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Isuka tread water, swimming lazily around the Spadille. This far into their journey, she was no longer assigned a crew to deal with the Spades, her department deciding it was a fruitless pursuit given her failure to arrest them at over a dozen islands.
She definitely used this lack of support as an excuse not to arrest the pirate crew that so infuriated and infatuated her.
“I didn’t have the manpower to take them all in.” Lies. She could have taken all of them excluding their obnoxiously cowboy hat-wearing Captain.
She never said “Oh, I used them as my manpower to apprehend some actually dangerous criminals, thanks for nothing HQ.” But sometimes, she was tempted to scream them down the Transponder Snail.
This allyship didn’t mean she had stopped her pursuit! Not at all. She was still dedicated to apprehending Fire Fist and putting an end to his life of crime.
Just … non-violently. Cooperatively.
She hadn’t daydreamed about him being an equal officer on her ship, pushing her harder, egging her onwards. Still a rival, but a friend. A constant companion—
There was a whoop as Ganryu of the long-armed tribe leapt of the side of the ship from a handstand position. Everyone cheered and was in good spirit.
“I could do that,” she heard Fire Fist said.
“No, you can’t,” his second said.
“Sure, I can!”
“Well you shouldn’t,” Masked Deuce again.
“Oh right. Devil Fruit—”
Isuka covered a laugh, even as she wished Fire Fist would join her in the water.
She always gave herself and them time off after a job well done. If they helped a town or prevented a greater evil (or just wanted to sight-see and didn’t want to cause any trouble), she’d put a pause to their chase. Temporary truce.
It was nice.
They had even started to include her in their celebratory banquets before they left their islands. But she tried not to take too much advantage of their hospitality. Most of the crew gave her dubious glances and a wide berth, especially if she was on their home ground of the Spadille. Isuka understood. She had pursued them relentlessly, engaged in conflict after conflict.
But the Captain always insisted when the mood was right between them. The whims of a fickle, maddening young man she couldn’t pin down.
Not that she thought about pinning him down! At least not often … okay it was beginning to become a bit of an intrusive problem. She had realized she’d liked the power and position of planting on his lap and now couldn’t let that knowledge go. She was hoping he hadn’t noticed. That his crew was not making fun of her in private.
That would hurt. Despite their distance, she had come to think of them as a second crew.
And the Captain a partner she could rely on and trust in every sense of the word.
Isuka dunked her head under the water. Clearly, she needed to wash out her head from such foolish, idealistic hopes.
There were harmless jellyfish gliding through the water around her. They didn’t have stingers and just existed, painless to humans. Isuka watched them drift by, little plastic bag pancakes, admiring their ‘head empty’ nature. They were never hung up on stupid daydreams about a nemesis’s stupid freckles that she only even noticed because he was so stupidly good.
Another splash caught her attention, a gentle sound that barely broke the water. Her gaze darted to the sound. Her heart raise immediately rose, prepared to swim over, at the thought it could have been a village child silently drowning while no one was paying attention. Thankfully, it was the giant lynx, Kotatsu, just pawing at the water. Dinner plate-sized mitts swiped at tiny fish darting along the surface, lured and nibbling at a bag of chips spilled overboard during a limbo mishap.
Isuka smiled at the pirate pussycat. Kotatsu was terrifying, but he could be a sweet thing. His meow was a gentle squeak and he was utterly devoted to his captain, down to wearing a replica pair of Ace’s jeans. It was cute. Sentimental. Isuka had teased the Captain when she’d noticed they were a matching set. The young man had gotten so flustered, mumbling that Kotatsu felt indebted to him and was Ace’s biggest fan.
Isuka knew she was in danger then. The pair were too adorable to hate. Hardly pirates.
“Well, I’m a big fan of Kotatsu,” she had told him with a smile. The cat had chirruped, perked up and sauntered passed with a luxuriating stride after that, and Isuka had found herself lost to helpless laughter.
Still. She had never experienced the big cat one-on-one like this before and found herself intimidated. Grateful she was in the water. She wouldn’t try to pat him without Ace’s supervision and permission. But she did gaze at the cat fondly as it splashed a paw angrily into the water, frustrated at not being able to upend any fish for a snack.
