The Madman Part 6

The Madman Part 6

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I spat out a few splinters out of my metal mouth as one of the last dents in my side popped out, sitting beside Bonney towards one of the edges of the room. Bonney's feet were actually on the ground for a change, chest still heaving in anger as she kept her arms crossed despite munching on some sort of cooked squash.

The room was filled with a dull roar of conversation and the party as the soldiers moved freely through the tavern and the street. They were celebrating. I twirled the knife in my hand, letting it dance about like a little glittering coin to keep my mind busy. I'd taken my saber, jacket, and hat off, draping them across the back of my seat.

'Why?'

There'd been some interest from the soldiers as I'd shifted from metal to meat, but I'd mostly ignored it. While on reflection I might have liked to keep my ability secret just in case, it wasn't exactly feasible. Not with me trolling Bonney like that. I rolled my neck, feeling the metallic rings of my spine bend back into place with little groans and pops as my tongue searched through my teeth, the sensations sort of distant through the metallic flesh, almost like I was on painkillers… but still perfectly comprehensible.

Shaka laughed, slapping one of his men on the back as he moved through the crowd. His men loved him, and even the civilians seemed to appreciate him, though there seemed to be a wary undercurrent in their actions and body language. 'Why?'

With a small cringe, I stuck a finger into my mouth and pulled a splinter out from between my teeth and gums, the thing somehow having gotten lodged between the metallic flesh and tooth. I flicked the splinter away, briefly thankful that I had left my internals as metal for now.

The hummingbirds had settled back into my pockets and coat, but a few had settled atop of Bonney's hat. One smug little shit had, after three attempts, had settled atop her cleavage.

Wait, no, Bonney's hand came up almost lazily before flicking the little ball of feathers away, leaving a little after-image of down feathers that she brushed away.

The knife tumbled through the air, and there was a soft clatter of sparks as it glanced off of metallic fingers, the sound getting a glance from Bonney as I watched the ten-foot-tall man move through the crowd. The crown on his head glinted in the light shining through the doorway of the tavern, the defeat of the Ndwandwe was the cause of this celebration, but… 'Why did you do it?'

My skin was flesh once more, though most of my internals were still metal just in case there were still some of that dirt or splinters in my mouth from going about a foot into the floor. Thankfully, if they had a cellar, Bonney hadn't kicked me into it.

"Oof-!" I grunted as a pair of boots made themselves known in my lap.

My eyes traced up the legs to glare at Bonney as she leaned back in her seat, arms still crossed, "Massage me."

"Woman, I have a knife in my hand."

She deliberately glanced at the soldiers still milling around us, "Yes, and what about it, sweetie?"

I blinked, "Oh no you didn't."

"Didn't what, cupcake?"

I stabbed the tip of the knife into the table, unable to help the vicious little smirk on my face, "Didn't try to start a pet name war with me, snookums."

"What's the matter, pudding?" Her grin was saccharine sweet as she wiggled her boots in my lap.

I couldn't help but snort as I laid my hands on her shins, "I'm shocked, shocked that you'd think you could beat me in a pet-name contest, Bon-Bon."

Her piercing jumped a few times at that, her cheek twitching as she swiped some of the meat off the table, tearing a hunk off of it with her teeth, "Just get to it, sugar lips."

"Tcheheheheh, sure thing pookie bear." Tugging off her boots, I dropped them beside the seat.

"Pookie bear? C'mon, you can do better than that—nn…"

I paused, my fingers digging into her calf… that was practically smooth silk over steel. Which was fine, except for the fact that it was knotted like a beginning sailors attempt at rigging, "The hell'd you do w—… honey bun?"

"Kicked a cannonball out of the air."

That got an impressed look from me, "Seriously?"

Her look said it all.

"Nice." I grinned even as I continued the massage, drawing little circles in her calf with my thumbs, working my way upwards.

"Why'd you think I wanted a massage?"

"Because you're needy?"

*bong*

The other foot slammed into my face, "Mmph?"

"Shut up, Jakey-poo."

Giving my head a twist, I let her foot glance off my metallic cheek, rolling my eyes, "Sure thing, sugar-tits."

"Hmph," she huffed, dropping her foot back to my lap hard as she returned to her food.

