Warming Up For Company [open]

[Valkyrie]

Among the cold, windy glaciers of Hyokaido, one massive figure towered above everything else. While a heavy snowstorm was obstructing vision, the being clearly had the silhouette of a human, only ten times larger. Suddenly, a massive sneeze pushed the snow away and afterwards a surprisingly loud mutter echoed on the ice. "It should be around here somewhere..." The storm calmed down a bit, revealing a giant swordswoman dressed like a samurai. Anyone who hadn’t lived in a barrel for the last ten years could’ve recognized her as Shichibukai Valkyrie. Her long ponytail had begun to freeze from all the snow and her cheeks were gaining a blue hue, but she kept stubbornly pressing forward.

What could’ve been so important?

The answer appeared soon enough. Stepping over a small hill, Valkyrie suddenly found herself in a warm area in the middle of a glacier. People called it the Lovely Land for a good reason. A little further shined the clear water of the legendary hot spring she had been looking for. For humans it was massive, but for her it was just the right size to become her very own hot tub. However, Valkyrie’s smile was short-lived. As she walked closer, she noticed a group of people, pirates by the looks of it, had taken over the whole spring. The seemingly harmless bunch was drinking, laughing, singing and just generally having fun.

Tch, these little humans got everywhere, didn’t they?

One of the pirates got out of the water to get more beer, only to bump into a massive foot. He fell flat on his ass and slowly lifted his unfocused gaze up, quietly measuring the enormous person before him. When his buzzed mind finally caught up, the terror became obvious in his face and voice. "G-g-g-guys... It’s... The Shichibukai Valkyrie!" All the pirates turned towards the giant, who just smirked and lifted her fingers in a lazy salute. "Yo." Within a second, full chaos broke loose, with most of the drunken pirates flailing and running for their clothes. At least these annoying little ants were entertaining about it.

Watching the chaos unfold, Valkyrie snickered under her breath. "Risisisisi..." She was trying to stop herself from stepping on someone for extra giggles. However, some of the fellows were too drunk, stupid or both to understand the hint. They defiantly remained in the steaming water, glaring at the giant. She licked her lips and a bloodthirsty gleam flashed in her eyes. Even with all the screaming, the giant had no trouble getting her overwhelming voice heard. "I suggest you little bugs scram before I crush all of you." It was more than enough to get the message across and even the last stragglers were quick to run away without looking back.

When the last of the humans had vanished out of sight, Valkyrie placed her sword on the ground and started undressing. It wasn’t that she actually minded getting company or curious glances when bathing. Shame meant practically nothing to her. She was simply fed up with all the peeping toms who had the nerve to flaunt their luck, as if their actions had anything to do with whether she bothered to slaughter them or not. Most pirates just couldn’t keep their trap shut. Sighing at the irritating memories, she removed the last of her clothes. She patiently arranged them into a neat pile while the mischievous breeze tickled her body.

Turning to the spring, Valkyrie carefully stepped in and slowly slipped into the warm water. The sensation was nothing short of heavenly. Steaming water quickly covered her, soothing her muscles and washing the irritation away. Only her head and shoulders remained above the water as she leaned back and closed her eyes. Her content sigh could’ve easily been mistaken for another gust of wind. For once, a perfectly kind smile rose on her lips. Now this was the ideal life. The only way her relaxation could’ve been any better was if someone had been around to tell her a good story, but oh well. Even she couldn’t get everything, right?

[Miguel Van Helsing]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,width: 450px; padding: 10px;][bg=121212] THIS IS A GAME. DO NOT TRUST YOUR EARS. WHAT YOU HEAR ARE LIES. “All da preps ya wanted are done, Boss! Any uvva stuff ya want done?” Blue gray eyes looked down on the short greenskin currently standing at attention in front of them. ”I want your squad to accompany me on this inspection. Tell the rest of the company to patrol the immediate area and hold the fort. Is that understood, Capt. Gragtar?” The greenskin in question saluted. ”Ya Boss!" After saluting, the green humanoid scrambled off and began shouting orders at the other marines in the area. Miguel just crossed his arms and resumed observing the organized ruckus with his usual gaze of indifference once his subordinate left. It was good to see that these marines were disciplined enough to follow his orders without question even in the midst of the cold of Hyokaido. A time-saver, at the very least. He didn’t have to wait long before Gragtar came back, this time with eleven other people with him. They were mostly a mix of humans and other greenskins, all of whom were dressed in the same uniform and armed to the teeth with their personal and standard-issue weapons while standing in rank and file, just the way he liked it. ”Let’s go.” Miguel turned away from the group and began to lead the patrol himself. Normally, he would have the lower-ranked people do it for him but he wanted to see the place for himself since this was his first time here. That… and he was bored, but he’d never admit it. It didn’t take long for the group to encounter something while on patrol. “Boss! Nekkid humies over dere!” One of his squad hollered as he pointed somewhere to the south. Miguel’s eyebrows couldn’t help but rise at the words. Naked humans? In Hyokaido of all places? What kind of morons ran through a frozen wasteland buck naked? Definitely suspicious… and ridiculous. With a frown, he turned towards the place where that particular subordinate had been pointing at. It took a herculean effort not to gape at the sight of multiple naked human men running in these conditions while holding what appeared to be clothes, glasses, and kegs like the rest of his subordinates were doing. Instead, Miguel immediately regained his composure and gestured towards them. ”Bring them here.” Miguel commanded with a slight frown as he wondered why they were in such a rush to get away from wherever it was they came from. It must be important if they didn’t bother to dress up. “Sir yes sir!” “Yes Boss!” His squad chorused in unison before marching towards the naked humans. Upon seeing the silhouettes of people, the naked people actually looked happy at first and began to run towards them. They then screeched to a halt when they could properly see the people they were running towards before turning around and running in the other direction when they realized that they were moving towards marines. “MARINES!” A good portion of the naked people wailed as they ran back towards where they came from. They were way too unprepared to deal with eleven weapon-totting marines, especially while suffering from frostbite. “RUN!” “WAAAAAAGH!” The greenskins bellowed as they gave chase, followed by the humans and other species in the squad as they scrambled after the overzealous war-crazy humanoids. Unknowingly, the chased and the chasers were headed right towards the spring where the giant Shichibukai was currently bathing. Behind then, Miguel followed at a leisure pace. There was no rush as he could easily find them and some of them could locate him if need be. Besides, he didn’t want to be standing in the frozen plains all by himself, looking like a moron while waited for them to come back with what were probably stupid criminals. TAGGING: VALKYRIE | WORDS: 627 | NOTES: FROSTY

TEMPLATE BY SAMARECARM OF OTE

[Valkyrie]

Unfortunately, Lady Luck had decided that Valkyrie’s peaceful relaxation had to wait for a bit longer. The swordswoman had barely gotten comfortable when the wind carried odd sounds towards her, disrupting her peace. By the sound of it, some idiots were having a yelling competition... In the middle of a fuckin’ glacier. What were the odds? She glanced around, only to see a group of people charging towards her private hot tub. They looked all too familiar as well. "Sure, come here again, you unstylish ants... I’ll give you a welcome you will never forget..." Muttering the silent threat, she closed her eyes again and tried to enjoy the heat for a bit longer.

