Memos - Blog Posts

I personnally have a soft spot for Ace/Hoku, why ? Because i'm used to see him being described as kinda a womanizer but he sounded so innocent when he talked about Hoku but the funniest is how easily we understand they're not on the same pages (and Ace should get his mind together !) But like my point is : Hoku endlessly teasing him for the way he took their "promise"

*In another time, post time-skip, somewhere along the Strawhat's journey*

"Vahahaha!"

"Stop laughing," Ace growled, slamming his cup of grog onto the counter. He whirled around on Hoku, ears almost catching fire as the woman beside him continued to laugh, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. He was torn between smacking her off the stool or watching her laugh, chest swelling in pride at the sight of her smile. "Don't you think you've laughed enough?"

"No!" Hoku hollered, clutching her stomach, gasping for breath. Her cheeks were dark red from the alcohol, skin warm, but never warm enough for Ace. Never too hot.

She was drunk.

Hoku didn't get drunk often. Rarely, it seemed, if she could help it. She'd always complained it made her drawings unreliable and her blood wonky, but Ace just figured Pokians took to being drunk a bit differently from the rest. It was only on this particular night because he'd weaseled her into it to make telling her the truth about his misunderstanding that much easier.

Which, admittedly, might have been a mistake on his part.

"I can't—I can't," Hoku wheezed. She was sitting on a bar stool while Ace stood beside her, leaning his back against the counter as he continued to pout. "Oh, oh... my stomach... I'm going to throw up."

"You could've made it clearer," Ace grumbled darkly. Hoku still laughed, unable to help herself. At least now Hoku would forget this whole night happened and Ace could pretend he'd never misunderstood in the first place.

"I never thought—" Hoku chortled. "Never. Repopulate? With me? Hah!"

Hoku almost spilled her drink. Ace moved aside, dodging the splash and refusing to admit he was pouting at Hoku as he crossed his arms over his bare chest.

"It was a reasonable mistake!"

"No, it's crazy!" Hoku laughed. She held her face in her hands, laughing uncontrollably. "Oh, Ace... you... dumbass! Vahahaha!"

I should just put her to bed. Ace ran a hand through his hair, ignoring the little embers on the tips of his ears. And make sure she forgets about this entire thing.

"Alright," Ace said, making appeasing motions with his hands. Hoku blubbered over the rim of her drink, smiling stupidly at him. She's so gone. "I think you've had enough. I don't want your crew gettin' mad at me for bringing you back piss drunk..."

It was a bit nice though, Ace had to admit, taking Hoku's cup and ignoring her drunk whining and the smell of alcohol in the air. Something sweet. Hoku'd brought some special mix with those berries she was so obsessed with. Hoku always seemed wound up in her own way, and drunk she seemed to forget about anything or everything that was bothering her when she was sober.

Happier.

I want to make you happier.

"Still can't believe it," Hoku giggled. Ace rolled his eyes. "Ya were actually gonna have kids? With me?"

Ace growled, cheeks flushing in embarrassment. "Well how else were you gonna—"

"Hmm," Hoku mused, looking as thoughtful as she could while drunk. "Kids with you, huh?"

Ace froze, blinking at her.

Hoku scratched her head, as if trying to imagine it. She blew through her lips, tipping her head to the side with her eyes closed. Ace suddenly felt a bit of chill run down his spine, not unpleasant. Different. Definitely different. His fingertips felt warm. a coiling in his stomach and a little flicker in his chest. Just the thought of Hoku, his shooting star, thinking about the two of them with kids—

He watched the way Hoku's brows furrowed a bit in thought, how her glazed, doey eyes seemed to have found an image she liked and then she turned that drunk, dopey smile his way, cheeks flushed.

"Think we'd be good parents?"

In a split second Ace's own buzzed, overactive imagination saw it too. Boy or girl? Girl. He'd want a daughter for sure. She'd be adorable and rowdy and he'd do anything for her. He'd let her ride on his shoulders, laughing as Hoku called for them from her spot somewhere else, sketchbook discarded to the side. She'd looked just like her mother, Hoku's hair, her eyes and her sneaky little grin—but she'd have his freckles. Something that undeniably said his, him, and Hoku. Them. The two of them. Undeniable proof of the two of them together—here, and—

"Just crazy," Hoku sighed, shaking her head. Ace jolted, reeling himself immediately back to the present and pretending he'd never seen a single thing. "Vahaha..."

"Yeah," Ace said, running a hand through his hair again, unable to get the little image of an adorable little girl with white hair and freckles running to his arms. "Crazy—"

Hoku moved her hand and Ace followed it, he frowned—

"You were gonna put a baby in this?" Hoku pressed a hand to her stomach. "Vahahaha!"

Ace stared.

"Ah," Hoku sighed, leaning back. "That was a good laugh." She hiccupped.

Hoku's cup slipped from Ace's loose fingers, clanking to the floor. She blinked, turning down to look at it. "Hey, ya dropped—woah!"

Hoku pressed a hand to her mouth, making sure she didn't throw up as Ace suddenly hauled her over his shoulder, moving with purpose to the stairs of the inn. "Hey! Where we—hic—goin?"

"To bed," Ace bit out. Hoku let out a shriek of surprise when his opposite shoulder turned to flames, grabbing at the ends of Ace's smoldering hair. "Putting you to bed. That's enough out of you."

I won't be able to handle hearing anything else. Ace bit his lip, flooding his head with thoughts of Dadan. Dadan showering—yup, that did it.

In the morning the only thing he was going to tell Hoku was that in her drunk stupor she suggested he put a baby in her and then he was going to have the last laugh out of that.

- that little girl would sure have a lot of uncles

(and potential half-siblings)

so... that new his dark materials on HBO got me feeling some things and thinking... Memos HDM AU?

Memos His Dark Materials AU Ko-Fi Request

(for context for the excerpt down below this, when someone’s daemon makes contact with another person’s daemon, it’s considered very personal and intimate. This is normal between family members and very close friends or loved ones, say, Luffy’s daemon would probably touch all his nakama’s left and right just fine, but for certain others, this may come as a bit of an alarming little sensation for them since people feel what their daemons feel and the same vice versa as extension of their souls)

- Hoku’s daemon is a white panther named Hau.

The two of them don’t get along very well and tend to get on each other’s nerves due to personal reasons. They’re capable of being a fairly good distance apart even though this isn’t normal and considered painful for most people. They sort of trained themselves to be able to be apart because they felt following their independent values was most important. It’s a bit of a messy situation but they’re the first ones either of them would turn to no matter what. He has the same marking she has painted around the curve of his left eye because it’s tradition for Pokians to paint it onto their daemons when they come of age. All daemons from Artopoki are also always colored white just like their hair.

His name means “happiness” in Hawaiian.

- Mahina’s daemon is a white horse while Manu’s is a small white wild cat. Mihawk’s is a massive, massive ink black raven named Sable. She and Mahina’s daemon got along really well.

- Shank’s daemon is a reddish tinted lionness who goes by Reina. Hoku and Hau are a bit smitten by her but Hau kind of hates Shanks, maybe not hate but he tends to be on the more skeptical end of him versus Hoku being a little doe-eyed for the man. Hau loved Mihawk though. Mihawk was the first person to ever touch him outside of Hoku’s parents (human to daemon contact is a super big deal when it’s not family or intimate loved ones, daemon to daemon is a little more tolerable but raises some brows)

- Luffy’s daemon settles as a springy lionness name Soleil who he calls Sol. She’s very energetic and can’t really read a room but she makes up for it with energy. She and Luffy are two peas in a pod.

- Nami’s daemon is an orange fox named Riki, the greatest thieving duo across the East Blue.

- Zoro’s is a massive bengal tiger named Masumi and she’s got a much more approachable personality than her counterpart but tends to be just as lazy and ferocious.

- Usopp’s is a chameleon by the name of Emmo. She’s a bit of a coward too but she’s funny.

- Sanji’s is a beautiful, rather stunning lady jackrabbit by the name of Celine who loves beautiful people and kicking. She seems a little wiser than Sanji.

- Brook’s is the skeleton of a songbird named Aretha. They’re the strangest case on the Grand Line because of his devil fruit. She sings beautifully for a pile of bones though.

- Franky’s is a female beaver named Aspen, they’re pretty much carbon copies of each other.

- Robin’s is a black owl named Yuval. He’s on the quieter side and tends to creep people out on first glance but he’s a very gentlemanly owl.

- Ace’s ends up settling as a red and black lynx by the name of Iskra. Sabo’s is a peregrine falcon named Brisa.

- Vivi’s is a fennec fox named Seti.

- I couldn’t decide of Kid’s should be one hell of a murderous honey badger with attitude named Naga or a crocodile or a bear. Any of those three felt pretty right but I lean more toward the honey badger HAHAHA.

- Law’s daemon is a snow leopard named Estrella. These two are an especially dangerous duo and Estrella tends to be a bit more on the mysterious side at first.

- - - - - - -

“Your blood,” Shank said, cupping her cheek. “Is worth treasures more than his.”

Hau bit at Shanks’ cloak, snarling as a white husky in protest, trying to pull him away. Reina watched him in utter amusement.

Steam exploded from Hoku’s ears, her entire face flushing red.

“Oops, hey, someone get Makino! I’m worried dove’s got a fever!”

- - - - - - -

“It’s nothing but a childish crush,” Hau said pointedly to her, perfectly aware of the fluttery, gross feelings inside Hoku spilling over to him. He walked after her, lashing his tail angrily while Hoku stared up at the sky in a daze. Shanks had just given them a living, ripe kiionohi tree. “He just thinks we’re cute kids. He likes teasing us. This is how he took Luffy!”

Hau worked over-time to remain as indifferent toward Shanks as Hoku originally wanted to be. Hoku had just given up and rolled over to the fact that Shanks was just… so hard to dislike. Was there even a reason to dislike him? Sure, she still got jealous that Luffy was so damn fond of him, but when Luffy was always pulling her around despite that, promising she was his first before anyone else—

“Are you listening to me?” Hau hissed at her, biting her ankle in protest. Hoku looked down at him. “I don’t like him! He’s just another schmuck! Nothing’s gonna happen anyway! Dream on! We’re just kids to him, got it?”

“I know that,” Hoku snapped, cheeks flushing. “I-It’s just adoration. Childish adoration. What do you think I’m gonna do, ask him to marry me?”

“No,” Hau muttered, “but don’t get any ideas.”

“I’m not,” Hoku snapped back at him, lightly nudging his paws. Hau swiped at her. “He’s just… he’s just charming, is all. And you’re one to talk, you know. You look at anyone that’s willing to scratch your ears like they’re god!”

“I don’t let people scratch me behind the ears!” Hau protested. “No one’s allowed to touch me!”

“Yeah,” Hoku snorted. “Except Luffy, right? I feel what you feel too, dumbass. Think about how it feels for me to get scratched behind the ears too, okay?”

Hau grumpily settled down onto his haunches, stubbornly looking over to the side, “But it’s Luffy.”

Hoku could understand that, but it didn’t make the sensation any more normal. Actually, I might be starting to get used to that. Luffy’s so damn touchy it’ll kill me. She didn’t even flinch anymore when Hau and Soleil were pressed tight together, rolling around or tumbling about each other or cuddled up in a pile. Luffy’s warm fingers patting Hau’s head, hefting him up into his arms—that was still something she was getting used to.

Or Hoku, cupping Soleil’s head in her hands, pressing a kiss to the top of the daemon’s head, committing utter taboo. Hoku, letting Soleil cozy up to the crook of her neck, shove her face into Hoku’s hand, weave between her fingers while Luffy laughed beside them—

The four of them, touching each other’s daemons, each other’s partners, each other’s souls—

But I am getting used to it. Hoku shivered. Never touching anyone’s daemon, huh?

Hau lashed his tail, “I won’t let Shanks touch me, you can count on that.”

“You’re just jealous,” Hoku said. “Luffy and Soleil already said we’re first. And it’s not like Shanks is going to be here forever, he’s a pirate, remember?”

Hoku rubbed the side of her arm, looking down at her shoes, “He’s just… he’s just become Luffy’s idol. You see how he looks at him—Luffy knows what he wants to do now ‘cause of him.”

Hau huffed, whiskers twitching. Hoku gave him a little shove and Hau shifted into a bull, ramming at the back of her knees as Hoku laughed, shoving back at him.

Shanks was just a bit of fun, that was it.

- - - - - - - - 

But Reina didn’t play by the rules.

“You’re getting faster, little dove.”

Hoku almost screamed. Her heart lodged into her throat, forcing her to choke as Mau nearly clattered onto the dirt from her hands had she not hooked it last minute. She apologized to the amused blade, checking for scratches and trying to work out a game plan in her head.

Hau frowned. As deep of a frown as an unhappy skunk could make, sitting by a log and looking pointedly Reina’s way.