My fingers continued to dig little circles in her smooth skin, gently but insistently kneading the knots away. Occasionally, she'd let out a little grunt as I worked on a particularly resistant knot, but the two of us otherwise were a quiet pair in the corner of the tavern in the middle of the increasingly raucous party. Giving her ankle a brief twist, getting a quiet pop from it and a contented little sigh from Bonney. I moved to the other calf, slowly working at it, "Surprised your power couldn't fix this."

"It's pretty hard to use my ability on just one part or another of my body." She shrugged, her purple eyes skimming over the party, crew and soldiers laughing and sharing drinks. Lucca was talking with the old guy that'd accompanied Katlego and the kid, Dumi-something. "You get that, right?"

"I have an idea, yeah. Like, it's sort of like using a muscle…"

"But it's sort of like just thinking about it."

"But it's also instinctual at the same time, which is super weird."

"I've always found it as easy as breathing."

Both of us stiffened at the new voice and the massive hands that settled on our shoulders. Bonney's legs in my lap had twitched and I'd nearly turned into solid steel. We both looked up to find the large form of Shaka nearly looming over us, though there was a smile on his face.

"You're a Devil Fruit eater?"

"I have been since I was quite young. I don't remember the exact age," his face soured, "But I do remember the taste."

Bonney and I simultaneously shuddered before Bonney muttered, "Like the devil's asshole after the hottest chile in the world buffet."

"Sounds about right." Shaka and I agreed.

The pinkette leaned back in her chair to look up at the large man, "Why'd you come over?"

"I would like to borrow your man for a few minutes."

He said it with a smile, but there was a weight to it, and I felt Bonney's leg tense beneath my hand. And I could see the calculations rush across her face, I couldn't follow her thoughts but I knew she was thinking hard. She surprised me by smiling slightly, tugging her feet out of my lap, and standing, "Fair enough."

She leaned over me and grabbed her boots from the other side of me and that is close. I know we're supposed to be– "Just one for the road, so to speak." –wait what?

With one arm wrapped around my shoulders, she placed a hand on my cheek and turned my head fully towards hers and-… oh… oh my her lips are soft…

I wait, what-?! But Ami- we could talk- the hell though she hadn't given any- the fucking 'we're together' cover but why now-?! God damnit woman no matter the reason your timing is terrible!

My face practically caught fire at that even as she pulled back, brain scrambling to reboot as she broke the brief kiss, more of a peck really and god damnit woman a little warning?! "Bonney-?!" I caught myself before saying anything too incriminating, glancing at the large amused form of Shaka, "Not in public!"

"I'll take what's mine wherever I want, Ironhide!"

"Damnit! I'm not some pet-gack!"

She seemed to bristle, dragging me into a headlock, "What did you say?!"

"Glk! I'm not some pet!"

Shaka laughed uproariously as the two of us struggled. I pushed at her face as she half dragged me out of the chair with her arm around my neck, but this wasn't right… she kicked me when she was angry.

Her lips pressed to my ear, and barely audible even then over our struggles she whispered, "Don't do anything stupid, Captain's orders."

I grunted an affirmative noise, at which point she snarled, "You're my pet if I say you are!"

"Bullshit!" I snapped just before I was hurtling through the air and–

*wham!*

Damnit woman! I just got all of the splinters out of my mouth!

I'd reflexively turned into metal when I'd lost my sense of gravity, so I wasn't injured, but god damnit!

Bonney had huffed and walked off into the throngs of soldiers and crew in the tavern as I pushed myself out of the floor, again. Then a hand nearly as big as my torso grabbed the back of my shirt and heaved me the rest of the way out of the floor, the massive man laughing as he sat be back down in the chair I'd been pulled from.

"Florida Jacob, it is a pleasure." Despite his considerable size, he sat down in the chair that Bonney had recently vacated. Though thankfully he didn't try to put his feet in my lap.

I gave a little nod, "Shaka."

"My general spoke quite highly of you."

"Katlego?" At Shaka's nod, I just nodded, "He's a good man. I don't regret meeting him in the least." My jaw worked side to side for a moment as I settled into the seat, fiddling with the handle of my knife as I tried to put some coherence to my thoughts. Finally settling on being blunt as fuck, "If I may ask, why are you talking to me? While I enjoyed talking to Katlego, there's no reason for him to speak so highly of me that you felt the need to speak to me privately."

