Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was over. The alliance was over, and Law could finally sail the seas in peace once again.

Of course the sea just had to shit on him right after that since they hadn't spotted land for the last two months.

They were heading to Lodestar Island and the wind hasn't been on their side so they've been submerged for longer periods everyday. Everyone was visibly sweating, because it was only a matter of time before they'd need to restock on supplies.

Penguin was the only one who wasn't outrightly panicking since he had stocked up inventory at Wano and at an island after that to last the Hearts for five months straight. Though Law suspects it is only made possible from the help of the cook of the Strawhat Pirates and the first-mate of the Kid Pirates.

Before this the Hearts had the problem of having too little food on board or overfilled because of Penguin's horrible calculations when it comes to rationing. Now not only is Penguin more confident in rationing their food supplies but his food has never tasted better.

Law would never criticise Penguin's cooking skills of course. He had cooked for Law throughout his teen years till now and was never annoyed at his pickiness for food.

He was also the only one who knew how to perfectly balance everyone's diet so that they'd stay healthy throughout their journey on the sea, but because he cook's with the intention of keeping their health in check he unfortunately has to sacrifice the taste of his cooking. He seriously needs to thank Sanji and Killer for whatever advice they gave to Penguin back in Wano.

If Penguin ever chose one day that he'll go back to cooking like he did before, Law doesn't think anyone could survive it (not even him).

The matter that has made most of the Hearts to be concerned vanishes as Hakugan announces through the speakers that they could finally see land ahead.

Bepo has told him last week that he has made a detour for the fact that continuing to go straight to Lodestar Island would be a death sentence. Jean Bart needs new supplies to fix the maintenance room that's been emitting a weird sound for the last month, Shachi needs to stock up on steel oil for his weapons, and the rest of the crew needs things that Wano unfortunately could not provide.

So here they are, heading towards Blasphemy Island. Bepo said it'd take three days for the log pose to set according to the book he borrowed from the Strawhat’s navigator. Which at that makes Law questions, does he think they'll meet the Strawhats again? Maybe, but they certainly wouldn't be on friendly terms. They were no longer in an alliance, they didn't owe each other anything.

So Bepo has to be ready to face Nami's wrath because that book is certainly not going to be returned.

Footsteps were nearing the door to his cabin and Law put down his pen as he turned to meet the person that decided to visit him. The door slammed open with force, Bepo had a huge smile on his face. “Captain!” He calls. “We're nearing the Island now!”

The captain nods. “And is everyone going?” He gets up and puts on the coat that he had worn to Dressrosa, this time with a tank top underneath. He grabbed Kikoku on his way out.

“Yes! Although Jean has volunteered to stay,” the first mate stepped aside to let Law out, closing the door to his captain's quarters; he walked side by side with Law.

Law hums in acknowledgement. “Then how will he get the tools that he wanted?” He turned to face the mink. “Is someone else getting it for him?”

Bepo nods enthusiastically, still high on the fact they could finally dock after so long under the sea. “Penguin will go in his place.” he smiled at his captain, pointed teeth showing themselves off. Law made an affirmative sound and continued to walk.

He passes a few crewmates going back to their cabin to get change. It was a summer Island and the captain understands that wearing a boiler suit to get supplies isn't the best idea. Even Bepo has changed to a black shirt with a baggy muddy green cargo pants.

It was never his idea to begin with to dress in a boiler suit, hell, even he doesn't use it! But Shachi said that it was easy to do maintenance work in and the crew all wholeheartedly agreed. But on occasions like this everyone usually would change into their casual clothes, which Law prefers, because people's personality shines through clothing.

It soothes his heart to see his crew be free. Not caring what the locals of each Island thinks of their styles and them being happy in their own clothes. Seeing them like this always makes the little guilt he has in his heart that he was holding back his crew, the people he loves, vanishes.

He finally steps out on deck, the sun blinding him for a moment. He breathes in the air, the smell of the sea and spices as they near the island. A tuft of red hair walks towards him from his left. “Going out captain? Some of us are thinking of hitting the bar, if you'd like to join us?”

