The Queen of Pirates (1/4)
Originally posted by mazauric at The Queen of Pirates (1/4)
Title: The Queen of Pirates
Pairing: Akame/Ryoda
Rating: PG-15
Beta: rikachi & jins_muminlaw
Warnings: Pirates. Johnnies. Increasing amounts of silliness. Crack.
Summary: That curse will not be removed…until you bring me the Queen of Pirates.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the shitty USB flash drive that deleted everything. Oh yes and this is a very loose interpretation of Pirates of the Caribbean. Also, various amounts of sugar contributed to this story as well as sleepless nights because I was too busy jumping around my room like a mad bunny.
Once Upon a…more reckless…Time…When the Pirates of the high seas were more fearsome, reckless and dangerous, wars raged. Collectively known as the Johnny Pirates, these groups of ships and pirates pillaged and plundered each city they passed. They stole, they kidnapped, they got into brawls. They’d fight each other.
Until the day came they found an island called Shisha no Shima, Island of the Dead. It was a small island in which treasure beyond their wildest dreams could be found deep in the caves.
But what they didn’t know, was that this treasure had a price. Blinded by gold, each group stole a hefty portion of the treasure.
It wasn’t until later, they realised a terrible curse had been placed on them all. Immortality was a heavy cost, although they couldn’t die, they also could not enjoy the simple pleasures of life. Food became tasteless, warmth was a thing of the past and the satisfaction of women (and men) was no longer in their reach.
One by one, each group returned the treasure they’d stolen from Shisha no Shima. But when the last of the treasure was returned, a phantom appeared. He claimed to be the owner of the island, and he was the reason for the curse.
“I won’t revoke that curse” he told the pirates “You have to steal something for me. Something valuable. More valuable than gold. Steal it for me, bring it to me and I will remove the curse from all of you”
The pirate groups watched as the phantom’s lips curved into a wickedly cruel smirk “You must bring me the Queen of Pirates”
“Oh, for crying out loud Maru!”
“This is the third time your leadership skills led us to a dead end. Off the plank Akanishi.”
“We’ll pick you up later.”
“Kokiii!!!!”
“Walk it Jin!”
“Tat-chan, not you too…I said I’m sorry!”
The swords being pointed at one Akanishi Jin were never going to hurt him, but he did, once again, find himself at the end of the plank. He eyed his former crew members and pouted. “Come ooon, it gets so boring by myself there!”
“You should have thought of that before you sent us on another dud run,” Maru pointed his sword at Jin, poking him just a little further towards the edge, “Get off Jin.”
Jin sighed. This was the third time his crew had gone against him and made him walk the plank. It was the same story every time. They followed a lead Jin thought he had and when that lead turned out to be a dead end, they’d send him to the island in the ass end of nowhere, and make him wait there for a week before picking him up again and giving him another chance to be their captain.
Pouting at his crew members apparently wasn’t working either.
Maru poked him with his sword again “Get off Jin!”
“You all suck!” Jin sulked. With that, he turned and gracefully jumped off the plank, falling with a splash into the ocean below.
As soon as he resurfaced, Jin watched his ship sail away from him. Again.
They’d come back and pick him up in about a week. Until then, he had an entire week to sit on his own, on that bloody tiny island, and think of another way to break the curse that haunted them all.
Being immortal so wasn’t as cool as he’d thought it would be.
He had a bit of a way to swim before he finally made it to the familiar land. The island was small, had one thin stretch of green and forest, also had a hidden basement of booze which was more than enough to keep Jin happy for the week he had coming up.
“Bloody crew,” he muttered to himself as he trudged, sopping wet, from the ocean. He pulled off the shirt tied around his waist and squeezed it out until it was a little damp but not soaking. He’d need to dry his pants and the shirt he was wearing as well.
Jin was pretty sure he was alone here on the island. He had been the other two times he was stuck here. Since he had this entire week to come up with a new plan, he decided he was going to kick start it by getting drunk and mostly naked. That was always the perfect base for new and brilliant ideas.
As it was a sunny day, Jin kicked off his ripped and torn up pants. He lay them down on the grass before removing his shirts and laying them down to soak up the sun. His bandana quickly followed, leaving him in boxers and all the jewellery he owned, (which he had stolen over the last few years.)
Jin ran a hand through his drying hair, he pushed it out of his eyes and looked around. Well, this wasn’t so bad. An entire week to get drunk and think of a new plan. A whole week without Junno’s puns, and without Maru or Tat-chan badgering him all the time. This would be great.
Not caring in the least that he was dressed in boxers and bugger all else, Jin made his way towards the trap door where he knew the booze was hidden. It was a simple cellar but because this island was used as a cache by rum runners, he pretty much had free reign over what was left here. Usually, that was a lot of booze.
“I can tell you want me too…” Jin chuckled, dancing along the grass as he sang “And every time I think of you…”
Aaah sweet drunken oblivion. He could taste the booze already. He was finding his way to the ‘hidden’ cellar door with hardly an upward glance. “That luscious drink, your lips produce…” skidding to a stop in front of the door, Jin leaned over and grabbed the hatch, “I can taste the sweet love…”
As he pulled the door open, he did not expect to see someone coming out of it. Jin paused, hand on door as he came face to face with someone climbing out of the hatch. Their eyes met and Jin blinked “…juice.”
It was a guy. About the same age as Jin by the looks of it. He had shoulder length, wavy hair, curious soft brown eyes. He looked a lot cleaner than Jin and in his arms were about three to four bottles of rum.
Curiously, the boy watched Jin for a good minute before he smiled and nodded, “Um…hi?”
---
His name was Kamenashi. Apparently Kanjani8 had ransacked his hometown and taken him hostage. He managed to escape, but ended up here on this island. He’d been here a week already.
“This is the weirdest diet I’ve ever been on,” Kame hiccupped as he opened the second bottle of rum they’d had since they’d settled on the beach. Jin studied his clothes. Kame was dressed a lot neater than most guys he’d ever met. There was a straight, almost aristocratic cut to his long dark coat. Underneath, the maroon colours of his shirt and dress pants told Jin that Kame was from a very rich family. Probably noble.
“Why’d Kanjani take you?” Jin frowned. Damn that Kanjani group. They were almost always at war with them (and NEWS) and although Jin didn’t mind drinking with them from time to time, they still ended up bombing each others’ ships when they did pass each other out on the ocean.
Kame shrugged. “Beats me. One minute I’m sleeping in my bed, next thing I know there’s two pirates carrying me out of it and taking me to their ship.”
Kidnapping was something pirates did, but Jin was pretty sure there was more to it. Kanjani didn’t do kidnappings like this, they didn’t take hostages and sail away without asking for some kind of ransom.
Kame took a long drink from the bottle. When he finally resurfaced, he looked at Jin. “Why are you in your boxers? Where are your clothes?”
“Drying.” Jin nodded towards his clothes sitting in the sun. He watched Kame and frowned “Have you ever met Kanjani8 or any group of pirates before?”
