Fishmen Island IV

"Enjoying yourselves-yoi?"

A strange voice interrupted their thoughts.

"W-Whoa!"

Startled, Akane looked up at the sudden intrusion of their little get together. As she had been lying eyes closed, she blinked a few times to clear her sight. Cause the first thing she saw was a flying pineapple. That surely can't be right can it?

So when her sight cleared after a few blinks, she noticed the one standing over her was one of the people who was from Whitebeards crew. Specifically a well known one, Marco the phoenix.

"Hey there, nice to meet you?"

Akane wasn't quite sure of how to act right now. They were after all looking on from the side. It wasn't a good position to get caught in.

"We're enjoying ourselves alright. The merry mood is contagious."

Shinobu helpfully answered, not expecting Akane to make a recovery from the sudden new arrival.

"Good to hear! Pops was laughing quite a bit when we spotted your friend earlier-yoi."

Marco pointed at Lafitte, who was secretly surprised he had been spotted. He was quite good at infiltration and remaining unseen. Maybe he was getting rusty.

Like that, Marco had unknowingly lighted a spark in Lafitte to increase his aptitude in spying.

"Oh my, Lafitte~ How careless of you."

Shinobu smiled widely at Lafitte, who didn't even look at Shinobu. After all this time, he was slowly getting used to her behavior. If only just a little.

"Hahahaha, what a curious bunch you are-yoi. Enjoy the rest of the feast-yoi."

With that said, Marco returned to the other members of his crew. From time to time they could see him bursting in laughter and pointing their way. So along the rest of the day, a few more of the Whitebeard crew passed by them, some sharing a drink with them. Whenever a cup of liquor was handed to Akane, it was immediately grabbed from her hand by Ban, who quickly chugged it down.

Slightly pouting, this became a game of sorts. With every new person, Akane was handed a cup, trying to defend it in the hopes of even taking one sip from it. The expressions of the others in her crew said a lot of the taste, making her want to try it as well.

From the side, the Whitebeard pirates privy to this scene as well, cheering loudly when Ban snatched the cup.

Then the moment of truth appeared. An opening, just for the taking.

Grabbing a drink from Marco's hand, who was just coming their way with a cup of beer, Akane quickly gulped the bitter but refreshing drink. Sighing in satisfaction, Akane smirked like only foxes could towards Ban, who was just shaking his head in exasperation. Luckily she wasn't smashed, only having a slight red blush covering her cheeks. She had learned from her mistakes, knowing how much to drink. Even so, her usual inhibitions were weakening now that she was a bit tipsy.

Enough for her to lounge on Ban's lap and sing along loudly with the music.

Not caring in the slightest about her previous inhibitions, Akane joined the Whitebeard pirates on the square, joining them in dancing about.

From the side, Lafitte watched on anxiously, keeping a close eye on what Whitebeards reaction might be to the sudden addition amongst his family. To his surprise, Whitebeard didn't seem to mind at all, laughing loudly at the 'Cheeky Brat' that had enlivened the party even more.

Not seeing any problem in joining in as well, Ban left for a short while, returning with his own secret stash of damn good liquor as he said it.

Walking up to one of the guys in Whitebeards crew that seemed to hold his liquor fairly well, Ban slammed a high alcohol content beer on the table and challenged the man to a drinking contest. The man in question, Diamond Jozu, accepted the challened with a fearsome smile on his face.

Soon after, more and more people joined in. Even Whitebeard seemed to enjoy the friendly challenge, adding in one of his own personal favorite sake as well. By time it reached the end of the party, only Ban and Whitebeard were still conscious, the others already passed out from too much booze.

On Whitebeards lap lay a purring Akane, having taken on her fox form and was currently enjoying a gentle stroking hand from Whitebeard, who seemed too into the contest to even bother with it.

"Last round, old man. If you win, I'll gladly call you pops. If I win, I would like one bottle of your favorite sake."

"Gurarara, It will take more than a few barrels of sake to get me down. I am Whitebeard!"

Whitebeard yelled, downing another giant cup of sake.

Ban gulped down his own as well.

Both sides stared at the other and waited to see the results.

In the end, Ban ended up the loser, as he let himself fall backwards to the ground.

"You win! I could take a few more, but I am way too bloated to drink more. I feel like I'll pop if I drink just a sip more."

Ban laughed, slapping the ground loudly as he waited for the alcohol to wash out from his system.

Feeling cleared by the minute, Ban smiled widely as he sat up again.

"Guess I'll call you pops then. I'll get my captain back if you don't mind."

Whitebeard laughed loudly again, tossing Akane back to him who woke up as soon as it happened, transforming back midair and landing nimbly on her feet.

"You really are like a dad! Maybe I should call you pops too."

Akane said as she hung over Ban's shoulder. Obviously the alcohol in her system had been flushed out as well, as she didn't have any headaches and the feverish blush from before was gone.

"You should first learn how to hold your liquor before you start calling me that, brat."

Whitebeard said, gulping down another bottle of sake.

From the side, Marco was keeping a close eye on Whitebeard, having already put away most of the booze, with only the bottle in his hand remaining.

When the bottle was emptied, Marco did a quick check up on Whitebeards health, smiling in relief to notice it didn't deteriorate any further.

"We have crashed your party long enough. The other kids are getting jumpy so we're heading back. I guess we'll see you again later sometimes Pops."

Ban said, gripping Akane by her scruff and returning to Lafitte and Shinobu, who were both still glancing down from one of the rooftops.

Landing besides Shinobu, Ban placed down Akane beside him, who immediately sprawled out on the ground and took a nap again. She didn't seem to have slept long enough yet, as she was gone in seconds.

"Ara Ara, You two were having a lot of fun. Maybe I should join in the next time as well."

Shinobu said, smiling radiantly at Ban.

"Please take it easy on the others when you do. I can handle your medical concoctions, but I'm sure little fox will faint when she tastes it."

Ban added wryly, taking a note from Akane's book and lying down to take a nap as well.

"My, I will think about it. Though I promise nothing~"

Shinobu replied, as the crew relaxed a bit to later set out again to look for their crew mates.