Law gives him a smile. “I don't think so, I need to grab some medicine and finish some health checks.”

Shachi put his hands on his hips, cocking his to the side. A smirk plastered across his freckled face. “Ah, finally writing Clione's slip.” His smile softened. “I was thinking you had practically forgotten he'd broken half of his bones back in Wano,” he teased.

The captain glares at him but to no avail does Shachi look even the slightest terrified. In fact he keeps smiling that gummy smile he's famously known for. “Of course I remember,” Law grits the words out. “I remember all my patients.” he says as a matter of fact. “Unlike a certain nut job.”

Shachi's smile falters. “Yeah well, at least I don't stay up all night and not use that free time to finish some mandatory paperwork,” the red-head taunts him.

“Don't you have anything better to do?” Penguin's voice interrupted their bicker. “Go and change Shachi, we'll probably dock in 30 minutes, and that's not nearly enough time for you to get ready. Judging from previous outings,” Penguin walks by, staring up and down at his friend.

An audible gasp was heard. “It's not my fault that this ship moves too much. How the hell am I supposed to apply my eyeliner perfectly!?”

“You live on a ship! You knew at what cost you idiot!”

Shachi had his hands on his hips, head tilted back as he laughed obnoxiously. “Yeah, my life! How the fuck was I supposed to know that the ship rocks so much it'd cost me my makeup to look ugly too!?”

“Then that just means you're stupid,” Law commented from the side watching his friends bicker.

“How about you shut up!”

Penguin rolls his eyes. “Oh you shut up, you have the best balance in the whole crew, now go!” The hatted man stomped his feet to show that there was no more room for argument. Shachi stuck out his tongue and went into the ship while throwing the middle finger to Penguin.

The captain snorts. “What a child…” he snickers behind his hand.

Penguin sighs, shaking his head which made his earrings clatter with each other. He wore a black shirt that had a few torn around the collar that was decorated with necklaces and leather pants that had chains connected from one loop belt to another. His fingers were adorned with rings and his signature hat but a grey edition was the final touch.

He had a smile hidden because of Shachi's antics and tried to hide it by turning away from Law. He turned to face the bow, looking over the horizon. The side of Penguin's hat flaps aimlessly beside his head. The back of hair was getting longer as the wind made them sway.

Sometimes Law forgets that he was actually younger than Penguin with how young the older man looks compared to the rest of the crew.

A sound came from his friend, he quickly tried to suppress the gasp. Which Law heard.

“What's wrong?” Law turned his head to see what had caught Penguin's eyes but he couldn't understand what the other saw other than the island that they were quickly approaching. He could see the dock already. Ship's filled the place. From sailors to merchants and even pirates. No marine ships were seen, thankfully.

The longer Law stared, the more he understood why Penguin had reacted in such a way. He gripped Kikoku's sheath tightly.

A sharp intake of breath was heard. “Is that… why are they…” Penguin said confusedly. The wind had blown Penguin's hat a bit for Law to see the confused look on the man's face.

Law understands wholeheartedly. Why were they here? He was sure that they would go. Did really come back just to disturb his peace? Just when he was about to put all that behind him.

He had hoped for a peaceful supply search when they found land. Maybe even stay at an inn with a nice bed, then after three days they'd continue their journey with no trouble.

Was that too much? Was that really too much to asked? Did he not deserve peace? Will he forever live in chaos? If so, Law is more than ready to kill himself as soon as he turns thirty.

But with the two pirate crew's that are docking at the island's harbour right now it doesn't seem anywhere near possible.

Had they lied?

They made a deal for Davy Jones sake! The Kid Pirates would head east and the Strawhats to southeast. Why in the world are they all the way here in the northeast!?

“For fuck sake, I think I might just take that offer of going to the bar,” Law grumbled. Might as well embrace the chaos that's certainly about to follow.

