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When Shakky left her life with the Kuja Pirates and her country, she didn’t expect to ever have any dealings with them again. She also didn’t expect to ever have any children—neither her nor Ray were the family types, after all—and yet, here she was.
“Shakky, Rayleigh! Look!!” Marigold called excitedly as she ran towards them, holding out a piece of paper proudly.
Shakky hummed as she studied the drawing on it. It was six figures, clumsy and clearly drawn by a child who didn’t get to draw often, if at all. But still, it was clear who they were—Mari herself, her two sisters, Rayleigh, Shakky, and Fisher Tiger. An easy smile pulled in Shakky’s lips.
“Wow, that’s amazing, Mari!” Shakky praised as she stroked Mari’s hair. Carefully, slowly, as gently as she could. They were still teaching the three girls that touch didn’t have to hurt, after all.
“Oh-ho, you drew me so handsome! Thank you,” Ray laughed, making a show of wiping a non-existent tear out of his eye.
The corner of Shakky’s mouth twitched as she struggled not to laugh at the sight and she quickly took a drag of her cigarette to hide it. She didn’t want to ruin the moment for Mari—not when she was finally starting to act like the child she wasn’t allowed to be for so long.
“Shakky…” Mari said then, her voice quiet, shy, and nervous.
Shakky paused, glancing at Marigold questioningly. “What is it?”
“Your—your cigarette. Can I try?”
Immediately, Shakky’s eyebrows shot up, her eyes jumping between Mari’s innocent eyes and her cigarette for a moment, but then she huffed. “Why not? Here.”
“Really?” Rayleigh asked, sounding unhappy, but Shakky only shrugged without a word as she handed Mari her cigarette.
The girl took it gingerly, bringing it to her lips… then started choking immediately.
With a laugh, Shakky took her smoke back. “See? Not good at all. Remember that if you or Hancock or Sonia want to pick some ugly, unhealthy habit again, okay? Like Ray’s gambling.”
“Rude,” Rayleigh muttered, but his voice was shaking in amusement.
As Mari nodded seriously before turning around and running off to find her sisters, Shakky shot Ray a smirk. In response, Rayleigh only huffed and shook his head, making Shakky laugh as she leaned forward, pressing a small kiss to her husband’s lips.
“You should trust your wife more. I doubt she’ll ever touch cigarettes again,” she teased.
Ray chuckled, rolling his eyes at her playfully… before his hand found its way to the nape of Shakky’s neck, pulling her in for another kiss. Shakky may not have wanted anything to do with the Kuja anymore, she may not have wanted kids of her own… but this was okay with her.