Chapter Text
The crew is docked at an island proudly wearing Roger's flag. Finally, a place in the Grand Line where they don't have to fight either the Marine or rival crews ! Pretty much everyone is enjoying themselves at the tavern, including the two cabin boys.
"Say, Buggy, wanna explore a bit after that beer ?" Shanks asks from behind a large jug.
His blue-haired friend shrugs. "Sure, I'm sure nobody will mind."
After downing their respective drinks, both boys go exploring the surroundings. They find a thrift shop and are exploring the variety of clothes displayed when Shanks bumps into someone.
The woman wears jeans and a pink tank top with a black spider on it, and lifts an eyebrow at seeing the redhead. She blows the smoke from her cigarette towards the ceiling.
The cabin boy immediately apologizes, "I'm sorry ! I wasn't watching."
The woman smiles. "No problem. Are you boys from Roger's crew ?"
Shanks starts, "How do you know ?"
The woman retorts, "I've seen this straw hat before, on Roger's wanted poster."
Buggy finally understands how Shanks got it and why it's so precious to him. But he doesn't lose sight of the situation, and defensively asks, "Are you an enemy then ?"
"No, I'm just a woman in passing", she says smoothly, "don't wanna make no fuss."
Shanks beams, "Great, if you wanna see Captain then you sh-"
Buggy interrupts him, "Would you shut up you stupid redhead ? What if she's an undercover Marine ? We'd better get out of here."
"But-"
"No but, we're leaving." Buggy catches his older bunkmate by the hand and drags him outside. "Are you for real ? It's not because our jolly roger is in the port that we can trust everyone", he berates Shanks.
"But the lady seemed cool."
"C'mon, let's go back to the others, I'd rather drink my ass off than bring trouble back. Again."
Back at the tavern, they install themselves in front of a large jug of beer and start drinking and dreamily talking about the treasures the next island would have to offer.
After a short while though, Buggy notices the woman with a cigarette from earlier, entering the tavern and sitting at a lone bar stool, gazing at the rowdy pirates scattered in the room. "Look, look, she's here, I told you she'd be trouble", he whispers to Shanks.
"Listen, one person alone can't take out any of us. We might be drunk but we're together", the straw-hatted teen reasons. "Plus, she doesn't look like the Marine type."
"Maybe she's undercover..."
"Maybe not."
"Who's undercover ?" Rayleigh interrupts the teenagers.
Shanks and Buggy guiltily look at each other.
The redhead speaks first. "Well earlier we went exploring a bit, and we found a thrift shop and we met someone there. She knew which crew we were in, but that doesn't mean she's a Marine, right ?"
Rayleigh's eyes silently drift to where the woman is sitting.
She seems to feel his gaze on her because a split second after, her eyes find his. They have what seems to be the longest stare-down in history before she decides to leave her stool and walk towards the little group. "Good afternoon again, kids", she says to the cabin boys. Then she lifts her eyes up to meet Rayleigh's again, and continues, "Dark King Rayleigh, I didn't expect to see you here."
"You seem awfully aware of who we are", he says suspiciously.
"I like to keep myself informed."
"Why is that ?"
"Knowledge for knowledge's sake", she answers smoothly.
Rayleigh lifts an eyebrow, his glasses slipping askew down his nose. "Is that so ?"
The woman cocks one of her hips to the side and places a graceful hand on its side. "I would be a dauntless Marine coming here alone if that's what you think. I just came here out of curiosity. It's not everyday you get to meet such a famous crew."
Roger perks in, uninvited and drunk, smiling like a kid on Christmas. "Ooh, Rayleigh, you found yourself a girlfriend ?"
The First Mate's eyes stray to his Captain, squinting a little.
The woman lets out a laugh. She doesn't deny though, and instead simply says, "I'm Shakky", offering a handshake.
Roger grabs the tips of her fingers and bows for a kiss atop them in a drunken reverence. "Glad to meet Mrs Silvers, at last." He stands again and puts his hand back on the table to stabilize himself.
Shanks and Buggy have trouble containing the laughing fit threatening to take over them.
Rayleigh grits his teeth a little, sporting an angry blush. "Captain, I think you're done drinking."
"Why ? We have to celebrate !" Roger turns to face the entire tavern. "Everyone ! Let's have a toast to Mrs Silvers !"
"Yeah !" The rowdy group acclaim the newcomer as if she was family, not even questioning the sanity of their Captain, and glasses and jugs clink everywhere with a loud cheering.
Shanks explodes in laughter next to Buggy, both boys holding each other in their shared realization of the irony of the situation.
Rayleigh facepalms and sighs defeatedly.
Shakky looks at him with mirth in her eyes... and maybe something else ?
Roger nudges her in the ribs. "How do you put up with him being so serious all the time ? He has to be pretty decent in the bedroom, right ?"
She tilts her head up to blow the smoke from her cigarette towards the ceiling, concealing a little smile. "How would I know, with him being so serious and all."
"You mean you haven't consumed yet ? My bad, I'll show you the way to Rayleigh's bunk to help you solve that." Then he turns to his First Mate, "Rayleigh, you take care of your wife. Captain's orders. Out." Roger points the exit of the tavern.
Rayleigh sighs in defeat – he knows better than anyone not to contradict his Captain when he's made up his mind, especially when he's drunk – and offers his arm to Shakky, who grabs it with a smile and follows him outside.
Shanks and Buggy stare at them, then at each other in surprise, as the "couple" wordlessly leave the tavern under the whistles and the encouraging shouts of the crew.
The crew shortly resume their drinking as if nothing unusual happened, leaving the two cabin boys with a lot of unanswered questions.