She couldn’t help but stare, in awe of his goofiness and his strength. A bit of the water splashed back and hit Kotatsu in the face. His disgusted scowl and displeased chirrup had Isuka laughing, a little melodic note in the otherwise silent flow of ocean around the ship.
Kotatsu jolted at the sound, eyes saucer wide and embarrassed at being caught in such a frustrated huff. Not wanting to offend the sensitive lynx, Isuka panicked and decided, to show solidarity, to splash herself in the face.
Kotatsu tilted his head, blinking slowly.
She felt stupid. Isuka awkwardly waved. The lynx daintily raised a paw in turn, shaking it in her direction.
“I hope you’re having a pleasant evening, Kotatsu,” Isuka smiled politely. “You’re a good kitty and deserving of all the fish.”
Kotatsu’s chest swelled up with pride and he lifted his head majestically, nose raised snootily with pride as if to say “and don’t I know it!”
The lynx looked towards the excited laughs of the his crew, their party obviously full of warmth and mirth, before glancing back at Isuka swimming on her own, looking cold and damp in her military-issued swimsuit. His gaze was questioning and pitying.
“Oh I’m just taking a swim,” she chuckled. “I figured the crew deserved an evening on their own. Some space to celebrate without some killjoy marine getting in their business. It was a tough island, and they did so well to help the villagers—this way I can be a lookout on the ground if those crooks come back! I can guard from a distance and they don’t have to worry about a thing.”
Kotatsu just stared at her, not believing any of her words. He chirruped in argument, a similar tone to how Ace sometimes spoke to her. Casual and friendly and wanting. Like he wanted her to feel like part of the crew—
“I know, I know Ace asked me to come have a drink and to party with them but … I’d love to be with them, truly. I don’t want to be rude. But they deserve a night off. I really should keep my distance, too. They’re not bad people, but they’re pirates and I’m still a marine … we’re not supposed to wine and dine together. Or share dinner and drinks.
Kotatsu spat. Isuka thought maybe he was hacking a furball, but when nothing further happened she realized what he was trying to say and got flustered.
“Or spit! No sharing spit either, Kotatsu. Your Captain would laugh at the thought—”
Kotatsu’s ears flattened before he shook his head, making kissy faces and noises in her direction.
“Kotatsu, no!”
The cat looked smug, its breaths snickering as he once again looked between her and the ship. His smile was toothy and devious as he slunk into the water, dropping of the pier fluidly into a smooth swim.
Isuka’s eyes bulged. Of course Kotatsu could swim—but she had not expected the fussy cat to willingly get in the water.
She started gliding backwards in the water as the lynx made a Bee-line towards her. “Kotatsu, what are you doing?”
The big cat pirate swam confidently, gliding like a log across the surface of the water. A furry, toothy log. As he got closer, Isuka could make out the dog paddling of his paws under the water, and the cat smile smirk.
Isuka tried to put more distance between them, splashing away. “Kotatsu—”
The lynx wasn’t aggressive or trying to hurt her as it mouthed at her arm, tugging her towards the ship while being careful not to graze her with his fangs. Isuka stilled, aware that the situation could escalate if she were to rip her arm out of his mouth. Instead, she drew her other hand up to run a finger along his nose bridge in an affectionate rub, assuming the cat just wanted cuddles and companionship. Kotatsu closed his eyes and purred, and Isuka slipped her arm out.
Kotatsu grumbled and yowled in a sulky manner once he realized she had slipped free. Isuka poked her tongue out and poked him in the nose, swimming away. Kotatsu growled and splashed after her.
It was nice to have company, Isuka thought, even if it was with an oversized potentially man-eating ship’s cat. Kotatsu disappeared underwater and Isuka gasped, looking around, before being tugged by the big cat via the leg. She gasped and flopped in the water before being released.
“Kotatsu, you mean moggy,” she laughed, as the lynx resurfaced, his fur completely plastered to his face and saturated, but way too smug for comfort.
“ … You’re ridiculous, you know that,” she said, giving him a scratch behind the ear.