Kame shook his head “Heard of them though. NEWS robbed my town last year and I’m pretty sure SMAP dealt to it the year before. I’ve never personally met a pirate until now.” He blinked and looked up at Jin. Although the boy was somewhat drunk, he was coherent enough to recognise the jewellery around Jin’s neck and wrists. He blinked at the skull tattoo on Jin’s wrist and smirked. “You’re a pirate too?” he giggled and swayed a little “What the hell are you doing here?”
Jin glanced down at the skull tattoo on his wrist. He shook his head and turned back to Kame “So you haven’t actually tried to get off this island?” he pressed, quickly and skilfully changing the subject.
“Nope.” Kame shook his head, a drunken smile returning to his pretty face. “I’m gonna drink all the booze…and come up with a plan…later”
Jin watched as Kame finished the bottle off and collapsed into the sand.
He’d intended to get drunk with the boy, but his mind was already whirring at full speed. Kanjani8 weren’t known for kidnappings. Not long ones like this anyway; Subaru generally didn’t like having to take care of hostages. The fact that they’d taken an aristocratic guy like Kame was surprising enough, but Jin was starting to think there might have been a reason.
He studied the unconscious boy next to him. Maybe there was more to Kame than he originally thought.
---
When Kame came to, it was night already. There was a fire next to him on the beach and when he turned his head, he saw Jin - dressed once again - putting more branches onto the fire.
Now that he was dressed, he really did look like a pirate. His short sleeved shirt left Kame a brilliant view of the jewellery shamelessly worn around his wrists. Deep cut down the front of his shirt left a nice view of his chest, more stolen jewellery hung around his collarbone. The skull tattoo alone said he was a pirate. He had ripped up pants and a shirt tied around his hips. There was a bandana tied around his forehead, knotted at the back where it let his fluffy brown hair roam free.
He was quite a beautiful creature. A pirate, yes, someone his father would have hung, yes, but beautiful.
Kame didn’t actually have much against pirates. Sure, they ransacked his town every year but they never raped or did horrible things like that. He’d seen a fair few pirates in his life and he wondered what group of pirates Jin belonged to.
When Jin leaned over to place another branch into the fire, he noticed Kame was awake and smirked, “It’s alive.”
Kame sat up slowly, he groaned at the feeling of his headache and leaned back into the sand. At least the fire was warm. “Morning,” he muttered.
“Evening actually, but who cares” Jin shrugged, he took another swig of the booze next to him and handed it to Kame. “Best way to cure a hangover”
“By making another one?” Kame snorted, but he took the bottle anyway and took another drink.
They sat in companionable silence for a moment before Jin turned to look at him. “You’re awfully calm for someone stranded on an island far away from home.”
Kame shrugged. “Not much point in panicking now, is there?” He didn’t see the point in doing such a thing. He hadn’t done it when Kanjani kidnapped him and he certainly wasn’t going to do it now. Kame looked at Jin, “You’re calm.”
“I’ll be out of here in a week,” Jin shrugged, “My crew will come back and pick me up.”
“Your crew?” Kame frowned, and he sat up. “So you’re a captain?”
Jin nodded, “Our crew doesn’t actually have a name yet, but I’m the captain.”
Kame figured they must be new or something. He studied Jin and leaned back into the sand again. “So…if you’re the captain, why are you here?”
Jin chuckled, the kind of laugh that made Kame wonder if he was actually amused or annoyed at the turn of events.
“They’re punishing me,” Jin sighed, and he leaned back on his elbows and watched the starry sky above them. “It’s alright. In a week they’ll forgive me, pick me up and I’ll be captain again.”
Jin had a lot of trust in his crew. Kame supposed he probably had good reason, because if there was one thing he had learnt about the pirate crews, it was that they were fiercely loyal to each other.
“So,” Jin settled the bottle between them and scooted closer to Kame. “What did Kanjani do to you?” he blinked at Kame and frowned. “They didn’t hurt you did they?”
Kame laughed. “No, they didn’t hurt me”
They’d actually been quite hospitable. Gave him his own room, fed him, made him comfortable. He wouldn’t have escaped them had it not been for the fact that he didn’t want to know what they planned to do with him afterwards.
“They were taking me somewhere,” he explained to Jin. “I overheard them one night. Talking about an island, Shisha no Shima?”
“Island of the Dead.” Jin stared at the boy, a sudden recognition shining in his eyes.
Kame frowned. “What is that place?”
Jin wondered if he should even tell the boy. The fact that Kanjani had taken him to begin with was suspicious, but to hear that they were taking him to Shisha no Shima was even more so. Pirates went to that island, not civilians. Kanjani wouldn’t take a stranger like Kame there unless they had a really, really good reason.
He was boiling with questions and he couldn’t very well go and ask Kanjani. It seemed he couldn’t even ask Kame either, as the boy seemed just as confused, (if not more so), than Jin.
Kame frowned, he studied Jin’s stunned face and tilted his head “…Jin?”
Jin blinked, he snapped out of his thoughts and smiled at Kame .“You’d…better get some sleep”
Shifting away from the boy, Jin settled on the other side of the bonfire. “Night Kame”
Confused and bewildered, Kame blinked at Jin and slowly settled into his part of the sand. “Night…Jin.”
Kame fell asleep, but Jin didn’t. His mind was whirring. Something was up. He suspected Kanjani had known something he didn’t.
---
The next morning was a blazing hot day, as usual on this island.
Jin felt the scorching, unforgiving rays of the sun and groaned as he threw an arm over his face. This was the part about the island he hated, he always came out sunburnt.
He tried to roll over, but something was in the way. Opening his eyes, Jin realised he was sleeping on the sand and what was more, Kame was curled into his side.
He frowned. Kame hadn’t been this close when they’d fallen asleep. In fact the boy was on the other side of the bonfire. How the hell did he get here?
He lifted his head to look at the boy properly. Through hazy, sleepy eyes, Jin studied him. He was quite a pretty creature, his silky, chocolate coloured hair fell in soft tresses, tickling his shoulders with the tips. He was curled onto his side facing Jin, one hand up as a makeshift pillow and the other was draped at his side.
Jin then studied the boy’s clothes- sandy, but a dead giveaway that he really didn’t belong on an island like this. He was highborn, a respected aristocrat in society. Jin supposed a normal aristocrat would be trying his hardest to get off the island and have Kanjani arrested, but Kame didn’t seem to have any interest in doing that.
That part confused Jin. Kame was the first aristocrat he’d ever met who simply didn’t give a shit about what happened to him. Nor did he seem to harbour any hostile feelings towards pirates, like most of his fellow citizens would.
Jin doubted the people Kame associated with would approve of him snuggling into Jin’s side like this.
Kame moaned in his sleep. He shifted a little and Jin noticed a necklace fall from his shirt, out onto the sand. It was shiny and golden, if it hadn’t been attached to a chain around Kame’s neck, Jin’s sticky fingers would have stolen it already.
Instead he picked it up and studied it. It was a medallion, gold, thick and in the shape of a large coin. The metal was hard and carved into the gold, in intricate patterns, was a skull.
Jin frowned, this was no normal necklace. In fact if anything, an aristocrat wouldn’t be caught dead wearing such a thing.
