Chapter 12

Nana touched the cold stone before her. Her tears long gone as she gazed upon the grave of her precious boy. "What do I do now?" She whispered.

Shanks stayed behind her. "Luffy is still out there somewhere breathing. What do you want to do?"

Nana dropped her hand and ran her fingers over her plastered arm. "I don't want to go back there." Referring to the winter island. "Luffy will be fine without me. He has a good crew with him and I won't get in the way of his adventure."

"What will happen to you when Luffy dies?" He ignored the growl that left her lips as he continued, "Whether he dies in battle or natural age, Luffy will pass on. What about you? Will you continue wandering around till a thousand years pass and you finally die? Everybody that you know will be nothing but dust and legends."

Nana turned to face Shanks. The wind blew at through their funeral clothes. "I guess we'll just have to find out." She replied and walked past Shanks and towards his ship. She heard him sigh before following her. Nana paused and pulled out her staff. "For now, I'll stop spilling blood." She tossed the staff behind her and let it clank on Whitebeard's grave. Setting back off towards the ship. "There's no point in holding in all this anger. It'll just end up destroying the world but don't think I'll drop my thoughts about Akainu. If we cross paths again I won't hesitate to make the world burn."

Shanks punched her on the shoulder lightly. "Don't talk about destruction so easily."

"Least I don't cause it so easily." Nana bit back and punched his shoulder in return. "Where do we go from here?"

"Wherever we choose to." Shanks grinned, "Hopefully I don't get caught too soon. I've missed hanging out with you."

Nana frowned at his words. "What are you talking about? Are you expecting a fight?" The redhead sat at the bow of the ship. Nana looked at the clothing Shanks brought her and felt odd at wearing a short black dress. It had been awhile since she wore something other than her heavy brown or traditional clothes.

Shanks shook his head and leaned against the rails as they started to sail away. He looked over the sparkling sea with a grin "Just an angry friend."

Nana looked over Shanks and said, "I'm going to take a nap. Hopefully, in the morning my arm is healed." She waved around her plastered arm as she walked off.

"Oi, it's only been seven days. Don't do anything stupid!" Shanks shouted his fellow redhead.

Nana found her way to Shanks room and crawled under the covers. Shanks had given her his room seeing as he had no females on board and didn't want one of his men accidentally walking into her room drunk. They would all stay clear of Shanks cabin. Nana sunk into the soft mattress and felt the heaviness drag her back to sleep.

Shanks sighed once Nana left his sight. "A drink would hit the right spot right now."

Benn handed his captain a mug filled with beer. "Here. Looks like you need it." Lighting up his cigarette and took a puff before asking, "How'd you stop her?"

Shanks gasped after finished the mug easily. "Conqueror's haki." He muttered as Benn poured him another drink. Toasting to one another before he spoke up again, "I wasn't sure if I'd work but it was worth the risk. Nana never mentioned how Garp could stop her rampages and it was a wild guess to tame her demon just as one would use conqueror's haki to tame a wild beast. Overpowering her spirit with my own."

"Impressive," Benn mumbled as he joined in on the drinking. "Are you waiting for that man to arrive?"

"I'm sure he'll find us sooner or later. Let us enjoy her company while we have it." Shanks shrugged.

Benn narrowed his eyes at his captain. "Then why are we sailing near his territory at full speed." Biting into his cigarette as Shanks looked away guiltily. "What are you planning?"

Shanks waved his hand in dismissal. "Maah Nana needs someone more stable than what I can offer her." He took a sip of his beer as his eyes stayed on the horizon."

"Liar." Benn saw through his words. "You want to play matchmaker again." The blush on Shanks' ears made Benn smirk victoriously. "Well..." he stood up, "When he arrives It'll be your problem. No one is going to help you deal with him."

"B-benn!" Shanks called out to his first mate as he walked away. "That's harsh!"

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Shanks continued to watch over the horizon, even when the sun had set hours ago. He frowned and wondered if the man would even turn up for her. Shanks knew that look in his old friend's eyes and it was about time he found himself a companion. The man had be alone for too many years that Shanks was starting to worry about him. "He should've turned up by now. Maybe in the morning." Shanks sighed and turned, planning on heading to bed. He grinned at the thought and wondered if he could sneak into bed with Nana and bury himself in her soft tails. Shanks giggled at the thought and stepped away from the deck when he felt it. That familiar overbearing presence and turned back around to the sea. His eyes widened at seeing the boat, alight by candles approaching through the waves. "You did come." Shanks was about to call out to the visitor when he pulled back at the harsh eyes at glared at him. "I think he's going to kill me for real this time."

"Akagami." Mihawk stood from his boat and leapt up onto Shanks ship. Standing before the man as he landed on the railing. His eyes narrowed on the nervous looking man. "Where is she?" He demanded coolly.

Shanks swallowed thickly before become serious. "Listen to me first, Mihawk. She just lost her son-"

"I know. I was there." Mihawk butted in and folded his arms. "Where is she?"

"Listen to me first!" Shanks scolded and pulled the man fully onboard before he felt the urge to kick him off his ship and into the water. "I've been waiting for you to turn up for the past week to come for her. Where the hell have you been?"

Mihawk saw the worry in Shanks' eyes and replied, "I'm taking care of her pet. I had to check up on him and make sure he was still alive and let him know what happened. Where is she, Akagami? I know she's on this ship." Mihawk walked passed Shanks and headed towards where he felt her presence.