She knew in her heart that she was the ridiculous one, having to leave the Spadille to go cool off after the captain had leant over her in a friendly manner, arm over her shoulder. They were all a bit tipsy, and he had overextended his motions in his storytelling, resulting in Isuka faceplanting in-between his pecs as she’d tried to right them both. Ace—Fire Fist—had clumsily pulled back from her, looking down at her with a dopey, contented grin as if delighted to have found Isuka there, and Isuka had felt too flustered to continue. She thought she could see the crew watching her with disgust—this might have been projection on her part, but she also knew they had to keep their Captain safe—and knowing grins and she just had to leave. Made a note about patrolling and making sure no other Marines or harmful force would come there way.
The crew had kind of murmured and mumbled in response, but their Captain had gotten lost supporting the latest drinking competition to notice her slip away.
Isuka wondered if this was for the best.
But Kotatsu clearly disagreed. He huffed and leapt at her again in the water. Still not enough to harm her or pierce flesh, but he very clearly wanted her attention. Isuka raised a brow and the cat just indicated towards the ship as a fresh peal of laughter rose up.
“Ah. They’re having a fun enough time without me, ‘tatsu. You go back and have fun with your crew, you hear? You did amazing taking down that thief earlier.”
Kotatsu chuffed proudly but didn’t stop in his pursuit. Isuka grimaced and swam around the big cat, who was clearly trying to herd her back to the pier. “Kotatsu, it’s okay—”
He leapt out of the water and landed on her with a splat. It was an accident, and it didn’t hurt her, but it left her feeling winded and underwater, and the gasp she let out did let in a little water. She looked up, making eye contact with the cat who stared back at her sinking face in apology. He hadn’t meant to do that—
“What you got there, Kotatsu?” Isuka heard Fire Fist call from the Spadille, head hanging over the side to try and look at the commotion.
“What’s going on, Cap?” someone asked further back.
“Kotatsu’s in the water. Maybe he’s pinned another villain—oh my god is that Isuka!?”
“What’s this about Isuka, Master Ace?”
“She must have fallen overboard,” Ace took off his hat and shirt, getting ready to dive in. “Kotatsu must have spotted her in the water—”
“Captain, your Devil Fruit—”
But the crew’s warnings were too late as Ace jumped into the sea, instincts telling him to help Kotatsu with saving Isuka. He hadn’t seen her around for a bit and was missing her, looking for her, but she must have fallen overboard—
Ace only remembered he had a Devil Fruit when he crashed through the surface.
“Fire Fist!” Isuka screamed as she resurfaced, sharing a look with Kotatsu. Without having to speak, they both swam in unison over to the ripples Ace had left. Isuka dove under, holding her breath. Ace sunk like a stone. He moved away from her at a slow but steady pace, the ocean tugging him down. The Devil Fruit’s curse. It wanted his life. Isuka refused to let it have him.
She swam quickly to him, wrapping an arm around his waist to push him up. She swam to Kotatsu, who hovered on the surface. She draped his Captain over him, Kotatsu’s size and strength allowing him to stay afloat with his Captain’s weight while she was struggling. Together, they swam him back to the pier.
“Foolish, foolish man,” Isuka muttered, nervously patting the fur around the nape of Kotatsu’s neck, before moving to brush Ace’s soaking hair out from his eyes. “I wasn’t in any danger.”
She was touched, but also terrified. He was the sort of man who would do that for anyone of his crew. It was in his nature. Instinct, to put someone else’s life above his own. He was too good, as a pirate or as a Marine, and Isuka’s hands were shaking at the thought she could have lost him just like that. Isuka was relieved to see all of the Spades were looking in after him, and three had gotten ready to jump in after him, divesting of clothes. Kotatsu and Isuka had just been quicker in their reaction times and already in the water.
“We figured Kotatsu would get him,” Sabre yelled down and Isuka nodded.
“He’s a good cat! Got his back.”
“He wasn’t drowning you, right?” There was a hint of concern.
“No, we were just playing around. Didn’t mean for this to happen,” Isuka bit her lip hard, looking at the weakened, pale face of Ace which still refused to open his eyes.
