rightfully proud of having tricked her once more.

"Still not enough, your Majesty," you sing-sang smugly. "Still not as powerful as me !"

She turned an interesting shade of purplish red, and directed her scepter toward you.

"JABBERWOCKY !"

Ah, so that was the real name of that thing. A bit of a mouthful, if anyone asked you.

Though it did not seem like anyone was going to ask you anything anytime soon.

You found yourself jumping around to avoid the big razor-sharp claws slashing the air, and tried to come up with a plan to escape that thing you were pretty sure you were not going to be able to kill.

As you dashed nearer to the forest in order to escape or at least taunt the beast for a while, his mouth snapped just behind you and you were forced to deactivate your Devil Fruit to avoid losing your tails to his very pointy fangs. Unfortunately, it also made you lose your balance for a second and when his wing swung at you again, you could not dodge it in time.

Three claws at the junction of his appendage ran all over your stomach and lower ribs, ripping your shirt and skin and making pain explode in your belly. You screamed as wide red lines appeared on your body, and through the suffering threatening to make you lose this fight, you felt a flash of pure Wonderland madness rush through you.

You turned in your half-transformed Zoan appearance again, and willed your claws to replace nails in order to pierce the membrane of the wing and hold on firmly.

The jabberwocky roared, and jerked his wing upward to get rid of the pain you were inflicting on him, which caused you to tore more of his wing before you were sent flying above him. You used your tails to rotate in the air while clenching your teeth, and fell on the creature's head.

"Sorry buddy," you said.

Then you sunk your clawed hands straight into his eyes and ripped through the delicate layers allowing him to see. The wet and fleshy texture on your palms made you want to throw up, but the dragon's roar of absolute pain and his thrashing distracted him just long enough for you to jump from his head, despite your own pain threatening to make you crumble.

You landed on the ground in time to watch the now blind creature stumble and jerk his head in pain. The Queen of Heart kept screeching at him to kill you, but at some point, the jabberwocky managed to put his clawed paw around her, and took flight straight away toward her palace.

Which was situated on the other side of the island, far away from the Red Force.

You smiled as you fell on your knees, your hand coming to cover the injury on your flank to get a feel of the damages there. You took it back almost immediately with a hiss, since touching it only made the pain sting more.

"Did it before, and did it again," you snorted smugly despite the unpleasant light-headed feeling making your body feel like it was made of cotton. "Take that, your Majesty."

You looked down at your belly and what you could see of your wound. You were pretty sure there had been no venom or poison on the creature's claws, which was a damn good thing. But then your mind started to feel like everything around you was turning, and you fell entirely on your side. It seemed exhaustion due to intensive use of your new powers, exhaustion due to fighting, and injury from a very big bad flying lizard did not mix well.

Your eyes felt heavier with every blink, and you sighed with a mix of tiredness and amused frustration.

It was a pity that you were going to die here after all the efforts you had made to leave the first time, but at least you had hold your end of the deal. You had guided Shanks in and out of Wonderland safely, and he would be able to save his first mate.

That sexy red-head you had fallen in love with better keep you among his good memories after that.

-o-oOo-o-

The first sensation coming back to you was your brain informing you that the sheets were both too rough for heaven, and too soft for hell.

Purgatory it is, I guess. Not bad.

Purgatory also explained why you still felt a bit of pain, but nowhere near as much as you should if you were to suffer for the rest of eternity. Though an eternity doomed to live in a weird grey zone feeling like meh sounded like its own kind of torture on the long run. Or at least dreadfully boring, which counted as torture in your books.

Maybe you should sleep some more and keep at least some surprise and low-level excitement for later, if only about what purgatory looked like.

But you were also feeling hungry and thirsty, and even if it was bland, you were pretty sure there had to be food and beverages in this boring afterlife. So you pushed past the remnants of fog clouding your mind, willed your brain to wake fully and your eyes to open.

You succeeded after a while, and found yourself faced with what looked like a wooden ceiling above you, not unlike the ones you had seen on the Red Force, which made you smile. If the afterlife looked like the place where you had made some of your happiest memories, it might not be so bad to spend eternity there.

"Good to see you awake."

You blinked at the voice that you were pretty sure you knew, and turned your head to indeed see Beckman sitting next to the bed you were laying on. You frowned, tried to speak, then coughed a second to get your throat to work well enough to produce a sound.

"Oh come on," you grumbled in absolute frustration. "He lost all the flowers on the way back ?"

That earned you a confused expression, and you patiently explained further since the place you had ended in after dying meant things could not be completely logical and simple.

"If we're both stuck in purgatory, it means you're dead too, and that sucks. Must've been extra painful too, and Shanks… after everything he did to save you, he's got to be devastated," you sighed sadly at the pain your beloved red-head had to have felt when his dear friend had passed away.

"We're not dead," the pirate groaned tiredly and pinched his nose.

