Pirate King

Arabasta was practically a desert wasteland these days. At least outside of the main cities. Typically if you wanted to stay safe in Arabasta you would stick to the cities and avoid the Sandora desert, but, a group of pirates can’t exactly just walk through the middle of alubarna and make it out unscathed, Arabasta is affiliated with the world government after all. We needed supplies, and rest. So we made camp five miles out from the city and had been sending the least conspicuous of us into town for supplies, Jongho.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and looked up, “Hongjoon, shouldn’t Jongho be back by now..?” Yeosang asked. He pulled his delicate bottom lip between his teeth and worried at it softly.

I reached out to rest my hand on his surprisingly well sculpted bicep, “sit down, he’ll be back soon. Do you really think someone could get the best of Jongho that easily?”

He sat down next to me, his fingers laced with mine. I might not have let on, but I was worried. Jongho wasn’t often late. He knew we worried.

It was almost dark before Jongho returned. Seonghwa had started pacing, wooyoung kept getting up and then sitting back down. We were all silent, worry eating at us. I was sat on a log, my leg bouncing. I was so close to going and finding him, no matter the consequences when I saw his frame walk over the sand dune. Yeosang and wooyoung sprinted to go meet him, I followed at a walk. Now that I knew he was safe I was just kinda mad at him. What kept him from us so long?

When I got closer I saw he had the regular bag of supplies thrown over his shoulder, but in his arms he had something else.

In his arms was… a person?

I walk up to face him, “jongho, explain.”

He sighed softly, hanging the bag of supplies to yeosang, “she was dying hongjoong.”

“And that’s our problem, why exactly?”

Mingi approached to my left and looked down at her, “she’s pretty cute, can we keep her?”

“Mingi! She’s not a pet!” Jongho exclaimed, he held her tighter.

I rolled my eyes, “God, jongho, don’t tell me you are already fucking attached?” I pinched the bridge of my nose softly.

I felt an arm snake around my waist, the familiar feel of seonghwa pressed into my side, “come on, jongho is a good person, you know he couldn’t leave her.”

I threw my arms up, “fine! Just until she can move again!”

Jongho gently set her down by the fire, wrapping a blanket around her body. She was beautiful. Silver hair and freckles dotted over her nose. She had small, sharp facial features. She was rather small, in height at least. Her build was deceptive, she looked strong.

These bitches were hard to find. I had finally tracked them down to Arabasta, which was useful because the marines had contacts there, And they had hired me for this job, the least they could do was help me find him. Kim Hongjoong, captain of the Ateez pirates. They were up and coming, not quite top of the food chain yet, but there were too many young pirates out there causing mayhem, the world government wanted to keep a handle on the ones they could.

Officially they could not kill Kim hongjoong without him being an immediate threat of danger or a trial, but I could. Assassins didn’t get the respect that pirates did, but they made better money. It’s not like I had much of a choice anyway, I had been doing this my whole life.

I had walked practically the entire sandora. I knew they weren’t in any of the major cities because of my contacts in the marines. That left the desert. I had long since run out of food and water, one person can only carry so much. And still, these motherfuckers are nowhere to be found.

I had long since lost the strength to move, I was sat with my back against a boulder. My skin was red and angry, my lips dry and cracked. Chili, my beautiful companion, a large Doberman rested with her head in my lap.

I looked down at her, “you should leave, you don’t need to die too… you don’t deserve this.” It came out as a rasp, my throat dry and hoarse.

She responded with a gentle lick to the back of my hand, “seriously! Go! I deserve this! Not you!” I raised my voice as much as I could at her, yelling and using the last of my strength to shove her off of me. She tucked her tail and pinned her ears before disappearing into the sand. I closed my eyes and waited for it to end.

I dreamed, I think. Halfway through the door that separates the living from the dead I think I dreamed. I dreamed of a beautiful, kind face appearing before me. He held me up and poured water down my dry throat, covered my sun burnt skin in a blanket, to shield me from the killer rays. He carried me away to safety.

Safety.

What did that word even mean to me anymore? How could anyone provide it?

Like through water my hearing returned to me, muffled at first but slowly getting clearer.

“If she is going to get better she needs a real bed, and I need access to proper medical supplies, we need to take her into town!” A male voice exclaimed.

“You know how dangerous that is, wooyoung! I will not let any of you get hurt for some random girl!” The voice that answered was harsh, but not unpleasant. Personally, I thought he was right.

“I’m a doctor Hongjoong! I can’t just let her die when I know I could help her!”

“You are our doctor, you follow my orders” hongjoong… that name… of fucking course I get rescued by the man I’m trying to kill.

“No. I’m a doctor. I’m a member of your crew and you are my captain, but I will always be a doctor. And I’m saving her, with or without your help.”

I heard a heavy sigh, “fine, wooyoung, fine. Yunho and wooyoung are coming with me. Seonghwa, you are in charge here until we come back, please, make sure they don’t pick up any more strays…”

While I was mildly offended, i'm no stray thank you very much, I still thought he was right. It didn’t make sense to save some random girl… so why did they want to?

I still couldn’t move, I didn’t have the strength to open my eyes or speak, but I was aware and awake now. I felt another pair of strong arms lift me up, far more gently than I was used to, far more gently than I deserved. they walked me into town.