The man beamed at me, "Katlego told me of a man that shrugged off his strongest blow, could cut a man at a distance with a flick of his wrist, and had defeated the entire army of the Nyeupe Mfalme. That sounds like reason to speak to you privately to me!"

I shifted a bit uncomfortably at that, flicking the knife out of the table and twirling it almost nervously between my fingers, "Alright. But why?"

"Would you join my army?"

"No."

"Your woman could join as well."

My cheek twitched, first thought Ami, but god damnit Bonney– "That wouldn't be my decision." He started to grin, but I finished, "And even if it was, I'd still say no."

"… that was quick."

"Yes. Yes it was."

The large black man tilted his head to the side for a moment, "You do not like me."

I blinked once before a small smile crossed my face, "You're correct, I don't."

"And why is that?" he asked, more curious than offended.

Bonney's request rang in my ears but… fuck, he asked me directly. Still… don't hate without reason, don't assume. I raised my eyes to meet his own brown ones, holding his gaze deliberately, "… did you destroy the town, order its men rolled into a ball and others bled out onto the streets?"

Shaka gave me a brief surprise before his eyes fell and he said softly, just barely audible over the dull roar of the tavern, "Yes."

My lips pressed into a thin line and my teeth clenched, the metal of the knife sparking as it glanced off of my fingers, little metallic groans accompanying the motions as I stared up at the large man. It was only the fact that he seemed sad about what had happened that really kept me from getting furious, and when I was sure I wouldn't snap at him I breathed out, "… why?"

His gaze rose to mine as he crossed his arms over his broad, bare chest, "A message needed to be sent."

A little metallic crunch startled me, making me freeze and glance at my hand. I'd caught the knife by the handle and nearly crumpled it in my metallic hand. I took a slow breath to calm myself, "A message that involved the deaths of so many people uninvolved?"

"They weren't uninvolved." He said simply, not even flinching as he loomed over me even sitting, "They served a man who had slain my blood brother."

"Dingiswayo." I said, having heard the name before from Io and remembering it from my past life. The name getting a small nod from Shaka and a pained look on his face, "But that means he, Zwide, deserves death. Not everyone serving under him, let alone those in a village he wasn't in."

Shaka did something that seemed almost like a sigh, placing his hands on his knees. I was struck by how he dwarfed both me and the chairs we sat in, he probably weighed somewhere around five hundred, maybe six hundred pounds of solid muscle and bone, being built like an athlete and properly proportioned despite standing ten feet tall. After a long moment of silence as I watched him and he watched the milling soldiers and pirates, he asked me, "… do you know why I'm taking over the island?"

"… megalomania?" I snarked.

"Hah! No. Not truly." He paused, looking out at the crowd as he started to speak once more, "Far too often we are at war on this island. I have heard of what other islands are like, unified and only fighting outside threats…" Shaka was silent for a moment before continuing, "Dingiswayo's death… my blood brother… I could stand for this no more, I felt that enough was enough." Brown eyes met mine and he said softly, but with an unshakable conviction, "I want my island, my people, my home to be like that. That slaughter was a message. A message to those that would deny my diplomatic attempts. And that message was heard. It did what it was supposed to."

For the briefest of moments, I could understand, I could be swept up in the passion and desire for peace and accept it.

But only for that instant. Because I could never accept such casual slaughter and cruelty.

"Then how is it any different from any other warlord? Any others of those that cause the very wars you are rallying against?"

Shaka smiled, "Because I will succeed."

"But at what cost?"

"Whatever is necessary."

"And were the lives of that village necessary?"

"Only the men of fighting age, never the old or the sickly or the children or the women."

"Except Io." I said before I could stop myself. She hadn't been killed but I was angry and frustrated, the thoughts of the horror sticking with me.

The name actually made Shaka stiffen in surprise, "You know the Mwanamke wa Ziwa?"

"Yes." I said simply.

Shaka frowned, "That should not have happened. Even though she fought valiantly she should not have been maimed in such a fashion." His tone and gaze darkened, "I dealt with the offender personally."

I hesitated for a moment before I steeled myself, "And did you personally roll the men into that ball?"

"Yes." Brown eyes met mine unflinchingly. "I could not ask my men to do such a task. If horrors must be performed to protect my island then I shall be the one to bear them on my shoulders."