"Uh, I'm pretty sure I died," you countered.

"No, but it's not for lack of trying," Beckman snorted. "You made it through. Slept for two days straight, but you're still alive."

"Prove it," you deadpanned.

The grey-haired man stared blankly at you for a moment, then exhaled a long sigh and ran a hand above his face.

"You want me to prove to you that you're not dead," he repeated slowly.

"Yep," you confirmed with a bigger smile, then coughed again.

The pirate handed you a cup of water, and you downed it in three gulps, already feeling a little better after getting some liquid life inside you. Only once you were done with the cup did Beckman speak again.

"An invisible floating purple cat with pink stripes and a wide toothy grin brought you back to the Red Force. He said something about you havin' won the right to leave again, and Shanks being worthy of a soul from Wonderland," the first mate retold.

Your eyes widened in shock, because there was no way in heaven, purgatory, hell, or even earth, that Beckman could have described Cheshire so perfectly without meeting him. And even then, the most shocking thing in this little speech was not so much that Cheshire had deemed Shanks good enough for Wonderland, since he had solved the impossible riddle, but the first part of Beckman's explanation.

Cheshire was a coward, a silent observer who never intervened, that was the very core of his personality. So the idea that the mysterious cat had watched the end of your fight against the Queen of Heart was not really surprising given how nosy and curious he could be. But to think he had actually decided to act, even only once everything was said and done, that was throwing you off enough to consider having actually survived.

"Cheshire brought me back to the ship ?" you whispered incredulously.

"If that's his name, then yeah he did," Beckman confirmed. "So, do you believe me now ?"

You squinted at the first mate, and after a thorough staring, you had to admit he looked cured from the poison that had been burning him from the inside for the past weeks.

"So you got the moonloose infusion, and I got… patched up ?" you asked carefully.

"Yep," Shanks' first mate confirmed.

"Huh. And we're out of Wonderland ?" you asked while blinking at the incredulous idea that all could be well and good.

"Left the second you were back aboard," Beckman told you with a nod.

"And everyone's alright ?" you pushed just to be sure.

"Whole crew's worried to death, but otherwise fine," he replied.

You frowned instantly at that.

"Why are they worried ? You said we left Wonderland and everyone was fine," you accused. "Did something else happen ? Wait, is Shanks okay ?" you asked in immediate concern.

Beckman stared at you for a moment, then groaned.

"Seas, you're both such morons."

"Possibly," you agreed readily. "Not sure why in this instance, though. And you didn't answer, is he okay ?"

You started to straighten in order to sit on the bed, and felt reassured you still had your shirt – though it had been cut into a crop-top and your midriff was covered in bandages – and pants on. That meant you could go outside right away to see what was wrong with the crew and with your lover.

Or ex-lover, maybe.

You were not too sure where the two of you stood now that your deal was completed on both parts.

"He came back without a scratch. And you know Hongo's gonna rain hell on you if he catches you out of bed without his approval ?" Beckman informed you when you pushed the sheet aside and turned to sit.

"I've seen worse," you grinned, and after a quick check on your pain level, cautiously put both feet on the floor as you noticed something very important about the grey-haired man's reaction. "You're not stopping me."

"It'll be good for everyone to see you up and kicking," the first mate shrugged, then stood up and brought your shoes next to the bed so you could put them on easily. "Come on, and hold on to me if you need to."

"Aww, I knew it, you like me deep down !" you joked as you carefully got up and used his offered arm to steady yourself since your abs were apparently hell-bent on making every step hurt like a bitch.

Right before he opened the door of the infirmary, Beckman turned to you, and his expression was strangely solemn.

"You're the main reason I'm still alive, and you risked your own life to ensure my Captain would make it back to the ship," the first mate stated seriously while looking you in the eyes. "I thought you were likable since day one. After what you've done, it's my trust that you earned."

You were rendered speechless by his words, and could only stare at the grey-haired pirate in silence for a moment. You had not expected this, but it warmed your heart in a way you had not felt in years, something different from what Shanks made you feel.

Beckman's words felt like acceptance. Like he acknowledged that you belonged on the Red Force, and not just as his Captain's lover or a hired guide.

You failed to come up with even the slightest quip in a moment that felt so precious. So you just offered him a small grateful smile and a nod, and then the two of you made your way out of the infirmary.

Chapter Text

Reader pov

It took a little longer than usual to reach the deck, since your legs were a tad unsteady after spending too long asleep, and you were trying to be cautious about your injury.

Once you finally made it outside, Beckman went first, his bigger frame hiding you completely.

"Oi everyone !" he called.

He waited a second during which a few questions fused, then stepped aside to reveal your presence. A quick glance showed it was evening, and you grinned.

"I hope I didn't miss dinner, I'm starving."

There was a moment of silence, and then you watched the whole crew run at you with yells and smiles and possibly a few tears.

