Chapter Text
Kirishima licks his lips. He can taste the salt of the sea on his tongue. The noontime sun beats down hard on the tense crew.
Kirishima’s skin itches. His palms sweat and the sword at his side feels heavy on his hip. He prays he doesn’t have to use it.
He’s along for the ride. He doubts the Iwa commodore will allow him to continue employment much longer. He stands just behind his father and his uncle, as they await the pirate ship to reach their starboard side.
Pirates. His noble family was something akin to exterminators. Their name was known well among the seas. Eijirou himself, however… was less inclined to follow their path. Not that he was unloyal, no. But… He side-eyes his father’s hands, one resting atop his sheathed sword. The same hands that held him when he was a baby held the sword at his hip- one that had pierced the hearts of many unfortunate souls.
He blinks and behind his eyelids all he sees is red from the sun, and he imagines his blood spilling onto the well waxed boards of the government boat.
There were great expectations for Kirishima Eijirou. He was skilled in combat, a good shot, and he handled a sword well, but when the time came, he was no killer. In that regard, his family in the business dubbed him as weak.
His mother and sister would love to have him home. He was here merely for formality. If it weren’t for his family’s image to uphold, he wouldn’t be here at all.
“Look sharp, Eijirou. Bakugou is almost here. We don’t need your spineless attitude degrading us any further.” his father says, cutting through his thoughts. Kirishima stands taller, seeing the ship align, pirate flag flapping proudly in the wind.
It’s a beauty. Rugged and aged, weary signs of battle mark and scar it’s surface, but it’s presence is astounding, and Kirishima is sure its sails would allow it to outmatch their finest fleets. Its name, Crepitus , a reminder of the unmatched firepower resting inside.
Kirishima could probably grasp the tension that hangs in the air and knead it between his fingers. His blood is pounding fiercely in his ears as the gangplank clatters between the ships.
One man rises. Kirishima intakes a breath in spite of himself.
He’s clothed richly, with a heavy coat despite the heat. His jacket is thick and lined with gold, the buttons glinting as he strides across the plank like the sway of the sea was made in tune to the beat of his heart. He demands presence. His captain’s hat sits atop a shock of white-blonde hair, and when he saunters with an easy grin to stand in front of Kirishima’s father, his eyes flash more orange than the setting sun. The tanned skin around his eyes wrinkles slightly, creasing the faint tattoo beneath his eye, a little x , if Kirishima’s eyes do not deceive him.
Kirishima’s gaze flickers to the hand that fondles the hilt of the sword at his hip, also smattered with ink.
“So, tightasses .” he draws out. Kirishima sees his uncle twitch. “You’ve stooped so low as to ask for a pirate’s advice. You must really be lost.”
“Bakugou-”
The pirate’s face turns stern. “That’s Captain , Commodore. I address you by your title, you address me by mine.”
Kirishima’s father’s voice grates in annoyance when he speaks again. “ Captain Bakugou. We are here to negotiate information-”
“Negotiate?” Bakugou walks back and forth in front of Kirishima’s father and uncle, inspecting them like members of potential crew. “No. We are here for a solid exchange. You go first, since you put me through the trouble of meeting you on royal waters.”
Not once does he lay eyes on Kirishima, but he knows his vision is like that of an hawk. Even if Bakugou was overseeing the position of each crew member, no doubt his own crew was also ready to fight at a moment’s notice- that was the thing about pirates. They had nothing waiting for them at home- their life was on the sea. The ability to give 100% into a fight, no regrets and no compromises to wish set foot one last time on land- it was admirable, in a way.
“We can sit in the captain’s quarters.” Kirishima’s uncle says. “We will have paperwork-”
“We do it here .” Bakugou says. He’s shorter than both of the men he’s addressing, but Kirishima, even related, can’t help but put his wages on Bakugou, the way he commands them without any warrant.
“We’ll give you half, then you inform us of the pirate queen’s whereabouts. The secondary information will-”
“King.” Bakugou interrupts. “She’s one of the Eight. That means she’s a King .”
“Yes. Well. Technicalities. The information you want is in here.” Kirishima’s uncle passes Bakugou a small book, leatherbound. The pirate takes it, eyebrows furrowed, and rustles through it’s pages.
“You’ve read it?” He asks.
“Yes.”