Kame made a noise and Jin jumped when he saw the boys’ eyes were already open. Curious, Jin showed him the necklace. “What’s this?”
“Hmm?” Kame yawned, he looked at the necklace and slowly sat up.“It’s my necklace”
“It looks like something a pirate would have,” Jin frowned. He let Kame take it back and moved to sit up. “Where’d you get it?”
“I was given it.” Kame shoved the necklace under his shirt. He adjusted himself and looked at Jin. “Someone gave it to me when I was a baby, I’ve had it ever since.”
Kame was a living, walking mystery.
Jin frowned, he was about to ask more questions when Kame suddenly got up to his feet. Jin watched him. “Where are you going?”
“I’m starving.” Kame rubbed his stomach and walked up towards the grass of the island “Maybe there’s a nest around here or something.”
Jin watched the boy trudge off to the grass. He wanted to ask him so many questions but Kame didn’t seem keen to answer anything at the moment.
Who was he? Where was he from? Where did he get that necklace and who gave it to him?
There must have been a reason why Kanjani took him. Of all the people in the township, they’d taken the one person who had a medallion necklace like that. Jin didn’t think that was coincidental. He knew Subaru, the man was quite intelligent and there usually was a reason behind most of the things he did.
Subaru knew something about Kame and Jin was determined to find out what it was.
Hell, Kanjani were probably looking for Kame right now, if he was as important as Jin suspected he was.
Last time Jin was here, aside from booze, there were coconuts and squirrels he’d been able to eat, (though really he didn’t need to eat at all). He got up to his feet and followed after Kame to the grass area of the island. The least he could do was find some food. Maybe after he was fed, Kame would want to talk to him.
After they found food, Jin supplied Kame with more alcohol. He asked him about the town where he was from. He asked him if he’d heard anything more from Kanjani. He even asked if any of them had noticed the medallion.
No matter how many times he asked, Kame didn’t answer him.
It wasn’t until about four days in that Kame finally started talking. Really talking to him.
Of course, this was after four bottles of tequila and a sinful amount of coconuts. Kame snuggled into Jin’s side, one particularly chilly night and Jin, a little drunk himself, loaded the bonfire with more logs.
“D’you know…” Kame sighed, snuggling his cheek into Jin’s chest, “about a week before Kanjani took me, I had a HUGE argument with my father.”
“Your father…the governor?” Jin let Kame lean against his arm and looked down at the drunken boy.
Kame nodded. “My father the twathead of my town,” he hiccupped, and Jin gave him another bottle to contend with. “Anyway, I had a HUGE fight with him and when Kanjani came to take me, I hadn’t been talking to him.”
“What was the fight about?” Jin asked. Really he was just happy Kame was finally telling him something, the curiosity was burning him.
“There was a pirate my father had captured,” Kame blinked, “I think his name was Kimura Takuya. Anyway my father had him sentenced to death and the guy hadn’t even done anything!”
Jin watched and Kame took another swig of his bottle before continuing. “I wanted him to revoke the order but he didn’t. So I went to free Kimura myself.”
Jin was amazed. He knew Kame wasn’t like a normal aristocrat, but he was one who freed condemned pirates too?
“Kimura told me about the medallion…” Kame pulled his necklace out and Jin watched the skull engraved metal shining in the light of the bonfire. It really was a pirate necklace. “The second I told him my name and who I was, he refused to let me free him”
“Why?” Jin frowned, he knew Kimura Takuya. The man was a good pirate and a good man. He had a logical head and logical reasons behind all of the things he ever did.
“Because he said I was important” Kame mumbled “Too important to free someone like him. He asked me if I was adopted and I didn’t know but he told me if I was, then I was more important than anything he’d ever stolen.”
He looked up at Jin “I asked my father about the adoption thing, he denied it, but I found out later from the minister that it was true. I was found on the shores when I was a baby…I had this necklace around my neck and no matter how much other people tried, they couldn’t get it off.”
“What do you mean?” Jin frowned
Kame sat up “Here,” he handed him the medallion. “Try and take this off my neck”
Jin frowned. He just had to lift it up and over Kame’s head didn’t he? He sat up and moved to take the necklace off, but was soon as the chain was at Kame’s chin level, the necklace would lift no more. It refused. It was like some invisible forcefield around Kame’s neck was preventing the necklace from being lifted.
Jin frowned and Kame smirked. “You can’t take it off can you?”
Jin let go of the necklace, he looked at Kame and the boy continued. “The governor adopted me. But nobody knows who my real parents are. I was pissed at my father for a week, and then Kanjani came. They broke Kimura out and stole me…then I escaped them when I found out they were taking me to some…Island of the Dead.”
Jin blinked, he was mentally running through everything the drunk boy was telling him and the more he considered it, the more one shining possibility came through. Maybe…no…not maybe, it was very, very likely that Kame was the thing every single pirate on the high seas and beyond was looking for.
The more he thought about it, the more sense it made. Kimura was a smart man, he’d have figured it out as soon as Kame said who he was. Subaru was intelligent too and though he may not have informed the rest of Kanjani just what kind of hostage they were carrying, he’d have figured it out too.
Kame groaned, he emptied his bottle and Jin watched as he eventually passed out on the sand next to him. Jin watched the sleeping boy next to him and slowly, gently, lifted a hand to trace along Kame’s cheek.
“You’re the Queen of Pirates,” he breathed, the shining conclusion hitting him like a bat to the face. Kame was the reason they were all immortal, Kame was the greatest treasure every one of them were looking for and currently, he was snuggled into Jin’s side, fast asleep and drunk off his head. Jin moved his fingers up to Kame’s hair, he felt the soft locks and watched, fascinated as the other boy shifted a little to get closer.
He snorted, Kame may be the precious Queen of Pirates, but right now he was no better than a lost boy with no clue as to what or who he really was, and no means to figure it out on his own. A plan began to form in Jin’s head and he brushed the hair back from Kame’s face as gently as he could.
He’d take Kame. He had to. He couldn’t very well leave the boy here alone and if any of the other pirate groups found him…Jin couldn’t let that happen. Not with Kame being as precious as he is.
Kanjani could go screw. They may have found him first, but Jin had him now and he wasn’t letting him out of his sight.
---
On the last day, Jin packed the last of the booze into the cellar. He tightened the shirt around his waist and took a deep breath. A week of getting drunk on this godforsaken island always took a bit out of him.
Putting the last bottle away, Jin turned to look at Kame. The boy was running his hand through his hair and sorting out the bottles. Arranging them,so the next ship that came along for a beer run wouldn’t notice anything out of place.
“Kame,” Jin spoke, the boy turned and he bit his lip. “My crew is probably coming to pick me up today.”
Kame smirked “I like the ‘probably.’”
“You should come with us,” Jin stepped forwards, closer to Kame and watched as the boy looked at him confusedly. “My crew are nice, they’d treat you well.”
Kame sighed, “Jin…”
“Please?” Jin pleaded. He stepped closer again and couldn’t help but take one of Kame’s hands. The boy jumped in response, but Jin only held his hand a little tighter. “Kame, I don’t want to just leave you here.” Not to mention you’re precious and I really don’t want Kanjani getting their sticky Osaka hands on you.