"OI !" Hongo shouted louder than anyone else, which stopped the entire rush. "What are you doing out of bed !?"

"Walking, hopefully getting dinner, and checking what had you all apparently so worried since Beckman is healed, we're away from Wonderland, and no one got hurt," you chuckled.

"No one got hurt ?" a low voice repeated behind you.

You turned around in time to see Shanks walk down from the helm, and your smile dimmed a bit when you noticed his eyes were darkened by anger, his fist clenched, and his jaw tense. You had been pretty sure your illusion had brought him to the Red Force safe and sound, doubly so since Beckman had confirmed he had come back unscathed. However, the distance and constant fighting had pushed your powers to their limits, and that meant you could not be a hundred percent sure your ex-lover was alright.

So you stepped toward the red-head and extended a hand toward him.

"You used an illusion to make me leave you behind," Shanks accused before you could ask whether he was fine.

You blinked and tilted your head to the side in light confusion, your hand staying dumbly extended between the two of you before it went back to your side.

"Well, yes," you admitted honestly. "You hired me to guide you in and out of Wonderland safely and get an antidote for your first mate, so I made sure you'd find your way back once we had it and have enough time to leave with your crew while I handled the fight."

You heard several gasps at that, along with a few oh shit and several footsteps retreating from where Shanks and you were standing. Your ex-lover looked furious, and you could hardly fathom why since your arguments made complete sense for once.

"And what about you ?" he growled with a step forward.

"Uh, I fought an evil queen, her army of card soldiers, and her bloodthirsty pet dragon. Pretty epic fight, by the way, even if the scratch he got on me at the end hurt like a bitch," you grumbled with a hand coming to rest on your stomach. "I blinded him and he left with the Queen of Heart, and then I just poofed on the ground. I heard Cheshire brought me to the ship after I passed out though, that was really nice of him."

Shanks kept glaring at you, but for some reason, his emotions felt more like pain and hurt than actual anger. And you really did not like that, even if you failed to understand why his feelings were so negative when everything had ended well.

"So you really don't care for me at all ?" the Emperor asked you through gritted teeth.

"Of course I do !" you protested immediately at the unfair accusation.

"Then how could you think I'd leave you behind like that !?"

"Look," you sighed, "I lived my whole life in Wonderland, but you-"

"I THOUGHT YOU DIED !" Shanks screamed, and his expression turned from angry to distraught. "All your flames went off ! When your friend arrived, I thought it was only your corpse he was bringing back ! Do you even realise what it meant to me to see your life disappear before my eyes !?"

Your own fists clenched at his words, and you felt a cold anger fueled by horrified memories and devastated emotions take hold of you.

"Don't ask me if I realise what it's like to see death," you replied in a hard voice. "I lost everyone I loved once because the Queen of Heart wanted me, so yes I tricked you into leaving the fight because I refused to let it happen a second time !"

"Then how do you think I felt when- wait," the Emperor stopped himself and his eyes went wide. "Do you mean that ?"

You raised an eyebrow at his shocked expression replacing the anger, then tilted your head in confusion.

"Mean what ?" you asked with a frown, then thought back on your words, and your own eyes widened before you averted them and crossed your arms on your chest.

Talk about a massive slip-up for someone nicknamed the Queen of Illusions. You blamed it on your trauma.

"So what if I do ?" you mumbled. "It doesn't change anything."

"Even if I did too ?"

His words made you snap your eyes back to his face, and it was your turn to feel shocked. Shanks was looking at you with hope written all over his face, and his hand rose slowly to rest on your face, warm and steady against your skin.

"I wanted to ask you to join my crew and stay with me as soon as we were out of Wonderland waters. I love you, Y/N. I didn't want to say anything before we were done with this mission, but when I saw your flames disappear, it fucking broke my heart. I spent an hour thinking I had lost you forever and didn't even get to tell you how I felt. I don't want to wait any longer."

You stared at the red-haired Emperor whose hand was cupping your cheek gently, spreading warmth on your skin, and who had just confessed his feelings to you in front of his entire crew. In any other circumstances, you would have suspected a very vivid dream, maybe heaven, or even your Devil Fruit activating unconsciously to show you your deepest desire.

But you were pretty sure you were awake, there was no way you would ever end in heaven, and your control was good enough for you to realise when you were using your powers.

Which meant this had to be real.

Which you had never planned for.

Because the Red-Haired Pirates had no women and no Devil Fruit users among their crew, and Akagami no Shanks simply did not do relationships.

So the Emperor casually offering to break all three of those rules for you was making your head spin a bit, no matter how used you were to chaos and bending or straight-up ignoring rules.

You only realised you had stayed silent and possibly frozen for too long when Shanks' expression turned from hopeful to worried and then hurt and rejected.

