Princess Tears - A One Piece Fanfiction featuring Akagami no Shankusu

The lass and the drunkard

I wanted to cry, but I couldn't. I should not.

I sat there for days, losing count. I ate the food they served, I bathed, and tried to take care of myself. But the sadness was too much. I slept most of the time, dreaming of my kingdom, and even in my dreams, I was worried of my safety. I saw my father in my dreams multiple times and I tried to speak to him, but when I did, he would disappear into thin air. My chest felt like there was a hole punched through it. It ached, the extreme pain eating me from the inside. I was disgusted with the situation. I was a princess, but that didn't matter now. I was now a worthless prisoner.

Most of the time I stared outside the window watching the seagulls, then falling back to sleep, wanting to die.

I was in a room in the ship where Shanks was supposed to be staying, I guessed, but he was up all week on the deck with the rest of his crew. I figured that about 8 to 10 days had passed, based on the conversations I was overhearing upstairs. They were probably drinking everyday because I could smell the foul scent of liquor being consumed by these heartless men. No one asked how I was, someone would just come down and bring food and water and some clothes. Wherever they were taking me may be on the other side of the world, because I heard that it would take them about 90 to 100 days on the sea while they "delivered" me.

I held myself in a ball, my arms across my legs, trying to fight the temperature. I was on his bed, looking around for anything to keep me sane, but nothing made sense. I was happily celebrating at the Calm Realm just the day before, as we opened an additional dock to let food and clothes in, and then the next day I was abducted with no clear reason.

As I held on to hope, I knew that my realm would report this incident to the World Government, or maybe a Vice Admiral would come after the abduction of a princess. Maybe, they could send me home. Tears threatened to fall as I made these scenes in my head, when Shanks suddenly entered the room, reeking with alcohol.

Scared, I grabbed the nearby cotton blanket and tossed it over my body. He smiled and sat on the floor, across the bed, facing me. His face appeared to be more desirable, and my inner self was cursing at me for developing a tiny crush on this man because of how he looked. That was very shallow.

"What's so special about you?" He asked, still grinning.

Okay, was it really possible to carry a conversation with a notorious pirate captain? "What do you mean, sir?" I tried to be polite.

"You're a princess," he said, as a matter-of-factly. He ran a hand through his hair. "But I don't steal princesses just because. Someone of a higher status asked for you. Someone that I respect. He said that you are his lost daughter."

"I'm sorry?" I said, blinking so hard. "I've been alive 25 years and I only have one father. He was the king of the Calm Realm."

"You're not sure of that," was his rebuttal. "Your kingdom was not a problem, your army is weak, but he specifically asked for me, said he was worried about the journey, that someone else might intercept your delivery. So tell me, what's special about you?"

"You're drunk, go to sleep, sir."

He smiled and edged a little bit towards me. I had to move back until my body was touching the wall. I had never been so close with a man, let alone be in the same room with him. My first and only relationship, that failed, was with an officer of the Marine and that was it. This was very awkward.

"Dahahahaha!" He laughed, throwing his head back. I was surprised he could find a case of kidnapping as amusing. "I'm not."

"The government is coming for you, I know that," I said. I didn't sound threatening though. I sounded pathetic.

He leaned towards me, making me feel very, very uncomfortable. The lump in my throat made it difficult to speak. "Please, back off."

"Why? You don't like this?"

"This? What is this?"

"Have you ever been with a man?"

"Of course!" I looked away as my face felt hot, I must be turning beet red.

"Who?"

"A Vice Admiral. He might be coming for you, too, you know."

Shanks gave a low whistle. "Really?"

"Why?" I was not too sure why I was speaking so casually now with my abductor.

"Well, you're pretty, you're rare, surely the Marines have their eyes on you." He said in between hiccups. He was drunk. "And if ever a Vice Admiral comes after me, that's going to be very exciting. I am bored, anyway."

"Please just take me home," I pleaded, hoping that a drunk captain would hear my wishes.

"No, sorry," Shanks just said. His hand landed on my cheeks and his eyes were locked with mine. I felt warm and fuzzy, and my stomach felt like it had been kicked. I was nervous and unsure how to react around him.

I was also not sure if I was going crazy, but I was ready to close my eyes and just be kissed. Yes, I was a princess, but I didn't say I was a modest type, or your prim and proper, and that scared me. When I was with the Vice Admiral, I was very outgoing and I had freely expressed what I wanted to do with being a woman.

"What are you doing?" I whispered to him. He grinned at me, and I was like a candle melting in his hand.

"Hey Boss," someone said at the door. I knew it was Yasopp. I got his name when he gave me some food earlier that day. He poked his head around the cabin door, and he looked at us surprised, but he remained composed. I wondered, how many times did he walk in on his captain doing things with women? "You gotta see this."

He sighed. "To be continued," he said to me.

He stood up and left. I remained sitting there throughout the night. All these mixed feelings were impossible to deal with.