Valkyrie hated interruptions almost as much as weaklings and those mouth-breathing morons were combining the two just perfectly. And just when she would’ve simply liked to take a little break for a change.

When the noisy group noticed the giant woman, they came to a screeching halt. Some of them stopped to ogle openly while others were more concerned about finding a way out of this. Valkyrie lazily opened only one eye and smirked playfully. "Risi, for a gang of lousy cabbage heads, you’ve got balls to come peeping on me." The pirates laughed nervously, unsure how to react without setting off the famously violent woman. To make matters worse, the Marines weren’t far behind. With a Shichibukai on one side and a weird, bellowing group on the other, today was a really bad day to be a pirate.

Before the swordswoman could tease the pirates further, she spotted something quite odd approaching. It looked like... a group of yelling, green skinned people in Marine uniforms were leading a colorful bunch right here. What? The sight actually got her to open both eyes just to check she wasn’t seeing things. A mischievous smile played on her lips as she glanced at the little people before her. "And looks like you brought friends too. That’s pretty flattering, you know." She was perfectly honest about it. Lifting her leg above the water, she smiled mischievously. "Risisisisi, well, enjoy the view while you can, boys~" Her tone was sultry enough to make a grown man blush.

However, it was only a prelude to what kind of lust she was actually feeling.

Suddenly, Valkyrie’s teasing smile widened to a killer’s grin and the bloodthirsty look in her eyes returned. "Because I am going to kill you all for interrupting my peaceful relaxation." It didn’t mean anything to her that there were Marines present. She was still pirate and couldn’t care less about the lives of some stupid, luckless whisper mice. Valkyrie grabbed her sword and stood up to her full height, towering above the mere men. The hot spring split into white waves and massive splashes of hot water rained onto the ground. With the thick clouds of steam circling her toned, glistening body and eyes glowing with dangerous bloodlust, she looked like a vengeful goddess.

And vengeful she was.

The swordswoman could feel her blood burning with irritation. Not only had her relaxation been ruined, none of these losers even looked like a challenge. These weaklings were exactly the type who would later brag how they had seen the Shichibukai bathing. Well, she wasn’t going to give them that pleasure. No, if anyone were to have any pleasure here, it would be her. The excitement and passion for violence took over and she released a roar of giant’s laughter. "Riaahaahaahaa! Well?! Any last words, you hopelessly perverted rats?!" Since it didn’t look like she would get much enjoyment out of fighting them, she was going to have some fun bullying them into submission.

But how would she play with them? Now that was a difficult decision.

[Miguel Van Helsing]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,width: 450px; padding: 10px;][bg=121212] THIS IS A GAME. DO NOT TRUST YOUR EARS. WHAT YOU HEAR ARE LIES. “WAAAAAAGH!” While Gragtar and the other greenskins were bellowing their warcries, the rest of the squad followed after them wordlessly. The rest of them already tried to outscreech them before and only ended up being unable to speak for a week. If they didn’t know any better, they would even say that the admiral was amused at their predicament. To their surprise, the group of suspects they had been chasing suddenly stopped. A second later, they stopped as well as soon as the reason for their sudden halt became apparent. “…Oh god. A giant.” One of the few human marines muttered as he looked up, unable to take his eyes away from all of that skin. “A naked female giant. In a hot spring. At a glacier.” Even their more enthusiastic greenskin squad members looked a little shaken at the sight of an actual giant getting out of a hot spring in the middle of nowhere. “Ya. Dat a giant fer sure.” Gragtar turned to the pirates with a frown. “’Dis what yooz runnin’ from, humies?” The pirates who weren’t ogling the furious female pirate nodded in resignation. “Yeah, pretty much.” One of the other greenskins suddenly realized just who they were facing and abruptly paled. Well, as pale as someone with green skin can pale. “Gragtar… dat big gal’s a Shichibukai!” He mentioned it at the same time that the giantess mentioned killing the all for disturbing her bath. The squad immediately took formation and prepared themselves for battle upon hearing her threat. They knew that the Shichibukai tended to slay people indiscriminately whether or not they were allies. Well, at least they heard that the overly violent giant did. She probably wouldn’t listen even if they pointed out that they were allies and not living targets like the suspects they were chasing. However, unlike the marines, the pirates did take her up on her offer. “Can’t we explain ourselves? Please?” One of them begged as he went on his knees. They didn’t really want to be caught in a crossfire between a Shichbukai and a marine squad. Their chances of escaping in the ensuing chaos were quite low, especially with those weird green-skinned creatures that looked like they wanted to fight just as much as the giant did. What in the world? Miguel’s brows furrowed as he spotted an enormous figure in the distance where his troops went off to. He would have waved it off as some sort of enormous ice structure if it weren’t for the fact that it had flesh tones, a womanly figure, and a purple top. He suddenly had a bad feeling that he was currently looking at the creature that those suspects were running from. Shaking his head, he hastened his pace to a jog as he continued to where his men where while letting his Mantra stretch out to its fullest. If he didn’t arrive there in time, he might lose a squad to whatever that was, and he didn’t like losing men –erm, he meant resources- as much as possible. Besides, he didn’t want to explain to the upper brass that he lost his men because of one lumbering creature out in the wastes found during a routine inspection. It didn’t take long for a wave of massive bloodlust to hit him, making him grit his teeth. Considering that this was from the same enormous figure from earlier, he could conclude two things. One, the enormous figure was alive and probably a giant of some sort. Two, it wanted to kill something. Possibly the suspects and his men. This could not be allowed. Miguel just hoped that he got there in time before his men all died. Otherwise, there would be hell to pay. TAGGING: VALKYRIE | WORDS: 625 | NOTES: HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO

TEMPLATE BY SAMARECARM OF OTE

[Valkyrie]

Getting up from the pleasant water and standing bare in the cool breeze made Valkyrie realize something. The air was cold as tits in here. Visible shivers traveled down her body and the shade of blue on her cheeks from earlier was trying to make a return. Tch, this wasn’t at all how she had planned to spend today... Her glare swept across the little men. If they weren’t so damn troublesome, she could’ve just ignored them. She didn’t usually pull out her blade for worthless wimps, but maybe she should allow herself an exception. After all, the faster she got rid of these idiots, the faster she could return to enjoying the hot spring.