Isuka took deep breaths, allowing herself to calm down. He wouldn’t have just jumped in on instinct. Their very first meeting, he had known to through her a water buoy to prevent her from drowning. Granted, they’d well and truly been enemies at the time and something had shifted since then. Still, it must have been the alcohol impairing his thinking process. This helped keep her steady as she and Kotatsu climbed back up onto the pier.
Her body felt heavy and cold, suddenly no longer supported by water while being weighed down by it in her hair and bathing suit, and poor Kotatsu’s eyes widened in his scramble up as if suddenly reminded that the air was cool. His fur was drenched. Isuka helped keep Ace steady on his back as the big cat flopped onto the pier.
“Good kitty,” she said, patting his head as he rested his head on the concrete. The lynx panted and then closed his eyes into her touch before Isuka went to roll his Captain off his back.
He looked like color had mostly returned to his face, but Isuka couldn’t risk the thought of water getting into his lungs. She began chest compressions in a steady, well-trained manner. She was about to put her mouth over Ace’s when Kotatsu stood up and butted her out of the way with a grumpy huff as if to say “I’ll take it from here.”
Isuka tilted her head, wondering how on earth a lynx with such a large and differently shaped jaw would be able to do mouth to mouth resuscitation without causing any harm.
The cat snuffled at Fire Fist’s face, snorted in amusement, and then licked the pirate with his rough barbed tongue from chin to forehead.
“Urgh, Kotatsu, phttt! Gross!” Ace rolled onto his side. Spluttering water, or just trying to get the taste of raw meat-eating lynx out of his mouth. “Furballs. Pft. Yuck.”
Isuka breathed deeply in relief, clutching her chest. Thank goodness.
“Not quite the mouth-to-mouth you were hoping for, huh Captain?” Sabre yelled down, accompanied by much snickering from the crew.
Ace flipped them off. “I would have never—screw you guys!”
They just laughed harder and Ace pouted and glowered. “Give me a break. I almost drowned.”
Isuka crawled to his side and held his hand. Ace immediately stilled and stopped his moody tirade. “I really appreciate that you wanted to save me.”
Ace watched her gloved finger trail along his knuckles as if hypnotized into calm. “And you saved me right back.”
“Of course,” Isuka smiled kindly. “It’s just instinct.”
Ace swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded.
Isuka patted Kotatsu with her other hand. “Next time, I hope your instincts don’t get endanger you like that … this lovable lunkhead lynx and I were just playing around in the water. He got a bit rough but I was never in danger.”
“I’m glad,” Ace said, throat pinched. “When did … when did you end up in the water?”
“I’ve been swimming for about twenty minutes. I just needed some space to think.”
“What were you thinking about?” Ace trailed his hand along hers, brushing the scar-lines emerging up from her glove.
Isuka shivered under his touch. “You. You and your crew.”
“Why think about them when you could have just been with us?” he quirked a smile and a brow.
Isuka shrugged. Looking at his smile, the warm line of his lips, it was hard to think straight and remember any doubts. “It seems silly now. But on the plus side, at least I got some bonding with Kotatsu. He’s a good kitty.”
Kotatsu was purring as she gave him chin scratches, nuzzling into her touch. Ace looked up at him. “You stealing my girl, Kotatsu?”
“Your girl?”
Ace bristled and laughed awkwardly. “Not mine. Just sounded funnier that way.”
Someone threw his hat down from the Spadille and it landed expertly on his face. “Thank you. Cover my shame.”
Isuka plucked it from his face. Ace missed her hand under his. He could clearly see her smile as she organized his hat onto Kotatsu’s head, careful not to flatten his ears as he diligently sat there.
“Mr steal your hat,” Isuka said with a grin as Kotatsu chuffed and regally made an approximation of a finger gun with one paw. Isuka laughed. “Most handsome cowboy I know, Kotatsu. My favorite cowboy.”
Ace scowled as laughter rang from the Spadille and Kotatsu loudly rumbled with purrs.
He glared at his new rival as the lynx looked at him smugly. Ace decided this was war for Isuka’s affection.