—

Eustass Kidd was a man of his word. He was a pirate, with honour and pride. He has a reputation to uphold. So he would never, ever, break a deal.

That's not him.

Yes he had promised the other two captains that he'll head east. They had a deal, but it was not in his control that they would be caught up in a storm that threw them all the way to the northeast. The Grandline sea was weird like that.

It was the most bizarre thing ever! He can still remember giving out orders, securing the haul and supplies. Killer was in charge of monitoring the inside of the ship.

Yelling for his men to be fast on their feet, the wind picked up intensely. It was then when the storm had pushed him back till he hit his head on the mast, hard. Judging from Killer’s screeching voice he must have had a bad bump because the next thing he knew his ship was flying in the air.

Gusts of powerful wind pushed his eyes open. But with his head throbbing in pain, he persisted and kept his eyes close, as close as he could. He could see from the corner of his eyes that his crewmates were holding onto anything they could find with dear life.

Mentally he counted his crew with haki and thanked Davy Jones that everyone was still on board.

Dive screamed as she held on to Quincy. Bubblegum was crying as he gripped the railing with all his strength (later on they found out he managed to leave an exact replica of his hand prints on the rail). Wire and Heat were hurling insults at each other for whatever reason Kidd could not braind at that moment. The Victoria Punk was filled with screams of terror as they apparently sailed through the sky.

Vaguely he remembers the sniper of the Strawhats talking about how their old ship could fly all the way to Sky Island and he thinks if this is how they felt at that moment.

Killer of course had held him tightly to his chest with one arm and holding on to the mast with the other. In the end the storm had carried them all the way to the northeast sea. Insane. He knows, it was the most wacky thing to have ever happened to them.

They came out in one piece, thank the seas. But the Victoria Punk had taken some damage to the mast and to the side of the ship. In the events that unfold, Kidd was not about to take chances of them suddenly ending up at the bottom of the sea or worse stuck in the middle of the ocean.

So he ordered Heat to set a course to the nearest island for them to fix themselves up and repair what was broken during the storm before continuing back to the east. Killer had also told him that they'd need to restock their inventory if they want to venture back to the east because there'll be no land on the way there.

Everyone had gotten off the ship with the exception of Wire staying on watch duty. Quincy apparently holds Wire's list of things needed since Heat hasn't asked how long till the log pose resets. Hopefully as soon as possible before a certain doctor spots them and accuses them of breaking the deal.

Of course chances of meeting him are probably slim since they had sailed from Wano two months ago, surely by now they've arrived at their destination. But with Kidd's shitty luck he wasn't about to test the mother oceans fate making.

He roamed through the streets, looking at each sign to find the carpenter shop he was looking for. He had asked a random merchant which shop sold the best wood and had been appointed to the edge of town to find a man named Daiku.

People on the street looked terrified of him and some even took to look twice as if they couldn't believe he was here. He couldn't believe it either.

Ignoring the stares he continued with his venture till he found the shop that he'd been looking for. Standing in front of the shop he could see that it was a beaten up piece of shit. For a moment he thought that he'd been set up. Not the first time.

Some people that are terrified but so insanely stupid would tell him to go somewhere just for it to be false, all because they were scared and rather face Kidd's wrath later on apparently. He was used to it, but has never gotten over it. He'd lash out and maybe kill those that played him.

Those days he spent in the junkyard where everyone would always lie to him were still etched deep inside him. He would not tolerate it. To lie and betray is to be stripped of your honour and pride. He stands by this and so does his crewmates.

Ready to tear out the merchant that was brave enough to lie to him, Kidd seethes as he marches forward and that's when he sees it. He went near the window of the shop. Stacks of wood were on display.

Just from the design and texture of the wood he knew right away it was Adam Wood. “No way!” He mutters bashfully.

Already forgetting that he was almost about to kill someone, Kidd forced himself into the shop. The bell atop the door let out a soft ring. No one was around but the counter had a mug of coffee which was an indication of recent life.

Good enough.