However, the swordswoman wanted at least some compensation for this irritating interruption. She just had no idea how to get it. Both the pirates and the Marines had gotten on her nerves, but what could they give her as an apology? As much as she loved bloodshed, killing these idiots was looking less like a fight and more like pest control. That was no fun. She was here to relax, not to take care of chores the World Government dumped on her daily. The weird Marines did look like they were ready and capable to put up a good fight, but killing them would probably end in a headache with all the angry Government dogs yapping at her.

She just couldn’t decide what to do.

Before Valkyrie could muse further, the desperate pirates actually started begging. Her bloodlust wavered, if only because she had to lift a curious brow at this. Did they really think explaining would change anything? Hah, they were in for a surprise. ...Wait, actually, maybe she wouldn’t tell them. This was way more fun that way. "Hmmm... That gives me an idea..." She would let Lady Luck decide.

Turning around for a moment, Valkyrie knelt down to search through her clothes. A mysterious smile spread across her lips when quickly she found what she needed. She showed a giant gold coin to the humans. It was too big and heavy for any of them to carry, but for her it was like an ordinary coin. "Heads or tails, little man?" One of the sides had an ornate crown while the other depicted a grinning skull. Clearly wary of any death omens, the spokesman for the pirates picked... "Uh, Heads?" The giant’s smile widened. "Heads, I’ll let you explain... Tails, I’ll have some fun..." It wasn’t difficult to guess what exactly she meant by fun.

With a quick flick, the golden coin was sent flying. The pirates instinctively took a step backwards while feverishly praying to all the deities they could remember. A mere moment later, the giant coin came down as a spinning blur. Instead of catching it, Valkyrie let it hit the ground and blow up a cloud of freezing dust. When the dust settled, all eyes turned expectantly towards the coin and suddenly Valkyrie snickered. "Risisisisi... You are a lucky little man." The golden crown was shining towards the sky. All the pirates breathed out in relief.

Never one to argue with the results of a gamble, Valkyrie retrieved her coin and calmly sat back down. The killing intent slowly vanished and her smile returned to being just mischievous. "Fine, let’s hear your story." Just saying it out loud got her excited in a different way. She absolutely loved hearing stories, long and short, sad and funny. Better yet, she had no idea what to expect from these little bugs. They might tell about a series of unfortunate events, or maybe they would try to appeal to her kind heart. She placed her sword down and slid fully into the heavenly water again, getting comfortable while waiting.

"Amuse me and you might live for a little longer."

[Miguel Van Helsing]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,width: 450px; padding: 10px;][bg=121212] THIS IS A GAME. DO NOT TRUST YOUR EARS. WHAT YOU HEAR ARE LIES. In response to the Shichibukai’s rare show of leniency, the pirates huddled together in a circle to discuss and decide upon a story that would be worthy enough to let them be spared from the giantess’ wrath. They knew that they still had the freaky-looking marines to contend with, but their chances of survival were probably much higher with then that it was with her. At the very least their death would probably be less painful and humiliating. It didn’t take long for the discussion to turn into a violent scuffle, especially with the alcohol in their veins and the tension that ran through their minds. “Am I the only one that finds this display disturbing?” One of the human marines couldn’t help but pipe up as his attention was finally stolen away from the giantess and onto the weird in-fighting between the pirates that kind of looked like something else entirely. “No.” The rest of them chorused, looking equally disgusted by the display. “Can we’z book ‘em fer dis?” One of the greenskins asked as he scratched his bald head. “I’z sure dat dis breakz sum rulez. Boss wants to ask e’m sum questionz. ‘Nd den put dem in da brig.” “We’z gonna catch dem fer da Boss anyway.” Gragtar shrugged, before adding something else. “After dey tell der story to da lass.” The pirates didn’t seem to hear them as they continued squabbling amongst themselves. To the marines’ relief though, the little brawl finally ended after a few more moments, with a bloodied and bruised guy being shoved out of the circle. Said guy muttered something underneath his breath before looking at the two other hostile groups and coughing. “Yeah, I got a good story for you. So everyone in the area, listen up, ‘cause this is gonna be good!” He then shook his head. “No! Legen- wait for it….” He paused for a few moments for dramatic effect, which was kinda ruined by his constant shivering. “…dary! So sit your asses down and prepare yourselves for an epic tale of adventure!” All of the pirates immediately did so while cheering and hollering like mad men, even as they continued to shiver from the intense cold. The marines looked a little conflicted about the order since it came from a pirate, but upon taking a collective glance at the giantess and the giant coin she had flipped earlier, they decided to sit down and behave for now. They didn’t want to be squashed by the giantess and then berated by their admiral for being stupid, after all. Even death wouldn’t be able to save them from the wrath of their admiral if they died due to stupidity. He was an angel after all and probably had access to the afterlife whenever he wished. They weren’t about to mess with a guy like that! “Well then… once upon a time, in a land far far away….” Before the pirate could get any further with the story he had just begun, he was suddenly interrupted by a new voice. ”What is this?” The seated marines abruptly paled. ”What is this?” Miguel couldn’t help the words that escaped his mouth upon seeing the absolutely bizarre scene in front of him. His marines and the naked suspects were seated in a half-circle while facing the giantess in the area. “B-boss!” Gragtar and his squad immediately stood back up and saluted him, looking more than a little shamefaced. “Dis inn whut it lookz like!” Miguel crossed his arms and kept his gaze steady on his marines, careful not to look at the obviously naked giantess more than he already had. ”Explain.” “We’z chased after dese humies like yoo asked, ‘nd dey led uz ‘ere.” Gragtar gestured to the hot springs, which had the naked giantess in front of it. Just why was there so much nudity in here anyway? It was so weird. “Den it turnz out dat da giant iz a Shichibukai.” That comment immediately clued Miguel in to the identity of the giantess. The Shichibukai Valkyrie. Great. Just great. “She wanted ta kill uz all at ferst, but da nekkid humies begged ‘er not ta, so she asked fer a story instead.” Gragtar finished, looking very apprehensive but confident. He was very sure that the admiral would know that he was telling the truth despite how ridiculous it sounded. Said naked humans had gone completely ashen upon seeing the newcomer’s face. They were experienced and well-traveled enough to recognize one of the marine’s three legendary admirals- Admiral Gintaka. The sight of him and the Shichibukai was enough to send them spiralling into despair. All hope of them surviving or escaping had just gone down to zero. Below zero, even. Miguel simply ignored them for the most part and addressed Valkyrie instead while keeping his eyes away from her naked form. He was pretty sure that most societies in the Blue Seas were like the Sky Seas in their views of modesty, so he might as well do the polite thing and avert his eyes. ”Why were you threatening to slaughter my men, Shichibukai? Was the deal not clear enough for you?” TAGGING: VALKYRIE | WORDS: 860 | NOTES: ARRIVED!