She didn’t know when Shanks’ daemon had made her way over to them or where Shanks was, probably with Luffy to be honest, but there Reina was, living up to her name.

The lioness daemon was stretched out onto a fat slab of rock jutting upwards from the ground. Luffy used it as a launching platform a lot when they were playing. Her red-gold body rippled, leisurely soaking up the sunlight.

Hoku’s fingers itched.

Reina watched them with golden irises. 

“Thanks,” Hoku said, trying not to be awkward but feeling very much so. “I’m not there yet though.”

Reina’s chest rumbled, a deep sound that made Hau wrinkle his nose in protest. She laid her head down onto her paws, rolling over onto her side. Hoku noticed the scars lining her softer underbelly, the notch missing from a piece of her flicking tail.

“You’ll get there,” Reina said soothingly. “Why don’t you take a break?”

I feel like I’m talking to the devil. Hoku shivered. Temptation incarnate. “I haven’t hit my number of swings yet.”

“Shanks and Luffy are playing by the harbor,” Reina almost purred. “Don’t you want to join?”

Hoku frowned at her boots. Yes. “No. I’m glad Shanks is taking up all his time.”

Reina’s ear twitched. Her eyes glimmered playfully. Hoku felt as though if her feet weren’t planted firmly to begin with, she’d already be making her way over to the lioness for no reason other than the fact that Reina seemed to be beckoning her over.

“How come you two can be so far apart?” Hau blurted. Hoku shot him a look of disbelief. 

Reina’s whiskers twitched in amusement.

Hau hunkered down, waving his big bushy tail. “I-Isn’t it painful? It’s weird, daemons aren’t supposed to be able to do that.”

“You two seem to be able to go fairly far,” Reina murmured. “Is that not strange?”

Hoku and Hau flinched.

Reina laid her head down onto the rock, letting the sun color her pelt. She looked crimson gold in the sunlight. “He and I simply found it in ourselves to promise to live our lives to the fullest and the freest.”

Reina seemed to smile, lips pulling back to show her fangs. “Besides, like this, I can be with Luffy and he can be with little dove at the same time, hmm?”

Hoku and Hau blinked in confusion. They looked at each other and back to Reina who’d rolled over to show them her back, settling down for a nice, long nap.

“Finish up those swings, dove,” Reina purred. “Then let’s play.”

I miss Luffy. Hoku miserably flattened herself down against the grass, Mau propped up onto a trunk beside her. Hau was chirping haughtily in the tree branch above her, flapping his white wings even though he was supposed to be a toucan. I always run off even when he’s playing with Shanks. Maybe I should just suck it up and have fun with them too. Or, not fun. Just… spend time. Yeah.

Hoku groaned, rubbing her sweaty face with her hands.

“About time,” Hau chirped at her. “Let’s go! I don’t care if Shanks and everyone else is there, I want to see Luffy and Sol.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Hoku snapped. “I heard ya. You just want to get touched again.”

Hau flattened, ruffling his feathers, “That’s not true!”

It absolutely is. Hoku sighed, preparing her aching muscles to lift her sluggish body up. Hau was practically touched starved and Luffy’s generous pats were like a drug. He did a good job making sure Shanks never got near him though. Hoku didn’t even flinch. Touching other people’s daemons is still such a weird feeling though, I can’t get used to anyone else but them. 

She’d only ever touched Sable twice. Ki and Kekoa didn’t count because they were family. Soleil was the only one she ever really touch-touched, and even then, it was still a sensation Hoku felt all the way to the tip of her toes and down to her bones. Intimate. 

Bet no one else has a daemon willing to get himself pet. Hoku peeked through her fingers at Hau who jumped from the branch and shifted into a little white butterfly. He’d turn into a dog later because it was easier to play with Luffy like that. What daemon goes up to someone to get themselves touched? 

Some taboos just weren’t meant to be crossed.

A shadow fell over Hoku’s face and she blinked, moving her hands away to look up.

Reina looked down at her.

Hoku froze, stiff against the ground like a corpse. Her heart hammered stupidly loud in her chest, loud enough to burst through her ears. From this spot, she could make out every fine, red-gold hair smoothed over Reina’s slender face. She could see the dark lines that traced her feline gold eyes, followed the slope of her muzzle, to the long, elegant whiskers—a few cut short, and the few scars that lined her soft nose. 

This was the closest she had ever been to the daemon.

She could sense heat from the lioness, hulking power and muscle. Reina’s killing paws sat on either side of her head. She could crush Hoku’s skull without much effort. Rip her throat out. In another world, Hoku would be fearing for her life—even in this world, Hoku was still fearing for her life, but, but, maybe death at the hands of such a beautiful, powerful daemon couldn’t be that awful.

Hoku waited, staring at Reina with wide eyes.

Reina blinked once, slowly. Something like amusement seemed to shift over the fine hairs on her face and she lowered her head over Hoku’s. Her body seized up, unable to breathe.

And then languidly, a warm, wet and scratchy pink tongue rolled once across her face, down her forehead to her lips and over her chin. Reina pulled away, satisfied, looking down at Hoku’s disheveled, slightly wet face and bulging eyes before calmly sauntering off, hips swaying.

It took her a moment. A good, solid moment. Her heart did something funny, her body frozen stiff and ascended to some other plain of existence, her mind whirring and still buzzing from the electricity of the slightest contact with—

Someone else’s daemon—

 Reina—

Shanks’ daemon—

Touched—

Hoku’s face blushed a bright, scarlet red. She grabbed her face with her hands and rolled around in the dirt like the little bug she was.

Hau jealously nudged her face with his little ferret nose, huffing and puffing in displeasure.

She’d never been touched by someone else’s daemon before.

- - - - - - - -

The final nail into her own coffin was done by Hoku’s own hands.

At the crack of dawn, when the light was just beginning to crawl its way out of the horizon to peek over into the sky. Just hours before, Hoku had finally shown Shanks the book, speaking with him in the low light of that bar and making a total fool of herself—enough for Hau to tease and taunt her about it for hours until they fell asleep.

She woke up earlier than Luffy today, leaving him snoring in her hammock with Soleil sprawled as a baby badger over him. Hau woke up, slithering into her shirt and keeping himself warm by her stomach as they walked out into the forest.

Reina was already waiting for them.

“Dove,” Reina greeted, velvet voice carrying over as Hoku trudged through the dewy grass. Sunlight was warming her pelt, heating it up like a forge and turning the red-gold of her pelt darker and brighter.

Hau muttered a low, half-reluctant protest. Yesterday, Luffy had picked him up, holding him close and willingly thrusted Hau toward Shanks like some kind of sacrificial offering. 

Shanks didn’t take the daemon, simply grinning in understanding at Hau’s horrified expression. Her daemon had never felt more betrayed.

“Hau, you gotta get along with everyone!” Luffy laughed. “Don’t be dumb like Hoku!”

Hoku couldn’t stop the greedy, uncontrollable itch in her fingers.

“...good morning,” Hoku mumbled, tucking hair behind her ear out of habit. Reina was stretched out, regal and picture perfect on that same slab of stone. Dawn was rising over the fine curve of her spine and the lioness kept her gaze on them evenly, waiting as Hoku slowly came to stand beside the slab of rock.

Reina’s ears swiveled forward. She watched Hoku, eyes glittering. A soft sound left her parted jaws.

Hoku hesitantly took a seat on the rock, a few inches away from Reina. She could feel heat rising from the daemon, her head turning to follow Hoku as they stared at each other.

She weakly raised one hand. Hau’s heartbeat matched her own.

“Could I… Could I draw you?”

Reina’s jaws parted to let out a soft rumble. Her body curved more, keeping Hoku in the middle. Her paws stretched out and Reina kept her eyes evenly on Hoku’s.

Hoku softly set her hand down on Reina’s side. Warmth flooded into her fingertips, spreading up her arm and making half her body feel almost numb with the sensation. Hoku’s head spun, buzzing with that vibrant thrum of energy as Reina’s pelt shifted under her fingertips. Hoku daringly let her hand come down Reina’s spine, feeling the muscles and scars in one gentle stroke.

Reina’s scratchy tongue dragged over Hoku’s hand in approval.

“I hope that man is deep, deep asleep,” Hau muttered. Hoku agreed.

She thought her heart was going to burst.

- - - - - -- -- - -

“This place is crawling with marines now,” Smoker said. “What are you going to do? Let them arrest you like some kind of washed up drunk?”

Hoku lightly pushed the glass in front of her. The bartender nervously refilled the glass, jumping in fear when Smoker glared daggers at him.

“Hoku,” Smoker said.

The woman kept swallowing mouthfuls of the whiskey in her cup, ignoring him. Blanca’s fur had settled over her back, smoothing out. His daemon watched the woman before them in silence, looking at Hau and then back to Hoku.

A soft sound left Blanca’s lips. Smoker shot her a warning look. The smoky colored husky daemon lowered her tail.

“What happened to all that spunk?” Smoker continued. “You don’t give two shits if I cuff you and take you in from here?”

Hoku didn’t even turn to look at them. She kept her shoulders hunched, curling in on herself over the bar’s countertop and refusing to meet the gazes burning into her back. The empty glasses spread out across the wood counter beside her, the heavy smell of alcohol settling amidst the cigarette smoke.

Hau kept silent at her feet, curled up and head low. Smoker observed the daemon carefully, noticing the matted fur, the dirt stains in the crisp white that used to be his go-to for hunting them down in the crowd. His unsheathed claws, caked with dried dirt and blood. The cleanest spot was the blood red ink curled over his half-hidden face under the countertop’s shadow.

A new spot was inked into his fur. A small, blood red flame right where the muscle of his shoulder blade bunched under his right foreleg. Smoker’s eyes traveled upwards to the matching red flame inked into Hoku’s skin over her right shoulder blade.

“This is it?” Smoker said gruffly.

Hoku snorted. Blanca shot him a look, gray eyes hard to read but Smoker never needed to read her eyes, he could hear her thoughts loud and clear in his own head, in the space they shared.

“Who cares,” Hoku muttered bitterly. “You got what you wanted.”

Blanca fell silent. Smoker shot his daemon a sharp look, but she refused to meet his gaze, tail limp behind her and ears pricked far forward, focused on the woman before them.

Hoku bowed her head. Her hands went up, carding through her hair, holding them there as though she were cradling her head in her hands.

“You won,” Hoku whispered.

His daemon took a step forward.

“Blanca,” he warned.

The husky kept her muzzle shut, looking at him.

“Smoker.”

Smoker tossed his cigar to the side. His gloved hand clenched into a fist before it loosened. Smoker let out an aggravated sigh, shaking his head. He took a step forward, raising his hand up.

Hau’s growl ripped through the air like a knife. A single, resounding warning. Smoker glanced down to the daemon, glaring at them with icy venom, fangs and claws bared. Blanca lowered her head only an inch, her only way of showing they meant no harm. Hau pulled his lips back into a louder snarl, tail lashing in aggravation.

Hoku glanced down to her companion, frowning for a moment before she raised her head and looked back at Smoker.

Tears continued to trickle from the corners of her eyes. They slid down the curve of her cheeks, dripping down her chin. Hoku watched him in silence, expression unreadable.

The admiral hesitated for only a second. Blanca let out the softest, softest whine.

For a moment, Hau’s body untensed, staring. The foggy look started to clear. Hoku’s brows creased and Smoker reached out with his gloved hand one more time.

The doors to the bar slammed open.

The light winked out from Hoku’s eyes. Hau stood onto his paws, head lowered, eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. 

His men flooded the dimly lit room, raising their guns and shouting out orders as Smoker cursed in his head and Blanca’s ferocious barks of protest flooded the room over his, ordering the marine daemons to stand down.

Smoker lurched, eyes snapping in surprise to where Hau suddenly had Blanca pinned to the wooden floorboards of the bar. His daemon was silent, rigidly looking up at Hau with her teeth barely bared, body still while Hau’s jaws were wrapped around her neck. Smoker felt his teeth on his own, Hoku’s dead eyes looking at all of them.

“Go ahead,” Hoku said coldly. She turned to the marines by the door, half-smiling. “Just don’t forget, Hau’s got one more life over her.”

Blanca kept silent, staring imploringly at Hau. The panther ignored her gaze, keeping his jaws buried in the scruff of her throat, waiting. Smoker stared hard at Hoku and she kept her gaze on his men, expression devoid of emotion.

-- - ----- ----

“Estrella,” Law drawled, ice dripping with the roll of his tongue.

His daemon pounced.

They poor no-body marine dog never stood a chance.

--- --- ---- ---- --- 

“No,” Law said. “This is rehab.”

He kicked Hoku’s lower back, sending her flying down the stairs with an ungoldy screech and down into the boiler room. Penguin and Sachi peeked their heads around the corner, staring down into the darkest depths of their sub while Law shoved a hand into his pocket.

“Is she still alive?” Penguin asked.

“She’s got a couple, right?” Law asked Hau. “Which one was that?”