“Oi! Anyone here!? I need to stock up on supplies!” Kidd's powerful voice echoed throughout the shop and hell, maybe even out on the street too.

His query was met with absolute silence. It was a bit unsettling. “Oi!” Again, no one has answered him. So Kidd focused around him and felt himself get irritated. This has gotta be the worst customer service ever.

The red-head strutted towards the counter where the mug was and didn't even bother looking as he put his arm down the counter and grabbed a handful of hair and pulled them up. An old and rough screech was let out from the old man Kidd had manhandled to his feet.

“Wait! Wait! You– you want money–” the old man begs and he grips the hand that was grabbing his hair painfully.

“No. I want wood. Supplies. And your customer service sucks old fart.” He finally let go of the poor man. Glaring dagger at the man's forehead.

The poor old man stumbled back when he was free, hands touching the top of his head in a soothing manner. “Su– supplies! Of course, what would you want… good sir?” The old man was practically shaking his boots, awaiting his answer.

“Those woods, I want them, all the stock you got,” Kidd pointed towards the display window.

The man's eyes flew between Kidd and the window, thinking. Eventually he gave the captain of the Kid Pirates a small smile before indicating that he'll get the wood packed for him.

So Kidd waits, and thinks. He was going after Shanks. He knew that. Wanted that.

He was excited to finally get back at the other red-head for what happened to his arm, but after sailing out of Wano, lately he'd been feeling dread. He wasn't scared of the emperor, no, he defeated an emperor. Even if it was with the help of a certain surgeon, he did it.

That's something no average pirate can achieve.

Still it was as if a guilty conscience was plaguing him every time someone had mentioned about taking down Shanks. It was because of that stupid Strawhat.

Rambling on about his saviour and the man that inspired him to be a pirate. Perhaps hearing the younger pirate talk about the emperor in such a fond way made him feel like he was killing someone's father and not an emperor.

That's it. He just felt guilty because of a few moments he spent with the straw-hat, surely it'll go away sooner. He hopes.

They were no longer in an alliance with each other. He owes the man nothing.

There was no way he'd let that idiot stop him in achieving his dream.

The sound of wood falling caught him off guard. He turned to see the old man had tripped while holding two stacks of wood. “Ugh… uh do you have a friend coming over?” The man suddenly asked.

“What?” Kidd's eyes narrowed on the man in confusion.

“Ah, no, I meant, this is a lot of wood you might need help transporting it…”

Kidd huffs in disbelief. It wasn't everyday someone looked at him and thought he couldn't carry a few woods. “No need, I'll do it myself oldie.”

“Uh, right!” The man quickly gathers back all of the fallen wood and places it on the counter.

It was then Kidd picked up on something. The usual loud and lively street had turned gloom and silent. He could hear footsteps approaching. Not rapidly, but there were lots of them, moving in a tandem.

It keeps getting closer and closer. Bang! The old man clapped his hand on the tied wood.

“Alright, there are more stock of course but this is the first batch and–”

The door to the shop was suddenly kicked open. A man clad in a dark navy suit walks in. Kidd could see through the window that he had an army of bodyguards lined up outside. Even without them, his accessories were filled with modern rhinestones of different shades.

Everything about him screams to call for attention that he was a prick.

“Mr. Daiku,” the man says slyly. “I'm surprised that your shop is still open! Would've thought after the last time, you would be gone forever…” he said as cock his hip to the side, index finger on his cheek with his other arm crossed over his chest.

Daiku slammed his hands on the counter. “Screw you Michelin! I will never close this shop, you hear me!? Never!”

Michelin huffs. “Even when you have no customers?”

Kidd hadn't planned on getting thrown all the way to the northeast, so he certainly didn't plan on defending the old man. But he wants his wood and he wants his wood fast.

“Oi! Then what in the sea am I?” His booming voice caught the attention of the prick of a man. Michelin's face contorted in surprise as if he hadn't noticed Kidd's presence till now. “Can't you see we're in the middle of a transaction here? Go mind your own business!”