"I won't force you to accept anything," he said softly as his hand left your face. "If you'd rather leave, I'll let you go at any-"

"NO !" you yelled instantly and rushed to cling onto him, your tails appearing to ensnare him further. "Don't you fucking dare take it back or make me leave !"

"Uh wha-" Shanks asked while adjusting to your sudden hug.

"I want to stay here forever. On the Red Force, and with you. I love you. You take care of my heart and I'll take care of yours," you said in a rush with your head hidden against his chest.

You heard a gasp, then you felt his arm cover your back and his head press against your hair, turning your embrace into something even more wholly encompassing. It was possibly the chastest physical moment you two had ever shared, yet it somehow felt like the most precious one.

"You have a deal," Shanks whispered in a breathless chuckle.

You laughed too, but did not move. Even the sting of pain and wet feeling on your flank was not enough to make you want to break this hug.

Wait, a wet feeling around the area I'm injured is probably not good.

Oh well, it could wait, you did not want to disentangle yourself from your newly acquired boyfriend. Unfortunately, said boyfriend seemed to notice something was amiss, and he put his hand on your shoulder to take a step back and look at your midriff before his expression turned panicked.

"Wait, your injury !"

"It's fine, it's just a scra-"

But someone else grabbed your other shoulder, and you turned your head just in time to see a pissed-off doctor.

"It reopened because you decided to come on deck and have your grand confession instead of staying in bed to recover like you were supposed to !" Hongo stated with a reproachful glare.

"I'd argue tha-"

"You can shove your arguments up your ass, you're going back to the medbay, and this time you're staying there until I say otherwise," Hongo cut you off and started to drag you away. "You can get all lovey-dovey when you're healed."

"But-"

"I'll bring you dinner, love," Shanks said as you were brought back inside the ship. "Promise !"

You narrowed your eyes at him but let yourself get carried back to the infirmary, and laid on the cot again after making your tails disappear.

"It's not even that serious," you grumbled with your arms crossed on your chest.

"It will be if you keep doing stupid stuff to reopen it," the doctor countered as he started to undo the bandages.

You grumbled unintelligibly for a while as he worked, but to your surprise, after a couple minutes, Hongo spoke again.

"We all had to restrain Shanks from going on land to get you back, you know ? That dumbass thought he would find a way to get you back even without anyone to show him the way in this madhouse. Half the guys have pretty nasty bruises from it and that means the two of you being oblivious idiots made my job harder."

"Sorry ?" you tried with a crooked smile.

"Not even close to buy that one," Hongo snorted. "But now that you've cleared the air about your feelings, you're out of excuses to not do as I say."

"Fiiiiine," you sighed with a pout. "So what, I have to stay here for a few days ?"

"Three days of absolute bed rest, and then three more without any kind of physical activity. Sex included," he ordered.

"WHAT !?" you shouted. "But-"

"You have any idea how many muscles are involved in an orgasm ?" the doctor interrupted with a glare. "No sex for a week, period. And don't think you can convince Captain to bypass that, I'm going to let him know he could reopen your wound or prevent it from healing correctly even if he was just going down on you."

Your jaw dropped at the clear guit-tripping, but the unyielding expression and hard gaze of the blond pirate told you he was completely serious about it. And with how scared Shanks had looked at the red stain on the bandages, you were pretty sure fear would overpower any seducing attempt you might try.

Damn it, you had gotten used to very regular sex, and now you were going to have to go one entire week without it despite knowing your man loved you back.

Life sucked.

-o-oOo-o-

Beckman pov

Beckman watched Shanks go to the infirmary with a tray in his hand, and Hongo came back out a few minutes later to join the rest of the crew on deck. However, the doctor walked straight to him with a serious expression.

"We have one week to get to an island where we'll find someone who can soundproof Captain's quarters," Hongo informed him bluntly. "I told them no sex for six days to make sure she'll heal properly and Shanks is scared enough to do as I say, but she's not happy."

Beckman took a long drag of his cigarette, thought about their current location, and exhaled.

"Might be a bit short. You got a way to buy us more time ?"

"I'm not even sure they'll last the whole week," the doctor snorted. "Not after that explosion of gooey love on deck."

The first mate smirked. That mish-mash of anger and love confessions in front of the whole crew had been wild, but somehow fitting for those two. Shanks had still been too raw emotionally after believing the woman he loved had died because he was not there to protect her, and she was so persuaded that no one in the crew cared for her past a superficial appreciation that it could only lead to a clash.

The way her brain had obviously crashed when Shanks had bared his heart had been pretty hilarious at first, but the extended silence had made everyone doubt what her response would be despite her first admission. Having the hots for someone was not the same as agreeing to commit to a relationship with one of the most wanted men in the world and a life on a pirate ship.

But then it thankfully all worked out, until her injury reopened and Shanks panicked again, even with Hongo being confident she would be fine and Y/N no longer being at death's door.

