Cursed (2)

"If you want to leave, you can take one of the log poses. We have a few in spare," Brody sat on the edge of Pinky's shell as the full moon attracted his attention just enough to forget about the crazy eyes popping out of nowhere but not that much mesmerizing for him to not notice the obvious movement behind him.

"Y- You aren't angry?" Honey inquired from behind as Brody tore his gaze away from the moon and looked back with a grin, "Nah, remember? I did agree to it after saying you're not really loyal. It sucks but if you want to leave, why the hell would I try to restrict your choice?"

Honey pursed her lips and spoke up, "It's only because... I'm just afraid—"

"Oh, I also don't give a shit," Brody straightened his back and turned his attention forward, "I would have if you stayed but I won't because it'll be a waste. That's all there is to it."

Taking a deep breath, Honey mustered, "Even after eating a Logia Devil Fruit... even if most around me can only hope to hurt me, I get cold feet every time! I want to run... again. I want to find an even stronger captain... again. But isn't there any way to keep me loyal?!"

Adopting a somewhat weird and cringed expression, Brody stood up and looked back, "The hell?" He observed her conflicted gaze fully and added, "How am I supposed to keep you loyal if you think of running away at the first sight of something remotely strong? I say it's better that you're running just after a day or two rather than months later."

"All my previous captains would have hunted me if I even declared the idea of leaving the crew..." Honey sighed as Brody shrugged, "I'm not your previous captains. I'm THE captain. Again, you're hot and your abilities are even hotter and all but I can do without strength. So? Be quick to decide. I was enjoying myself quite a bit before you interrupted me."

Honey couldn't help but look weird.

"How can you do without strength? Bear King would have hurt your comrades back then."

"But he couldn't, right?" Brody shrugged.

"That doesn't change anything!" Honey frowned, "I'm strong but even I'm thinking of leaving because it's clearly not enough."

Brody stroked his chin and hummed, "Well... you know how every dick, cock, and cunt is out looking for One Piece?"

She wasn't aware of the particular saying but she could understand the general meaning and nodded.

"Well, I don't care about One Piece. I only care about strength. My own. But... I know the sacrifices for it. So, I can do without strength in others. Maybe I'd get hurt... through them. But I told Mikita as I would tell you."

His expression shifted for a moment and his gaze seemed to pass through her. Frowning, Honey looked back and found a pair of blue eyes on a nearby tree.

Gazing at the pair of eyes, Brody remarked softly, uncaring if this curse or human could hear him or not, "I want to be the strongest man alive. Not strong with my fists alone but my heart, too. Hiding... being afraid... even losing is a part of it."

"It's easy to say that..." Honey muttered under her breath as Brody began to chuckle jovially, "Idiot, it's nowhere near easy... my opponent is a monster who clipped my wings. They left no scar... but they never grew back either... and now, I really want to sleep. And I will. By the way, if you want to be loyal to your next Captain, try not to hump him the first night."

Scoffing a chuckle, Honey questioned, "You're the only one that it didn't work on."

"Again, not your usual captain," Brody shrugged and lay down on the ground, "Damn... it's a cold night."

He was quick to sleep as his snore filled the surroundings. Honey quickly looked back and found the pair of eyes disappeared once again, causing a chill to spread through her spine and not because of the cold.

Biting her lower lip, Honey looked back at the sleeping Brody and then gritted her teeth. She took off her black and white fur coat with circular pink spots. As she did, a log pose fell down from the shallow inner pocket of her coat but not sparing it a glance, she set her coat over Brody even if it barely reached his knees when it covered her entire body!

Silently, Honey picked the Log Pose and turned into her syrup form alongside her clothes, and slipped back into the direction of the hut with quite a complicated expression.

---

"You stayed!" Unlike his carefree attitude, Brody revealed an almost childish grin as he jumped Honey and hugged her out of nowhere, causing Honey and others to go into a daze before Brody returned the woman her coat and laughed it off when others asked about what was going on, much to Honey's surprise and appreciation.

After training once again, Brody returned to his room and plopped down with an exhausted groan.

Honey stayed.

Bro was surely over the nine moons despite what he said last night. But then again, he was honest then and he was also honest now. He didn't know the feeling of losing a crew member but he imagined it would suck quite a bit.

"You must be relieved."

A gentle and mature voice suddenly cause Brody to sit up quickly as he found a pair of lips sticking out from the wall.

Walking towards it, Brody couldn't help but poke the lips and as he did so, they disappeared but didn't reappear this time, much to his chagrin.

---

"Hey... Nami, how long till we reach the next Island?"

Four days had already passed in a blink of an eye since Devil Back Pirates left Cactus Island.

Shaking her head in response, Nami shrugged, "How can I even know that? But it's good that you look well-rested. Is your ghost not disturbing you anymore?"

He pursed his lips into a sour expression and scoffed while still laying on her lap and looking up. His legs splayed over three more chairs while Nami continued to read another book about strange islands.

"No... my hands had mouths this time around... scared the shit out of me..."