TEMPLATE BY SAMARECARM OF OTE

[Valkyrie]

Much to Valkyrie’s delight, the pirates actually gathered around to come up with a story just for her. It got even better when their disagreements turned into a brawl. The giant snickered under her breath at the warm-up show, while keeping an eye on the Marines. They seemed to understand what they would get if they tried to interfere. Good. That already made them smarter than most people she had killed. Her attention returned to the pirates who looked like they were ready to start. She sat up and leaned closer expectantly. The start was promising enough to melt her wicked grin into a warm smile. If this turned out amusing enough, they would be free to go.

Unfortunately, a new voice interrupted the story before it could even begin. Valkyrie’s eye twitched with newfound irritation. Her patience was quickly approaching the limit. Just a little more and she would show these ants why people called her Whirlwind Valkyrie. She glanced towards the ensuing babble among the Marines and her eyes momentarily narrowed. Naturally, she recognized one of the three legends and her wicked smirk returned. There were only two men alive she feared, but this Admiral wasn’t one of them. And even if he had been, her reaction wouldn’t have been any different. Fear, just like shame, had no hold over her. Now, what did this little man want?

Ah, right... The death threats...

Instead of even considering the reasonable question, the Shichibukai lifted a curious brow. "Well, if it isn’t the Navy’s beloved poster boy. You’ve strayed pretty far from the safety of your nest, Gintaka." Informal as always, she didn’t even bother with small things like titles or traditional respect. However, the Admiral’s reaction got her curious. For a moment she was actually surprised. If the Admiral had enough self-control not to stare like a slack-jawed moron, perhaps he was also smart enough not to brag. Hm, yes, if that was the case, she could let him go, the giant silently mused. The rest of these mouth-breathing cabbage heads on the other hand...

Smirking, the outspoken swordswoman gently shifted in her bath, moving onto her stomach. She pulled herself closer to the little men and rested her head on top of her crossed arms. Her huge violet eyes were filled with curiosity as they focused on the Admiral. "What’s the matter, little guy? Too shy to look me in the eyes~?" Aside from having some fun, she was also testing the man. She wanted to see if he was simply too uptight to even look a pirate in the eyes, like some Marines seemed to be, or if he was just a little nervous from seeing the only woman within hundreds of miles.

However, Valkyrie hadn’t forgotten about the question. Her answer just wasn’t what most people would’ve expected. "So, I take it you are the luckless idiot responsible for ruining my private relaxation by driving all these pests here." While her smile remained, her tone made it clear she wasn’t too happy about it. She pushed herself up slightly and reached out to massage her neck. Her muscles were already stiff from walking in the blizzard and having to constantly look down wasn’t helping. "You know, you are slow for someone living in the fast lane. It shouldn’t be so hard to figure out why I want these fools dead." After the little insult, she was finally finished teasing the little Admiral.

At least for now. Who knew what she might do if he amused her?

Giving up on the massage attempt, the Shichibukai sighed and lowered her head again. Her piercing glare focused on the other men, pirates and Marines alike. "You perverted little mice have offended my pride and I simply want compensation. I’ll settle for taking your lives, even if they are worthless." Most of the men swallowed nervously. Openly enjoying the fear, the giant licked her lips and gave her sword a knowing glance. "That’s right, little men, this is the last time you ever get to peep on a bathing woman." More than that, however, she wanted to make sure she didn’t have to hear stupid rumors later. She liked her reputation as a violent monster, not as the peeping tom’s greatest achievement.

"I hope the display was worth it~ Risisisisi..."

[Miguel Van Helsing]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,width: 450px; padding: 10px;][bg=121212] THIS IS A GAME. DO NOT TRUST YOUR EARS. WHAT YOU HEAR ARE LIES. Navy’s Poster Boy. While absolutely true, the label was still annoying. It wasn’t something to be proud of when he had been forced into the role by those uppity old jerks that run the World Government. Despite his annoyance, the admiral kept his neutral expression and continued to gaze at his subordinates instead of the giantess he was conversing with. Said marines were already feeling uncomfortable from his gaze, but they kept their posture straight and their expressions firm. They knew that this admiral wouldn’t tolerate a breach of proper conduct, especially with one of the Shichibukai watching. They were chosen to set an example to the rest of the world, after all, and they can’t afford to break character even more than they already have. That was why they stayed quiet when the giant started to tease their admiral of all things. While admirable, it also made looking at them tedious and boring. They were making it hard for the admiral to keep his eyes focused on them, especially since he had seen their faces quite a bit since his ascension to his current rank. It was made even harder when he felt the giantess move near him and spoke again, this time asking why he wasn’t looking at her like the rest of them. ”A Marine officer is supposed to observe decorum at all times.” He recited monotonously. ”That would include not indulging in acts of intentional voyeurism.” That… and he respected the Shichibukai –all women, really- enough not to look, especially since they barely qualified as acquaintances. But he wasn’t going to admit that. Right after he said that, the giantess finally answered his question. Well, it wasn’t really an answer. It was more of her pointing out that someone like him should have figured it out already while referring to him as a… luckless idiot? Okay, he’d never been called that before. She got points for originality, even if it didn’t make sense. It didn’t take long for Miguel to put two and two together, especially now that he had time to really focus on the facts that he currently had on hand. Once he did, he didn’t like the conclusion he had arrived to. From what he could conclude, she wanted to kill his men and the pirates because they interrupted what seemed to be her relaxation time and inadvertently peeped on her while they were at it. He didn’t even have to ask to confirm his suspicious because the giantess confirmed them for him when she threatened to kill the naked suspects and his marines for the reason that he had thought up, as well as for pride. “Hey, wait! You said you were going to spare us!” The pirate who had been about to tell the story finally snapped out of his despair-induced silence and sputtered. “You promised!” One of the other pirates turned to the stoic admiral and went on his knees. “Please, sir! Make her back off! We don’t wanna die! Please! We’re not criminals, we swear!” Of course, he was lying through his teeth, but he thought that the admiral wouldn’t know that. Unfortunately, Miguel did know that they were lying and simply ignored their pleas. Instead, he looked at his subordinates and observed them, waiting to see if they would beg for their lives like these two-faced cowards. Instead, even though he could feel the fear swell in their hearts, they remained quiet and steadfast, probably because they didn’t want to lose face in front of him. Good. ”Going to kill a bunch of men just because they accidentally peeped on you? That seems a little excessive, Shichibukai.” Miguel remarked while still keeping his gaze off of her despite feeling her bloodlust in waves. ”And wasteful. They won’t learn anything if they’re dead.” ”Unfortunately, I cannot allow you to execute these men without seeing proof that they have committed a crime worth their heads. If your pride needs to be soothed, Shichibukai, there are other ways to do it without murdering them.” He paused for a second before pointing something out. ”After all, living is more painful than dying.” TAGGING: VALKYRIE | WORDS: 690 | NOTES: TENSION

