Lupin sat alone at his usual corner table on the deck of the Moby Dick, a half-empty bottle of rum clutched loosely in his hand. The night was quiet, save for the gentle lapping of waves against the hull and the occasional cry of a seagull. Most of the crew had either gone below deck or were gathered in groups, sharing drinks and stories as they always did. But Lupin wasn't in the mood for celebration tonight.
His mind had been restless ever since receiving that monthly quest. "Make Teach trust you and be a true brother." It seemed simple enough on the surface — after all, Teach was one of the most sociable men on the ship. But Lupin knew better. He knew who Marshall D. Teach would become. The man was a monster waiting to emerge, and Lupin had no illusions about it. Still, the system demanded it, and Lupin needed to play along.
He sighed, his fingers tapping absently on the wooden table. The system hadn't given him a new monthly quest for so long, leaving him to repeat those dull daily quests every single day. It was tedious. Boring. This new quest, as uncomfortable as it was, gave him something different to do.
He took another swig from the bottle, letting the burn of alcohol distract him. That was when he heard heavy footsteps approaching. A shadow fell over the table, and Lupin didn't have to look up to know who it was.
"Yo, Lupin! Mind if I join ya?"
It was Teach. That deep, booming voice, too familiar by now.
Lupin forced a smile, gesturing to the empty chair. "Sure, go ahead."
Teach plopped down with a grin, setting a bottle of his own on the table. "Man, these nights on the sea... ain't nothin' like 'em, huh?"
Lupin chuckled lightly, playing his part. "Yeah. Nothing like 'em."
They shared a few easy laughs, talked about random things — old sea tales, stories of stupid new recruits, and the weirdest things they'd seen at sea. Lupin made a point not to bring up Devil Fruits, powers, or future ambitions this time. He knew better than to repeat conversations.
As the night stretched on and the alcohol took its hold, Teach's demeanor softened, and Lupin knew this was his opening. He took a shaky breath, feeling his chest tighten. This was going to hurt, but it needed to be done.
"Teach," he started, his voice barely above a whisper, "Can I tell you somethin'? Somethin' I've never told anyone?"
Teach, surprisingly, gave him a solemn look and a nod. "Of course, brother. Go on."
Lupin stared at the table, his fingers tracing the rim of his glass. "I wasn't always a pirate. Hell, I wasn't even a sailor. I… I grew up in a small town. Dirt roads, tiny houses. My mother was kind, gentle. She always hummed this old lullaby when she thought no one was listening. She died when I was six. Some sickness took her."
His voice faltered. His hands clenched. He didn't have to fake the pain; even though it was a lie in this world, it drew from memories of his old one.
"My father tried his best after that. I remember how hard he worked. His hands were always calloused. And every night he'd come home, pick me up, and tell me everything was gonna be alright."
Teach's grin faded. He leaned forward, listening closely.
"But when I was eight… my brother… my only brother..." Lupin swallowed hard, his eyes glistening. "He shot our father. Right in front of me."
The words came out brittle and broken, his breath hitching like it did every time he spoke about it. Which wasn't often.
"He didn't say a word. Just... pulled the trigger. I remember... I remember begging him not to. I can still see his face. No anger, no grief. Just emptiness. And then my father... he was gone."
Lupin squeezed his eyes shut as if trying to hold back tears. A tear rolled down his cheek despite him.
"I was too young. Too weak. I didn't even scream. I just… sat there. I couldn't move. I didn't understand. Why would he do that? Why take away the only thing I had left?"
Teach reached out, placing a large, calloused hand on Lupin's shoulder. His expression was uncharacteristically somber.
"That's... that's rough, brother," Teach murmured. "A man shouldn't have to see that. Not a kid."
Lupin gave a weak, humorless laugh. "After that... I lived in a nightmare. I couldn't escape it. Every night, I'd hear that shot again. Over and over. I'd see my father's body drop, and my brother's face staring down at me. It followed me for eighteen years."
Teach's eyes watered, and Lupin was surprised to see him visibly moved.
"I ran," Lupin continued, his voice a hoarse whisper. "I ran from everything. From people, from memories, from myself. I thought... if I kept moving, I could outrun the past. But it was always there. Haunting me."
There was a long silence between them. The only sound was the occasional crash of waves against the Moby Dick.
Teach sniffled, rubbing a rough hand across his face. "Damn it, Lupin... I ain't gonna lie to ya. That's one of the saddest things I've ever heard." His voice cracked. "Nobody should have to carry somethin' like that alone."
Lupin met his gaze, tears openly streaking down his face now. "I never told anyone before. Not like this. It's been buried so deep… I almost forgot how heavy it was."
Teach wiped his eyes with his sleeve, giving a small, watery grin. "You're one tough bastard, you know that? To go through all that and still be standin' here, laughin' with us like it's nothin'."
He raised his bottle. "To you, brother. And to leavin' that pain behind."
Lupin clinked his bottle against Teach's, managing a small, genuine smile. "Thanks, man. It means more than you know."
They both took a long drink, the burn of rum grounding Lupin back in the present. The moment lingered a little longer, the shared silence between them no longer heavy but strangely comforting.
Teach broke it with a chuckle. "You know what, Lupin? You're family now. More than crew. Brothers like us gotta stick together. No matter what."
"Damn right," Lupin agreed, slamming his bottle down with a grin. "Brothers."
As they both took another drink and the mood lightened again, Lupin's mind drifted. The quest said to make him trust me, to make him a true brother. It seemed he was getting there. Slowly but surely.
And as they finished their drinks, swapping more stories — this time lighter ones about dumb things Whitebeard did in his younger days, or who could drink more between Vista and Jozu — Lupin found himself thinking about something else.
Tonight was about earning trust. One step at a time.
[System Notification] Progress: Monthly Quest — 'Brotherhood Bond: Marshall D. Teach' — 25% Complete
Lupin smirked as the message flickered in his vision.
"Step one complete."
And with that, he clapped Teach on the back, sharing another hearty laugh. For the first time in ages, Lupin felt a flicker of warmth in his chest. It wasn't real — none of this world was truly his — but in this moment, around this crew, with these people, it felt real enough.