Kame looked at him and Jin bit his lip. “You obviously have no plans of actually going home and getting off this island…and I’ll have you know I’m at war with Kanjani all the time. I’d never let them take you.”
Jin squeezed his hand. “Please Kame. Won’t you come?”
A jingle nearby signalled the arrival of Jin’s crew.
“JIN!” Ueda’s voice, distant but strong, carried over the island. “Get your ass out here! Come back to the ship!”
Jin looked up, he turned back to Kame and met the boy’s eyes.
Kame still looked hesitant. “I…” he began slowly, “I…I’m not a pirate I don’t…” he swallowed, “I don’t belong with you guys.”
Jin shrugged. “So? By the sounds of it, you didn’t belong at home either.”
He saw a snap of realisation in Kame’s eyes and it pushed him to ask one more time. “Come with me Kame.”
---
When Ueda and Junno dropped the ladder, they didn’t expect two people coming up.
“Hello, hello,” Junno leaned over and helped Kame up onto the ship. Once the boy was firmly on the deck, he stepped back. “Who’s this?”
“This is Kame” Jin explained. He pulled the shirt around his hips off and leaned over to squeeze the water out of it. When he was done, he tied it around his hips again and gestured to his crew members. “Kame, this is Tat-chan. He navigates”
Ueda nodded politely to Kame. He was watching him suspiciously, but he hadn’t objected to Kame being on the ship.
“This is Junno, he handles lookout,” Jin pointed to the smiling, tall blonde.
“Uh, Maru handles cannons and ammo,” Jin pointed to the small man with the big nose. Maru waved to Kame and Jin pointed to the last member of his crew.
“And this is Koki. He does food.”
Koki was probably the friendliest, next to the ever-smiling Junno. He beamed at Kame “Well this is unexpected. Never seen Jin bring anything back from the island before”
Kame nodded to the lot of them. He still looked a little nervous as he added, “Sorry for the intrusion.”
“Let’s go!” Jin patted Ueda’s shoulder.
Junno left to climb up to the lookout post. Maru and Koki left to work at their stations. Ueda glanced at Kame one more time before turning to Jin. “What’s going on?” he whispered.
“Explain later,” Jin muttered back. He pushed Ueda towards the steering wheel and smiled at Kame “I’ll show you to your room.”
Kame, who was looking nervous enough as it was, nodded and followed Jin towards the cabins. He felt Ueda’s curious eyes on him all the way inside.
Jin led him down a few hallways before finally stopping at a door. He pushed it open to reveal a small bedroom. The latched windows showed a view of the ocean. There was one bed welded to the floor, a dresser, a mirror and a rug on the wooden floor. It wasn’t posh but it was more comfortable than he had expected from a pirate ship.
“Wow…” Kame blinked “This is my room?”
“It’s the spare room, you can have it.” Jin led Kame inside. He pointed to the dressers “Spare clothes in there. Spare blankets on the bottom drawer and be careful of the mirror.” he pointed to the standing mirror. “It swings.”
Kame was still surprised he was actually allowed to have this room to himself. He looked around and turned to Jin. “Bathroom?”
“Long drop down below, piss out the window,” Jin explained freely. Kame blinked in surprise and went to sit on the end of his bed.
“Right.”
“You must be tired. I’ll wake you when it’s time for dinner.” Jin smiled, headed to the door and before he left, he heard Kame’s tired voice.
“Thanks Jin.”
Jin paused at the door. He turned and smiled at Kame. “Don’t worry,” he assured him, “we won’t hurt you.”
---
“Jin.” Ueda sat on Jin’s desk. They were in Jin’s cabin and Jin had been looking over the maps when his second in command strolled in and sat right on them. Ueda studied him and rose an eyebrow “The newbie,” he continued “Explain.”
Jin sighed. He leaned back in his chair and looked up at Ueda.
“Explain?”
“Yes,” Ueda stayed on Jin’s maps. “Who is he, where did he come from and why is he on the ship now?”
“Kanjani kidnapped him,” Jin explained. “He was on the island when I got there.”
He then explained everything, from Kame’s fight with his father, to the fact that Kame wasn’t the son of the governor at all, he’d been found. Jin explained the necklace and that Kame was literally attached to it, and the fact that Kimura wouldn’t let Kame rescue him. As Jin went on, Ueda’s eyes grew in understanding and when Jin finished, an ominous silence swallowed them both.
Jin watched as Ueda slowly but surely worked out the story and the meanings underneath everything that had just happened.
“So…he’s the…” Ueda breathed, he gripped Jin’s desk and met the captain’s eyes.
Jin nodded. “He’s the Queen of Pirates Tat-chan, I’m actually sure of it.”
“Does he know?”
Jin shook his head. He didn’t think Kame should know exactly what he was. As it was, he seemed to have freaked out about Shisha no Shima, and that was the very reason he’d left Kanjani8. If they were going to approach this and keep Kame calm, they had to avoid telling him just how valuable he really was. That kind of information was powerful and Jin wanted to contain it. If Kame knew that every pirate on the high seas was after him, he might hide and never come out, Jin didn’t want that to happen.
“Don’t tell the crew either” Jin warned. “This stays between us. I don’t want anyone else knowing what he is.”
“So if anyone asks…” Ueda prompted.
“If anyone asks, he’s one of us,” the captain replied. He pushed Ueda off his maps and leaned back in his chair.
Ueda nodded. He stayed where he was for a moment, adding the information in his head and trying to figure out the next course of action. “So…we should head towards the island?”
“No,” Jin frowned. He took his eyes off the maps and looked up at his second in command. “Not yet. We can’t head towards Shisha no Shima. We might bump into Kanjani8 or SMAP. Not to mention if Kame finds out we’re going there, he’ll jump ship.”
“So where do we go?” Ueda asked. “Give me a pointer and I’ll set course towards it.”
Jin bit his lip. He stayed silent for a second before the door burst open and Koki appeared. For a second, Ueda and Jin observed him. Koki was dressed in his white apron, spatula in one hand, half alive crab in the other. Jin watched as the crab lethargically tried to move its legs, and tried to escape Koki’s grip, but the chef had a pretty solid hold on it.
“Jin,” Koki began, tone serious and a little breathless, “I need a new hammer and we’re out of vegetables.”
“Yay,” Jin smirked, he never did like vegetables. Even now when they were tasteless, he still didn’t like them. In fact he liked them even less. It was almost hilarious to think the immortal pirates still ate vegetables, despite the fact that they’d survive without eating at all, but Koki had always insisted on a well-balanced meal every day. Immortality or not, they’d remain healthy and full of the sustenance they needed.
Koki’s face turned into a furious scowl. “NOT yay! Vegetables are important, especially for pirates!” He pointed his spatula at the captain, “and don’t even THINK about feeding your broccoli to Pin-chan tonight. We’re out of supplies.”
Jin and Ueda exchanged glances. Ueda smirked and headed out of the room as Jin pinned a spot on the map. “Right,” the captain grinned. “We’ll set course for Teardrop Island then.”
