With different eyes

A booze-up and its consequences

I wake up in a comfortable bed. Halfway through dreamland, I look around. "Ace?" I ask, half asleep. "Hm" comes his no less sleepy answer. "Where are we?" I ask. "Red Force" mumbles Ace. Oh, I still think tired. For a moment I'm at Shanks???? All of a sudden I am wide awake. I jump out of bed and storm out of the cabin. "What?" Ace asks irritated. I have to see Shanks, I just think. "Another providence from your world" Ace asks tense. "No why", I ask. ''THEN WHY DO YOU WANT TO SEE SHANKS SO BADLY?" yells Ace, too. It's Shanks, I think simply. Ace snorts. My stomach is growling again. "Do you know where the galley is", I ask Ace. "No, I should wait for somebody to pick me up." he says calmly. "Why didn't you tell me that one was coming?" I ask angrily. "You stormed out of the cabin," yells Ace. "Not true", I say with a grin. "You're standing in the hallway", Ace realizes. My opinion is already established, don't confuse me with facts, I think, I grin. "Please what?" says Ace irritated. I have to grin, I always wanted to say this stupid sentence even if I only thought it in this case. Behind me I hear someone clearing his throat. I turn around scared and I see: Ben Beckman. Hopefully he hasn't noticed anything, I think. Ace snorts, "I guess not everyone thinks I'm obsessed." I'm not a demon, I think outraged and feel a pain from Ace's direction, I immediately feel sorry for the sentence. But I know it's not the time to bring this up, especially since Ben is still behind me.

He looks at me strangely, quite understandable because I'm standing here staring emptyly into the air while talking to Ace. I am just about to greet him, when my stomach growls and I feel "hungry" slipping out. Ace laughs again because of the remark. Ben laughs and waves so that I follow him. I run after him faithfully like a dog, hoping for something to eat. After a while we arrive in the galley and I get something to eat first. I start to eat in a civilized way and unlike Ace I don't play cereal diving. Thank god I probably would have drowned in the milk. Ben keeps staring at me and I look around in the galley. I wonder if Shanks is around here somewhere? No, unfortunately not there I wanted to ask him so many questions. "Listen, I think it's better if we don't tell him anything, after all this is a rival of father and an emperor" says Ace seriously. "Is this about some strange pirate pride?" I asked irritated. As if Shanks would do anything when he finds out. "No" says the firefist. I roll my eyes and just think as you like.

"Where's Shanks?" I ask Ben. No matter what Ace says I don't pass up the opportunity to meet Shanks, albeit as Ace. "Has a hangover and is sitting on the deck" Ben says quietly. Why am I not surprised, I ask myself and Ace gives the answer, "Because that's actually always the case". Ben takes me to the deck and there all I hear is "WE HAVE TO PARTY." And already I see the commotion on the deck and also the reason for it: Luffy's new wanted poster. Ace laughs happily. Ben carries me to the man who called the party and he turns to me at that moment.
I stand across from Shanks and just can't believe it; I mean THE Shanks. Yes I admit it light hero worship with a strong crush. But he is also good looking: The red hair, the muscles and his character is just adorable too. Ok Lucia, I think you are a grown woman not a 15 year old teenager in front of her idol. Ace in my head is making smooching noises and laughing suppressed. Just watch out remember the mermaid cafe, I think spitefully. And silence! But how should I behave towards him. Ace doesn't want us to say anything yet, what a bummer. I mean Shanks, who knows One Piece didn't even want to party with him and ask him out. I hang my head. "What's with the sad look, we need to celebrate Luffy!!!" yells Shanks in my ear and wraps his arm around my shoulder. "GET THE SAKE" Shanks yells too and everyone from the team cheers well except Ben, he looks kind of distraught. I look at Ben and he gives me a sharp look. Has he noticed anything? No way, as far as I know they don't know Ace very well. "True", says Ace, "but Shanks is right, we have to celebrate Luffy", says Ace suddenly enthusiastically. I sigh and try to explain to him again that this is not a good idea: In vain, he is just as enthusiastic about Luffy's new wanted poster as Shanks is. My resolution for the evening: drink as little as possible.