"Yes. Because that makes it so much better. Because you still had them systematically slaughter every man in the village. The blacksmiths and the shopkeepers and the bartenders. The farmers and merchants and hunters that just happened to live in the wrong town and be the wrong age. They died. Slaughtered like cattle."

Shaka frowned, looming over me as dark shadows were cast over his face, it was like a thousand thousand scratching little legs dancing cross every inch of my skin, "The lives of the men of one village are not worth the stability of an island?"

"Arguably, though I disagree." I had to tersely admit. In a purely utilitarian sense, it made a measure of sense. But I vehemently disagreed that this was such a scenario. "Because how long will this last? Sure, from the sounds of things, you've won, you've slaughtered everyone that disagreed with you, you've spilt the blood of everyone with a differing opinion. Sure, you have peace now because they fear you, because… you have an army and you can convince them to listen to you." My knife crumpled beneath my grip, and I couldn't bring myself to care overly much given that it was only that very tension that was keeping me from standing and shouting in the man's face. "But what happens if and when you die? What happens if someone takes a gun and a lucky shot? Poison? A lover that's faking it? Or even just old age. What keeps this island from falling right back into the state of war as your generals and rivals start vying for power?"

You Dare?

Teeth bared, Shaka stood so quickly that the chair went flying backwards, the room having gone utterly silent as the sheer weight of his intention, of his fury and anger bore down on me. The mighty king blazed to my Observation Haki as he softly, dangerously asked, "Is that a threat?"

But I didn't bend, I couldn't bend my knee, not least because I wasn't standing, "No. But it's a question you need to be able to answer, especially if you truly want this to create stability for this island." Neither of our eyes wavered from the glare, and sparks nearly flew between us, the tavern having fallen silent, "I find what you did atrocious and monstrous, but if you die then all of those lives were wasted and that's even worse. Have a clear line of succession. Have your successor rule both in name and in practice beside you so any transition of power is smooth and unquestioned. Have a way for the stability you so seek to outlive you. Otherwise… how are you any different from any other mere warlord?"

The silence in the room was nearly deafening as I did my level best to stare down the king of the Zolou, and from the sounds of things, the king of this island now. Sparks nearly flew from the air where our gazes met, my hand clenching entirely into a fist around the ruined knife as the much larger man loomed over me despite both of us sitting down.

"You really don't like me, do you?" he said without inflection, his voice a deep bass rumble.

"No. I could never abide by the death you wrought against non-combatants," I said honestly, "But that doesn't mean I want this island to fall into anarchy any more than you do."

Shaka's lips pressed into a thin line as he loomed over me, eyes nearly burning in their intensity, "Do you truly believe my generals would kill my people?"

"Do you have good reason to believe there would be no in-fighting amongst them? No power-grabs?" I countered, "That things wouldn't devolve back into local warlords?"

After a long moment, Shaka looked away and stood, his voice a low rumble that carried through the tavern, "No. Not enough of one."

And just like that, the tension dropped massively, I no longer felt like a spring ready to go off, and I could finally let myself blink as a grin spread across my face. As the great three of Japan had shown, stability was one of the greatest advantages of a state, especially in this sort of context.

The ten-foot-tall mass of rippling muscle half turned to look back at me, "You play a dangerous game, questioning me, Florida-nolwazi." My grin lessened for just a moment before he surprised me with a smile, a big beautiful smile, his large hand coming out and nearly enveloping my head as he ruffled my short, spiky hair. "But you did well. You have given me something to think on."

He turned and walked towards the door… and it was at that point that I realized… almost no one else in the room was conscious.

Bonney, Tom, Lucca, Wallace, Jaime, Daniel, Casey of the crew, and Katlego, Dumisani, the old man with the rifle, and the two bounty-hunters of the locals.

Everyone else? Collapsed over their drinks or the tables, slumped in their chairs or over the bar. Some foaming at the mouth, some having collapsed to the floor–

"HMM?!"

One of the hummingbirds started to tumble off my shoulder, and my hand darted out to catch it even as another flew to check on it with a panicked hum, and then all of the others scattered across me. One brilliantly colored little jewel, like an emerald shot through with lines of ruby, it was the only one of them I saw that was conscious.

"T-The heck was that-?!" Casey nearly shrieked, even as the two bounty hunters shuddered, pressing against him.

"Almost no one can stand before our lord's anger." Katlego murmured quietly, helping one of his fellows out of their beer.