Onwards~!
Title: The Queen of Pirates
Pairing: Akame/Ryoda
Rating: PG-15
Beta: rikachi & jins_muminlaw
Warnings: Pirates. Johnnies. Increasing amounts of silliness. Crack.
Summary: That curse will not be removed…until you bring me the Queen of Pirates.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the shitty USB flash drive that deleted everything. Oh yes and this is a very loose interpretation of Pirates of the Caribbean. Also, various amounts of sugar contributed to this story as well as sleepless nights because I was too busy jumping around my room like a mad bunny.
Once Upon a…more reckless…Time…When the Pirates of the high seas were more fearsome, reckless and dangerous, wars raged. Collectively known as the Johnny Pirates, these groups of ships and pirates pillaged and plundered each city they passed. They stole, they kidnapped, they got into brawls. They’d fight each other.
Until the day came they found an island called Shisha no Shima, Island of the Dead. It was a small island in which treasure beyond their wildest dreams could be found deep in the caves.
But what they didn’t know, was that this treasure had a price. Blinded by gold, each group stole a hefty portion of the treasure.
It wasn’t until later, they realised a terrible curse had been placed on them all. Immortality was a heavy cost, although they couldn’t die, they also could not enjoy the simple pleasures of life. Food became tasteless, warmth was a thing of the past and the satisfaction of women (and men) was no longer in their reach.
One by one, each group returned the treasure they’d stolen from Shisha no Shima. But when the last of the treasure was returned, a phantom appeared. He claimed to be the owner of the island, and he was the reason for the curse.
“I won’t revoke that curse” he told the pirates “You have to steal something for me. Something valuable. More valuable than gold. Steal it for me, bring it to me and I will remove the curse from all of you”
The pirate groups watched as the phantom’s lips curved into a wickedly cruel smirk “You must bring me the Queen of Pirates”
“Oh, for crying out loud Maru!”
“This is the third time your leadership skills led us to a dead end. Off the plank Akanishi.”
“We’ll pick you up later.”
“Kokiii!!!!”
“Walk it Jin!”
“Tat-chan, not you too…I said I’m sorry!”
The swords being pointed at one Akanishi Jin were never going to hurt him, but he did, once again, find himself at the end of the plank. He eyed his former crew members and pouted. “Come ooon, it gets so boring by myself there!”
“You should have thought of that before you sent us on another dud run,” Maru pointed his sword at Jin, poking him just a little further towards the edge, “Get off Jin.”
Jin sighed. This was the third time his crew had gone against him and made him walk the plank. It was the same story every time. They followed a lead Jin thought he had and when that lead turned out to be a dead end, they’d send him to the island in the ass end of nowhere, and make him wait there for a week before picking him up again and giving him another chance to be their captain.
Pouting at his crew members apparently wasn’t working either.
Maru poked him with his sword again “Get off Jin!”
“You all suck!” Jin sulked. With that, he turned and gracefully jumped off the plank, falling with a splash into the ocean below.
As soon as he resurfaced, Jin watched his ship sail away from him. Again.
They’d come back and pick him up in about a week. Until then, he had an entire week to sit on his own, on that bloody tiny island, and think of another way to break the curse that haunted them all.
Being immortal so wasn’t as cool as he’d thought it would be.
He had a bit of a way to swim before he finally made it to the familiar land. The island was small, had one thin stretch of green and forest, also had a hidden basement of booze which was more than enough to keep Jin happy for the week he had coming up.
“Bloody crew,” he muttered to himself as he trudged, sopping wet, from the ocean. He pulled off the shirt tied around his waist and squeezed it out until it was a little damp but not soaking. He’d need to dry his pants and the shirt he was wearing as well.
Jin was pretty sure he was alone here on the island. He had been the other two times he was stuck here. Since he had this entire week to come up with a new plan, he decided he was going to kick start it by getting drunk and mostly naked. That was always the perfect base for new and brilliant ideas.
As it was a sunny day, Jin kicked off his ripped and torn up pants. He lay them down on the grass before removing his shirts and laying them down to soak up the sun. His bandana quickly followed, leaving him in boxers and all the jewellery he owned, (which he had stolen over the last few years.)
Jin ran a hand through his drying hair, he pushed it out of his eyes and looked around. Well, this wasn’t so bad. An entire week to get drunk and think of a new plan. A whole week without Junno’s puns, and without Maru or Tat-chan badgering him all the time. This would be great.
Not caring in the least that he was dressed in boxers and bugger all else, Jin made his way towards the trap door where he knew the booze was hidden. It was a simple cellar but because this island was used as a cache by rum runners, he pretty much had free reign over what was left here. Usually, that was a lot of booze.
“I can tell you want me too…” Jin chuckled, dancing along the grass as he sang “And every time I think of you…”
Aaah sweet drunken oblivion. He could taste the booze already. He was finding his way to the ‘hidden’ cellar door with hardly an upward glance. “That luscious drink, your lips produce…” skidding to a stop in front of the door, Jin leaned over and grabbed the hatch, “I can taste the sweet love…”
As he pulled the door open, he did not expect to see someone coming out of it. Jin paused, hand on door as he came face to face with someone climbing out of the hatch. Their eyes met and Jin blinked “…juice.”
It was a guy. About the same age as Jin by the looks of it. He had shoulder length, wavy hair, curious soft brown eyes. He looked a lot cleaner than Jin and in his arms were about three to four bottles of rum.
Curiously, the boy watched Jin for a good minute before he smiled and nodded, “Um…hi?”
---
His name was Kamenashi. Apparently Kanjani8 had ransacked his hometown and taken him hostage. He managed to escape, but ended up here on this island. He’d been here a week already.
“This is the weirdest diet I’ve ever been on,” Kame hiccupped as he opened the second bottle of rum they’d had since they’d settled on the beach. Jin studied his clothes. Kame was dressed a lot neater than most guys he’d ever met. There was a straight, almost aristocratic cut to his long dark coat. Underneath, the maroon colours of his shirt and dress pants told Jin that Kame was from a very rich family. Probably noble.
“Why’d Kanjani take you?” Jin frowned. Damn that Kanjani group. They were almost always at war with them (and NEWS) and although Jin didn’t mind drinking with them from time to time, they still ended up bombing each others’ ships when they did pass each other out on the ocean.
Kame shrugged. “Beats me. One minute I’m sleeping in my bed, next thing I know there’s two pirates carrying me out of it and taking me to their ship.”
Kidnapping was something pirates did, but Jin was pretty sure there was more to it. Kanjani didn’t do kidnappings like this, they didn’t take hostages and sail away without asking for some kind of ransom.
Kame took a long drink from the bottle. When he finally resurfaced, he looked at Jin. “Why are you in your boxers? Where are your clothes?”
“Drying.” Jin nodded towards his clothes sitting in the sun. He watched Kame and frowned “Have you ever met Kanjani8 or any group of pirates before?”