"We'll have to keep them busy for a couple days," Beckman stated. "She's gonna have to take a role aboard, anyway, might as well make her work a bit with everyone to see where she fits best."

Hongo looked pretty dubious at that, but it was definitely their best option to keep those two appart at least during the day. The grey-haired man was not foolish enough to think the nights would be calm, but at least they all still had their earplugs.

And damn, now that he no longer felt like there was a liquid fire burning his body from the inside, Beckman would very much like to be able to enjoy sleep again without hearing his Captain and the Queen of Illusion fucking each other's brains out.

-o-oOo-o-

ONE YEAR LATER

-o-oOo-o-

Shanks pov

Life was good, and Shanks was happy.

Awesome ship, awesome booze, awesome crew, awesome girlfriend, the red-haired Emperor had spent the past year having it all and enjoying every second of it. The funniest part might still be how his mischievous foxy lady had decided to toy with the Marines after awakening her Devil Fruit, one month after she joined his crew for good.

She was using different illusions on herself every time they were on land, to make it look like Shanks was with a different woman who would come back to his ship but never be seen again, only for another one to disembark with him at their next stop.

They had a betting pool about how long it would take before someone finally understood what was going on, but in the meantime, the Emperor was sure several people at the Marine Headquarters and Cipher Pol were pulling their hair out in sheer frustration.

So all was great in the world.

Shanks was happily enjoying a cup of sake on deck with his beautiful kitsune on his lap one afternoon, when Yasopp suddenly called from the crow's nest.

"Storm coming !"

The call got everyone on high alert immediately, and Y/N jumped down from his lap after a quick kiss.

"Love you," she smiled.

"Love you too," Shanks replied easily.

Then they both went to their respective station, Shanks at the helm, and his lady in the masts. Her agility, flexibility, and balance had quickly made everyone agree she would be better suited to work among the heights to deploy or adjust the sails and cables. When the time was clear, she even sometimes used her flames to make a little show out of it, and at night, it was not rare for her and Yasopp to combine their respective talents to make any story look like a light show.

So the red-head did not worry too much when the wind and rain and waves started to issue a challenge. It was not their first storm, it would not be their last, and his crew would get out of it the way it had done with all the previous ones. Hopefully it would not last too long and his lover would not be too tired to have some fun that night.

But the storm kept going strong and tested them during the whole night. The rain made Shanks' hair stick to his face, the wind was howling so loudly that the Emperor had to yell his orders, and the waves were high enough to make the Red Force rock harder than she had in a long while. They were definitely off course by now, but there was no time to check the log properly when all the crew's energy was focused on keeping them afloat despite the Sea being determined to challenge them.

At some point, Shanks thought he heard a scream among the deafening winds, but it was lost among the thunder and the rain, and as Captain, he could not take the risk to divide his attention. So he stayed focused on manning the helm to lead his crew out of this storm and chose to believe this brief sound had only been his imagination.

It had not.

When the weather ultimately cleared, around early afternoon the next day, Shanks finally felt confident enough to leave the helm to someone who had gotten a few hours of sleep. Then he walked around his ship to quickly check on everyone, only to see Yasopp get down from the masts with tears in his eyes and break down as soon as he was on deck.

"I'm sorry, I'm so fucking sorry, I was too far and I couldn't catch her in time, I should've- fuck I saw it happen and I couldn't do anything !" his friend cried.

A cold feeling of dread invaded Shanks' heart at the use of a feminine pronoun, and he frantically looked around for the woman he loved.

"Y/N ?" he called around once, then louder. "Y/N ! Now's not the time for your illu-"

"She's not- she fell overboard, Captain," Yasopp stopped him with a distraught expression. "During the night. I swear I tried to catch her, but- but- fuck I'm so sorry."

Shanks froze, denial washing over him at first.

"No."

His Observation Haki flared out, looking for the unique aura of his lover, raking through the entire ship to find a trace of her, again and again.

Nothing.

The memory of a terrified scream lost in the wind came back to him, along with the fact that his beloved girlfriend was a Devil Fruit user.

For her, falling into the sea meant death.

Shanks did not realise he was screaming until he fell on his knees and his voice wavered an instant at the shock.

His heart was in shatters, stabbed and crushed in his chest at the realisation he had only been allowed one year with the love of his life before Death caught her for good.

Chapter Text

Marco pov

It was a pretty good day on the Moby Dick. The sun was shining, nothing had exploded yet, the shouting was within a reasonable range, nine Commanders had given their monthly report in time, and Marco had even successfully convinced Pops to wait until evening to start drinking.

Ergo, a good day.

The phoenix had even opted to go fly around for a while, just to feel the wind under his wings and enjoy half an hour of peace and quiet, alone with the sea, sky, and sun. As much as he loved his crazy family, these few moments of calm were essential to his mental health, or at least to keep his patience level high enough to handle everything else.