TEMPLATE BY SAMARECARM OF OTE

[Valkyrie]

Valkyrie was slightly disappointed that her teasing got no grand reaction from the surprisingly composed man. No nosebleed, no blush, not even a glance. Just a neutral excuse, though with a woman’s intuition, she could tell there was more to it than just being a Marine officer. Well, his self-control was certainly impressive. She pushed the thought aside for now and settled for listening quietly. Even after the Admiral was finished, the Shichibukai didn’t say a word for a moment. Suddenly, the bloodlust was replaced with pure amusement and the giant lost her composure. "Riaahaahaahaahaahaa!" Her uncontrollable laughter echoed through the area. The Admiral had just told her the joke of ages.

After a long while of breathless snickering, the amused giant finally calmed down. Breathing heavily, she wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes. "You made it sound like you little humans could know anything about a giant’s pride. Risisi, as if you little ants could ever do anything to soothe my pride..." Taking another look at the stoic Admiral got her snickering again, but this time she managed to control herself. "Wait, you’re serious? Risisisisi..." She leaned closer and smirked. "You know, for a hopeless Marine, you are simply adorable, Gintaka. I like that." It wasn’t as much simple teasing as it was an honest thought spoken out loud.

When she liked something, she wasn’t afraid to admit it.

Since Valkyrie still wanted to kill these idiots, just to be sure, she had to stop for a moment to ponder about the situation. Killing them all would give her a peace of mind, but then she would have to deal with this Admiral. Government wouldn’t be too happy if she mutilated their dear poster boy. She had accepted the position of a Shichibukai to get the bothersome Marines, like these ones right here, off her back. Without the title, more of these annoying pests would come after her. Sure, that would bring powerful fighters in her way as a nice bonus, but it would also cut her already scarce relaxation chances. How troublesome...

Once again, the swordswoman found herself unable to decide which path to follow, but that wouldn’t be much of a problem. Without saying a word, she shifted her eyes onto the golden coin still in her grasp. Well, then Lady Luck... Had this amusing Admiral earned these fools one more chance? One quick decision later, she tossed it straight up. Again, it came down spinning wildly. This time, however, she actually caught it, since the little ones didn’t need to see the results.

After glancing at the coin, Valkyrie closed her hand and smiled mysteriously. "Fine. Since I like your guts, Gintaka, I’ll make a deal with you." For once, her tone remained fairly neutral if only to keep the deal clear. "If you can come up with a good enough apology and a suitable remedy for my aching pride, right here, right now, I’ll let all of you go." She wasn’t actually lying about the seemingly unlikely offer. However, she had dangerously high expectations and anyone could guess where failure to meet them would lead. The pride of giant was a very serious matter after all, not that she expected any of these little people to understand.

Valkyrie slowly reached a single finger towards the Admiral, intending to gently lift his chin and direct it towards herself. Despite her massive strength, her control over fine movements, even tiny ones like this, was absolutely perfect, as expected from a swordswoman of her caliber. She wanted to see his reaction to her teasing whisper face to face. "You only get one try, so think carefully, Gintaka~" Now, it was time to see if the Admiral actually understood the importance of her pride, or if he was just an empty-headed talker. Either way, the swordswoman was curious to see how much this little man thought her well-known pride was worth.

[Miguel Van Helsing]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,width: 450px; padding: 10px;][bg=121212] THIS IS A GAME. DO NOT TRUST YOUR EARS. WHAT YOU HEAR ARE LIES. For a moment, Miguel actually thought that she saw his point. He was instantly proven wrong when she started laughing at what he said. What made it worse was that he knew that she was genuinely amused by his comments to the point that he couldn’t feel any bloodlust from her at all anymore. Her amusement was making the fingers on the shaft on his weapon twitch. It said something about Miguel’s self-control that he didn’t give in to his urge to turn around and give the giantess the most venomous glare he could muster or even shove his guan dao into one of her eyes just to make her shut up during the entire duration of her laughter. Instead, the only outward manifestation of his increasing irritation was the very slight tightening of his grip upon his weapon’s wooden shaft. His only consolation was that he had endured far worse than mere mocking laughter this under the hands of his employers. It was a relief when she finally calmed down and stopped laughing. However, he only got even more annoyed when the giantess opened her mouth again and called him human, of all things. Even worse, she followed it up by referring to him as… as… adorable?! Freakin’ adorable?! An eyebrow actually twitched at the word. Forget the human comment, he could let that slide. He was used to people mistaking him for one whenever he hid his wings like he was doing right now. However… adorable?! That… that was just… just… wrong! Inaccurate! He stopped being adorable when he hit puberty years ago! He was a grown Shandian now, for heaven’s sake! He is awe-inspiring or intimidating or even scary, but never adorable! He wasn’t some sort of Blue Sea bird! He was so indignant about that particular description that he almost didn’t hear something being tossed into the air. He didn’t know what it was since he still wasn’t looking at the giantess, but judging from the gawking looks that both his subordinates and the naked criminals gave it, it seemed to be interesting at the very least. Maybe it was that gold coin that the giantess was famous for using in her decisions? Well, it soon got pushed to the back of Miguel’s mind when the giantess offered to let them all go if he could think of an apology and payment to soothe her wounded pride. While he was reluctant to save the criminals along with his squad, his honor demanded that he save these suspects from an unlawful execution. Just how much was personal pride worth to a giant…? Miguel’s mind started to race with all of the possibilities, instinctively slipping half-way into Iaeiros in the process. From what he had heard and read about them, they were a prideful warrior race, especially those who came from Elbaf. From her general mannerisms and infamous incidents, it seemed that she seemed like one of those giants. He was so deep into his musings that he didn’t notice the giantess’ finger approaching his face until it made contact with his chin, startling him out of his thoughts and making him actually blink in surprise. The finger was surprisingly gentle and there was no malice of any kind in the action, which was the only reason why he was able to suppress his urge to cut the finger off with his Sin Eater. Miguel’s expression was still completely flat and indifferent when his face was turned towards a pair of enormous violet eyes set in an equally-large –as well as surprisingly beautiful- face. It remained that way even as she whispered one final term into his ear. One try. Well, that was reassuring. He already had something in mind, but he wasn’t sure if it was enough. Though he didn’t know a giant’s pride, he knew all about a warrior’s pride. While he hid his true origins to everyone else, he was still a Shandian by birth and by nature even if they had cast him out years ago. Shandians were warriors through and through, and as such pride –or at least honor- was the main driving force in their lives. Normally, combat or trial by ordeal was the normal way to go. However, there was also a good chance of insulting the giantess further if he went that route, which might enrage her and make her absolutely homicidal. It would be a waste if he would be forced to exterminate a valuable resource. ”If you value your pride as highly as I think you do, then words won’t be enough in expressing how sorry and remorse we all are for this mess.” Miguel stared directly into her eyes, unafraid. ”For this affront, only action will suffice.” ”So right here, right now, my men and I will do any three things you ask for as long as they are within the boundaries of the law. Tell a story, catch a sea king, or whatever else you wish.” He was going to hate doing this since it reminded him of his slave days, but he had to save his men because they were too valuable to lose. Oh, and those suspects too, he supposed. He just hoped that he wouldn’t regret this. TAGGING: VALKYRIE | WORDS: 874 | NOTES: SORRY FOR THE WAIT