Kame shook his head “Heard of them though. NEWS robbed my town last year and I’m pretty sure SMAP dealt to it the year before. I’ve never personally met a pirate until now.” He blinked and looked up at Jin. Although the boy was somewhat drunk, he was coherent enough to recognise the jewellery around Jin’s neck and wrists. He blinked at the skull tattoo on Jin’s wrist and smirked. “You’re a pirate too?” he giggled and swayed a little “What the hell are you doing here?”
Jin glanced down at the skull tattoo on his wrist. He shook his head and turned back to Kame “So you haven’t actually tried to get off this island?” he pressed, quickly and skilfully changing the subject.
“Nope.” Kame shook his head, a drunken smile returning to his pretty face. “I’m gonna drink all the booze…and come up with a plan…later”
Jin watched as Kame finished the bottle off and collapsed into the sand.
He’d intended to get drunk with the boy, but his mind was already whirring at full speed. Kanjani8 weren’t known for kidnappings. Not long ones like this anyway; Subaru generally didn’t like having to take care of hostages. The fact that they’d taken an aristocratic guy like Kame was surprising enough, but Jin was starting to think there might have been a reason.
He studied the unconscious boy next to him. Maybe there was more to Kame than he originally thought.
---
When Kame came to, it was night already. There was a fire next to him on the beach and when he turned his head, he saw Jin - dressed once again - putting more branches onto the fire.
Now that he was dressed, he really did look like a pirate. His short sleeved shirt left Kame a brilliant view of the jewellery shamelessly worn around his wrists. Deep cut down the front of his shirt left a nice view of his chest, more stolen jewellery hung around his collarbone. The skull tattoo alone said he was a pirate. He had ripped up pants and a shirt tied around his hips. There was a bandana tied around his forehead, knotted at the back where it let his fluffy brown hair roam free.
He was quite a beautiful creature. A pirate, yes, someone his father would have hung, yes, but beautiful.
Kame didn’t actually have much against pirates. Sure, they ransacked his town every year but they never raped or did horrible things like that. He’d seen a fair few pirates in his life and he wondered what group of pirates Jin belonged to.
When Jin leaned over to place another branch into the fire, he noticed Kame was awake and smirked, “It’s alive.”
Kame sat up slowly, he groaned at the feeling of his headache and leaned back into the sand. At least the fire was warm. “Morning,” he muttered.
“Evening actually, but who cares” Jin shrugged, he took another swig of the booze next to him and handed it to Kame. “Best way to cure a hangover”
“By making another one?” Kame snorted, but he took the bottle anyway and took another drink.
They sat in companionable silence for a moment before Jin turned to look at him. “You’re awfully calm for someone stranded on an island far away from home.”
Kame shrugged. “Not much point in panicking now, is there?” He didn’t see the point in doing such a thing. He hadn’t done it when Kanjani kidnapped him and he certainly wasn’t going to do it now. Kame looked at Jin, “You’re calm.”
“I’ll be out of here in a week,” Jin shrugged, “My crew will come back and pick me up.”
“Your crew?” Kame frowned, and he sat up. “So you’re a captain?”
Jin nodded, “Our crew doesn’t actually have a name yet, but I’m the captain.”
Kame figured they must be new or something. He studied Jin and leaned back into the sand again. “So…if you’re the captain, why are you here?”
Jin chuckled, the kind of laugh that made Kame wonder if he was actually amused or annoyed at the turn of events.
“They’re punishing me,” Jin sighed, and he leaned back on his elbows and watched the starry sky above them. “It’s alright. In a week they’ll forgive me, pick me up and I’ll be captain again.”
Jin had a lot of trust in his crew. Kame supposed he probably had good reason, because if there was one thing he had learnt about the pirate crews, it was that they were fiercely loyal to each other.
“So,” Jin settled the bottle between them and scooted closer to Kame. “What did Kanjani do to you?” he blinked at Kame and frowned. “They didn’t hurt you did they?”
Kame laughed. “No, they didn’t hurt me”
They’d actually been quite hospitable. Gave him his own room, fed him, made him comfortable. He wouldn’t have escaped them had it not been for the fact that he didn’t want to know what they planned to do with him afterwards.
“They were taking me somewhere,” he explained to Jin. “I overheard them one night. Talking about an island, Shisha no Shima?”
“Island of the Dead.” Jin stared at the boy, a sudden recognition shining in his eyes.
Kame frowned. “What is that place?”
Jin wondered if he should even tell the boy. The fact that Kanjani had taken him to begin with was suspicious, but to hear that they were taking him to Shisha no Shima was even more so. Pirates went to that island, not civilians. Kanjani wouldn’t take a stranger like Kame there unless they had a really, really good reason.
He was boiling with questions and he couldn’t very well go and ask Kanjani. It seemed he couldn’t even ask Kame either, as the boy seemed just as confused, (if not more so), than Jin.
Kame frowned, he studied Jin’s stunned face and tilted his head “…Jin?”
Jin blinked, he snapped out of his thoughts and smiled at Kame .“You’d…better get some sleep”
Shifting away from the boy, Jin settled on the other side of the bonfire. “Night Kame”
Confused and bewildered, Kame blinked at Jin and slowly settled into his part of the sand. “Night…Jin.”
Kame fell asleep, but Jin didn’t. His mind was whirring. Something was up. He suspected Kanjani had known something he didn’t.
---
The next morning was a blazing hot day, as usual on this island.
Jin felt the scorching, unforgiving rays of the sun and groaned as he threw an arm over his face. This was the part about the island he hated, he always came out sunburnt.
He tried to roll over, but something was in the way. Opening his eyes, Jin realised he was sleeping on the sand and what was more, Kame was curled into his side.
He frowned. Kame hadn’t been this close when they’d fallen asleep. In fact the boy was on the other side of the bonfire. How the hell did he get here?
He lifted his head to look at the boy properly. Through hazy, sleepy eyes, Jin studied him. He was quite a pretty creature, his silky, chocolate coloured hair fell in soft tresses, tickling his shoulders with the tips. He was curled onto his side facing Jin, one hand up as a makeshift pillow and the other was draped at his side.
Jin then studied the boy’s clothes- sandy, but a dead giveaway that he really didn’t belong on an island like this. He was highborn, a respected aristocrat in society. Jin supposed a normal aristocrat would be trying his hardest to get off the island and have Kanjani arrested, but Kame didn’t seem to have any interest in doing that.
That part confused Jin. Kame was the first aristocrat he’d ever met who simply didn’t give a shit about what happened to him. Nor did he seem to harbour any hostile feelings towards pirates, like most of his fellow citizens would.
Jin doubted the people Kame associated with would approve of him snuggling into Jin’s side like this.
Kame moaned in his sleep. He shifted a little and Jin noticed a necklace fall from his shirt, out onto the sand. It was shiny and golden, if it hadn’t been attached to a chain around Kame’s neck, Jin’s sticky fingers would have stolen it already.
Instead he picked it up and studied it. It was a medallion, gold, thick and in the shape of a large coin. The metal was hard and carved into the gold, in intricate patterns, was a skull.
Jin frowned, this was no normal necklace. In fact if anything, an aristocrat wouldn’t be caught dead wearing such a thing.
