𝐃𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄 | One Piece

- 𝟎.𝟏-𝟒 【яιgнтєσυѕ】

-

-

𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐀 𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 for each other's struggles. Both former marine soldiers had endured the same training, hardships, and injustices by the system they worked rigorously and tirelessly to fit into. They both deemed it impossible. They both abandoned it.

They were both equally liberated in a sense, but while one chooses to shackle themselves with the burdens of their past sins, the other sailed the seas with newfound freedom.

It was clear as day to Drake; resentment directed at the unfair world, guilt for the victims wronged by her own hands, and relief brought by her recognition — all her emotions were openly, and refreshingly, displayed.

Drake had never met Ito Aki when he was still a marine. He could vaguely recall overhearing gossip about a new pirate bastard-child joining the ranks, but that memory was too fuzzy and distant to trust.

So, Drake would continue to say he had never officially met Aki, until this very moment that is — if this could be categorized as a meeting that is. At this very moment, Drake was sharing a bench with the aforementioned marine fugitive. Although they occupied opposite ends of the plank, and roughly a foot of wood separate them, the entire scene was much more civil and friendly than anything Drake had experienced with someone outside of his crew in a while.

Nearly half an hour earlier, Aki joined him on the bench. She had seemingly just left the restaurant taken over by the majority of the "Bad Generation" pirates. Her features were twitching with barely restrained annoyance, and her lips moved to curse the name of a notorious pirate; Eustass Kid.

Then, as if by turning on a switch, the slightest trace of irritation was wiped from her expression and a tight-lipped smile replaced it, one she politely greeted Drake with before plopping down on the empty seat beside him. She released a tired sigh, and Drake was taken at the ridiculous sense of normality the moment had.

Two ex-marines, one now officially a pirate and the other a notorious fugitive with one of the highest debut bounties ever on their head, were sitting on a park bench, the latter of the pair munching on a slice of bread she had apparently snagged on her way out of a pirate-infested restaurant — this situation was anything but normal.

Moreover, Aki had only defeated a few days ago, why did she seem so comfortable in his presence?

Drake had contemplated the question deeply during their short and silent time together, eventually, as he watched her walk away, he decided it was because their circumstances tied them in a way similar to fated souls. Yet, instead of the romanticized view most had on the subject of soulmates, their link was one created by the decisions they made in the pasts — the decisions that had been similar enough to paint nearly identical fates for the both of them.

Thus, Drake realized a little too late, no one could ever understand them the way they could understand each other.

-

𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄

Aki and Drake were in the marines at the same time, though they never crossed paths as they were on different bases. During her time in the marines, Aki faced a lot of discrimination, from both her peers and her superiors. Her salary, for one, was constantly being reduced on account of "misconduct" in the work environment — though, Aki was never quite sure exactly where the "misconduct" was occurring. Thus, before she was able to properly prove herself, Aki lived a financially strained life where she often went hungry for nights on end and was forced to sleep in a cleaning closet —the only available room the ginormous marine base could offer.

-