TEMPLATE BY SAMARECARM OF OTE

[Valkyrie]

Much to Valkyrie’s honest surprise, the Admiral’s reaction was pretty good for a little person. Of course mere words weren’t enough, but not many realized that. Perhaps he did understand something about her pride after all. How interesting... Unfortunately, when the Admiral finished his offer, the giantess was left looking at him with no small amount of expectation shining in her eyes. "Hm? Is that it? Only three wishes?" Soon, the shine dulled and mild disappointment entered her voice. "And your speech started off so promising..." However, instead of reaching for her blade or doing anything even remotely threatening, she lowered her head and closed her eyes.

After a moment of pondering, the Shichibukai sighed. "Usually I would be deeply insulted for being offered anything less than a thousand apologies and equally many favors... But I guess this will have to do." In reality, she was mostly just messing with them, though there was a clear core of truth in her words. Normally, she would’ve demanded far more, but then again, normally she would’ve already killed the peeping toms, so this situation was already a unique exception. "My back is aching already and having to reach down to crush you little things would only make it worse... Stupid cold weather..." If the little men knew what was good for them, they wouldn’t question her slightly flimsy excuse.

Opening her eyes, Valkyrie gave the Admiral an honestly pitying glance and a small smile. She just couldn’t be angry with such an adorable little man. "Besides, it probably wasn’t fair to expect anything big from a small, adorable human." Glancing at the Marines and then back at the Admiral, she smirked playfully. "Fine, I’ll settle for your best effort just this once." Cue all the pirates letting out a collective breath of relief. They were saved, at least for now. Still, any fate the Marines had waiting for them was much better than being smeared across a glacier by the angry giantess.

Valkyrie turned onto her back to gaze at the sky while she mused. "So, three wishes... Like in the Alabastan Nights... What should I wish for?" As a creative person, she already had plenty of ideas, some of them challenging and some outright mean. "Hm, maybe I should repay humiliation with humiliation and have your men shave you bald." Her devious tone made it obvious even for the less brilliant men that she wasn’t joking in the slightest. She could already see the amusing picture in her mind. "Just imagine... The great Admiral Gintaka... With his bald head shining in the sun... Risisisisi..." The Government would’ve been furious, but she could’ve easily shifted the blame on him and his men.

Luckily for the Admiral, the Shichibukai set that idea aside while considering what else she could enjoy. She shifted in her bath, sinking deeper while trying to find a comfortable position. The pleasant water was helping her shoulders somewhat, but it wasn’t enough. "I could ask for a nice massage, but I doubt you tiny shiver mice could even tickle me, much less relax my body..." Even without Haki, her trained body was much like steel for lesser men. They would’ve had to be creative to make her feel anything pleasant. While she chatted idly, she did keep her ears open for any suggestions or protests the little men might’ve had, but she simply didn’t bother answering any of them.

The mention of a sea king had reminded her that her mealtime was approaching, along with a gigantic hunger. "I would also love to eat something tasty... preferably smoked..." Of course, the idea of having the mighty Admiral follow her whim for a while was quite enticing. "And enjoy some entertainment, like a nice story, exotic dancing or public execution..." As usual, she just couldn’t pick a choice and it was starting to irritate her. "Tch, it’s always so difficult to decide..." With so many options, she couldn’t even rely on her lucky coin. It wasn’t until after a moment of thinking out loud that a bright idea sparked in her mind and her eyes widened.

"...I want a statue."

Suddenly, the giantess turned around in her bath to face the men, making waves in the steaming water. Her eyes gleamed with excitement of having come up with something good. "Yes, since I am going to claim this little hot tub as mine, I need something that tells peeping toms to piss off." Pointing towards Admiral and his gang, she grinned playfully. "This is my first wish, little Admiral. Make me a statue that shows that this place belongs to me. I don’t care how you do it. Just make sure it captures my fierce beauty~" She got on her knees and stretched her arms towards the sky, openly showing off her toned body to underline her point.

"I’ll think of the second wish if you manage to complete this one."