Hau flicked his tail tip, the only sign of his annoyance. Estrella watched him with peering eyes, following the sway of Hau’s haunches as he slunk down the steps into the boiler room after Hoku.

“Fuck you, Law!” came the ghostly holler. “I’m going to blow up your submarine! You forgot I’m suicidal, asshole!”

Law looked satisfied, turning his back on them and closing the boiler room door. To Sachi and Penguin he added, “Make sure she doesn’t come out until she’s done.”

---- --- --- --- ---

Law froze, his entire body stiff as ice.

He took a moment, reassessing the sensation he felt unfolding in his chest. He considered it carefully, made sure this… this feeling was not a mistake, that he had not wrongly interpreted the shared sensation between himself and his daemon. He picked it apart in seconds, slowly, rigidly turning his head to the corner of the deck.

It was dark, only a single headbeam lit from the corner pathway of the submarine. The deck on top of the rounded hull was bathed in darkness, but even in the thin light, he knew down to his bones he was not seeing wrongly. 

Law gave the woman beside him one discreet, searching glance.

Hoku looked completely and utterly unaffected. He watched her a second longer to make sure it wasn’t an act, but her careless, bored demeanor showed truthfully she had no inclination whatsoever to sharing his barely, barely startled turmoil. Hoku looked completely at ease, still squinting in the distance to see if she could make out the constellation they’d just discussed, mouth moving around the dried fruit she’d just popped into her mouth.

Law carefully, with great composure, withheld the light, creeping shiver that traveled down his spine. He narrowed his eyes, looking back, but Estrella coyly kept her mind blank, hiding all of her thoughts from him the way they’d taught each other to.

There, against the side of the entry doorway, the two of them laid. 

Hoku’s daemon had stretched out, directly in the middle of the deck to keep the perfect distance away from either side of the railings. His long, furred body turned a pale, ghostly shade of white under the moonlight, large paws hiding pearl white claws. Hau’s side rose and fell in lazy slumber, his tail stretched out behind him like a white whip, ears twitching only occasionally.

But the issue was who was beside him.

Estrella had silently made her way from Law’s side across the deck to his. Her lithe, powerful feline body almost nearly matched his in size. Law watched her with rapt, rigid focus, brows furrowed in dark disbelief as his daemon purposefully ignored his silent prodding.

She stopped inches from Hau’s form, sitting on her haunches, tail curled neatly over her paws. Hau’s ear flicked once in her direction to signal he’d noticed, but kept his eyes closed. Estrella stared down at him, icy gray gaze that had stared back as she ripped throats out of marines and pirates and their enemies alike, becoming almost clear.

Estrella rearranged herself, laying down on her stomach barely a centimeter—a heavy, tense centimeter Law could feel—from him. She folded her paws neatly over each other, staring out seemingly in boredom. Her striped black tail flicked from side to side, occasionally brushing against Hau’s limp one. A ghost of a touch.

Touch.

His daemon. Estrella.

Hau didn’t move, tail limp, body relaxed. Estrella turned her head to look down at the other daemon, expression carefully blank. Her tail curled and then the tip of it brushed against Hau’s flank. His fur seemed to shift, bright, scarred pink nose twitching but he remained relaxed. Estrella seemed pleased by this and her tail promptly laid out beside his own, curling idly over his.

Touching.

Law looked back at Hoku and she reached for another dried fruit, popping it into her mouth. She shuffled through her bag, debating whether or not to shove a handful more. Oblivious.

Is your connection to your daemon that terrible? Law almost bit out. Almost. It would have come out calm and cold and collected. Are you that dull? Is it that messed up? Are you an idiot—

He went rigid, gripping Kikoku with white knuckles. 

Law exhaled, slowly. He carefully turned over his shoulder, inch by inch, glaring daggers behind him.

Estrella didn’t even blink at him, eyes trained sideways and away. She looked silver against Hau’s snow white. Her long, raspy pink tongue slid out languidly from her mouth in soothing, relaxed motions. It showed off the dangerous curve of bone-crushing fangs. But Estrella’s tongue was now running over the top of Hau’s face, over his ears, around his neck as she turned her face and—

“Are you grooming him?” Law spat out in disbelief at her. 

The snow leopard lazily flicked her tail behind her in response. Hau yawned, stretching his paws out, unbothered, and resumed his slumber as Estrella continued her grooming, content.

Law ripped apart the shudder that almost raced down his spine. He shoved the sensations traveling from Estrella and Hau’s shared connection, the low buzz of energy, of electricity that came when two daemons touched each. A feeling he’d only ever felt when Corazon’s Rosa would curl her soft, furry body up around Estrella—

He grit his teeth, squaring his shoulders and forcibly maintaining his composure as he promptly knocked Kikoku against the metal railing once.

Hoku looked up, brows creasing. A fruit stuck out from between her lips. She gave him a look, as though he’d done something wrong for disturbing her.

Your daemon is touching my daemon.

“Somethin’ wrong?” Hoku asked.

Do you not feel what I feel?

Law gave her a flat look. Hoku continued to chew.

Go get your daemon—

“Hoku,” she and Law both looked down. Hau’s voice was smooth and not too low, like a melted rumble. He came up to her leg, pressing his big head against her hip and curling his tail over her leg. The white panther daemon blinked blue eyes up at them. Law could see gold.

Hau seemed to examine Law for a moment before his long whiskers twitched. The white panther blinked once. Law stared back at him, curious about the eye contact someone else’s daemon was making with him.

Without even pausing, Hoku’s hand ran over his face, pushing past his soft ears and turning against his cheek to scratch under his chin. Hau lifted his head for better access, a loud rumble filling the air.

Several feet away, Estrella slowly made her way toward them, nonchalant and shifting mass of silver and black fur. She didn’t even acknowledge the icy daggers her other half was fixing her with, haunches swaying as she came up and sat down loyally by Law’s feet. Estrella looked up at Hoku, whiskers twitching.

“What game are you playing?” Law thought at her.

“Nothing,” Estrella thought back at him, innocent. “Nothing at all.”

---- ----- -----

P.S - If you guys like this au, highly recommend checking out 500shadesofblue’s story “Echoes” on ao3, super good.

Do you have any headcannon about if hoku parents met the boys. Like ace, Luffy and the crew?

Manu

doesn't really like Ace, thinks men his type are trouble despite their smiles, "They burn bright and they burn fast, maka. Don't get caught in the aftermath."

thinks Zoro is trustworthy but isn't the fondest of him, he's more of an agreeable sort but his lack of respect is appalling

would actually like Franky quite a bit, he's the type Manu finds amusing

would be interested in Brook, doesn't take his perverted jokes too well

he'd get along well with Sabo but wouldn't quite be the fondest of him, most likely because he knows even though Sabo is the most "mature" he's also one of the smarter, perhaps slyer ones

he'd probably be fondest of Sanji, despite the flirty and wooing, Manu would find Sanji to be one of the best. He's the type that likes earnest, good men who are a bit easy to read in moments like that. If there was anyone he'd let Hoku date it'd be Sanji.

on a side note would be quietly fond of Nami and Robin, but also a little wary of them in the sense that he knows they could easily round Hoku into trouble because he has a feeling Hoku has a harder time turning these two down

all in all, Manu's just a bit harder to please or have warm up to you, but he comes from good intentions, only the best for his Maka

Mahina

would really like Zoro, he's probably her favorite, on a side note Zoro would like her quite a bit too, he'd remind her a lot of Mihawk in ways that are also different, and she'd be charmed by his way with his swords and his dream in life

would absolutely love Franky, loud men like that make her laugh

is interested in Brook but finds him a little creepy

she'd like Ace quite a bit, but I think she would feel a strange need to help correct this kid on a few misconceptions he has between himself and her daughter, would also tease him a lot

would tease the hell out of Sabo, she'd like him fine, but she'd have a pretty good read on him the way Manu does and take it upon herself to tease Sabo and make him squirm

would love Nami and Robin and want to spend time with them

she'd like Sanji quite a bit but worries that he's a bit weak? she hopes this one will be alright

all in all, Mahina is easier to please, she tends to like everyone but she's secretly the hardest to get to approve in a romantic sense

They would both love Luffy.

that bit of manu being the helicopter parent is so funny when you consider their lineage to the popoki goddess. if a feline cub is near u, the parent is definitely nearby watching u 😂 what i would give to see an au of manu and mahina living and manu is not so lowkey watching asl when the 4 become friends like a wild cat hiding behind the bushes, he did not let up the 🤨 expression even when hoku gotten older and there are more men than he like for them to be around hoku

Mahina stopped just short of bringing her hammer down onto the slab of metal sitting over her workbench.

A loud rustle from the front of the house caught her attention. The older woman blinked, tilting her head curiously as she set the metal aside and kept the hammer in her grip, twirling it around her fingers out of habit.

Her long white braid swung easily against her back. An ocean breeze tickled the ends, bringing Mahina's gaze outwards to the coast. Her workshop sat right beside their little house on the cliffside hill, looking right out to the ocean before them.

A short, familiar curse reached her ears and she grinned now, slinging the hammer lightly over her shoulder. "You moving the furniture again?"

Manu frowned. He'd been letting his hair grow out a bit this time, silken ends tied off just at the base of his neck with an old ribbon—one of Hoku's, she realized fondly. Their usual patio furniture sat in a cultish huddle around him, rocking chairs gazing back as Manu crossed his arms over his chest.

"Do you think they looked better where they used to be or how I had them yesterday?"

Mahina tipped her head to the side.

"How did they look yesterday again?"

Manu sighed, shaking his head. Mahina grinned cheekily, almost skipping over to her dearest friend as she came up to the steps of their home. "Are you going through your mid-life crisis now? Hoku won't mind them either way, you know."

Manu scowled, looking at her like a cat caught getting wet. Mahina laughed, coming over to help him move the chairs back into place as she set the hammer down. "What made you think she'd care if you moved them?"

"At first I wanted to move them to do something different," Manu explained slowly, evenly as he carefully polished off each chair and Mahina idly checked the wood for stray splinters. Not a single one to be found, of course, because the two of them were damn good at what they did. "But then I woke up last night—remember when I went down and started painting?"

"Of course I do, you almost gave me a heart attack."

"You? Right, Hina," Mahina laughed and Manu continued, "But then I woke up and realized, what if she's expecting everything to look the same way it did when she left? What if seeing it different will make her sad? Shouldn't I just leave it the way it was then?"

"But it's still the same chair," Mahina said, taking a seat in one of the rockers once it'd been moved. Manu immediately took up a seat beside her. "I don't think she'd mind how you moved it."

"You think?"

"Mmm, she's a funny one, that girl. I don't think she'd mind much at all unless you did something more drastic... like changing the paint or putting it on the roof?"

"Hina, why on earth would I ever—"

The sound of a car engine slowing to stop brought the two of them to a halt. Mahina and Manu froze, blinking in confusion at each other as they immediately shot their feet, rushing over to the pathway leading down their hill.

A car they did not recognize sat at the base of the hill, parked along the grassy edge. Mahina frowned in curiosity while Manu looked thoughtful, glancing to his watch. "Hoku's supposed to get picked up from the airport tomorrow—"

Both of them stopped as a familiar face appeared at the base of the hill, kicking the door to their rental car open. Manu caught a brief glimpse of a smooth hand reaching for her, as though in concern, but she was barreling out of the car before they could touch.

It was a face Mahina and Manu would know, in their dreams, every waking moment, and up to their last breath.

A happiness Manu had once never known and now could not fathom otherwise flooded his chest. Mahina's eyes sparkled, bright with mirth and love and the two of them began making their way down the hill as their daughter rushed to meet them.

"Mama! Papa!"

"Maka!"

Hoku's arms wrapped around her parents. Manu and Mahina embraced her in an instant, completing their circle of three. Snow white hair mingled with each other, a sense of perfect peace settling for a moment in unison as Manu shut his eyes, breathing in the familiar scent of their daughter, carding his fingers through her hair. Mahina's hand moved over her back, down the side of her arm—their daughter, theirs.

(Their beautiful baby girl.)

"Maka, it's been too long," Mahina murmured sweetly, eyes full of warmth as she pulled back, only an arm's length away to get a full view of their daughter. "You look good."

"You could afford to eat a bit more," Manu said, briefly pinching Hoku's arm to test for her weight. Hoku laughed, rocking back on her heels and almost taking her parents with her. "You're early! Why did you come without telling us? I would've gotten everything ready and—"

"He's had everything ready for weeks," Mahina said. Manu gaped at her. "He's still getting more ready. I haven't seen the fridge this full since—"

"I haven't heard you complain about it since you've been snacking plenty on the—"

"I wanted to surprise you guys!" Hoku said happily, positively glowing at her parents. Manu and Mahina quieted, hands still rubbing up and down their daughter, mapping the shape of her, how she looked now, her face full of life, content.

(Happy.)