Then suddenly, his keen eyes noticed something unusual among the waves, and he flew closer curiously, until he realised what exactly it was and his speed increased. A person was holding onto a chunk of wood, barely floating and looking in rather bad shape.

Marco grabbed them in his talons as carefully as he could to avoid hurting the person – woman, apparently – and touching the water. Once she was secured in his grasp and clearly unconscious, he flew back full speed toward the Moby Dick. Whoever she was, the doctor was not going to let her die. That was not the kind of pirate he was, and neither was Pops.

He heard the curious shouts the moment he came into view, and transformed back as soon as he gently put her on deck.

"Tate !" he called. "Get the medbay ready yoi, she's unconscious and at least dehydrated and sunburned."

"On it !" the nurse replied and left Pops' chair to disappear into the ship.

Marco ignored his brothers rushing around with questions to instead carefully take the drenched and clearly exhausted woman in his arms. As soon as he held her safely, the doctor sent one look at his Captain, who nodded sternly in agreement.

"Do what you can to help her, son."

"Aye Pops," the phoenix nodded back, and brought her to the infirmary.

Once on a cot and several quick checks run on her, Marco found his early conclusions confirmed. He healed the sunburn with his flames while Tate got an IV in the woman's arm to get her some hydration, since that was pretty much all they could do at the moment.

"Her breathing is in the normal range," the nurse stated confidently. "She'll make it once she got enough rest."

"Agreed yoi. Seas know how long she spent drifting, but with those burns, I'd say at least two days," the doctor said. "She got lucky I was flying nearby yoi."

"You think she survived a shipwreck ?"

"There weren't enough debris around her for a whole ship to have sunk yoi," Marco replied with a shake of his head. "We'll ask her when she wakes up."

Tate nodded, and once it was clear they could not do anything more for the woman, they left the medbay to go back on deck, and the phoenix made his way to Pops immediately. Of course, all the Commanders were around since gossip ran faster than the wind on a pirate ship, and a woman rescued and brought aboard was enough of a rarity to have everyone curious.

"She needs a lot of rest, but she'll be fine yoi," Marco declared confidently.

"Good," Pops nodded. "Any idea of her identity ?"

"No, she was alone and gripping a piece of wood when I found her, nothing else around yoi," the phoenix replied. "I'd say civilian woman falling overboard by accident, but we'll have to wait until she wakes up to be sure."

"Hey, is she hot ?" Thatch grinned. "I didn't get to see her earlier."

Marco gave his brother a deadpan stare.

"Don't flirt with my patient yoi."

"So she's hot," Thatch laughed. "Good to know !"

The whole deck devolved into questions and more or less stupid hypothesis after that, including Ace reminding everyone that he literally was the hottest aboard as if that joke had not gotten old months ago, and Marco sighed. They would be lucky if she did not panick at the thought of being on an Emperor's ship.

-o-oOo-o-

Reader pov

You came back to consciousness slowly, your mind only remembering falling from the masts during the storm and clutching the piece of wood that had fallen with you after a lightning broke it under your feet.

Being a Devil Fruit user, falling into the sea meant death, so it stood to reason that unlike after your fight with the Jabberwocky, you had actually died this time.

The sheets you could feel covering your body were still too soft for hell and not soft enough for heaven.

So I was right to assume purgatory the last time.

The thought filled your brain with irony, until an image of Shanks slammed into your mind and your eyes snapped open. If you had died, then you had lost the man you loved after only a year by his side.

You shot up to sit, and instantly felt a dizzy spell made your head spin too fast for your eyes to get used to the light or even see what was around you. You closed your eyes immediately to mitigate the sudden nausea, and groaned while feeling yourself falling backward.

"Easy there," a feminine voice told you just as two hands helped you stabilise your position on the bed.

You turned your head toward the voice, and opened your eyes again, more slowly this time, only to be utterly confused by the sight.

"What's a nurse doing in purgatory ?" you asked bluntly.

Your question seemed to confuse the blond woman wearing a pink nurse uniform, and you narrowed your eyes in suspicion.

"Wait. Is this another situation where I should have died but didn't ?" you asked before she could answer.

She seemed a bit more worried by that, but sighed and stepped back to take your wrist and check your pulse, which was when you noticed the needle stuck in your forearm and linked to a pouch next to your bed.

"You're definitely alive, honey," she informed you. "And in pretty good shape for someone who drifted at sea as long as you did."

You blinked at the news, then another kind of concern took hold of your mind.

"How long has it been ?" you asked urgently, but waved it off with your free hand. "Nevermind, can I borrow a den-den mushi ? I have to-"

Before you could finish your request, the door opened and another person entered.

"Oh, you're already awake yoi ?"

Tall, glasses, open lab coat, blue eyes, tuft of blond hair on his head, massive tattoo on his chest representing the mark of another Emperor. This single man walking in was enough to let you know exactly where you were and who had rescued you.