Kame made a noise and Jin jumped when he saw the boys’ eyes were already open. Curious, Jin showed him the necklace. “What’s this?”
“Hmm?” Kame yawned, he looked at the necklace and slowly sat up.“It’s my necklace”
“It looks like something a pirate would have,” Jin frowned. He let Kame take it back and moved to sit up. “Where’d you get it?”
“I was given it.” Kame shoved the necklace under his shirt. He adjusted himself and looked at Jin. “Someone gave it to me when I was a baby, I’ve had it ever since.”
Kame was a living, walking mystery.
Jin frowned, he was about to ask more questions when Kame suddenly got up to his feet. Jin watched him. “Where are you going?”
“I’m starving.” Kame rubbed his stomach and walked up towards the grass of the island “Maybe there’s a nest around here or something.”
Jin watched the boy trudge off to the grass. He wanted to ask him so many questions but Kame didn’t seem keen to answer anything at the moment.
Who was he? Where was he from? Where did he get that necklace and who gave it to him?
There must have been a reason why Kanjani took him. Of all the people in the township, they’d taken the one person who had a medallion necklace like that. Jin didn’t think that was coincidental. He knew Subaru, the man was quite intelligent and there usually was a reason behind most of the things he did.
Subaru knew something about Kame and Jin was determined to find out what it was.
Hell, Kanjani were probably looking for Kame right now, if he was as important as Jin suspected he was.
Last time Jin was here, aside from booze, there were coconuts and squirrels he’d been able to eat, (though really he didn’t need to eat at all). He got up to his feet and followed after Kame to the grass area of the island. The least he could do was find some food. Maybe after he was fed, Kame would want to talk to him.
After they found food, Jin supplied Kame with more alcohol. He asked him about the town where he was from. He asked him if he’d heard anything more from Kanjani. He even asked if any of them had noticed the medallion.
No matter how many times he asked, Kame didn’t answer him.
It wasn’t until about four days in that Kame finally started talking. Really talking to him.
Of course, this was after four bottles of tequila and a sinful amount of coconuts. Kame snuggled into Jin’s side, one particularly chilly night and Jin, a little drunk himself, loaded the bonfire with more logs.
“D’you know…” Kame sighed, snuggling his cheek into Jin’s chest, “about a week before Kanjani took me, I had a HUGE argument with my father.”
“Your father…the governor?” Jin let Kame lean against his arm and looked down at the drunken boy.
Kame nodded. “My father the twathead of my town,” he hiccupped, and Jin gave him another bottle to contend with. “Anyway, I had a HUGE fight with him and when Kanjani came to take me, I hadn’t been talking to him.”
“What was the fight about?” Jin asked. Really he was just happy Kame was finally telling him something, the curiosity was burning him.
“There was a pirate my father had captured,” Kame blinked, “I think his name was Kimura Takuya. Anyway my father had him sentenced to death and the guy hadn’t even done anything!”
Jin watched and Kame took another swig of his bottle before continuing. “I wanted him to revoke the order but he didn’t. So I went to free Kimura myself.”
Jin was amazed. He knew Kame wasn’t like a normal aristocrat, but he was one who freed condemned pirates too?
“Kimura told me about the medallion…” Kame pulled his necklace out and Jin watched the skull engraved metal shining in the light of the bonfire. It really was a pirate necklace. “The second I told him my name and who I was, he refused to let me free him”
“Why?” Jin frowned, he knew Kimura Takuya. The man was a good pirate and a good man. He had a logical head and logical reasons behind all of the things he ever did.
“Because he said I was important” Kame mumbled “Too important to free someone like him. He asked me if I was adopted and I didn’t know but he told me if I was, then I was more important than anything he’d ever stolen.”
He looked up at Jin “I asked my father about the adoption thing, he denied it, but I found out later from the minister that it was true. I was found on the shores when I was a baby…I had this necklace around my neck and no matter how much other people tried, they couldn’t get it off.”
“What do you mean?” Jin frowned
Kame sat up “Here,” he handed him the medallion. “Try and take this off my neck”
Jin frowned. He just had to lift it up and over Kame’s head didn’t he? He sat up and moved to take the necklace off, but was soon as the chain was at Kame’s chin level, the necklace would lift no more. It refused. It was like some invisible forcefield around Kame’s neck was preventing the necklace from being lifted.
Jin frowned and Kame smirked. “You can’t take it off can you?”
Jin let go of the necklace, he looked at Kame and the boy continued. “The governor adopted me. But nobody knows who my real parents are. I was pissed at my father for a week, and then Kanjani came. They broke Kimura out and stole me…then I escaped them when I found out they were taking me to some…Island of the Dead.”
Jin blinked, he was mentally running through everything the drunk boy was telling him and the more he considered it, the more one shining possibility came through. Maybe…no…not maybe, it was very, very likely that Kame was the thing every single pirate on the high seas and beyond was looking for.
The more he thought about it, the more sense it made. Kimura was a smart man, he’d have figured it out as soon as Kame said who he was. Subaru was intelligent too and though he may not have informed the rest of Kanjani just what kind of hostage they were carrying, he’d have figured it out too.
Kame groaned, he emptied his bottle and Jin watched as he eventually passed out on the sand next to him. Jin watched the sleeping boy next to him and slowly, gently, lifted a hand to trace along Kame’s cheek.
“You’re the Queen of Pirates,” he breathed, the shining conclusion hitting him like a bat to the face. Kame was the reason they were all immortal, Kame was the greatest treasure every one of them were looking for and currently, he was snuggled into Jin’s side, fast asleep and drunk off his head. Jin moved his fingers up to Kame’s hair, he felt the soft locks and watched, fascinated as the other boy shifted a little to get closer.
He snorted, Kame may be the precious Queen of Pirates, but right now he was no better than a lost boy with no clue as to what or who he really was, and no means to figure it out on his own. A plan began to form in Jin’s head and he brushed the hair back from Kame’s face as gently as he could.
He’d take Kame. He had to. He couldn’t very well leave the boy here alone and if any of the other pirate groups found him…Jin couldn’t let that happen. Not with Kame being as precious as he is.
Kanjani could go screw. They may have found him first, but Jin had him now and he wasn’t letting him out of his sight.
---
On the last day, Jin packed the last of the booze into the cellar. He tightened the shirt around his waist and took a deep breath. A week of getting drunk on this godforsaken island always took a bit out of him.
Putting the last bottle away, Jin turned to look at Kame. The boy was running his hand through his hair and sorting out the bottles. Arranging them,so the next ship that came along for a beer run wouldn’t notice anything out of place.
“Kame,” Jin spoke, the boy turned and he bit his lip. “My crew is probably coming to pick me up today.”
Kame smirked “I like the ‘probably.’”
“You should come with us,” Jin stepped forwards, closer to Kame and watched as the boy looked at him confusedly. “My crew are nice, they’d treat you well.”
Kame sighed, “Jin…”
“Please?” Jin pleaded. He stepped closer again and couldn’t help but take one of Kame’s hands. The boy jumped in response, but Jin only held his hand a little tighter. “Kame, I don’t want to just leave you here.” Not to mention you’re precious and I really don’t want Kanjani getting their sticky Osaka hands on you.