Daiku gasped. Shaking his head vigorously from side to side. If that wasn't any indication that Kidd had done something bad then he doesn't know what is.

Michelin huffs and brings his fist to his mouth as he clears his throat.

“Well, you're certainly new here aren't you?” His slanted eyes try to pierce through Kidd's glare.

He has no time to deal with assholes like him, but nonetheless Kidd entertains him.

“Yeah, I'm a sailor,” usually he'd announce he was a pirate with pride but seeing as the man doesn't seem to catch on who he was he might as well toy with for as long as he could. “Just docked.”

The sly smile on Michelin's face expanded. “Well then I'll forgive you.”

“Excuse me,” Kidd glares.

“You don't seem to understand the rules here lad,” Michelin stretched his arms out. “I own this island,” he says smugly.

“Right, and?” Kidd has entertained him long enough in his standard as he rolls his eyes at the man. Turning to face the old man he waved nonchalantly at Michelin. “So how much for this?” He swirled his index finger around the wood.

He could practically hear the fumes that were coming out of the man he's currently ignoring.

Suddenly the sound of a sword unsheathed was heard. Kidd turned to see that Michelin and the two bodyguards that he brought in the store were all in a fighting stance.

“I will not let you make a fool of me!” Just with one glance Kidd could tell that the brat certainly didn't take his sword fighting lessons seriously. Kidd could just knock him off with how horrible he's positioning himself while holding the weighted sword. “This island is mine and you will respect me for it!” He ran straight to stab Kidd with the tip of his sword.

In an instant Kidd blocked the attack and punched him in the face with his prosthetic arm.

Gasps and shouts were let out by everyone around him. The bodyguards Michelin had brought were shouting for the men outside to prepare for an attack. Kidd was not in the mood to handle more stupid high class men. Honestly, he just needs to fix his lady Victoria. Was that too much to ask?

People outside were suddenly shouting and sounded like they were getting taken down. A few thudding sounds before the door of the shop was open again, this time softly.

A big hat resembling a crown peeked in before the owner of the ridiculous hat showed themselves. “Boss! There you are!” Quincy calls out to him excitedly. A soft smile was given to Kidd.

Some shuffling was happening beneath Quincy's feet, a little more rustling of fabric before Dive managed to crawl into the shop. “Captain!” The girl ran towards Kidd. With routined practice of catching the girl, Kidd bent a little before Dive jumped into his arms and hugged him.

“Hey there, what're you guys doing here?” He glanced at Quincy, he unconsciously gave a smile to the beautiful woman. He wouldn't admit it. No he'd rather died first than admit how much he loves his crew. Especially the women, he has a soft spot for them.

Quincy grins. “We're going to a bar!”

“Huh?” Kidd asked.

“A bar!” Dive said angrily. Her eyebrows scrunched together, mad that her captain didn't understand the simple fact that they were going to a bar. Kid swiped a thumb roughly over the wrinkles between the girl's eyebrows. “Us, and you!”

“I know that! I heard what she said!” Kidd barks back at the little girl in his arms. “And no, who said that ‘we’ are going?”

“Killer did!” Quincy responds.

Kidd stared blankly at the woman. His eyes bore into hers. Dive looked up to look at his face before turning her head to look at the older woman. Kidd knew he had a habit of collecting people as stupid as him, maybe sometimes even more dumb than him too.

But as far as he remembered Quincy wasn't part of the stupid list since it was Killer that recruited her. Quincy can tell him a thousand different reasons on why Killer said yes but Kidd knew a liar when he saw one.

“Killer would never,” Kidd said as a matter of fact with a straight face.

“Hahaha!” Quincy laughed. “You're right! But Heat convinced him so let's go!” She jumped in happiness.

Well that's certainly one reason he'd believe.

He wouldn't deny that. Heat certainly could convince Killer into that. He always does. Hell, he's pretty sure that Killer even once said that Heat could ask anything of him and he'll do it in a heartbeat.