"I always had the flight booked a day early, just wanted to make it a fun trip," Hoku said. She turned over her shoulder, grinning down at the base of the hill. "And well... maybe introduce you to a few new faces?"

Mahina raised a curious brow, slipping her arm through Hoku's as they made their way down the hill. Manu looked skeptical, walking right at their side and absently nudging Hoku away from any dips and rocks.

"HEEEEEYYYY MAMA HOKU!! PAPA HOKU!!!"

Mahina looked amused while Manu snorted in disbelief. Luffy appeared around the other side of the car, almost leaping into the air as he jumped up and down to wave to them. "LONG TIME NO SEE!"

"That boy isn't a new face," Manu said, watching Luffy run around to the trunk now. "I didn't know he was coming. I would've doubled the fridge—"

Mahina noticed the two men stepping out of the car before Manu, her raised brow raising even higher as an amused whistle sat on her lips. She turned now to where Manu had frozen stiff, staring in cold, incredulous silence at the two men standing at the base of their hill.

Two dashing young men stood beside the rental car, watching the three make their way down the hill. Mahina realized who they were in an instant, as she was sure Manu did as well, despite his cool silence. She could hear the judgement in his gaze as he skimmed the more tan one up and down, from his sandaled feet and board shorts to his open chest and unbuttoned shirt. Mahina like the wild way the wind tousled his black hair—this one was Ace.

The more respectable blonde man was Sabo, she realized. He stood instead of leaning against the car like his brother, hands clasped politely in front of him, a small smile already on his lips, but Mahina noticed his eyes never left her daughter, watching and tracking her steps down the hill with practiced ease. A sort of softness.

"I wanted to introduce the two of you!" Hoku said as they drew nearer to the car. "I know I always talk about Ace and Sabs, but you've only ever known them in photos and stuff... so when they mentioned they were able to get some time off work..."

"I think the photos are fine enough," Manu said simply. Hoku laughed and Mahina grinned. Her daughter was sharp, but she wasn't Mahina's sharpest creation in certain aspects, that much she was sure.

"I know it's sudden, and they don't want to bother," Hoku said. "But they've always wanted to meet you guys, they almost beg me to be honest. I thought, eh, might as well, right?"

"They seem fun," Mahina managed.

"That one doesn't know how to button his shirt," Manu said.

Hoku grinned, tugging her parents down the rest of the way. Up close Mahina could see clearly just how handsome these two young men were—fit, chiseled, matching better than the strange, blurred photos her daughter would send from time to time. They both straightened in unison at the sight of Manu and Mahina, rushing forward with outstretched hands.

"Mama, Papa, this is Ace and Sabo!" Hoku introduced proudly, nose somewhat thrusted in the air with a bright grin. "Ace, Sabo—my parents!"

"Hoku's mom and dad it's nice—"

"Miss Mahina, Mister Manu—"

Ace and Sabo stopped, looking at each other with round eyes. Sabo's expression instantly schooled into a cooler one, motioning quickly with his eyes while Ace gaped until his brother blinked, nodding.

"Miss Mahina! Mister Manu!" Ace and Sabo said in unison this time, beaming politely and widely at the two of them. "It's a pleasure and an honor to finally meet you!"

Mahina decided slyly to follow in Manu's steps, glancing sideways as her friend's face became one of quiet politeness—she knew this expression of his like the back of her hand, a frigid sort of coolness beneath its quiet.

"...It's good to meet the both of you as well," Manu said simply. Hoku positively beamed between her mother and father. Ace and Sabo continued to smile, a crooked grin and a polite upturn of lips respectively. Mahina took that as her cue and shook their hands first, both their gazes flying to her.

Mahina watched Ace do a double take, a soft redness coloring the tips of his ears at the sight of her. He bowed especially deep when she took his hand, "Mama—Miss Mahina, thank you for leaving Hoku in our care."

"Well, she's always got some fun stories to tell thanks to you lot," Mahina said slowly, a bit of a tease to her tone. She turned to Sabo next, considering this upstanding looking young man and wondering what little thoughts he kept hidden behind those quiet eyes. "Thank you for looking after our daughter."

"Hoku's very dear to us," Sabo said sincerely. Hoku made a face, looking at him. Dramatic, Mahina heard her think without saying. "She's always speaking so much about the both of you, it's a pleasure to finally—"

"What were your names again?"

Ace and Sabo blinked, looking back at Manu. Hoku didn't even seem the slightest bit bothered, swaying happily on her feet until she noticed Luffy by the trunk. Hoku quickly scampered off, shouting something about not eating the gifts.

"A-Ace," Ace said quickly, offering his hand. Manu considered it for a second longer than most and shook it silently. "Ace, uh, Mister Manu."

"I'm Sabo," Sabo repeated as well, extending his hand. Manu considered it just as long before shaking it briefly. "Thank you again for—"

"That's... polite of you to drop Hoku off," Manu said. He pulled his hand away, facing both Ace and Sabo. "What time is your flight home?"

Ace looked dumbfounded, blinking repeatedly. Sabo looked a bit perplexed, blinking at a slower pace at Manu as his lips parted to respond. Mahina withheld her grin, offering instead and politely curious expression.

Maybe she was being a bit mean, but she didn't get to see Manu like this often—it'd be too fun to tease him later.

"Uh, well," Ace started. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of his brow. "Tuesday... when Hoku leaves..."

"I see, quite some time then," Manu said smoothly. "Where will you two be staying? Somewhere close? We're quite a ways away from the nearest hotel where most have to stay."

"Oh, well," Sabo began gracefully, an easy, polite smile settled over his lips. Mahina understood the situation instantly and had to give it to the young man for recovering as quick as he did. "Yes, we were planning on booking over by—"

Ace looked confused, snapping his head to Sabo. "But we're supposed to be—"

Sabo's heel smacked into Ace's shin, a quick, efficient kick. Mahina did her best not to laugh when his eyes bulged. "Excuse me, we're booking by—"

"I told them they could stay with us!" Hoku called over, appearing over the popped lid of the trunk, her arms wrapped around one of the suitcases while Luffy hauled a box over the top of his head. "There's the spare bedroom in mama's workshop if that's okay?"

Manu quietly tipped his head to the side, considering the new development in silence. Ace shifted unsteadily on his feet, looking quite a bit out of his element while Mahina simply allowed her lips to curl into a grin, lightly touching Manu's elbow. He glanced to her, meeting her gaze for a moment before he looked back at the two men.

"Yes," Manu said, clipped. "I think that'll be fine. Luffy can stay in the guest room in the house."

"Thanks Papa Hoku!" Luffy shouted, racing past them and up the hill toward the house with the box over his head.

"Thank you so much for your generosity," Sabo said quickly, smiling brightly at Manu. His expression remained unchanging and Sabo continued, "We don't mean to impose, we'll make sure we handle everything on our side and—"

"That's fine," Manu said.

Sabo's words fell to a quiet, polite silence. He continued to smile, a bit strained at the corners as he lightly adjusted the cuff of his sleeves.

"Oh, maka!" Mahina called, deciding to throw the two a bone. "Wait, let us help you with that."

Ace and Sabo turned on their heels in an instant. Mahina almost choked on a snort. Hoku looked up from where she was wrestling with one of the suitcases to get the handle up. "It's alright! We brought a ton of souvenirs over! It'll be a few trips."

"Aw, come on, let me get that for ya," Ace said, stepping over to the trunk. Hoku made a face and Mahina watched an easy grin slide across his face, expression suddenly far more confident than it'd been second ago, teasing. "You'll take the entire trip to get it up the hill if we let you."

"You're exaggerating that isn't gonna—"

"You almost broke your nose pulling it off the carousel," Sabo added, easily lifting one of the suitcases up with one hand while Ace grabbed the other. Mahina watched this interaction with curious eyes. Sabo's hand dropped and lightly touched Hoku's lower back, guiding her with practiced fingers to the side of the car. "Could you grab—"

"I can get this for her."

Mahina pressed her fingertips to her lips, hiding her expression. Sabo and Ace looked startled, blinking like deer in headlights as Manu easily took Hoku's bags from the two of them, one in either hand—and promptly began to make his way up the hill to the house. "It's my daughter's things after all."

Ace opened his mouth, closing it abruptly. Sabo looked momentarily stunned, staring after Manu—

"Thanks, Papa!" Hoku said sweetly, running around the side of the car and almost tripping over the lip of the hill. Ace and Sabo's arms shot out, a practiced move to Mahina's gaze, but Hoku easily rightened herself, almost skipping over to Manu's side.

Mahina watched with fond eyes as they shared the weight of the larger suitcase together, Manu turning to Hoku with affection in his gaze.

She glanced back to the two young men looking lost at the base of the hill.

"Don't worry," Mahina offered, almost sang as she took another suitcase from the two of them. Ace and Sabo watched her almost robotically as she hefted it over her shoulder with ease. "I think you two did just fine."

the entirety of this trip is Ace and Sabo trying to win Manu and Mahina over, only to find themselves at the constant mercy of Manu's scrutiny

Manu's never too mean to them, but he sure does make them sweat

Sabo's a bit hurt because he can normally charm most parents and Hoku's won't even give him an inch

Ace starts to think that maybe he did do something wrong, he tries not to show it but starts to freak at the thought of Hoku's parents actually hating him—what the hell is he supposed to do if that happens?

He starts to limit physical contact with Hoku—which is nowhere near normal for him, Ace holds back bear hugs and noogies and chokeholds because he grabbed Hoku, swinging her up and Manu had looked at him as though he'd just thrown up all over his hand-embroidered rug

Even Sabo gets caught, an arm around Hoku's waist when he helps her down the steps to the beach—he respectfully keeps it hovered over Hoku's lower back instead when Manu stares him down from the top of the hill

Manu and Mahina treat Luffy normally, and Luffy does the same to them—they've become acquainted with Luffy and like him quite fine, after all

Hoku's just happy to have a good time with everyone

It's Luffy who gets Manu to act just a liiiiitttttlllleeee bit nicer when he notices Manu and Mahina standing by the hill, watching and talking about Hoku and he says:

"Shishishi, Ace and Sabo can handle it, they're tough!" Luffy promptly spit out a mouthful of watermelon seeds. Manu and Mahina watched them scatter to the ground. "Besides, they know Hoku loves it."

"Loves it?" Manu repeated.

"Sure," Luffy said, unbothered. "You guys havin' a say. I dunno. She's probably just happy she gets to grow up with ya this time."

Manu and Mahina look at each other, expressions soft and full of love for their daughter as Luffy walks off, sandals slapping in the sand. It takes them a moment before Manu suddenly looks a bit confused, glancing to Luffy's swaying straw hat in the wind.

"Did he say this time? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Who knows," Mahina says, looking curious, maybe a bit mystified. "He's always been a curious one, hasn't he?"

Luffy eats the entire watermelon rind in front of them and Hoku's parents decide to just have fun the rest of the weekend

-i decided to do a modern au for this one because an au where mahina and manu live in the memos storyline... :'( they'd probably want to hear all the news possible about their daughter, so an interaction of them scrutinizing all the boys would probably go something like them sitting around the table talking about their wanted posters and making judgements based on that

im like,, in love with hoku, shes bae, 10000000/10 would die to see her happy and cuddling with her loved ones. anyways if its cool for you could we maybe have some hokucanons with the rest of hasl being protective lil shits. or maybe mihawk and shanks??? idk i love them all i want them to give her hugs and beat up anyone mean to her.

Hoku and Hugs:

Luffy - Completely normal. Doesn’t even blink. Capable of falling asleep in his arms. Will often be doing normal tasks while he hangs off her or drags his feet around. Luffy is one of the few people she’ll initiate hugs with first. 

Shanks - Wouldn’t even dare. Shanks wouldn’t even mind and just open his arms with that dumb kissy face like “c’mere dove” but she’d just be hyperventilating several feet away about to faint

Mihawk - She always initiates the hugs but he always hugs back in his own way. Will sometimes be seen riding on his shoulders with her arms wrapped around his face despite their heights, no matter what age.

Ace - Usually has her in some kind of head-lock or the two of them are usually scuffling before it morphs into this giant bear-hug. His are the most suffocating, Hoku often tries to dodge less he fall asleep on top of her. The warmest hugs though.

Sabo - These ones kind of sneak up on her when she leasts expect it. Sabo’s hugs are the kind where he smiles, all quaint and polite and it might be at an extremely inconvenient time but Hoku thinks he just likes to watch her squirm with the debate of turning down his polite, kind little hug and feeling bad about it so she ends up walking into his arms.