Giggling at her captain's plight since it had become common knowledge that the 'Ghost' only ever went after him and rarely 'pranked' other members of the crew, Nami looked down and grinned, "It's Karma, Captain. For what you did to us."

"About that," Unabashed, Brody offered, "Wanna do it again? I'm feeling a little pent up..."

Glaring at the youth on her lap, Nami knocked his forehead with the spine of her book and elicited a pained grunt and then a whine as Brody complained, "Hey, I thought you liked it!"

"You're obviously wrong!" She hissed.

Looking at the duo as others trained, Igaram couldn't help but look at Vivi, "Vivi-sama, maybe luck really favored us. These pirates... at least, their Captain keeps them honest."

"Indeed, Igaram," Vivi smiled and shook her head with worry once again becoming apparent in her gaze, "Even if Pinky's speed outshines the ship we traveled in to infiltrate Baroque Works... it took us two months with a direct route. What if we're too late?"

Igaram grew silent while Brody continued to laugh as he snatched the book from Nami's hand and spoke up, "Oh, come on! You know, my reputation as a Captain is at stake here! You and Tashigi are the only ones who didn't tell me how it was but... I guess given how the two of you attacked me together, it makes sense that you two will be the ones to keep a united front."

Nami gave Brody a cold stare and she threatened, "If you keep this up, I'll leave the crew!"

"No, you won't..." Brody blinked and remarked with an absolutely confident tone.

Groaning, Nami questioned, "Don't you have anything else to do? Why not train with Mikita?"

"She's tired. Changing her weight expend her stamina in the long run. She's still sleeping." Brody began to skim through the book and asked, "Hey, what's this word?"

Looking over, Nami hummed, "It's Groundbreaking."

"See? Wasn't so hard," Brody grinned and sat up before handing Nami the book. Before she realized how obviously her 'honest' captain had played her, Brody had already left their house and she gritted her teeth, swearing vengeance...

But being physically inept for it... Nami had to consider other options.

---

"Hey, looking good," Brody soon found herself lounging next to Reiju as the duo watched others train. Honey was now attacking both Alvida and Tashigi. While the former remained unhurt, the latter used every bit of her capabilities to 'loosen' her body and evade the attacks.

Unlike Alvida whose Devil Fruit inadvertently gave an edge to her in this training, Tashigi was making steady progress quicker than the rest. Although the bespectacled swordswoman was weaker compared to Alvida, she was trained in the marine grounds and had a better base and discipline than most. The only thing she lacked, as Brody so eloquently states was— The 'Feel' for the technique.

Carmen and Nojiko just kept to basic exercises and stretching.

On the other hand, Reiju, despite lounging, was working on the Bio-feedback technique known as Seimei-Kikan which may also be considered the absolute mix of the Rokushiki Style as it allowed the practitioner to have complete control of their body and Reiju seemed intent on doing just that.

A shrill chirp of a bird was heard at this moment and they looked up to find a newspaper accurately falling over in Reiju's direction which she promptly picked.

"Huh... paying in advance DOES work!" Reiju's smile brightened and she turned her attention to the latest news before her expression grew grim.

"Captain... it looks like things aren't going too well if the news of our recent friend's country had reached the front page..."

Brody looked at the article and looked at his crewmates' training before wondering out loud, "Using my brain to worry that much isn't just helpful."

"Should we tell Vivi?" Reiju questioned and he looked at her, "We? You took the newspaper."

Rolling her eyes, Reiju shrugged, "As you said, worrying about it won't work so instead of causing her trouble, we should focus on ourselves more than ever. By the way... Bro... what's with the staring?"

Brody blinked and looked away from Reiju before replying, "Nothing... just a bit hungry..."

"Hmm~" Smirking, Reiju whispered, "Hungry for what, Captain?"

"Smoked chicken," He replied without hesitation but not put off by the answer, Reiju chuckled, "Well, there are a few delicacies we can taste together so do keep that in mind."

"And stop you all from training?" Brody scoffed, "Nah. I'm too good. If I fuck one, others will follow and you all need to rest after training not exhaust yourself even more... besides, it'd be weird if we woke Igaram up and he somehow decided to peek on us..."

"So, it's fine for women to peek but not men?" Reiju raised her eyebrow.

Brody gave a thumbs up, "Of course... and you know, those weird eyes that pop out from any damn place has even made shitting a task of its own..." he sighed, "Just don't want enemies to enjoy all the glory."

Finding merit in the fact that a pair of eyes did 'haunt' Brody, Reiju nodded and smiled, "Well, I hope to learn Seimei-Kikan before reaching Arabasta at the very least."

However, Brody suddenly lost his cool and looked in the direction they were headed. His nose twitched as he whispered, "Oh... this will be fun... it's way more intense... more intense than Smoker, Pinky, and Vivi's situation combined..."

Reiju understood what Brody meant and grew a bit serious, "As great as the time we were hunting you?"

"It's... different." Brody whispered, "This is the first time I'm feeling this and it's hard to explain."

***

Alternate Title: Nami Likes it Groundbreaking; Honey For The Bro and Not The Bear; Dem Eyes

***

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