Set 7 - Shanks 24
Title: You and I
Theme: #14 theatre
Claim: Shanks
(Words:) 1088
Rating: K+
Warnings: None
Disclaimer(s): I do not own One Piece.
“Once upon a time, there lived a king with his beautiful daughter. King Benn and Princess Makino ruled over their little kingdom on an island on the Grand Line. They were much loved by the people, and their lives were happy and peaceful.”
“That’s boring,” a young voice interrupted the story.
“Luffy! Don’t be rude,” a feminine voice admonished.
“Dahahaha! Be patient, anchor. The fun part’s coming.”
Shanks grinned at the pouting boy and continued his tale. “One day, the evil warlock Yasopp-”
“Hey, why am I the bad guy!?” the blond protested. Shanks ignored him.
“-who lived in the forest heard of the princess’ beauty and decided to kidnap the princess! He succeeded and took her away, hiding her in the forest which was protected by sorcery and strange creatures. The royal soldiers who were sent to retrieve the princess were all defeated. Then, a traveler arrived in the kingdom, claiming to be a knight!”
“Why isn’t he a pirate?” Luffy asked. “Pirates are cooler.”
“They didn’t have pirates then, kid. Now stop interrupting me.”
The boy looked genuinely sympathetic for the society that didn’t have pirates in it but didn’t say anything else. Shanks suppressed a grin at his expression.
Returning to his tale, Shanks turned and snatched up an umbrella that had been hanging beside the door. “Hearing of the princess’ distress, the brave knight agreed to go save the princess! With his trusty sword, he set out!” He waved the umbrella around valiantly. Several of the men guffawed at the sight.
“Of course, the knight faced obstacles in his quest! The evil Yasopp, knowing of the knight’s goal, came to stop him!”
Hearing his cue, Yasopp, now reconciled with his role, sprung into Shanks’ way with a sinister grin. “I shall not let you pass, intruder! I will not let you save the princess!” He stepped onto a chair, towering over the room. “Come, my minion!”
Lucky Roo entered the fray. “Rarrr!”
Shanks grinned, grateful to the two men for their cooperation in their makeshift play. The rest of the crew was largely in a state of incoherency, breathless from laughing too much.
“Seeing the monster, the knight bravely fought it! It was a long and difficult battle, but the knight emerged victorious!” Shanks poked Lucky Roo’s stomach with the umbrella. The fat man collapsed on the floor with a resounding thud. Luffy cheered.
“The knight then fought with Yasopp the warlock, and defeated him as well!”
“Oh, I have lost!” Yasopp exclaimed dramatically. “Curse you, Sir Knight!” He fell to the ground with flourish.
Luffy whooped.
“With the obstacles thus overcome, the knight charged into the castle and freed the princess!” Shanks swiftly vaulted over the bar.
Makino shrieked in surprise when Shanks swept her up into his arms, bridal-style. “Captain! Put me down! I need to work!”
Shanks grinned roguishly and uttered disapproving noises. “No, no, the princess should be more grateful towards her rescuer! How about a kiss, lovely princess?”
Makino blushed at the pirate’s flirting and gently smacked him on the arm. “I would be grateful if you put me down!”
Shanks pretended to be wounded. “Oh, my poor heart! To face rejection from this lovely maiden. So cold, my dear!”
“Continue the story!” Luffy called out impatiently.
Shanks just laughed and complied with the demand. “Fine, fine. So the knight gallantly brought the princess back to her father’s side.” He spun around the room with a protesting Makino still in his arms before finally set the girl down next to Benn. The two shared a long suffering look as Shanks resumed his tale. But neither could resist smiling at the captain’s enthusiasm.
“King Benn was so grateful that he offered the knight a place in his court. But the knight didn’t want to stay!” Shanks grinned at Luffy. “And do you know why, anchor?”
“He wants to be free!” Luffy answered promptly with a matching grin.
“Yes!” Shanks dramatically leapt onto the table and struck a pose with his umbrella. Makino resisted the urge to burst into laughter at the ridiculous image by clapping a hand over her mouth. Beside her, Benn snorted. Yasopp and the rest of the crew were less subtle, already rolling on the ground with laughter.
