Doldrum Chapter 4

[mekachu04]

Doldrum | Chapter 4

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Fandom:
Language:

Teen
Gen
One Piece (Anime & Manga)
English

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Kidd has been an all or nothing kind of man his whole life. He filled his ranks with the same mindset - go big or die trying. At least, they'd all had certainly thought so, until the die part of die trying loomed over them, pushing them under the waves of the Grand Line in one last glorious blaze. The Victoria Punk - their home - burning around them, corpse slowly lost to the sea. But she gave up little parts of herself as life lines, flotsam rising to the surface for those not ready for the sea's embrace.

Relationships:

• Kiddo Kaizokudan | Kidd Pirates

Characters:

Eustass "Captain" Kidd, "Massacre Soldier" Killer, Heat (One Piece), Wire (One Piece), Dive (One Piece), Hip (One Piece), Jaguar (One Piece), Mosh (One Piece), Papas (One Piece), Pomp (One Piece), Quincy (One Piece), UK (One Piece), StrawHat Luffy, Roronoa Zoro, "Cat Theif" Nami, "Sniper King" Usopp, Black-Leg Sanji, TonyTony Chopper, Nico Robin, Cutty "Franky" Flam, Humming Brooke, "Knight of the Sea" Jimbe,

Tags & Warnings

Archive Warnings:

Major Character Death,

Post-Wano Arc (One Piece)
Egghead Island Arc (One Piece) Spoilers
Smile Fruit
Victoria Punk has been destroyed
Kidd Pirates don't survive
well - about a third of them do

but most do not
hurt!Kidd
hurt!Killer
Sick!Heat
Shipwrecked and Stranded
no on screen deaths but bodies mentioned

no beta: we sink like Victoria Punk
Emotionally Compromised!Kidd
he's not so much suicidal
as he is depressed and doesn't realize it
but it does colour him with a melancholy that could be fatal

Chapter 4

 

He hates this.

There is no other way though.

Heat is sick. His cough grows thicker and wetter with each hour. Killer is barely awake anymore- staring off in a daze when he is, slow to answer and his words nonsense under his giggles. In turn, Wire doesn't seem to sleep at all anymore- he flits around them like a moth to flame, one wrong move from burning out. The state of his crew is worse. They aren't going to make it.

Not without help.

Kidd is going to have to ask Straw Hat for assistance. Kidd is going to have to beg.

He's not sure if the blow to his ego is that he has to beg, or that its to beg Monkey of all people for help. Monkey - who is a massive idiot but so sincere that you can't hate him for it. The man child that knocked the rest of them from the rankings and got himself crown Emperor.

Who kicked Kaido's ass - alone- when Kidd could barely land a blow in retaliation for how the monster had tortured his crew.

Who had commiserated with him in the cold dark cells of Udon; Who encouraged him to hold faith in his crew for just a little longer. Who pulled him out of his funk by his hair, kicking and swearing and then got him back on his feet by declaring himself stronger than Kidd.

Kidd had scoffed then.

He wanted to scoff again.

Before, he couldn't see that state of his family and had to cling to hope that Monkey was right and they'd be okay without him until he could get free. Monkey'd been... somewhat correct. Except Killer had not been okay. Not in the slightest. Killer was an arguably worse state now. And Kidd was witness to it all.

To both crews displeasure, Kidd and Luffy met alone to talk. No backup. No reinforcement. No witnesses.

It was a small mercy Kidd had not been expecting. But again. StrawHat Luffy was a different kind of pirate after all.

The exact terms remained between them. Kidd wouldn't start trouble - the crew of the StrawHats would not be giving him or his any orders, but unless the request was out of line, they would follow them as best as they could. And if they could not - or would not - the matter went to Kidd. And if it was indeed out of line, Kidd went to Monkey.

This was not a collaboration. This was not a Rescue operation. The Kidd Pirates were not guests. They were prisoners of the StrawHats, who had been given fresh air and freedom of movement so long as their generosity was respected. Kidd and his commanders however where to be confined to quarters. Quarters being the Infirmary, for the time.

As the most mobile, it was decided Wire would be allowed to leave anytime-with permission and an escort- to check on his crew. Heat would also be given such freedom once Chopper cleared him - he had pneumonia, and his lungs were still healing and so was on bed rest.

It was a statement to Kidd's own state of mind that he had agreed to all that with little input or complaint; When it came to himself and Killer, he was more demanding. Well, when it came to separating them at least. The two of them were both supernova's and even in their current state- combined they still posed a real and present danger. The crew of the StrawHat Pirates had wanted to keep them separated. Isolated. Kidd had his right hand around Monkey's neck in instant it was suggested by the smaller man. In his mind - it was Wano starting all over again. His partner hidden away so they could be used to force the other into compliance. Luffy didn't fight him- not through force or fists at least - but by staying calm and cupping Kidd's enraged face in his hands. Thumbing angry tears from Kidd's cheeks. Said nothing in the face of Kidd's rage. His fear.

"Big mom's people fucked up his arm and his confidence. Kaido just drove that deeper, what with that bastard Orochi and that fucking fruit. Fucking Red Hair, twice over now" Kidd's voice cracked, and he raised his eyes to stare at Luffy. "And then there's you. Four Emperors in a row - what pound of flesh you gonna take from us? What more will you take from him because of me?"

Luffy said nothing. The same face that had listened to him in Udon's quiet. Finally Kidd had relaxed his grip and Luffy did something both men would deny. He pulled the other captain down into a hug. Let the man compose himself, face pressed into Luffy's collar.

After all - if someone stole any of *his* crew away, he would have been no calmer. He'd declared war on the world for Robin. He'd stolen Sanji back from an emperor, His crew was being smart to keep the two separated but Luffy remembered the twos reunion in Udon. He was an Emperor like Kaido had been. He understood too well Kidd's fear.

He refused to be that kind of Pirate. He refused to be that kind of Man. "You and Mask-guy will stay together in the infirmary until you both are cleaned by Chopper." He declared. The matter of fact way of a man who was used to saying something at it becoming so. "In the meantime, Franky and Usopp will get something set up for you and your crew once you're given a clean bill of health."

Any lingering redness to Kidd's face was played off as irritation at the situation when they finally finished terms and rejoining the others.

---

When they parted ways in Wano, the Kidd Pirate's had been 31 strong - the largest of the three crews that left that day.

Here and now, three men stayed behind to care for the dead; a Vivre card of the Captain left with them. They said their goodbyes, the two groups promising to be reunited again.

Only 10 souls sailed on. Not as free pirates. Not as men or women in charge of their own destinies. But as prisoner's of the Forth Pirate Emperor Luffy.

 

Author Notes

 

Series: Doldrum First Chapter Previous Chapter Next Chapter

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