[Miguel Van Helsing]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,width: 450px; padding: 10px;][bg=121212] THIS IS A GAME. DO NOT TRUST YOUR EARS. WHAT YOU HEAR ARE LIES. Despite her words, the minute the giantess lowered her head and closed her eyes Miguel knew that succeeded. Of course, he wasn’t expecting her to refuse such a generous offer, especially considering that refusal would inevitably lead them to a clash. Given the power levels involved, only the Shichibukai or himself will be able to walk out alive from this island under their own power. Come to think of it, the survival of the island itself should they ever come to blows was doubtful, so in the end a diplomatic solution was probably for the best. His relief was threatened to be replaced by indignation yet again with her next words? Small adorable human?! It was bad enough that she was calling small and adorable, but now she pitied him too?! That was far more galling than any insult she could have hurled at him, but he didn’t let that get to him. He’ll have his chance to make her eat her words soon enough. It was that last thought that enabled Miguel to stay relatively calm when she brought up the topic of shaving his head. While he was sure that his hair would grow back, it would be a pain to cut it in its exact manner again. Besides, he had an image to maintain as per his deal, and having his head shaved by a pirate –Shichibukai or not- would definitely stain it. Of course, the only other reason he stayed calm is because she didn’t suggest scarring him, because a scar from a giant was bound to be s Compared to the shaving, the rest of the choices that the giantess voiced out didn’t faze Miguel in the least. Massages? The logistics would be difficult, but he could probably find a way. Smoked food? No problem. Exotic dances and stories? Easily taken care of by himself or his men. Public execution? Well… that was no problem since he’d have to veto that unless she can prove that the suspects committed a crime worthy of a public execution. Miguel was already anticipating an outrageous request, so he was actually more surprised of her managing to make up her mind fairly quick without using her coin given her reputation than her requesting a statue. Sure, he was glad that it was something fairly benign, if not rather vain, but the quick decision was definitely attention-grabbing. ”Before I begin, is there any particular position or pose you would like to immortalize yourself in?” He resisted the urge to avert his eyes or blush and simply waited for her answer, because that would determine the type of ice formation he would use for immortalizing her image. Well, as immortalized as an ice statue could get in Hyokaido. Eh, beggars can’t be choosers. TAGGING: VALKYRIE | WORDS: 462 | NOTES: SORRY FOR THE WAIT

TEMPLATE BY SAMARECARM OF OTE

[Valkyrie]

Upon hearing the excellent question, Valkyrie fell silent. "Hmm..." She honestly hadn’t thought that far, a natural problem with impulsive decisions. Luckily, she did have some ideas on what kind of statue she wanted. It needed to show her fearsomeness, but also capture her natural charm. Picking the two most promising ideas, she once again tossed the coin. Unfortunately, when the hunk of gold came down spinning, it miraculously stopped to stand on its side in the snow. Valkyrie’s eyes narrowed at the result and she picked up the coin quietly. This had to be a difficult one if even her lucky charm didn’t want to decide. What to do...

After an awkward moment of silence, Valkyrie sighed in defeat and returned her eyes onto the Admiral. "Surprise me, little sculptor." Since she just couldn’t decide whether to toss a coin again or just decide for herself, she was going to trust the little Admiral on making this call. Surely the Navy’s poster boy would know what looked beautiful and inspiring. If he was actually even half as proper as he pretended to be, the statue wouldn’t be anything embarrassing either. Besides, it would be fun to watch him in action, trying to guess what kind of statue he was making. Of course, there was also the question of how he would carve a statue without tools.

That little blade of his wouldn’t be much good alone.

While quietly observing the Admiral, the giantess returned to musing her other options. Soon enough, an undeniably mischievous idea returned into her mind. Like blood demanded blood, humiliation demanded humiliation. Smiling mysteriously, she lowered her head for another whisper. "Next... I think I’ll shave you bald, Gin~ta~ka~" She was intentionally teasing him with each sultry syllable, trying her best to get an amusing reaction out of the stoic man. With an ominous snicker, she reached towards her katana. "Don’t worry. I won’t hurt you if you hold still... Risisisisi..." Well, she wouldn’t hurt him physically at least. Her massive blade would cut his hair with absolute precision, but it would also shred his dignity into pieces.

Along with his clothes, just because she was feeling playful.

However, in all honesty, Valkyrie would’ve far rather had some relief for her aching back, but she could get that later from another giant. As far as the giantess was concerned, mere men like these perverted mice could never even hurt her, much less make her feel good. The difference in size and strength were simply too big. Still, a tiny hope for actual relaxation burned in her mind and it got brighter each time she tried to get comfortable. If the Admiral wanted to try and change her mind, now was the perfect chance. Of course, he would have to convince her quickly, or he could kiss his hair goodbye.