The pirate hands it back. “Read it out to me. I’ll know if you’re lying. I intend to destroy the physical information.”
Kirishima’s uncle tenses again, less than pleased to be ordered around by the scum he hunts for a living, but he does what he’s told. Kirishima listens intently, but all he gets are pieces of old poems and vague island descriptions. He’s soon lost to studying the pirate’s face, stone as he drinks up the information. The only indication he’s getting anything out of it is the slight twitch of his eyebrow, as something clicks into place for him.
“Very well.” he takes the book back and slips it into his coat pocket. His jacket falls open,and Kirishima notes his shirt is unbuttoned. Kirishima wonders if he’s really so brave as to provide no protection for his vital organs.
“The old bitch is just east of Endeavor’s territory.” The pirate says, and their fact-checker rushes to his father’s side.
“You mean the Ka islands-”
The pirate’s lips curl up over his teeth in a terrifying grin. “You know where I mean. She’s been on and on about that Pirate King owing her a debt. She intends to collect it soon.”
The fact checker is writing furiously, skipping through his notes. Bakugou is already walking backwards to the plank, when Kirishima’s father cries out-
“Do you really think us so incredibly stupid as to follow a goose-chase into Ka ? That place is teeming with pirates , you filthy liar- ”
Kirishima’s hand falls to his sword out of habit, but it shakes enough he doubts he could hold it fast. Swords and guns are drawn around him as members of Bakugou’s crew saunter over the plank.
“Well.” Bakugou bows, mockingly, and nods to both his father and his uncle. “Commodore. Captain. I doubt you’ll be handing over the other half of that information. But I expected as much, from idiots who think they can trust pirates .”
Just as he’s finishing his sentence, his thumbs are looped into the swords at his side -two; Kirishima had missed the intel, before. Bakugou throws them into the air, catches them just as the government crew lunges his way.
Sounds of clashing metal ring into the air, shots are fired out, but before Kirishima’s hand can catch up and draw his sword, there’s a blade against his throat and he’s being hauled towards the gangplank. The point of the blade traps him, he’s terrified to move too fast.
“Raise those cannons!” Kirishima hears the throaty yell of the pirate captain in his ear.
He saw him parry his father’s sword, then his uncle’s. He hit them both in the back of their heads with the blunt of his weapons, a force that should have knocked them out if not for the thick-skulled genetics in play. He slipped between them so fast Kirishima didn’t have time to react. He was incredible.
“Hold for my signal, though I doubt we’ll need them against this sorry lot!”
Kirishima looks around, the boards staining red- their blood. These pirates were matchless in their power, and the Iwa government had no backup fleet for support due to the agreement of the exchange. The clattering of swords and the yelling dies down as Bakugou tugs on Kirishima, who’s shaking as Bakugou nears the plank.
“No one moves.” Bakugou says. He slips behind his crew members, who circle around him in defense. Kirishima is half dragged, half lifted onto the plank as Bakugou pulls him across. He dare not move.
On the last leg he shoves him down, and Kirishima’s hands scrape against the splintering and grimy deck. He stands quickly, fighting stance ready as the crew aboard the boat encircle him. He feels panic rising in his chest but he beats it down.
“Commodore, it would do well not to let your family stand so close to you, if they don’t intend to fight.” Bakugou says. He sounds like a maniac, drunk on his power over the head of the government fleet. His crew returns to the deck, smiling sinisterly at Kirishima, who’s feeling a little scared and definitely surrounded. “This redhead bitch is mine until you offer up that secondary information. I get the info, you get him back. Or, you leave him to me, and I let you go free.”
Kirishima feels his blood run cold. He swallows hard- he had suspicions about his worth, but- his stomach jumps when he sees his father whisper something to his uncle. His father locks eyes with him, and in a moment that feels like forever, Kirishima sees the plank between the ships slip free, falling, falling, falling to the blue water below.
“Tch!” Bakugou spits as he jumps from the ship rails to the deck. He locks eyes with Kirishima, and Kirishima stares back in shock. “That was unexpected. I took you for a daddy’s boy, but I guessed wrong. That’s pretty damn cold.”
Kirishima knows the crew is around him, but he’s focusing on the sharp glint of the pirate’s teeth as he bares them in a crazed smile. His mind whirs- he wants to watch his ship- his family , leaving, but the man in front of him commands his gaze to fall to him. Kirishima’s hand shivers over the hilt of his sword, and Bakugou doesn’t miss the movement.