Within the next blink, you remembered what you had learned about Whitebeard and his crew during your time on the Red Force. Decent pirates, only other Emperor Shanks felt actual respect for, but very protective of their own and not to be messed with.

Which meant your best bet was probably to keep to yourself that you were the Queen of Illusions and Shanks' partner for as long as you were on the Moby Dick, just in case. Thankfully, your bounty poster showed a near unidentifiable picture that had not been updated in years, and your little trick to mess with the Marines meant no one had seen your real face with Shanks.

And as luck would have it, the First Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates seemed to take your shocked expression and temporary speechlessness for something slightly different than what it really was.

"Ah, I guess you recognised me yoi," he said gently and stopped where he was. "I know it can be a bit scary to be on a pirate Emperor's ship, but I promise you are safe on the Moby Dick. No one under Pops' command will harm you."

You blinked several times, then relaxed the tiniest bit at the sincerity you could feel from the other Mythical Zoan user.

"Okay," you said with a nod, then the urgency came back and you kept your attention on him. "Can I get a den-den mushi please ? There are people I really need to call."

"Would you mind answering a few questions first yoi ?"the pirate asked you instead of replying.

"My name is Y/N, I fell overboard during a storm, I remember pretty much everything until I hit the water and held on to that chunk of wood for dear life, my level of pain is currently at two out of ten and it's mostly just the thirst and hunger, I can move my fingers and toes just fine so walking shouldn't be an issue, and I have no idea how long I've been out but I'd like to know," you listed easily. "Can I make that call now ?"

The doctor blinked, then chuckled and stepped closer.

"Well that was quick yoi," he smirked. "You were out at sea for probably two days, and unconscious for one more. Pops will be the one to say whether it's fine for you to make a call yoi, you're good with going on deck ?"

"Sure," you replied, then realised you were not in your usual clothes but in a medical gown. "Uh, could I get my clothes back first please ?"

"They're in the laundry, I'll lend you some of mine in the meantime," the nurse stated with a grin.

"Oh, thanks," you smiled back in relief. "That's very nice of you."

Twenty minutes later, after getting borrowed clothes, a quick snack, a big glass of water, and a stop at the bathroom, you were following Marco the Phoenix to the deck of the Moby Dick. The white mini short and tight blue tank top were not your usual choice of garnment, but you were not complaining since just being alive was already pretty damn great.

You stepped outside, where the bright sun and fresh air felt like a balm on your soul, as well as the ultimate confirmation you had survived once again despite the odds.

"Yep, definitely not purgatory," you grinned, and laughed when the division Commander turned back to look at you in confusion. "I was pretty sure I had died at first, but this is definitely not the kind of weather fitting for hell or purgatory."

"That's… one way to look at it, I guess."

You made your way toward the massive man in a chair, and all the eyes on you became insignificant when the very very tall Emperor turned his attention on you as well. Damn, you had heard Whitebeard was huge, but that was huge huge. You were pretty sure his fist was bigger than your head. And as someone who had learned early on to detect at first glance who was all bluff and who was not, you could tell this man's strength and power were every bit what they appeared to be.

Yep, definitely not revealing my full identity while I'm here.

"Ah, our guest is awake. How are you, little one ?" the Emperor asked you as he bent to get a closer look at you.

"Much better than I expected to be after falling overboard during a storm, sir," you smiled, then bowed gratefully. "Thank you for saving my life."

"Marco's the one who got you out of the sea, gurararara, but I appreciate your gratitude," the huge man said, and you turned to the phoenix with a smile and a nod as well, which he smirked at and waved away like it was no big deal. "What's your name, child ?"

"Y/N," you replied honestly since you were fairly confident your name alone would not make them connect you to an obscure bounty poster published seven years ago, then decided to go for your request. "If it's not too much to ask, could I make a call ? There are a lot of people who must believe I died, and even if I can't tell them where you'll dock next, I really need to let them know I'm alive."

"Of course," the Emperor nodded easily with softer eyes. "We'll land again in a couple weeks, I will allow you to make another call two days before we dock."

A bright smile spread your face, and you bowed deeply.

"Thank you sir !"

"Gurararara, don't be so formal, child. Oi, boys, give her a snail and some privacy !" he ordered.

Within minutes, you were alone in what looked like a meeting room, and there was a snail on the table that Marco had handed to you with a smile. You took a deep breath, then composed the number of the Red Force.

Purupurupuru.

Purupurupuru.

Purupurupuru.

Purupurupuru.

Purupurupuru.

Just as you were starting to believe no one would answer, someone picked up.

Gatcha.

"Look, whoever you are, now's not a good time," Beckman's tired voice said at once. "Whatever you want to talk abo-"

"Beck, it's Y/N," you cut him off.