Bonus:

Chopper - Hoku can often be found toting Chopper around, tucking under her arm like baggage she’s just carting with her. Chopper is her immediate traveling-companion on the colder islands otherwise Hoku complains non-stop and gets on everyone’s nerves.

teacher teacher teacher i have a sad hokucanon about how, since hoku honey thinks sabo is dead, she makes little dolls of him with his clothes and stuff, and then leaves them in places with good views, especially of the sky or sea. she even makes an openable pocket in the back wear she writes short letters to him since she thinks. you know, that he’s dead. there’s at least one mini-sabo in every place she’s been,

ah, anon, you have good taste

If possible though, since Hoku isn’t the best with needles and things, I’d say that she instead draws/paints/graffitis his hat onto different places following what you said, where she thinks he’d like it the most. Places that remind her of being free because it’s what he wanted more than anything else. Then she’ll leave small memos behind in the cracks and places beside them with the written lines hoping he’s getting it from up there too.

. . . . .

“Hoku, what are you drawing over there?”

Hoku hummed, finishing up the little bit of black to the edge of his hat, making sure it finished nice and clean against the brick wall over looking the ocean’s harbor. Nami came to stand beside her, arms daintily full with her latest purchases with Sanji carrying the rest several feet behind.

“Hoku Honeyyyy! There you are!”

“Just finishing up here,” Hoku said. She pulled a small paper from her pocket, slipping it into the cracks of the brick wall. She pressed her fingers to her lips and then to her heart and then placed it onto the painted hat, offering it a small smile before she sat back up.

“Did you find anything good?” Hoku said, tucking her brush behind her ear. Nami reached out, tucking some of Hoku’s hair behind that and giving her a bit of a thoughtful look before she simply smiled.

“Plenty. I’ll tell you all about how I bartered with the cashier,” Nami slung her arm through hers and Hoku didn’t complain, letting her pull her along as Sanji sang praises behind them. “I even picked some things out for you for the right price.”

“Well, I gotta like them first before I pay.”

“Well, you’ll just have to try them on first then, won’t you?”

Hoku grinned carelessly while Nami offered her a cheeky smirk in return, tugging Hoku closer to her side.

A small black top hat sat in the corner of the brick wall, painted in permanently overlooking the sea. A pair of goggles etched around its brim. Unhindered by anything else.

Free as a bird.

Did Mahina really intend for Hoku to go to that marine (I forgot her name) and be inevitably raised by marines if anything happened to her and/or Manu. Or was she secretly hoping that Mihawk would grow a soft spot for her and end up raising her (like he kinda ended up doing).

I love this question 

Mahina believed that with Tsuru and inevitably in the heart of the marines, she’d be the safest. If Hoku joined their ranks, she’d be protected under their laws and care and in a way, hidden and untouchable by certain people because she’s a hard working soldier, how could they sell her off as a slave? Mahina knew however there would be restrictions and laws, but her first hope was seeing Hoku be able to get the chance to survive in the months past what was going to happen. She also didn’t know what the state of the world would be after the Fall of Artopoki, and since she planned to go into this as her last fight, she wanted to do what she could and think ahead for once for the daughter she was leaving behind.

However, Mahina trusts Mihawk with all her lives, and the only thing she did know for certain was that if she left her in his hands, she’d live.

And maybe, maybe, she humored the idea of Mihawk towing around that daughter she promised he would meet and maybe they’d go on some adventures of their own, she knew Mihawk had been feeling a bit bored lately anyway.

I LOVE MAHINA PLEASE GIMME SOME RANDOM FACTS ABOUT HER LIKE HOW TALL WAS SHE FAVORITE LEAST FAVORITE FOOD WAS SHE AFRAID OF INSTECTS DID SHE LIKE FLUFFY MIHAWK HAT DID SHE PLAN ON HAVING KIDS BEFORE HER DEAL WITH MANU HOW MANY SWORDS DID SHE MAKE DOES SHE LIKE COLD WEATHER OR DOES SHE HAS COLD FEET BIG SPOON OR LITTLE SPOON DID MIHAWK AND HER HAD A ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP OR PLATONIC IF SHE GOT TO LIVE WHAT WOULD HER GREATEST SWORD LOOK LIKE DID SHE HAVE A FAVORITE COLOR thanks and sorry ilovya!

HAHAHAHAHA I LOVE THIS MAHINA LOVE, I LOVE HER AND MANU TOO OKAY THANK YOU FOR LOVING THEM <3

I know sometimes stories that get too bogged down with OCs can turn some people away, but I’m really happy and thankful and GLAD you guys liked them so much ;-;

(I have to be wary of spoilers, but here you go!)

Mahina

- Her favorite food was grilled seafood, specifically the best kinds you could eat skewered. Her least favorite is anything too sweet. She likes kalo berries more than kiionohi because they have a more subtle favor and nutrients.

- Insects don’t bother her! Mahina was always the kind of woman who could shove her hands into a hole in the ground to find good ores and pull them out covered in worms and creepy-crawlers but she just brushed them off. 

- She was particularly fond of the birds and the horses that were native to Artopoki. The cremellos and palaminos that live there are wild horses, but many are painted with different coming of age markings because from time to time, a Pokian will live beside the herd and slowly try to form a bond with one horse, build a working relationship with it and in a sense, “ask” it for services for however long before releasing it back into the wild. It was customary to paint your marking somewhere on the horse to show you owed it a life and debt. (The horses with more markings are especially proud because they feel they’ve done a good service)

- She loved the flowers of Artopoki, especially the sea lotuses. (They grow in small, still lulls of seawater along the island coast or on sandy shores) They tended to grow white but could inherit the color of something around them. 

- They were her favorite flower to carve into her markings and Mau’s original guard was in the shape of one until she changed it to a star shaped guard when she planned to give it to Hoku. 

- Her mother passed away giving birth to her and her father was a man of the forge who worked himself to death and drank a lot, he never hurt her though or treated her particularly bad, they just were never very close. Mahina grew up around fire and brimstone and the heat of metal, and she was more of an apprentice to him than a daughter. He did leave her with some valuable skills and parting words she kept with her.

- She and Manu are childhood friends, they’ve known each other since birth. She thinks Manu’s drawings are always the best.

- Manu’s brother wanted to marry her once, she told him if he could ever kill her in a sword fight she’d do it. (He never could.)

- Many Pokians advise against the practice/habit but it wasn’t uncommon for rowdier, wilder Pokians to bet a life on the sake of something. Mahina was one of the rowdier ones.

- “If that sword breaks on you, you can cut me down.”

- Mahina was considered one the greatest weapon crafters Artopoki had seen in a long time. Her weapons were classes and grades above others but specifically her swords. They thought her father taught her some kind of skill, but Mahina says, “The forge and the metal were the first voices I ever heard.”

- She developed her own coating technique. Every Pokian who coats uses different mixtures based on their blood they make themselves, but hers were on another level.

- Women of Artopoki tend to lean toward crafting and the forge while the men were actually often more inclined to be artists, both work places and schools were always fairly even, but there tended to be a bit more of the other respectively. 

- Mahina was the type of Pokian to have more feline features (sharper canines, very agile movements and balance, the gold in her eyes tended to be an almost feline-like slit) some Pokians tended to inherit that trait but they’re not really sure of reasons but they have speculative sayings like, “More of the goddess in that one.” or “You’ve got her touch.”

- She loves Mihawk’s hat. Originally it didn’t come with the plume and she found it and felt like it really completed the look. He never said no.

- The cross-knife was one of the first things she ever forged for Mihawk, he wore it with him always and preferred not to use it. When Mahina had to return to Artopoki, he gave it back to her to hold onto and when they met again, she gave it back to him.

- She and Mihawk traveled together for many years while both building names for themselves, they had to find funds to make their travels around and often set up shop like the scene with her and Tsuru where Mahina would sell weapons and swords and Mihawk would demonstrate how well they cut.

- They’ve traveled to many places, I wonder where?

- Mahina is a few years older than Mihawk!

- Was it romantic or platonic? Mmm, this question has been asked many times and I’ll answer like always by not really answering–they were very close and each other’s greatest friends, they trusted each other more than anyone else. Partners through and through.

- Mahina never really thought about having kids but she didn’t mind the idea, her swords were always her children first.

- Mahina is terrible with cold weather but Manu always seemed to move just fine in it.

- How many swords? Hahahaha I wonder…

- I guess she’s the big spoon? She always fell asleep with her head against her swords and the swords in her arms.

- Mahina was the more easy-going parent. Manu was usually the stricter one between the two and more ferocious and protective, Mahina’s the kinda mom that would let her four-year-old hold her swords and sit next to her while she sharpened them.

- Her favorite color is any shade of metal.

- She was never sure what the greatest sword would ever look like, she figured she’d know when the time came for her to make it, but she did know what she wanted to name it and the epithet she wanted it to carve and cut for itself.

- She wanted to name it Hoku. A sword that could cut through stars.

Omg omg omg NEED MOAR DECADE SWAP W/ HOKU AND FAM SOOOOOO GOOD. CAN YOU IMAGINE JUST ALL THESE CRAZY FAMOUS LEGEND FIGURES CHASING HER(somanyships,solittletime) AND SHES JUST SORTA OBLIVIOUS AND SHANKS NOTICES WHAT HE'S GOTTA TANGLE WITH TO GET SOMEHWERE WITH THE HOKU .... ahem, I might just feel a little strongly about this au, super love your stuff can't wait to see what happens next

Hoku laughed, kicking her feet up onto the table. Sanji tutted about manners, gently taking her feet into his lap and starting to ease his fingers around her ankles, smoothing out the rough muscles. He started to undo her laces. “Me? I’m old! Who the hell wants to get with this grandma?”

“Hoku Honey, I’d have you in a heartbeat,” Sanji said, pulling her shoes off for her. Hoku let her head hang over the back of the chair. He exhaled a cloud of smoke. “You haven’t aged a day, beautiful.”

“They just want to fight me ‘cause of Lu,” Hoku said, waving a hand. Sanji grinned around his cigarette, massaging her feet. “And they’re too scared of you and Zoro.”

Sanji pointedly looked over to the side. Bright red hair peeked out from between two palm leaves, poorly concealing his envious expression. The boy bit into the fruit in front of him, clutching the palm leaves harder.

Sanji exhaled, pulling Hoku’s legs over his lap and continuing to massage her feet. She melted under his touch.

“That’s wonderful, Hoku Honey,” Sanji said smoothly. “You just keep thinking like that, alright?”

“Sanji, don’t stop.”

“Aye, aye, my lady~”

Ok so we've heard a lot about Mahina, but now I want to know more about Manu.

More about Manu will be revealed in plot line but what I can say for now at least is that:

- He comes from a long line of extremely talented artists on Artopoki, many of which also became illustrators

- He was considered the problem child between himself and his brother

- He had a rebellious phase, he was known for taking long trips away from the island and traveling around the world, he went years without going back sometimes

- Manu was considered one of the prettiest/handsomest for his generation on Artopoki

- He and Mahina have been friends since they were children

- He used to abhor the traditional style of art taught to him and did more unconventional/explorative styles with Pokian ink in his youth, found himself reconciling with tradition and the new when he got older (he drilled the fundamentals into Hoku for the short time they were together)

- He originally didn't want children

- He had a ten-year-plan for Hoku when it came to learning art, but the more time he spent watching his daughter grow, somewhere along the way he decided he wanted to see what kind of stories she would tell on her own

- He pretended not to notice when Hoku skipped art practice to learn from Mahina, they later decided if she wanted to take up crafting they'd find a way to make it work

- Manu did leave quite a string of broken hearts behind across the Grand Line

Typetober Day 2: warm on a cold night

(pls let this tide u over for now, new update coming soon!)

Hoku pressed her two hands together, rubbing her fingertips hard enough for it to feel raw from the pressure.

Her breath came out near solid in a puff of white cloud, trailing into wisps around her face. The frigid cold blanketing the entire ship was enough to send her running for the hills if there were any hills to begin with. She should’ve stuck to her originally intentions and holed up in the girls’ room with all the blankets she could find.

Everyone moved over the deck around her, peals of laughter filling the night, starry air. She tracked Luffy with her eyes, lunging around as Chopper and Usopp chased him with snowballs. Nami and Robin were curved over a freshly snow-brushed table, warm, steaming hot cups of cocoa in their hands as Sanji tended to their every need. Some ways away Zoro was up in the crow’s nest, the faint outline of his swords peeking over the rim.

It’s too cold for a night out. I don’t know why the all wouldn’t want to just stay in. Hoku bitterly eyed her frostbitten fingers. She’d long chugged the hot chocolate Sanji had gifted her and was too stubborn to ask for more. I can’t even draw in this weather. It’s too damn cold.

She should just go inside.

Why don’t you just go inside?

I’m only bad with the cold because I’m from Artopoki. Hoku thought. I just didn’t get the good genes to deal with the snow. I’m part of the majority.

She ran her fingers over each other, stuffing them into her jacket. That’s why I hate the cold.

“Why don’t we go somewhere for Christmas?”

Hoku paused.

“It’s been so long…”

“Just a nice get together…”

“You’ll be all alone again…”

“Just come…”

“Why are you always so busy when you don’t even have a real job–”

“Hokuuuuuuu! What are ya doin’ over here?”