They didn't seem to know what Conquerer's Haki was, and there was no fucking way I was going to explain it—

*Thwack—!*

"Ow!" I hissed, my leg jerking up as my head snapped to the side to glare at Bonney, holding the unconscious hummingbird out of the line of fire, "The hell was that for?!"

"What did I just say?!"

"I wasn't starting anything!"

"And what do you call that shit?!"

"Not starting something!" I stood, shouting back at her and gesturing after the long gone form of Shaka, "I was finishing something he started!"

"Oh yeah, that makes it so much better!"

"What'd you expect me to do?! Just roll over and pant like a dog?!"

"Hey," one of the bounty hunters spoke up, the young woman and her twin looking at us curiously, "Aren't you two supposed to be lovey-dovey?"

"Go find a dick to suck!" Bonney snapped even as I snorted, rubbing my shin where she'd kicked me.

"Aren't you supposed to do that to him?!" Dumisani called out, the gazelle-man unbothered by his unconscious companions.

Bonney bristled, her face turning red as she bared her teeth.

I reached out and placed my fingertips against her elbow, "Bonney," she stiffened briefly before relaxing and looking at me, "They're just trying to rile you up. You know that."

"Well, it's fucking working," she growled.

I couldn't help but grin, "You told me not to start a fight, now it's my turn." Purple eyes gave me a brief glare and my grin widened, "If I can avoid fighting Shaka, you can avoid fighting his soldiers for teasing us."

"I'm not starting anything. I'm finishing it!"

"No, no feeding his own teeth." This time I actually grabbed her arm, keeping her from dashing forward and likely kicking Dumisani into diapers in either direction. "... also, tcheheheh, touché."

Her snarl melted into an unhappy scowl. "It's not as fun if you laugh too."

I grinned, trying to defuse the tension. "So? It was funny."

... why was she starting to smirk...?

Her leg snapped out and swept my legs out from beneath me, dropping me back to the chair before she turned and pointedly sat across my thighs, making me blush just a bit and stiffen in more ways than one. Bonney grinned as she sat side-saddle on my knees, propping her left elbow against my right shoulder and reaching out with her other hand to snatch her rum off of the table, she leaned in just a bit and whispered, "So's your face."

My mouth worked soundlessly for a moment, face once more a brilliant red, "You… are evil."

"Pirate."

"Tch." In spite of the terrible heat in my cheeks and the tumult of emotions I was feeling, I couldn't help the little grin, "Fair enough."

"Hey! How about you come sit across my lap?!" Came a call from Dumisani.

The conscious members of the Bonney Pirates stiffened in shock, either covering their faces or hiding behind tables. To my surprise, Bonney just scowled and flicked him off, and– she's grinding her elbow into my shoulder and there's a barely restrained tick in her cheek.

Fuck. Right.

"Oi!" as the dutiful 'boyfriend', I transformed my muscles in my arm into metal, picked up my ruined knife, and threw it as hard as I could.

The kid yelped and ducked as the remains of the knife hurtled past his head and… ah, punched a hole through the adobe wall behind him. Ah. Whoops. That was not intentional. Still. "We clear?"

"H-Hey-! I'm not scared of you–ack!" Dumisani started to stand, but was shoved back into his seat by Katlego's hand on his head.

"Don't push it."

"I'm not afraid of him!"

"You're a big, manly warrior. But don't pick a fight."

With a small sigh, I brought an arm around Bonney's waist, the only comfortable place to bring my hands together to gently massage the unconscious hummingbird I'd caught, carefully waking the little birds.

Slowly, gradually, the people that Shaka had knocked out started to rouse. Tom taking the time to gather up some of the spare drinks and food for Bonney to down in her casually voracious appetite.

The hummingbird was awoken, and the one that had withstood the Conquerer's Haki flew in, picking them up in a buzz of glittering wings before picking up another one from Bonney's hat and dropping them off in my hands. Giving the hummingbird a smile, I moved to waking the next of its companions. "You're going to need a name."

The little emerald and ruby-colored hummingbird nodded with a little affirmative hum.

… wait, was this the smug little shit that had been trying to settle in Bonney's cleavage…? I think it was.

… speaking of which.

"Bonney." The woman in my lap grunted, and I pointedly looked at her, "We're going to need to have a talk."

She snorted, "Fine."

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The Madman Part 6 End