Shanks was unfazed at their mirth, focusing only on the young boy who was still watching him with rapt attention. “The knight didn’t want to be tied to the court! He wanted freedom, and so he turned down the king’s offer. Thus, with his quest to save the princess completed, the knight rode off into the sunset, seeking new adventure!”
“He became a pirate!”
Shanks took a liking to the boy’s idea and embellished his tale with it. “And so he did! Knowing that the adventure he could find on land was limited, he took to sea! And became the first pirate!”
Luffy’s eyes were shining. “That’s so cool!”
Shanks ruffled Luffy’s hair. “Ain’t it, kid?”
“I’m gonna be a pirate! And don’t call me a kid!”
“Dahahaha! You can’t even swim, anchor. What kind of pirate can’t swim?”
Luffy gritted his teeth. “One day, I’ll swim better than you!”
“Oh really?” Shanks teased.
The others watched this familiar exchange fondly. Makino smiled and took a cloth to wipe some spilled ale on a table.
“Why didn’t the princess tell the knight to stay?”
Her smile turned a little melancholic at the quiet question.
“The princess knew that she couldn’t possibly keep her knight away from the adventure that he loved.” She looked up to meet Benn’s gaze. “She couldn’t bear to take that joy away from him.”
“Perhaps he would be happy with the princess. The princess never asked, after all.”
“The knight is happy now, sailing the seas in search for more adventure.”
“Theatre may be derived from real life, but life doesn’t have to mirror theatre, my dear,” Benn said softly.
Makino’s eyes were sad. “But even so, would he stay?”
“He would, if she had told him to stay,” Yasopp interjected gently.
“But she didn’t,” she said, and she saw the truth of her words in his eyes. “She couldn’t bear to keep him away from the sea he loved.”
“Your story doesn’t have to be like mine, Makino.”
Makino didn’t answer, but they all knew what her decision would be.
She would let go, because that was what she felt that she had to do. For both their sakes, they would become like the characters in the play, fated to meet and then part.
Theme: #14 theatre
Claim: Shanks
(Words:) 1088
Rating: K+
Warnings: None
Disclaimer(s): I do not own One Piece.
“Once upon a time, there lived a king with his beautiful daughter. King Benn and Princess Makino ruled over their little kingdom on an island on the Grand Line. They were much loved by the people, and their lives were happy and peaceful.”
“That’s boring,” a young voice interrupted the story.
“Luffy! Don’t be rude,” a feminine voice admonished.
“Dahahaha! Be patient, anchor. The fun part’s coming.”
Shanks grinned at the pouting boy and continued his tale. “One day, the evil warlock Yasopp-”
“Hey, why am I the bad guy!?” the blond protested. Shanks ignored him.
“-who lived in the forest heard of the princess’ beauty and decided to kidnap the princess! He succeeded and took her away, hiding her in the forest which was protected by sorcery and strange creatures. The royal soldiers who were sent to retrieve the princess were all defeated. Then, a traveler arrived in the kingdom, claiming to be a knight!”
“Why isn’t he a pirate?” Luffy asked. “Pirates are cooler.”
“They didn’t have pirates then, kid. Now stop interrupting me.”
The boy looked genuinely sympathetic for the society that didn’t have pirates in it but didn’t say anything else. Shanks suppressed a grin at his expression.
Returning to his tale, Shanks turned and snatched up an umbrella that had been hanging beside the door. “Hearing of the princess’ distress, the brave knight agreed to go save the princess! With his trusty sword, he set out!” He waved the umbrella around valiantly. Several of the men guffawed at the sight.
“Of course, the knight faced obstacles in his quest! The evil Yasopp, knowing of the knight’s goal, came to stop him!”
Hearing his cue, Yasopp, now reconciled with his role, sprung into Shanks’ way with a sinister grin. “I shall not let you pass, intruder! I will not let you save the princess!” He stepped onto a chair, towering over the room. “Come, my minion!”
Lucky Roo entered the fray. “Rarrr!”