You heard a harsh noise, like the snail had fallen on the floor, and you grimaced in compassion for the poor little thing. However, within the next second, the first mate had picked it up again and this time his tone was different, urgent and angry and possibly hopeful.

"If that's a prank, it's a fucking awful one," Beckman said with a tremor in his voice.

You smiled, knowing exactly what to say to convince him you were not an usurper.

"You were the one next to me when I woke up after we left Wonderland. I asked you to prove to me that we weren't dead. Before we went out, you told me my actions meant I had earned your trust," you retold the memory, something only him and you could know.

You heard a gasp, then a huffed laugh that might be a sob.

"Fuck, it's really you."

"Yeah, turns out I'm really bad at dying," you chuckled.

That earned you a second of silence, then a long string of curses, and you suddenly heard the sound of footsteps running and a door being slammed open, along with Beckman shouting Shanks' name. There seemed to be a lot of screams about you being alive and on the snail, a bit of a scuffle, and then the den-den mushi's appearance changed to look more like the man you loved.

"If this is a lie, there's nowhere I won't hunt you for pretending to be her."

The voice of your lover felt like sunshine no matter how rough and threatening it sounded, so you smiled and opted for the same method you had used on Beckman.

"The first time we met was on a roof in Kukania. I offered you pastries, you only convinced me to guide you through Wonderland by telling me your first mate had been poisoned by sungrip roots, and we had sex fully clothed before parting ways," you listed.

There was a moment of silence, then a trembling breath, and then the snail started crying.

"You're alive," Shanks' voice sobbed.

"Yeah, at this point I'm starting to think Death doesn't like me," you joked lightly. "I called as soon as I could, I'm sorry it took me so long. I only woke up one hour ago, and it was a bit delicate to get a den-den mushi," you grimaced.

"Wait, where are you ? Are you safe ?" your red-haired lover asked you, no longer crying but definitely anxious.

"Mostly safe as long as no one realises I'm the Queen of Illusions and your girlfriend, I think," you admitted honestly. "Marco the Phoenix fished me out of the sea, I'm on the Moby Dick."

"YOU WHAT !?"

"Yep. Met Whitebeard and all," you chuckled. "They won't tell me which island they're heading next until we're only two days away from it, but-"

"No need, we'll sail to them. Keep your powers and our relationship secret, love, alright ? We'll come get you as fast as possible," Shanks told you seriously.

"Aye Captain," you replied with a mischievous grin.

"And be careful," your lover said. "Those past days have been the worst, I don't want to reach the Moby and receive bad news."

"I'll do my best," you vowed softly. "I love you."

"I love you too. We'll be together again soon, baby."

"I'll be waiting."

"Not long, I promise. Fuck, I can't even- stay alive, alright ? Just stay alive. I don't give a shit what it takes, just stay alive until we're together again."

"I told you, I'll do my best," you reitered with a smile. "I can't wait to see you again."

"Me too. I love you, sweetheart. Thanks for being alive. Thanks so much."

Gatcha.

You took a deep breath, and felt a huge weight leave your shoulders. Still, you knew you would only feel whole and relaxed again once you would be reunited with your boyfriend and the pirate crew you belonged to.

You picked the snail in your hand and stepped out of the meeting room to walk on deck, where you went straight to Marco to give it back and use the occasion to inform him and Whitebeard of how the call had gone.

"Everything's alright, and they don't mind not knowing where you'll dock next," you said with a smile, a perfect truth with the advantage of being entirely misleading.

"That's good to hear, child," the Emperor hummed.

"Hope you won't mind helping out as long as you're on board yoi," Marco told you. "Everyone here has a job, and since you'll be staying for a little while…"

"Oh sure, no problem," you agreed with a smile. "But you should know that I'm terrible at moping and I wouldn't trust myself with more than basic prep in the kitchen."

That earned you a chuckle from Whitebeard and a smirk from the phoenix, who then raised an eyebrow.

"What about laundry or paperwork ?"

"Washing isn't really my thing unless you're fine with a bubbly mess of soapy water splashing everywhere, but I can definitely hang clothes. And paperwork… look, it will be sorted in the end, but I can't guarantee anyone but me will ever understand the filing system I used," you grinned honestly.

The Emperor laughed frankly at that, and this time even Marco cracked a laugh.

"Looks like you'll be in the kitchen most of the time yoi," he told you after a while. "I'll tell Thatch to show you his domain tomorrow, for today you should still rest."

"Works for me," you smiled and stretched, then turned to the huge Emperor. "Do you mind if I stay here ? No offense, but with how tall you are, staying near you means I can get both sunlight and shadow."

"GURARARARA ! Have it your way, child !" Whitebeard agreed in a booming voice.

"Cool, thanks !" you smiled and plopped yourself against the right lower part of his chair.

As soon as you found a comfortable position, you closed your eyes and your still tired body did the rest by sending you to sleep.