It came with their time in the junkyard. It was well known that Killer is super overprotective of the other three founding members of the Kid Pirates.

With Wire it wasn't really shown because Wire was one of the reliable men they had on board. Also as tall and scary Wire is, the man gets embarrassed quite easily. So if anything were to happen to him Killer would gladly commit genocide for him. Kidd wouldn't admit it but he enjoys Killer’s protectiveness over him. He had always viewed the man as an older brother but his pride restricts him from letting Killer outwardly show how much he cares.

Heat was the only one that wasn't bothered by the fact. In fact he basks in it. Although it must be put out there that Heat is a bit slow and mostly unsure of himself when it comes to making choices. Always doubting whether he was good enough was an everyday occurrence. So really, everyone is protective of Heat.

“Come on Boss! Please!” Quincy begs, trying to bat her lashes, squeezing her breast together with her forearms to convince her captain. Kidd simply raised his nonexistent eyebrow.

“I have lots to do, you numbskulls! I still need to take this wood back to the ship!” Kidd adjusted his hold on Dive, hiking her further up on his hip.

The little girl that had first joined his crew was no more. Dive was now a teenager and she was getting heavier but hardly any taller than when she first joined the crew, Kidd cursed the day he could no longer hold Dive like this. Although Bubblegum had once said that Dive was probably going to stay this height forever since her parents were extremely petite too. For that, Kidd was happy.

“Awe but captain…” Dive whines. Her big doe eyes looking at Kidd's. Now that's not fair…

The girl knows of the power she holds over Kidd although she doesn't do it often out of respect for Kidd, she sometimes uses it for trivia things, when she knows that it won't affect the crew's safety or whatsoever.

“Uhm,” a small voice calls out. Kidd turned to see Daiku holding the stack of wood with both hands. “I could send this to your ship if you'd like. You said just now that you recently docked, well the island takes about three days for the log pose to set. You'd have time to spend it relaxing with your crew. I must thank you for standing up for me–”

“I wasn't standing up for you old man,” he quickly debunked the man's pure thoughts about him. “I'm a pirate,” Daiku's eyes widened at the revelation. “I just needed the wood and some asshole was here for me to let out my steam ‘cause he was getting on my nerves. That's it.”

“But, but still! Let me prepay you for letting them have what they deserve by transporting them to your ship, free of charge!” Daiku insisted.

Kidd stares at him. He wouldn't be so opposed to having things done for free. “Quincy,” he calls.

“Yes?”

“Is Wire coming to the bar?”

“No, he was adamant to stay on the ship and be out for the lookout.”

“Alright,” alright there was nothing to worry about then. “Fine you can send it to my ship, it's the one with a dinosaur figurehead, believe me, you won't miss it.”

“So we're going?” Dive asks.

“Yeah, let's go.”

—

Luffy didn't listen at all to what Nami said. He couldn't remember how they got here. What he knows is that Kidd is here and Law might be around since they were in the northeast and he was excited to see them.

So they left their ship to stock up since Nami is adamant that they need to get back on their original course. Jimbei had volunteered to stay on the ship. They had passed the Kid Pirates ship just now when they had docked.

Luffy had called out for Kidd but no one had responded except Nami who hit him on the head for trying to start a fight. He wasn't, he just wanted to know if Kidd wanted to hang out but it seemed no one was on the ship so they had all gone into town.

Sanji and Zoro had gone together to buy groceries, well more like Sanji somehow convinced Zoro to be his pack mule. “Listen you shitty moss, Nami already has her hands full with Luffy she doesn't need you disappearing on her!” Sanji told Zoro.

The swordsman scowled, inching forward and invading the cook's personal space. “I do not!” He tried defending himself.

Sanji removes himself from Zoro and pinches his side. “Do too!” Zoro physically lurch back, holding his side.

The blonde pointed to Franky's hulking figure. “Then you can go with Franky! As long as you don't trouble Nami!” He starts walking towards the market. This seems to catch Zoro's attention as he trails the cook in hurried steps to catch up.