She stared at the top of Luffy’s sandals. It was amazing how this guy couldn’t feel anything, heat or cold. Luffy was just indestructible. 

“Thinking,” Hoku said. Luffy made a face, squatting down in front of her with his arms wrapped over his knees. He stared drawing into a patch of snow beside her. “Go back and play. I’ll die if you toss any snowballs at me.”

“Shishishi, you’re too weak!” Luffy sang. He cocked his head. “You’re not drawing?”

“My hands are too cold,” Hoku said darkly. “Run back, I’m going to go down and just–”

“Hands.”

“Huh?”

Luffy pointedly held out his hands, looking at her with that stupidly open, stupidly unreadable face. The big, wide eyes and the expectancy of a guy who never knew how to take no for a god damn answer. Hoku stared at him, bewildered and confused until she grudgingly tugged her hands out of her pockets and set them on top of Luffy’s.

Hoku nearly shuddered at the warmth. Her eyes snapped down to where Luffy’s fingers slipped through hers, linking their hands together. Goddess, he’s so stupidly warm. Maybe he and Ace really are brothers.

“Shishishi,” Luffy grinned at her, peering up from beneath the rim of his hat. Snow caught on the edges. “Better you big baby?”

Hoku hesitated for a second before she tightened her hands around Luffy’s. Her captain didn’t protest, tightening his hands right back as though it were some sort of competition.

Hoku couldn’t bring the words to her lips. The voices in the back of her head faded away.

“Yeah,” she said quietly. “Better.”

Typetober Day 8: encounters and partings

In light of a Memos update coming veeeerrrryyyyy sooooooon (to the reader who asked for an update because today was their birthday, i’m sorry i wasn’t able to make it :( but i promise i’ll make it up to you! hope you had an amazing one <3)

A flurry of bodies rushed past her legs, nearly toppling her over. Hoku wobbled, grabbing the wooden pillar of the shop beside her before she could fall flat on her face. She scowled, whirling around with one hand curled into a fist. “Hey! Stupid brats, watch where you’re going! You could get someone killed!”

“Sorry, lady!” one of the boys hollered, breaking out into a chorus of laughter as they ran. The smallest one tripped, forcing the other two to brake on their heels. They quickly rushed back, hauling him up by his arms and running away with him in tow.

Hoku stopped at the sight, fist loosening in the air. She felt a little quiet all of a sudden, staring at their backs as the three boys laughed, heads tossed high and smiles bright until they disappeared entirely from sight.

“Hoku, you’re too slow!”

“Put more effort into it!”

“We’re gonna leave you behind!”

“My star, is something wrong?”

Hoku’s fingers uncurled from her fist. She dropped her hand back down to her side, staring after the empty space between the crowd. 

No. She thought back, reaching behind her to touch Mau’s hilt before she shook her head, turning toward the shop and stepping inside. “It’s nothing.”

Hoku fixed the tie under her chin. Her hood stayed well in place, hiding the bright white hair she’d tucked away for the sake of a little stealth. The island ought to be fine for now since she was just picking up supplies before her next raid, but she couldn’t be too careful. I have to think ahead. I have to be smart.

There wasn’t anyone else around to do it for her.

Keep reading

Fk,,,, i just,,, realized. Since in OP idiots like luffy usually attract people w/o them noticing, does that mean hoku will too??? D: i mean,, she kinda seems like oblivious idk unless she is also attracted to that person. Will the rest of the strawhats protect her from shitty guys?

HAHAHAHA DUMBASS HOKU

if she isn’t beating up the shitty guys herself first, her crew will be there dw

“Yeah, sorry, nice try—this one’s ours.”

Bonus:

(Somewhere in the New World)

“For a crew this small, that asshole Straw Hat sure can get himself some women.”

“I don’t get the guy—he’s a monster. Look at that face—he can’t possibly be pleasing them the way we could.”

The two men grunted in unison, flipping through the wanted posters. All the men and one pet and skeleton of the infamous Straw Hat pirates were littered on the floor. Three spread out on their table.

“I’d go for the ginger,” one man said, tapping Nani’s wanted poster. “Look at that body.”

“If she doesn’t rob you for all you’re worth,” the other man grunted. “See, the raven, now—that’s a beautiful bitch if I’ve ever seen one. Mature. Older—she knows her way around if you know what I mean. But I’d settle for the next best thing. Don’t like my women too smart.”

He tapped the next poster. Hoku’s canines peeked through, her grinning face on the paper beaming back at something else. “Got a look to her this one. Bet I could show her a thing or two and she’d be writing my name down for weeks.”

They laughed, slapping each other on the backs. The man shoved Hoku’s poster forward. “If only these damn things worked like those strips—could unfold this and see what’s beneath that cloak—“

“Follow that tattoo right?”

“I can think of a few places I’d like to see where she might be hiding one.”

“Maybe if you’re lucky you can see those legs—“

“Hello, fine gentlemen! That’s a pretty poster you’ve got there.”

The two men snorted, a shadow falling over their table. They turned over their shoulders, “What’s it to you—“

They stopped.

Slowly, carefully, blood began to drain from their faces. Their eyes inches open wider and wider, threatening to pop from their sockets as tears spilled from the corners. Their knees began to knock together, their faces ashen and—

Black curled at his ankles. Scarlet red hair tickling the sculpted curve of his sharp jaw. Broad shoulders. Sun kissed skin. Eyes, easy and languid along with the wide, bright grin curling over his lips—

One of the Four Emperors in the flesh.

Red Haired Shanks—

The two men foamed at the mouth, falling over and smashing into the ground.

Shanks grinned. He calmly reached over on the table and tugged the wanted poster off, holding it gently in his hand as he turned on his heel.

“Come on, was that really necessary?” Yasopp complained. “A little excessive on the Haki—“

“I didn’t even use a single thing,” Shanks said, giving the poster one long, absently fond look before he started to fold it back up. “I say we all go get ourselves a drink.”

Lucky chewed, “I’m telling you guys, at the rate she’s looking, our Hoku-chan must’ve had her pick of who she wanted in the sheets by now—“

Shanks’ sword hit his knee the same time Yasopp tripped him and Benn’s gun caught the back of his head.

Shanks moved to tuck the poster into the fold of his shirt when he paused. A curious look flickered over his face and he unfolded the poster, brushing his finger down the side corner of Hoku’s cheek, then to her neck, inspecting.

“I am curious though, I wonder if she’s added any new pretty little things anywhere else…”

Shanks craned his head, as though expecting the poster to continue so he could see for himself.

Benn exhaled a cloud of smoke.

“Pot calling the kettle black.”

OHH MY GODDD THE ENDING WHERE LAW SHAMBLES A CRATE OF APPLES....

MADE ME THINK OF HOKU!!!!!

Kid: *wanting to give a crate full of apples to Hoku to have browny points*

Luffy: *sees meat steals meat*

Luffy and Kid fighting

Law: *shambles crate of apples to give it to Hoku instead*

Hoku: *draws while daydreaming of apples........apple hair Shanks*

MILD SPOILERS FOR THE END OF THE WANO ARC BELOW

Kid paused for a moment as something rolled across the ground, knocking lightly into the side of his foot. He glanced with half a scowl nearly tattooed across his lips, narrowing his eyes at the disruption while Killer hauled the next crate of supplies over his shoulder.

The people of Wano were ensuring with everything they had that the pirates currently preparing to leave their hidden shores would be stocked and ready for whatever lay beyond them. Kid didn’t care for their generosity and blubbering—they’d take what they deserved and have their fill. There was nothing else to it.

He didn’t care much either, for the way the other two crews encroaching on his space handled things. Namely one crew in particular, and specifically one ridiculous, mouthy, cowardly, irritating—

(“We can’t take all of this!” Hoku laughed, her voice grating against the side of his ears as he watched her over the lip of a sake jar, scowling beneath the fluttering shadow of light from the lanterns strewn across the street in victory above them. “You all have to eat enough to make up for all these years!”

“But supplies! You need more!”

“We’ve seen how your captain eats!”

“We saw you back in the banquet hall!”

She tossed her head back and laughed. It rang and echoed, the faint flush of joy against the tan of her skin.

“Then let’s eat it together! Lu!”

“Hoku don’t you dare! The two of you will end up clearing all our supplies before we even leave!”

“Hoku Honey! If you’re hungry, I’ll make something for you right now!”

One of the brats leapt from the ground, arms wrapping around that damned woman’s neck as she continued to laugh, eyes swallowing the sight of joy before her with a bright sort of greed—drinking her fill before they skipped across the street and met—)

Kid angrily hefted the stuffed crate of supplies. The bright, shiny red apples rolled against each other. Wrapped hunks of meat were placed haphazardly on top. He looked forward beyond Killer’s shoulder to where that damned woman sat now, looking useless as always as she leaned back against a stack of crates, idly drawing into her book.

He’d already mocked her for being lazy and lounging around, but she’d simply bit back with an arrogant sniff that their tangerine haired devil woman of a navigator had ordered her to stay put.

“You’ll end up falling into the dock or worse,” Nami said. “Just sit there and look pretty.”

Kid had scoffed at how she’d pouted, ambling through the stacked crates of supplies trying to poke her nose and help here and there until she’d tripped into a grain barrel and Roronoa Zoro had fished her out by her scruff.

He’d unnecessarily slung her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, her visage completely unbothered—as though this ridiculousness was normal—while Zoro walked around with her slung like that and kept lifting crates and helping stack goods.

What an idiot.

Kid’s boots stomped against the ground as he grew closer to that stupid woman now. His scowl deepened into a sort of sneer, grip tightening on the crate over his shoulder. He was in a good mood. He’d fool around with that idiot. She was easy to rile up if you knew what buttons to press. Kid had started to learn from their encounters so far.

He’d even pretend it was a peace offering—watch her face comfort into dumbfounded confusion—maybe he’d trip her into the same crate he was carrying—hah! What a load that’d be.

(She could easily fit into it, he thought carelessly, not even really thinking much of it. Right into that crate. They’d toss her into the ocean. On board. Into his cabin. )

A familiar twang sounded off like a snap by Kid’s ear and he abruptly stopped, whirling around the same moment grubby fingers pulled free an entire hunk of smoked meat from his crate. Straw Hat Luffy shamelessly shoved the entire thing into his mouth.

“Hey! You looking for a fight Straw Hat?” Kid dropped the crate to the ground with a thump! Luffy immediately stood at his raised tone, grinning impishly. “Keep your grimy hands off!l

“What’d you say Jaggy?”

“Come down here and I’ll beat it into ya!” Kid snarled. Killer continued peacefully without him towards the ship. “Less you’re scared.”

Luffy landed nimbly before him in an instant. Kid’s hackles raised and the two of them began to shout, hollering childish remarks back and forth while one calm, unbothered gaze finally set his finished newspapers down. He raised his fingers instead, curling them slightly.

“Shambles.”

Law stood up with the crate in his arm with ease. He made his way down the same way Kid originally intended, making it quite a fair distance before either of the two idiots realized what had happened and they were now shouting and spitting at him across the docks.

“Hoku-ya.”

Hoku looked up with a bit of a jump from her drawings. Law raised a curious, fine arched brow when he noticed her not-so-discreetly attempt to shuffle one of her papers back. “Torao! What can I do for ya?”

On any other occasion, Law would’ve ignored it. Meddling further with this woman usually ended up with more than he intended, and even teasing her to some degree either sailed over her head or ended with him having a headache.

But he was in a good mood today. Law felt…tactful.

(“Our captain’s still a bit of a sadist at heart,” Penguin said. “Don’t forget that!”)

A blue film enveloped the two of them and Hoku jumped, looking surprised and confused until she glanced down to her hands where a handful of bright red apples now sat.

“Hey!” Hoku’s lips started to turn into a grin. “Aw, don’t tell me you’re feeling sentimental! C’mon, is this your way of being sweet? Or wait, are you doing a whole one apple a day—“

Hoku abruptly broke off, watching Law flip casually to the page she’d been hiding. Her sketchbook now sat loosely in his grip.

Hoku paled. Her eyes went wide and her cheeks flushed as she shot up, cradling the apples still. “Wait—“

Law promptly stilled. He blinked once, slowly, and then finally looked back to Hoku with judgement clear in his gaze. His expression attempted disinterested disdain, a usual look, but his fingers twitched against the sketchbook, a quiet whisper of something else.

Law made the tactical decision to ignore that.

“Really?”

“S-So what?” Hoku snapped. Her cheeks flushed a red as deep as the apples in her hands. Law briefly traced it down her collarbone—her blush always carried down her neck, against her back—but his scowl deepened instead. “It’s just a drawing! I can draw whatever I want! I like drawing pretty things! That’s perfectly normal! He’s a handsome man!”

Law gave her a look somewhat reminiscent of disgust and disappointment.

“Did I ask?”