[Miguel Van Helsing]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,width: 450px; padding: 10px;][bg=121212] THIS IS A GAME. DO NOT TRUST YOUR EARS. WHAT YOU HEAR ARE LIES. Blue gray eyes simply watched and observed the giantess as she thought about his question. They continued staring dispassionately when she brought out the infamous coin, but they actually did blink when the coin actually managed to land on its side and partially sink into the snow, pretty much rendering the point of using it mute. Well, it seems that even Fate itself can’t make up her mind…. While Miguel disliked the concept of fate and destiny and he was sure that this was going to make his task that much harder, he couldn’t help but find this a bit amusing. It didn’t take more than a moment before she uttered the inevitable answer he was expecting. Well, at least she didn’t use the adjective adorable this time. Of course, now he had to deal with other problems. Namely, the logistics and scale of this entire thing. ”Very well.” Miguel turned around and gazed at as much of the area as he could by adjusting the light filtering into his eyes, looking for something to carve out a statue with at a reasonable distance from the hot spring. It didn’t take him long before finding a large and rather conveniently-positioned hill near the one he had previously trekked on that was perfect for his purposes. Now he just had to envision the perfect image and posture for the statue. He may have been forced to do this, but he’d be damned if he didn’t churn out visual perfection. However, the only image of Valkyrie he had in his head was the naked one, and there was no way in the Blue Seas that he was going to use that image. He needed to envision clothing, but if she wore them right now the clothes would be soaked, pretty much making the point moot. Miguel turned his gaze towards the enormous pieces of clothing, trying to think of a way to include them in the sculpture. A metaphorical light bulb flashed inside his head as an idea suddenly formed. ”Men, I want you to lay out the giantess’ clothing. Just the outer garments.” He paused for a moment before glancing at the suspects, some of whom had taken the opportunity to wear their clothes while he was negotiating with said giantess. ”You lot, go make yourselves useful and help my men.” “Yes sir!” Despite the odd request, the Marines knew not to question their Admiral. He knew what he was doing… or at least they hoped he did. The pirates though, were not so easily swayed. However, any protests about the ridiculous request that the pirates wanted to use died on their tongue when they saw Miguel’s hard gaze and remembered that he could just as easily left them to their fate. It was galling for them to obey a Marine, but right now they had no choice in the matter. But that didn’t mean that they had to act like they liked it. “…Fine. Come on lads! Let’s stretch ‘em out! Chop chop!” While he waited for the clothing to laid out flat, he stared speculatively at the giantess and memorized her proportions and features to the best of his ability while making sure that his gaze and expression remained as neutral as possible. Once he was sure that he had a good mental picture of her body and an idea of the range of motion she had with it –he made sure to squash every perverted thought that came into mind at that- he held up a finger in front of him and made an extremely detailed three-dimensional model of the giantess’ naked body from light. One down. Miguel remarked to himself dryly as he continued to watch the pirates and Marines work together in stretching out clothing, grunting and muttering the entire way. More to go. Surprisingly, it didn’t take long before they were able to lay out the giantess’ outer garments. The suspects and his Marine squad made a surprisingly good team when they were motivated. It was too bad that the suspects were most likely criminals of some sort. Oh well, what a waste. At least now he knew what her clothes looked like. With the image of their clothes and an inkling of their quality in mind, Miguel’s mind immediately started to visualize how the giantess would look in her clothes and her hair in a ponytail. He had a lot of practice with this, so it was easy for him to imagine her fully clothed and armed in his mind’s eye. Once the image was clear, he quickly modified the model to match the image in his mind. When that was done, he then started to move the image around in his mind based form what little he’d seen from the giantess, while the 3D figure started moving along as well. However, the miniature Shichibukai suddenly halted her movements as her creator was interrupted from his thoughts by her real-life version’s second suggestion. Miguel was understandably horrified, but he didn’t let it show. ”Are you sure you want to waste your wish on that?” He kept his tone steady as he turned towards her again, not letting his irritation or his anxiousness seep into his tone. ”There must be something else that you want more than that.” Miguel muttered as he resumed moving the miniature version of the Shichibukai, trying to find the right pose for the statue. ”Think about it.” He glanced over to his miniature model and made it move for a few more moments before finding a suitably dignified and awe-inspiring pose. Perfect. He let the figure float away from finger and move towards the side while in the same pose. Now all he needed to do was carve out a hill looking exactly like that. ”You still have time to change your second wish while I carve out that statue.” Miguel subtly prodded, hoping that she would change it because he really didn’t want to go bald… or be on the business end of a katana that huge at all. ”Maybe you’ll see something that might change your mind.” With that said, he turned towards his men, who had finally crawled out from underneath the giantess’ clothing. ”Lieutenant.” “Yes Boss?” Gragtar stopped staring stupidly at the miniature giantess the boss made like the rest of the suspects and Marines were and turned towards the Admiral. ”Hold my coat. Make sure no damage comes to it.” Miguel ordered while taking off his Marine’s Justice coat and tossing it towards the Greenskin, who caught it with ease. “Yes Boss! Yer coat won’t be ‘armed on our watch!” Gragtar and some other people of his squad held the Justice Coat reverently while watching their boss flex his silver wings. Unlike the Marines, the pirates were openly gaping at the silver wings emerging from the Admiral’s back. Wings that were flexing and moving. “Holy crap, those rumors were true! He really is an angel!” “Or a frea-“ That unfortunate pirate didn’t manage to finish his sentence when he found several pointy weapons and guns shoved into his face. “Just try it.” A humanoid wolf holding a nasty-looking serrated blade snarled. “Let’s see what happens to you.” The pirate mimed zipping his mouth shut before covering it. Miguel ignored the comments and the stares and simply let his wings transform to full size, relishing in the feeling of relief and freedom that came along with it, as well as ignoring the second round of shock that the suspects were feeling. With a mighty flap of his now-massive silver wings, he shot up into the air and started flying towards the hill he had just seen, with the miniature model floating alongside him at the same speed despite not being attached to anything on him visibly. Time to get to work. TAGGING: VALKYRIE | WORDS: 1305 | NOTES: SO NOT HUMAN

TEMPLATE BY SAMARECARM OF OTE

[Valkyrie]

Unsurprisingly, the Admiral was quick to question the idea of getting a haircut. Valkyrie was still disappointed that she couldn’t get a reaction out of him, but she wasn’t giving up just yet. Leaving her blade alone for now, she just gave the Admiral a haughty smirk. "Of course there is, but a little man like you couldn’t fulfill my bigger desires." For a fleeting moment, her eyes flashed in a chilling glare, directed at all the men present. "Besides, I’m blaming you for causing this mess and giving the perverted vermin a free pass. I just don’t get mad, I get even." Haki wasn’t even needed to tell just how much she wanted direct payback for the embarrassing interruption.

Valkyrie had full intention to make the Admiral work hard, but she just wasn’t sure how...

The giantess remained quiet while the Admiral formed the light miniature, but her focused gaze was made her interest obvious. She had already recognized it as a Devil Fruit ability, but that didn’t make it any less fascinating. Valkyrie wasn’t easily impressed, but the way the clever man shaped the miniature was undeniably beautiful. However, she couldn’t resist making a mischievous note. "With a skill like that, I bet you could make any woman naked. Risisisisi, I wonder who the real pervert is here..." By now, she wasn’t even expecting the Admiral to react. He had already proven his willpower. A pity really. Seeing a flustered Admiral would’ve incredibly amusing. Luckily, she got to see something else amusing instead.

The Admiral’s wings.

Valkyrie had seen all sorts of strange things on her travels, including people with wings, but her people didn’t call any of them angels. Like most giants from Elbaf, she didn’t even believe in heaven, so she couldn’t understand what the big deal here was. Sure, his silver wings were nice, but an angel? Really? In the giantess’ eyes, they made him look more like an adorable little bird, earning an amused smile. She glanced down at the pirates and the wolf threatening them. "I don’t care if he’s angel or not, his wings are adorable. You blind moron mice can just shut up." If they hadn’t been under the Admiral’s protection, she would’ve just sent them flying.

When the Admiral was out of hearing range, Valkyrie turned to gently poke the green-skinned creature, referred to as a Lieutenant, for a curious question. "Tell me, little Lieutenant, is Gintaka always this cold? Or does he just have something against me?" Her eyes wandered onto the flying form of the supposed angel and her tone turned mischievously dark. "Acting so aloof around a bathing woman is enough to insult a girl like me, you know... He thinks he is so much better than any pirate, doesn’t he?" Granted, the thick-skinned giantess wasn’t really offended, not yet at least, but if there was a type of Marine she hated, it would definitely be the uptight, holier-than-thou type.

And with this whole angel story, the Admiral was starting seem an awful lot like the type...

Valkyrie glanced at the Lieutenant expectantly, waiting to hear the subordinate’s opinions. Little did the Greenskin know, but the giantess had decided that she would consider her options depending on his answer. If the Admiral was an all-around cold and uptight type, she would take great pleasure in breaking his pride, along with his wings most likely... But if he was usually kind and she was just an exception to the rule, she would take it as a personal insult and that would end even worse. However, due to her habit of seeing decisions in black and white, she hadn’t even considered any sort of multifaceted answer. Such wildcard might easily topple her mean ideas.