Kame looked at him and Jin bit his lip. “You obviously have no plans of actually going home and getting off this island…and I’ll have you know I’m at war with Kanjani all the time. I’d never let them take you.”
Jin squeezed his hand. “Please Kame. Won’t you come?”
A jingle nearby signalled the arrival of Jin’s crew.
“JIN!” Ueda’s voice, distant but strong, carried over the island. “Get your ass out here! Come back to the ship!”
Jin looked up, he turned back to Kame and met the boy’s eyes.
Kame still looked hesitant. “I…” he began slowly, “I…I’m not a pirate I don’t…” he swallowed, “I don’t belong with you guys.”
Jin shrugged. “So? By the sounds of it, you didn’t belong at home either.”
He saw a snap of realisation in Kame’s eyes and it pushed him to ask one more time. “Come with me Kame.”
---
When Ueda and Junno dropped the ladder, they didn’t expect two people coming up.
“Hello, hello,” Junno leaned over and helped Kame up onto the ship. Once the boy was firmly on the deck, he stepped back. “Who’s this?”
“This is Kame” Jin explained. He pulled the shirt around his hips off and leaned over to squeeze the water out of it. When he was done, he tied it around his hips again and gestured to his crew members. “Kame, this is Tat-chan. He navigates”
Ueda nodded politely to Kame. He was watching him suspiciously, but he hadn’t objected to Kame being on the ship.
“This is Junno, he handles lookout,” Jin pointed to the smiling, tall blonde.
“Uh, Maru handles cannons and ammo,” Jin pointed to the small man with the big nose. Maru waved to Kame and Jin pointed to the last member of his crew.
“And this is Koki. He does food.”
Koki was probably the friendliest, next to the ever-smiling Junno. He beamed at Kame “Well this is unexpected. Never seen Jin bring anything back from the island before”
Kame nodded to the lot of them. He still looked a little nervous as he added, “Sorry for the intrusion.”
“Let’s go!” Jin patted Ueda’s shoulder.
Junno left to climb up to the lookout post. Maru and Koki left to work at their stations. Ueda glanced at Kame one more time before turning to Jin. “What’s going on?” he whispered.
“Explain later,” Jin muttered back. He pushed Ueda towards the steering wheel and smiled at Kame “I’ll show you to your room.”
Kame, who was looking nervous enough as it was, nodded and followed Jin towards the cabins. He felt Ueda’s curious eyes on him all the way inside.
Jin led him down a few hallways before finally stopping at a door. He pushed it open to reveal a small bedroom. The latched windows showed a view of the ocean. There was one bed welded to the floor, a dresser, a mirror and a rug on the wooden floor. It wasn’t posh but it was more comfortable than he had expected from a pirate ship.
“Wow…” Kame blinked “This is my room?”
“It’s the spare room, you can have it.” Jin led Kame inside. He pointed to the dressers “Spare clothes in there. Spare blankets on the bottom drawer and be careful of the mirror.” he pointed to the standing mirror. “It swings.”
Kame was still surprised he was actually allowed to have this room to himself. He looked around and turned to Jin. “Bathroom?”
“Long drop down below, piss out the window,” Jin explained freely. Kame blinked in surprise and went to sit on the end of his bed.
“Right.”
“You must be tired. I’ll wake you when it’s time for dinner.” Jin smiled, headed to the door and before he left, he heard Kame’s tired voice.
“Thanks Jin.”
Jin paused at the door. He turned and smiled at Kame. “Don’t worry,” he assured him, “we won’t hurt you.”
---
“Jin.” Ueda sat on Jin’s desk. They were in Jin’s cabin and Jin had been looking over the maps when his second in command strolled in and sat right on them. Ueda studied him and rose an eyebrow “The newbie,” he continued “Explain.”
Jin sighed. He leaned back in his chair and looked up at Ueda.
“Explain?”
“Yes,” Ueda stayed on Jin’s maps. “Who is he, where did he come from and why is he on the ship now?”
“Kanjani kidnapped him,” Jin explained. “He was on the island when I got there.”
He then explained everything, from Kame’s fight with his father, to the fact that Kame wasn’t the son of the governor at all, he’d been found. Jin explained the necklace and that Kame was literally attached to it, and the fact that Kimura wouldn’t let Kame rescue him. As Jin went on, Ueda’s eyes grew in understanding and when Jin finished, an ominous silence swallowed them both.
Jin watched as Ueda slowly but surely worked out the story and the meanings underneath everything that had just happened.
“So…he’s the…” Ueda breathed, he gripped Jin’s desk and met the captain’s eyes.
Jin nodded. “He’s the Queen of Pirates Tat-chan, I’m actually sure of it.”
“Does he know?”
Jin shook his head. He didn’t think Kame should know exactly what he was. As it was, he seemed to have freaked out about Shisha no Shima, and that was the very reason he’d left Kanjani8. If they were going to approach this and keep Kame calm, they had to avoid telling him just how valuable he really was. That kind of information was powerful and Jin wanted to contain it. If Kame knew that every pirate on the high seas was after him, he might hide and never come out, Jin didn’t want that to happen.
“Don’t tell the crew either” Jin warned. “This stays between us. I don’t want anyone else knowing what he is.”
“So if anyone asks…” Ueda prompted.
“If anyone asks, he’s one of us,” the captain replied. He pushed Ueda off his maps and leaned back in his chair.
Ueda nodded. He stayed where he was for a moment, adding the information in his head and trying to figure out the next course of action. “So…we should head towards the island?”
“No,” Jin frowned. He took his eyes off the maps and looked up at his second in command. “Not yet. We can’t head towards Shisha no Shima. We might bump into Kanjani8 or SMAP. Not to mention if Kame finds out we’re going there, he’ll jump ship.”
“So where do we go?” Ueda asked. “Give me a pointer and I’ll set course towards it.”
Jin bit his lip. He stayed silent for a second before the door burst open and Koki appeared. For a second, Ueda and Jin observed him. Koki was dressed in his white apron, spatula in one hand, half alive crab in the other. Jin watched as the crab lethargically tried to move its legs, and tried to escape Koki’s grip, but the chef had a pretty solid hold on it.
“Jin,” Koki began, tone serious and a little breathless, “I need a new hammer and we’re out of vegetables.”
“Yay,” Jin smirked, he never did like vegetables. Even now when they were tasteless, he still didn’t like them. In fact he liked them even less. It was almost hilarious to think the immortal pirates still ate vegetables, despite the fact that they’d survive without eating at all, but Koki had always insisted on a well-balanced meal every day. Immortality or not, they’d remain healthy and full of the sustenance they needed.
Koki’s face turned into a furious scowl. “NOT yay! Vegetables are important, especially for pirates!” He pointed his spatula at the captain, “and don’t even THINK about feeding your broccoli to Pin-chan tonight. We’re out of supplies.”
Jin and Ueda exchanged glances. Ueda smirked and headed out of the room as Jin pinned a spot on the map. “Right,” the captain grinned. “We’ll set course for Teardrop Island then.”
Onwards~!