“No! But I can tell you’re judging me and I don’t wanna—“

“Are you fucking kidding me? This some kinda sick joke doll?”

“Shishishi! That’s a good one Hoku! He’d love it!”

“Beat it Straw Hat! I’m about to throttle this—“

“Throttle? You’re talkin’ hot shit for a loser.”

“Loser? Did you go blind? I won—“

“I’m still 2-0 with ya, Kiddo.”

“Kiddo?”

“Eustass-ya pipe down.”

“Shut it—“

A breeze ripped the page from Law’s fingertips—he absently let it go, better off to the winds—but the four gathered continued a mix of shouting, condescending speaking—

Nami watched Robin pluck the paper from the air as it drifted by them. The two women leaning over the side of the ship.

Robin carefully smoothed the paper out, humming in amusement.

“Our dear artist has dangerous taste.”

“I just don’t get it,” Nami sighed with a pitiful shake of her head. “She’s hopeless, that one. The seas are endless and she picks one of the scariest men in the ocean to have a crush on?”

“Hopeless,” Robin echoed playfully, glancing thoughtfully toward where they could barely see Hoku’s bright white hair peeking out from the three bodies surrounding her. “Hopeless indeed.”

Nami sighed in pity when she followed Robin’s gaze. “Something tells me this is going to come back and bite us. Should I send Zoro? No, Sanji would be better…”

“No harm in letting them play a bit longer,” Robin said smoothly. The breeze fluttered the paper in her grip and she glanced back to it.

“Well,” Robin turned the picture perfect portrait of a grinning, fearless Red-Haired Shanks. Even the glint of his eyes seemed particularly fond to Robin. “She does draw him very handsomely.”

“Hmm… I’m going to make Hoku draw a portrait of me now once we set sail.”

“Mm, did that make you jealous? Though, that does sound rather fun. I think I’ll have to make Hoku do one for me too…”

i know it might have been mentioned before, but if it hasn't been touched on already, could we pretty pretty pls see what a marine au for memos would look like? who would Hoku work for? would she ironically make for a good marine?

The following AU takes place in a timeline where Hoku did eventually join the Marines. After spending time on Dawn Island with Luffy, when Hoku sets off on her own journey, reuniting with Ace, meeting Hack, etc, only after fixing up Mayman/meeting Kid, does she seek out Tsuru and decide to take her up on her offer to become "an upstanding marine" and to avoid Luffy

(The scene with Shanks below takes place sometime 3D2Y post-time skip)

Hoku decides to play at being a marine because she (1) finds them constantly in the line of fire and at risk of work hazards (2) believes there's something specific she can do from the inside of the institute she'd like to explore, mainly helping other Pokians and maaaaaybe making things a bit easier for a certain king of pirates (because she knows she can always quit!) (3) it will help her avoid being a pirate with luffy and being involved further in the main story

Despite this plan, she still seems to run into one too many pirates

"What's your relationship with Straw Hat Luffy?" "Who's that?" "Our men saw him trying to kidnap you onto his ship! Was it for ransom?" "He just wanted me to try Sanji's new dish."

"But you're a marine, we're supposed to be capturing pirates?"

"I didn't see that in the handbook."

"But you never read the handbook!"

Hoku underwent rigorous training with Tsuru, mainly under the tough old lady's jurisdiction—this helps her particularly avoid discipline from several other marines. There have often been requests for her to join other commands, some from marines who want to teach her a lesson, others from marines who genuinely have fun working with her

When Tsuru isn't training her, she's being worked to near death by Garp

She has one of the highest disciplinary records in academy history

Some cadets don't understand how she can get away with getting into so much trouble, sometimes a marine grunt will see her being forced to clean out an entire base's cafeteria while someone supervises and they're like?? again??? how is she not in impel down?? tried for mutiny??

Some people eventually get the memo—it's favoritism/abuse of power/strangely good luck in some occasions

Some marines don't like it one bit, they have it out for Hoku, she doesn't really care

Garp never, ever stops talking anyone's ear off about how his beautiful, adorable granddaughter is going to be one of the best marine's the world has ever seen

Tsuru has unofficially officially made herself Hoku's grandmother in a way. She and Garp often have petty fights over Hoku stories. They fight a lot over who's squad Hoku has to be on

Over the years, she's actually made enough contributions and done quite the number of great feats, enough to land her at captain level, (rear admiral candidate at Tsuru and Garp's behest) but Hoku sometimes keeps her petty officer title, keeping the perks that come with captain status and the likes

She doesn't mind abusing her power and shrugging off her responsibilities

Whenever she's assigned missions where she has a whole squad to take care of, the marines assigned to her are usually wary, uncertain and thinking they're unlucky

Until they actually work with Hoku and are like??? we're doing work today? did we just bust this human trafficking ring? did we just liberate an entire island stuck in a pirate tyranny? and other times they come, asking her what their job is for today and she's just like? go home there's nothing to do

If they really bother her, she'll send them off to different islands and countries that need help. "Go distribute these supplies to here." "They asked for someone to help rebuild their village." "Put those dumb ships to use and go delivery this to them."

Hoku has made her way around several different bases, under several different chains of commands, (she is now infamous) usually on a sort of temp job kind of borrowed basis, but officially she's under Tsuru's wing

Smoker has gone through several different stages of mental strife and grief with Hoku, originally being distrustful when the criminal who blew up a base in Tretar became a marine, then becoming somewhat determined to help mold her into a damn good marine, then to becoming strangely fixed (obsessed) with either being in charge of ensuring she receives punishment/is not mistreated for her origins within the lower ranks, and they are even sometimes seen gambling together on occasion. They have a funny relationship these two, Hoku's too lazy to try to understand it.

Her outfit as a marine is a lot like her original, however she wears a black top instead of white and with black pants. Her jacket is white instead with her usual accessories, and the only thing that helps people actually identify her as a marine is the standard issue marine cap she wears

Hoku has also secretly become a huge collector of wanted posters. It originally started small, just taking the wanted posters of people she cared about, but now it's spiraled into a full-on sizable collection where she has different versions of wanted posters, original prints, first roll-outs and etc. She trades with Bradnew and other marines and hangs them all up on her wall or keeps them safe in a minted book

Hoku often abuses any and all of her rights as a marine. She's really, really good at being a bad marine.

"Hey, did you hear the news?"

The petty officer looked up from where they'd been tasked to dust and clean the entire meeting room to perfection. Several other cadets and chore boys had been called from the barracks, each ordered to ensure that the following few rooms that would be in use for the meeting would be ready at a moment's notice.

For what meeting? He had no idea.

"No," he said, because he didn't know. There was so much gossip going around base these days he could hardly keep up. "What was it?"

First there'd been the rumor that one of the Four Emperors of the sea was on the move about the Grand Line, cutting and going as he pleased. Any movement from an Emperor was grounds for mass panic. Then there'd been talk that newly appointed Fleet Admiral Akainu had almost burned another ranking marine alive. Less serious and more on the interesting side, word was floating around that the Vice Admiral Smoker was seeing someone, which was juicy gossip in its own right because Vice Admiral Smoker?

"Apparently he's always following her around," someone said.

"He requests transfers and is always grumbling about them, I think he's worried they're going to end up with someone else—"

"Even Captain Tashigi seems to be aware and they're always—"

For today, however, it seemed something different was brewing amongst headquarters. Other officers were making a ruckus while the upper brass seemed particularly miffed—which usually only happened if it involved someone outside their scope of power influence doing something they didn't like—

"One of the Seven Warlords is visiting HQ!"

The petty officer blinked, opening his mouth before closing it and then finally deciding on his next words, "Well, that's big news, but it's not unheard of news man. They're required to come for summons."

The petty officer shrugged. "Especially people like Bartholomew Kuma or First-Son of the Sea Jimbei. They're always on time."

"No, no, you don't understand," the marine looked around as though someone would hear before motioning for the petty officer to come closer. He rolled his eyes, leaning over the table. "It isn't just any of the Warlords... It's Hawk-Eye Mihawk!"

The petty officer dropped his broom, turning to his fellow marine. The other man looked smug now. "Dracule Mihawk is coming to HQ?"

"That's what I'm saying!"

"You should've said so sooner!" the petty officer scooped up his broom, renewing his cleaning with vigor. "He's not just a regular Warlord—that guy never responds to his summons! Never!"

"See what I mean! This is big news! Why now? What do you think convinced him to come?"

"It must be something big," he said, shaking his head as the two of them not-so-discreetly made their way to the wide windows overlooking the base's dock. They'd get a full view of the elusive swordsman this way. "Do you think they're mobilizing for something?"

"I don't know, man. Think they'll let us sit in on the—"

A loud clamor came from the ground level beneath them. The two marines quickly looked at each other and then pressed their faces up against the glass. Their fellow officers below them were rushing around on the docks, forming into greeting lines and looking sick with nervousness. One man seemed to be praying.

It was understandable behavior, to be honest. Dracule Mihawk was known for being an unknown man and more often then not he'd felled one too many marine ships simply because they'd been in his way.

"I see his ship!" the marine beside him said. They pressed harder to the glass, squinting for the full view. "Always gives me the creeps. Who sails around in a coffin?"

He thought about telling his fellow officer that there was quite the number of weirder ships out there, but the sudden silence below them made the two of them pause. They glanced to each other and then back down.

The dock had gone eerily silent. Marines shook at the knees while hardened captains and a single vice admiral waited to greet the Warlord of the Sea.

One figure, however, suddenly came into view along the dock, sticking out like a sore thumb compared to the rest.

Her bright white hair fluttered absently with the wind, tugged this way and that as she paced up and down the dock, looking out across the ocean. She skirted the edge of the pier, however, just shy of the water with her hands stuffed into her jacket pockets.

"Who the hell is that?" the marine beside him said. "And why isn't she falling into line? What's her rank?"

"That's..." the petty officer caught a full view of the woman's face now, freezing at the infamous half-heart curving around her eye. "Cap—Serga—Lieute—" he paused, uncertain of her current ranking now. "Officer Hoku!"

"Hoku?" the marine looked confused, "who the hell is that?"

"Officer Hoku!" the petty officer repeated, looking at the man in shock. "You haven't heard of her? Vice Admiral Tsuru's right hand woman, the officer who blew up over ten marine bases—"

"She blew up our own bases?"

"It's a long story—the woman who apparently violated the nefarious Trafalgar Law—"

"Violated?"

"I heard what she did to him was so disgusting, even the officers near her threw up themselves! The one who fought Fleet Admiral Akainu's authority multiple times, got caught gambling in Crocodile's casino, vandalized a whole part of Marineford—"

"And she's not in Impel Down?" the man said, aghast. "Are you sure she's on our side?"

"Oh, sure. She's been credited with busting the largest human trafficking rings in history! She's also brought in multiple heinous pirates, and on multiple occasions they say she's been able to deescalate several run-ins with huge bounty pirates like the Straw—"

"I guess it makes sense why they're sending her to meet someone like a shichibukai," the marine said thoughtfully. The petty officer paused, a bit offended he didn't get to finish Hoku's infamous and notorious list. "Need a crazy officer to handle a crazy pirate, right?"

A commotion finally broke out below them. The vice admiral waiting to oversee the whole affair was shouting at Hoku now, lecturing her about her lack of respect. The white haired marine simply took a seat on a wooden crate, picking at her ear and absently flicking off toward the vice admiral's feet.

The marine gaped while the petty officer stiffled a laugh with a cough.

"Look, it's him!"

Hoku seemed to have thought the same thing, turning sharply from the vice admiral and jumping to her feet. A single, haunting figure of a man stepped out from the edge of his coffin. His coat flared out dangerously about his heels, wind catching against the fluffed plume atop his head. Cadets started to shake at the knees at the sight of the man—

"Mihawk!"

The cadets around them went completely pale, jaws growing slack as Hoku flew across the dock, taking off with a flying leap and sailing through the air, arms and legs oustretched.

Dracule Mihawk did not move. He remained, still as a statue as the marine promptly wrapped her arms and legs around his head. The vice admiral's jaw dropped to the floor, one hand reaching for his saber uselessly.

Mihawk remained still, allowing Hoku to situate herself as she rubbed her cheek over the top of his hat, laughing with a sound so sweet with joy, it made the petty officer flush. She turned around, keeping herself wrapped completely over his head.

The rest of the marines continued to stare, waiting for Mihawk to throw her into the water or cut her in half.

"I didn't know you were coming to visit!" Hoku said happily, eyes shining with affection. "What's it for? You get called in by the brass or somethin'?"

"It was a whim." Mihawk neither cut her nor tossed her into the ocean. Instead, the man simply began to walk with perfect ease, toting Hoku along as though she were an added weight to his hat. "I will be departing shortly."

"Already! You've got a stay for at least a bit! Actually, aren't you hear for a meeting?"

"I heard of no such thing."

"Oh, cool then! Why don't we grab something to eat?"

"You mean to spar?"

"I-I never said that! Eat! I said eat!"