Shanks grinned, grateful to the two men for their cooperation in their makeshift play. The rest of the crew was largely in a state of incoherency, breathless from laughing too much.
“Seeing the monster, the knight bravely fought it! It was a long and difficult battle, but the knight emerged victorious!” Shanks poked Lucky Roo’s stomach with the umbrella. The fat man collapsed on the floor with a resounding thud. Luffy cheered.
“The knight then fought with Yasopp the warlock, and defeated him as well!”
“Oh, I have lost!” Yasopp exclaimed dramatically. “Curse you, Sir Knight!” He fell to the ground with flourish.
Luffy whooped.
“With the obstacles thus overcome, the knight charged into the castle and freed the princess!” Shanks swiftly vaulted over the bar.
Makino shrieked in surprise when Shanks swept her up into his arms, bridal-style. “Captain! Put me down! I need to work!”
Shanks grinned roguishly and uttered disapproving noises. “No, no, the princess should be more grateful towards her rescuer! How about a kiss, lovely princess?”
Makino blushed at the pirate’s flirting and gently smacked him on the arm. “I would be grateful if you put me down!”
Shanks pretended to be wounded. “Oh, my poor heart! To face rejection from this lovely maiden. So cold, my dear!”
“Continue the story!” Luffy called out impatiently.
Shanks just laughed and complied with the demand. “Fine, fine. So the knight gallantly brought the princess back to her father’s side.” He spun around the room with a protesting Makino still in his arms before finally set the girl down next to Benn. The two shared a long suffering look as Shanks resumed his tale. But neither could resist smiling at the captain’s enthusiasm.
“King Benn was so grateful that he offered the knight a place in his court. But the knight didn’t want to stay!” Shanks grinned at Luffy. “And do you know why, anchor?”
“He wants to be free!” Luffy answered promptly with a matching grin.
“Yes!” Shanks dramatically leapt onto the table and struck a pose with his umbrella. Makino resisted the urge to burst into laughter at the ridiculous image by clapping a hand over her mouth. Beside her, Benn snorted. Yasopp and the rest of the crew were less subtle, already rolling on the ground with laughter.
Shanks was unfazed at their mirth, focusing only on the young boy who was still watching him with rapt attention. “The knight didn’t want to be tied to the court! He wanted freedom, and so he turned down the king’s offer. Thus, with his quest to save the princess completed, the knight rode off into the sunset, seeking new adventure!”
“He became a pirate!”
Shanks took a liking to the boy’s idea and embellished his tale with it. “And so he did! Knowing that the adventure he could find on land was limited, he took to sea! And became the first pirate!”
Luffy’s eyes were shining. “That’s so cool!”
Shanks ruffled Luffy’s hair. “Ain’t it, kid?”
“I’m gonna be a pirate! And don’t call me a kid!”
“Dahahaha! You can’t even swim, anchor. What kind of pirate can’t swim?”
Luffy gritted his teeth. “One day, I’ll swim better than you!”
“Oh really?” Shanks teased.
The others watched this familiar exchange fondly. Makino smiled and took a cloth to wipe some spilled ale on a table.
“Why didn’t the princess tell the knight to stay?”
Her smile turned a little melancholic at the quiet question.
“The princess knew that she couldn’t possibly keep her knight away from the adventure that he loved.” She looked up to meet Benn’s gaze. “She couldn’t bear to take that joy away from him.”
“Perhaps he would be happy with the princess. The princess never asked, after all.”
“The knight is happy now, sailing the seas in search for more adventure.”
“Theatre may be derived from real life, but life doesn’t have to mirror theatre, my dear,” Benn said softly.
Makino’s eyes were sad. “But even so, would he stay?”
“He would, if she had told him to stay,” Yasopp interjected gently.
“But she didn’t,” she said, and she saw the truth of her words in his eyes. “She couldn’t bear to keep him away from the sea he loved.”
“Your story doesn’t have to be like mine, Makino.”
Makino didn’t answer, but they all knew what her decision would be.
She would let go, because that was what she felt that she had to do. For both their sakes, they would become like the characters in the play, fated to meet and then part.