“Don't tell me what to do curly!”

Ever since the Onigashima fight Zoro seems to be observing and trailing Sanji all over the place. Everyone thought Sanji would kill him or confront him sooner or later but the blonde seems to be okay with it, in fact his body language was practically screaming that he encouraged it.

After the whole shitshow at Whole Cake Island they'd thought Zoro would certainly be mad at Sanji. But the incident has done nothing but made the two men understand each other more.

Robin chuckles as she sees them go, shoving each other every few seconds. “I'll be stopping by the town's library, would anybody care to join me?”

The tall skeleton hums. “It'd be a pleasure to accompany you Robin dear, but I must decline,” he bows a bit in apology. The archaeologist simply smiles.

“Yow! I'll go with the pretty lady then!” Franky striked a pose before going to Robin's side, grinning.

Chopper jumps enthusiastically. “Me too! Me too!”

“Alright then,” Robin says happily. She has never minded having the two of them accompanying her. Rather, she quite enjoys their presence.

They bid their farewell with Robin promising she'll buy Luffy sweets before patting his head. Nami shakes her head disapprovingly, Sanji wouldn't like that.

While they do that, Nami, Usopp, Brook, and Luffy of course stopped at a bar to eat since Luffy's stomach had grumbled. They had told the others before separating to meet them back at the bar since it certainly won't be a short visit to eat with Luffy tagging.

Sacrilege Bar was the name. It wasn't anything fancy but the locals said they served one of the best foods here. The bar was quiet. A few people talking a little too loudly but nothing rowdy like most bars they've been to. They found a spot at the far end of the bar facing the wall.

“Alright what do you want Usopp?” Nami asks while counting her money.

“Mmm I want the lamb chop, and you Brook?” The sniper gave the menu to the skeleton.

Brook politely declined the menu. “No thank you, I won't be eating since I wouldn't want to burden the bar to cook for me with how hungry our dear captain is right now. Yohohoho!” He said, pointing to Luffy slumping over the table.

“Yay! Saves my money, anyways, I want the fish and chips." She closed the menu and raised her hand.

The bar seemed to get a bit more rowdy than when they first came in. The waitress came and took their order and the way her face contorted to a surprise that they'd be ordering fifty stakes just for one person was priceless.

“Anyways, why do you think that the Kid Pirates are here?” Usopp who sat next to Nami asks.

“Ugh… where is Jaggy anyways!” Luffy whined.

“Shut up,” Nami said offhandedly. “Maybe they broke the deal and just turned the helm around when we were far enough.” Nami theories.

“But what if they were in a similar situation as us?” Brook asks from across Nami.

The navigator scowls. Squinting glares at their musician.

“What? Are you suggesting that they were also chased by the Marines and Coup de Burst to escape but ended up landing in the northeast because the wind had suddenly picked up rapidly mid-air?” Nami states with raised eyebrows.

“That'd be crazy if that happens,” Usopp comments with a frown.

“Well this is the Grandline!” Brook announced.

“Don't try to tempt mother ocean you shitty skeleton,” Nami told him in an annoyed tone.

“I don't care as long as I get to see him!” Luffy announces happily.

The atmosphere was mostly calm a while ago but it was starting to get more rowdy by the second. Perhaps this was around time when this bar got more customers. But it was a little past 2 pm right now.

Luffy was snapped out of his mindless thoughts when his stomach growled again. Nami let herself smile a bit. “You're really hungry aren't you?”

“Ugh…” was the only response she got.

It happened yesterday night. They were sleeping after a long day of dealing with a storm. Nami had spent the whole day making sure they were lined up on the right course through the storm. Just a little bit more and they would have reached an island named Egghead.

It was then that all of a sudden a loud voice that'd been amplified called out to them to stop. Lights blaring and rendered them blind for a moment when they stepped out with their pyjamas to take a look at the situation.

Luffy knew if Nami ever gets her hands on the Marine that chased them the entire night she'll electrocute them till they beg for mercy. Mercy she won't give.