"Come, then. We shall take up arms—"

"Wait, wait, wait!"

The petty officer quickly began to add another feat to Hoku's growing list. The marine beside him continued to gape.

- - - - - - - - -

"Hmm," Hoku's brows furrowed in thought, fingers moving in a rhythmic, soothing motion. "This isn't a bad idea, right?"

"It's a bit cramped."

"Right, right, sorry about that. Just give it a few more minutes. Those guys out there are runnin' around like chickens without a head."

"Aye."

Hoku's fingers flexed. Her cheeks flushed a bit as she cleared her throat. As subtly as she could, she pressed herself tighter to the figure squeezed into the armory closet beside her. He made no move in protest, simply shuffling a bit to accommodate her and Hoku felt her cheeks flush.

"Do you need more room?" he asked.

"No, no," Hoku cleared her throat. "Sorry. Mind if I get a bit closer."

"That's okay," he said kindly. "I don't mind."

Hoku sneakily reached her arms more around his waist. He turned again in her arms and she felt her heart hammer wildly now, cheeks flushed as she slowly, carefully pressed her cheek against him.

Hoku shut her eyes in bliss. Soft. Like a cloud. And so warm. So, so warm. Ka. I don't mind staying like this for another hour—

"Shambles."

Hoku let out a squawk of surprise, her and her companion ripped clean from the closet and appearing hovering in the air for a moment. A thin film of blue surrounded the two of them, Hoku's arms and legs wrapped shamefully and scandalously around the other as her eyes went wide and then they both crashed onto cobblestone floors.

Hoku groaned, a second flick of someone's fingers leaving her on her ass before a pair of long legs. She rubbed her tailbone, looking up with a disgruntled frown as dark, brooding eyes gazed directly back at her.

"Traffy," Hoku greeted casually. "I didn't know you were here."

Law gave Hoku one long, withering look before he glanced over to the mound of soft white fur collapsed on the floor still, his fluffy cheeks flushed a soft pink.

"Were you taking advantage of Bepo?"

Hoku coughed. She refused to meet Law's eyes, fiddling instead with the top of his boot.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Captain Hoku!" Hoku blinked, looking around the side of Law's legs as a crowd of marines skidded to a halt before them. "Shall we arrest these fiends?"

"Nah," Hoku sighed, standing up as she dusted herself off. Law tipped his head to the side, regarding her coolly. "No need."

"B-But they're pirates!"

"I didn't see anything." Hoku turned on her heel, giving Bepo a wink. The polar bear's cheeks flushed a brighter pink and she grinned, saunteering off. "Let's head back to the ship—"

Tattooed fingers enclosed smoothly around her wrist. Hoku blinked, once, twice, before she glanced down to the larger hand engulfing hers. She followed it up to a calm, unreadable expression, dark, half-lidded eyes slowly meeting her own.

Something devious flickered, like a dark little shadow across Law's face.

Hoku paled.

"On an island surrounded by marines," Law said slowly, his voice low, curling around her ears. "I suppose we ought to take a hostage for safe passage, right?"

Hoku grinned nervously.

-------- ------ -------

"Cap—Officer Hoku! Officer Hoku!"

Hoku sighed, forcing her eyes to remain shut. Sunlight warmed the exposed skin of her belly, whispering temptingly to urge her into a well-needed nap in a rare moment of peace. The island they'd been called to investigate had seemed to resolved itself, no more terrorizing, plundering pirates and simply happy, cheerful townsfolk.

She didn't know what good luck had helped them out, but she wasn't about to complain over a free chance to kick back on the island before HQ called them back. They weren't expected for another week—this was the perfect chance to slack offcget some rest.

Hurried footsteps still rushed her way. Hoku kept her arms behind her head, lounging over one of her drawn hammocks. Usually ignoring them for awhile did the trick—

"Officer Hoku!" the marine finally panted, wheezing as she skidded to a halt beside Hoku. "Cap—Hoku! It's an emergency!"

Hoku kept silent, turning onto her side.

"The—at the docks," the girl panted. Her eyes were round with fear, knees shaking. "Docks!"

Hoku continued to sway peacefully in the sun.

"A ship, docked!" she inhaled a great breath of air.

"It's one of the Four Emperor's of the Sea—Red Haired Shanks!"

Hoku slipped out of her hammock, slamming face first into the wood below her. The marine jumped, hands flying to her mouth as Hoku quickly shot to her feet, nose red from her fall and eyes wide in disbelief.

"Who?"

"Red Haired Shanks!" the marine cried. Hoku's jaw went slack, eyes round. "O-Our men are currently in a perimeter around him! Apparently he's been spending time on this island for the past few days and—"

"They're doing what?" Hoku squawked. "Our orders are to never engage with Emperors unless ordered—oh for—ka!"

The marine opened her mouth to deliver the most pressing part of the news, but Hoku was already running past her, racing faster than she could ever hope to catch up to.

"And he's..." the marine started weakly. "Asking for you..."

Hoku skidded to a halt before massive blockade of blue and white bodies. She scowled, quickly forcing her way through, barking out quick and concise orders as her men whirled around, eyes widening at her appearance, jumping in and shouting left and right about emperor, what do we do? and Captain Hoku, stay back! This man is—

Hoku let out a screech as she tripped into the clearing, finally pushing past the wall of bodies.

A single arm reached out, a hand wrapping gently around her arm to hold her steady.

Hoku froze, her eyes shooting up.

"Dove," Shanks said, voice thick with fondness. "It's been awhile."

Hoku's traitorous heart fluttered at the sight of that slow, cheerful grin. She pointedly coughed, dusting herself off as Shanks' eyes flickered with amusement, stepping back, fingers lingering slightly on her arm so she could straighten herself.

"Pirate," Hoku said casually, the hint of a tease in her tone. Shanks raised a playful brow in turn. "As... what rank am I right now?"she turned to her men behind her.

"Just an officer, ma'am!"

"As commanding officer," Hoku crossed her arms over her chest. Shanks hand fell back to his side, fingers curling slightly. "I'm obligated to ask what one of the Four Emperors of the Sea is doing in this humble town."

"Well," Shanks glanced over his shoulder, back toward the dock where the Red Force was waiting. He could sense the playful jeers of his crew over the lip of the bow. "Miss Marine... It isn't a crime to be stocking up on some supplies and catching a short break now, is it?"

Hoku pretened to think his words over. Shanks' eyes glimmered with mirth.

The marine surrounded them continued to gape, frozen in disbelief.

"It's interesting timing," Hoku said. Shanks hummed for her to continue. "We were originally here on a distress call, but just as we were about to dock, we found out the issue had already been taken care of..."

"What luck," Shanks said with a grin. "I suppose that leaves you with some time to perhaps... relax yourself, aye?"

Hoku's mouth parted to retort and then she paused. Hoku blinked, looking up at Shanks in stunned surprise as she tried to make the little click of what she'd just heard in her head. But when he says it like that... no, wait. There's no way he'd know—huh?

Shanks watched the gears turn, eyes crinkling at the corners. "I know how hard you marines are always working—"

"Hoku!" Shanks eyes flickered to where a man broke the ranks of the gathered crowd, shoulders squared with whatever confidence he'd mustered. Shanks regarded him easily, expression relaxed as he approached Hoku. "We should retreat! We need to leave immediately and report the situation back to HQ!"

Hoku turned back to the marine. "It's alright. It's... a bit of a long story, but you guys know how it goes these days. He's—"

"Not like one of the other pirates!" the marine continued, gaze fearfully flickering to an amused looking Shanks and back. "With the others we understood, but this is an Emperor of the Sea! Cap—Officer Hoku, we should go!"

"I know, I know," Hoku appeased. "But don't—"

A different marine broke the ranks now, reaching out a grabbing Hoku's elbow. The first marine looked shocked while Hoku remained nonchalant, expression cool.

Shanks' gaze slowly flickered to where his fingers pressed indents into her skin.

The marine scowled viciously. "I ain't gettin' fired because of—

Shanks simply glanced over the top of Hoku's head.

Hoku's knees buckled for a moment, trembling under the sheer force until she quickly rightened herself, looking up at the pirate before her in disbelief.

Left and right the marine officers behind her dropped to the floor like flies, foam spilling out of some of their mouths as they crashed onto the ground. The man who'd grabbed Hoku in particular had been the first to collapse, hacking and clawing at his head before he fell face forward, pale and ashen. Hoku watched all of them, jaw going slack until not a single man was left standing, wiped out in a manner of seconds.

Warily, she turned her gaze back to playfully dark eyes, already watching her in turn.

"...even I have to say," Hoku began slowly, "that was a bit much, don't you think?"

"I never said I was a patient man," Shanks said almost sweetly, but his tone was sly and his eyes crinkled at the corners, shameless. "Now, Dove..."

Shanks offered her his arm, lips curling at the corner into something mischievous. His eyes watched her, half-lidded and almost lazy.

They burned, never leaving her face.

Hoku felt her pulse racing beneath her skin, forcing herself to appear relaxed.

"Shall we catch up a bit?" Shanks said, a slight husk to his tone.

"...I could threaten to make quite the arrest you know," Hoku said, only because she needed time to calm down.

Shanks tipped his head to the side, seeming to humor the thought. He hummed then, shutting his eyes as though going a step further and imagining the scenario. He turned his arm toward her, offering his wrist.

"I suppose I could come willingly," he said lightly, his words curling all about her, "If it were a beautiful woman like you... but I'm afraid I've only got one hand to offer..."

Shanks grinned impishly. "You'd have to cuff me to yourself."

Hoku snorted, crossing her arms over her chest. Shanks laughed, a full, cheerful sound. "You sure that's a good idea?"

"Well, I suppose it could be quite a bit to handle."

"More than you can handle?" Hoku grinned.

Shanks' eyes glittered then, like a ripple, and Hoku felt a thin shiver run down her spine, like the playful drag of a fingertip ghosting along her back.

"I don't know," Shanks murmured into her ear, leaning down. "I'd have to find out for myself."

Weakly, Hoku hooked her arm through his, making the decision for him.

Shanks laughed, a bellowing, heartfelt sound. He pulled her along into his side, his cloak flaring out behind them, almost wrapping around Hoku as they made their way down to the port.

"Aw, dove, don't pout. I promise I won't bite."

"You might lose a tooth or two if you try that."

"Dahaha! I thought you'd be sweeter since it's been so long! Is this any kind of reunion?"

"I was never sweet to you."

"Mmm, what does a man have to do to get a woman out of his league to give him a smile half as sweet as the ones she gives to that brooding—"

"Ten million beli," Hoku said on instinct. She paused then, suddenly growing pale as she half turned to Shanks, stepping a step back but unable to get very far with her arm still hooked through his—Shanks let her go a little ways away.

(But not very far.)

"Actually, wait, I take that—"

"Why, dove," Shanks laughed, grinning almost boyishly. "I suppose that could be easily arranged—"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Hoku grumbled, trying to force the embarrassed red crawling up her neck to disappear. Shanks watched the dark flush along the nape of her neck with half-lidded eyes. "I know that amount ain't much these days to an Emperor of the seas—"

"It isn't that," Shanks said lightly, his words curling playfully. Hoku blinked, looking back up at him curiously.

Deep red stood out brightly against the expanse of white. Strands of Shanks' hair tickled against the side of her head as Hoku froze. Shanks leaned down, curling around her, smoothly tucking her against his side—the action forced Hoku to bend a bit, back arching ever so slightly as Shanks' lips brushed against her ear.

Hoku caught a glimpse of dark eyes beneath crimson strands. They curved, playful as always at the corners, but still a shudder threatened to run through her—the light press of Shanks' fingers on the side of her hip—when did he move his hand—

"You're worth much more than that, dove."

Hoku swallowed. She meant to say, "Oh, yeah?" but the sound that came out instead was a soft, slightly shaky, "Mmnh?"

Shanks hummed in affirmation, his eyes absently sliding behind her. "But I suppose it's easy to forget that when you've been surrounded by men who don't quite..." his gaze swept over the passed out, foaming marines at their feet, "Know how to value a woman properly, aye?"

Shanks paused briefly, brows raising slightly in surprise as he glanced down to the slender, scarred fingers now examining Gryphon, slid clean from its sheath. His sword rested with care in Hoku's hands as she inspected the current status of the blade.

Her eyes were half-lidded in faux disinterest, expression cool as she absently met his brightening gaze.

"And a heinous, shameless pirate would know better?"

"Hmm," Shanks grinned, walking the two of them back deeper into port. He remembered there being quite the delicious chef charring food in an open fire pit by the port.

"I suppose we'll have to find out."

-the shanks was too self-indulgent, anytime i think of writing a little bit of this man, he manages to steal another paragraph from me

I have way too many unfinished Hoku sketches on my phone right now but here’s one I made during the Oshi no Ko hype that I actually decided to finish ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ

Memoirs of a Suicidal Pirate by @alkhale