“Oho!” Bakugou shoves his face into Kirishima’s. His eyes are bright and he’s close enough for Kirishima to see the sun freckles on his nose. “What do we have here? A government dog who can’t pull his sword?”
The crew snicker around him, and Kirishima wishes he could be done with it, but his good conscious holds him back.
“If I were to kill you, I’d be no better than you.” Kirishima says, proud of the way his voice does not waver.
The pirate snorts. “Funny, you assume you could kill me.”
The crew is uproarious as Bakugou circles Kirishima, like he’s toying with his prey. He pulls a clay pipe from within his jacket, casually pressing in tobacco. He stares evenly at Kirishima as he does so, setting the end between his teeth.
Then, the pirate shoves his shoulders. He forces him onto the ground in a sudden fall that scrapes Kirishima’s elbows on the wood. Kirishima’s hands shake against his own will as the pirate stands over him, large black boots entrapping his waist. He notices idly his own white pants are filthy, at this point. He twitches as the pirate crouches, shoving his face to the side, rough hands against his jaw.
There’s a sting as he rips the stud from Kirishima’s ear, and inspects it carefully.
“Looks like we’ve got a diamond, boys!” The pirate thrusts his hand into the air, raising the yelling voices of the crew as they roar their laughter. Kirishima is frozen beneath him, his nerves on edge and the scrapes on his skin stinging from the sea salt.
“Mina!”
“Yes Cap’n!” a woman’s voice calls from the crowd. Kirishima is surprised- Iwa still followed the superstitions about women aboard sea faring vessels.
“We have a new heading! We’re going for Endeavour’s territory. I want to cross some information with the old hag.”
He was telling the truth? Either way, no sane government ship would venture there without a particular invitation… even then, there would undoubtedly be casualties.
“And what about the noble boy?” another crew member asks, voice taunting. Kirishima turns, and sees it’s a rather slight looking man, probably his own age. A snicker goes through the crew and Kirishima thinks if his blood goes any colder he should be walking the bottom of the ocean.
The pirate grins down at him. “Well, I’ll strip him of the rest of his noble goods, of course.”
Kirishima sets his jaw. The pirate stands back and pulls him to his feet. Kirishima almost nods his thanks before he remembers his situation.
“Your coat is quite nice. The gold buttons are worth a pretty penny. As are those brooches. Take it off.” Bakugou holds out his hand. Kirishima’s fingers don’t shake when he undoes his jacket but the sweat on his skin hits the sea breeze and it sends a chill through him. Bakugou snatches it away and examines the fabric closely, nodding. He dips his hands into the pockets, pulling out spare coins, but not much else. He throws it to a crew member behind him.
“Your shirt isnice, too.” he says, stepping close. He runs his fingers down the silk on Kirishima’s arm, and he feels the roughness of his fingertips hitch on the expensive cloth. “Take it off.”
Kirishima does so, throwing the bundle at the pirate a little forcefully. The pirate laughs and looks around at his crew, who snicker in turn.
“Spiteful, this one.” Bakugou laughs. “You’re quite fit.” the captain says, and in spite of his predicament, his gaze makes him embarrassed, a jolt goes through his stomach.
“The chain around your neck.”
Kirishima gives it to him. It was a gift from his father. His eyes flicker to the sea. He can’t see the boat from here. What was the purpose of this? Did he miss a step in his plans? Was he trusted with a special assignment? Kirishima clings to the idea for a moment, but his honest heart tells him of the futility of his desperate explanation.
Bakugou glances down. “I’ll take that fancy sword.”
Kirishima gives it to him.
“Your boots aren’t as nice as mine, so you can keep those.”
“Thanks.” Kirishima says, voice flat. The captain bares his teeth in a grin as he walks close, sudden enough for Kirishima to step back as he bumps his shoulder. Kirishima catches a gold glint in his smile as he passes.
“For now, man the sails!” Bakugou yells.
Kirishima is left on the deck amidst the yelling chaos that is a pirate ship setting course. He backs himself to the side of the boat to stay out of the way. He watches as calloused hands pull on sogged rope, lifting high tattered orange sails. Kirishima tilts his head up with them, watching canvas fire fill the sky.