"What are your plans with her?" Shanks called out, pausing Mihawk in his steps. "If you hurt her I'll hunt you down and burn your world."

"Relax Akagami." Mihawk replied, "I'm going to court her." Mihawk almost regretted saying the words out loud as he heard the stifled giggles from Shanks and his main crew members that were hiding in the shadows.

"She's sleeping in my room." Shanks said, "Away from my men."

Mihawk pushed his way into the barracks and towards Shanks cabin. Mihawk paused and took a deep breath before slipping into the dark room and closed the door quietly behind him. He could see the lump on Nana under the covers and calmly walked over to the bed. Mihawk stepped over the tossed dress on the floor. He looked down at the sleeping woman, seeing her cuddling into the pillow and the deep frown on her brows. Mihawk removed Yoru and placed his blade next to the bed before sitting down. He reached out to Nana and pressed his finger to her forehead. Removing the crease from her face. "I'm sorry." He whispered. Mihawk withdrew his hand as she rolled over to her stomach. His eyes widened at the large scar at stretched over her back and ignored that she was truly naked in bed. He traced the clean scar with his hand as his other clenched. He saw her wrapped arm and wondered what had happened to her. She should've healed herself. "What happened, Nana?" He pushed the woman back down onto the bed when she tried to roll over. Knowing he had woken her when he touched her back.

"I sustained too many wounds. The most serious ones are taking longer to heal." Nana whispered and turned her head to face him. She saw the anger in his eyes and reached out to touch his clenched hand. "You kept your word. Thank you. It must've been hard to keep to your honour as a shichibukai and a friend."

"I left you with a scar." Mihawk addressed. "Though I guess the one on your heart hurts more than this one." He ran his fingers down the thick scar. Feeling her shiver under her touch. Mihawk rustled through his cloak and pulled out a bouquet of orange flowers and placed it next to Nana's head. "My condolences for your lost. No parent should have to witness the death of their child."

Nana pulled the flowers close to her frame and closed her eyes as the tears spilled. Inhaling the flowers deeply. "Thank you. These are tulips, right?"

"They are," Mihawk replied and brushed her hair out of her face. "Pumpkin is waiting for your return."

Nana glanced up to Mihawk, still on her stomach. "That's the first time I've heard you use his name."

"Yes." He nodded. "He's waiting for you at home."

Nana frowned at the word. "Home? I no longer have a home, Mihawk." Nana sat up and pushed Mihawk's hand away when he tried to push her back down. Nana's tails appeared from under the blanket and covered her body with them. Her ears facing Mihawk.

"When did those appeared?" Mihawk asked as he ran his hands over the nearest tail.

"When I realised it was you," Nana mumbled and looked away in embarrassment.

"Nana," Mihawk called out to the woman. "Will you come home with me?" He asked her seriously. "My home will be your home if you allow it to be."

"Mihawk-" Nana spoke quietly, "Why? Why do you keep coming back? You saw what I am at the war!" Nana's voice grew louder as her body shook. "Why would anyone want anything to do with a demon?!"

Mihawk grabbed Nana's shoulders tightly. Pulling her close till their chests were touching and leaned his forehead onto hers. Effectively silencing her. "Come home with me and find the answer yourself, Nana." He whispered and wrapped his arms around her waist. Touching her skin lightly before hugging her tightly to his body.

Nana shivered under his gaze and wrapped her tails around her exposed bottom. Her naked breasts were pressed firmly against Mihawk's exposed chest as her other tails wrapped around his frame, holding him gently. Nana felt annoyed by her tails betrayal and gasped when Mihawk ran his hand over her back. Gripping onto the scarf that was around his neck and felt the familiar material under her fingers. Her gift to Mihawk. Nana looked up to Mihawk and saw the genuine gleam in his eyes. "The Marines will revoke your status once they find out I'm with you."

"I'm willing to take that punishment." He murmured, intertwining their breaths.

"I'm not great company and I've got this temper-"

"I know." Mihawk interrupted, "Let's go home, Little Red."

Nana felt her face heat up and nodded, "Hai, shichibukai-sama."

They both froze when they heard squealing coming from the door.

Mihawk quickly covered Nana with his body as he turned around and glared at the onlooking Shanks and his main crew. "Akagami! Get out!" Mihawk raised his voice at the crew. Scaring off the crew and sighed. Mihawk turned around and froze when he saw the full body of the naked fox lady before him. Her red hair had fallen over her shoulders and covered her nipples as her tails wrapped around her lap, hiding her womanhood. "Nana." Mihawk groaned out, "Please cover up." She definitely was the definition of a kink.

Nana looked down at her exposed body and back up to the frozen man. "You saw me naked plenty of times."

"Not like this!" Mihawk scolded her. She was usually hidden in the water and when she ripped her clothes off during the war she looked like a fierce warrior and the placement of her arms and legs from his angle covered everything up. Mihawk threw his cloak at her and sat back down on the bed. "Honestly, you're so troublesome."

Nana wrapped the cloak around her and snickered. "Come here." She said and grabbed him with her tails. Stripping him off his footwear and hat before tucked them both into the bed. "Thank you for coming for me."

Mihawk moved the tails around so he wasn't lying on them. "Always." He saw her grin and sparkle in her dull eyes. "Good night, Little Red."

"Good night, shichibukai-sama."