They dropped the sails to run. But the Marines persisted and had almost cornered them so they used the Coup de Burst to get a leap when all of a sudden, a strong gust of wind were hurling them towards east.

Here they are now. In the northeast. How fun!

The slumped form of the Strawhats captain suddenly straightened up with his tongue out. Luffy was practically watering from the sight of food, his crew is pretty sure he is.

The waitress approaches their table with three plates and promises the heartbroken Luffy that she'll come back later with more steak.

They ate in peace, nothing bad had happened and that was just one of the indication that chaos was definitely coming, after all with the Kidd Pirates on the island with them? No way there hasn't been a building that became the victim of a bombing.

The Strawhats were mostly terrified of the Kid Pirates (Nami, Ussop, and Chopper), especially with their reputation. Luffy wasn't bothered by it in the slightest. Whatever it is that Kidd and his crew had done in the past Luffy doesn't want to know.

Kidd was his friend and that was all that matters now. He had said so!

Zoro and mostly Nami tried to tell him on multiple occasions that Kidd wasn't his friend and isn't someone Luffy should associate himself with. The Strawhats captain says the same thing every time of course, Kidd was his friend, his ally, his rival, whatever the red-head prefers to call them. He was his either way.

Anyone who knows Luffy knows that he doesn't leave a friend behind. Not his crew. Not Law. Not Kidd. Especially Kidd. He can act all tough and mighty he wants but Luffy can see how heartbroken he had been when he was betrayed by Hawkins and Apoo.

He trusted them, to a certain degree, trust them either way. Just for them to be cowards and traitors. In the end, Killer had paid the price for it. He still remembers Kidd's horrified screams, demanding the person that had hurt his partner to come forth.

The big and scary man that his crew told to stay away from shed a tear for not being able to protect his friend, his family. Luffy understood that. He wasn't able to protect his crew back at Sabaody and he knew what it felt like to feel like you've failed as a captain.

Kidd was done with alliances, he won't trust anyone but his crew and Luffy is mad because of that. Kidd will never be able to experience the fun of the world if he has to keep looking behind his shoulder for traitors.

It was a pirate's life. Luffy understood that way before he became a pirate. Life truly was unfair, he could only hope that Kidd would one day open up to the idea of others outside his crew. Before then, he'll wait. Ally or not. He already chose Kidd, he's Luffy's no matter what.

The same way Law was. To Luffy the two of them were the same and yet so different from the rest. They weren't just his friends to him. They were something more. Luffy would say that he was scared to find out what they truly are to him but he'd be a liar.

A magnetic pull was what he felt towards Law when he first met him in Sabaody. He had a weird power, which can also be said for Kidd. Luffy wish to say that he felt a pull towards Kidd too when they met but the pull wasn't as strong as Law's. It had only fully bloomed when he spent time with the red-head in prison.

Robin advised him to not ally himself with someone like Law afterwards when they met again in Punk Hazard. Usopp backed her in that decision, but he was the man that saved him from Marineford. The man that made it possible for him to reunite with his crew.

So Luffy was in no position to not trust the creepy looking pirate. He was attracted to Law's form as he roamed around the Sunny. His crew had caught his eyes trailing over the surgeon's figure more than once.

This obviously had put the entire Strawhat crew in a state of shock and Sanji even suggested they threw Law overboard before he could notice Luffy's innocent attraction towards him. Luffy quickly put a stop to this motion and ordered that no harm comes to Law for as long as he's alive.

He obviously didn't really understand what his crew meant when they said that Law was using his looks to attract Luffy into trusting him. Luffy was never attracted to the pirate in that way but after their comment it has come to Luffy's attention that Law was indeed beautiful.

He urged his crew to look at Law from the inside, he was more than just a pretty surgeon. He was Luffy's saviour and soon enough he managed to repay the man's deed.

Luffy keeps eating even after Nami and Usopp are done with their meals. They had ordered wine and rum to fill the time.

He could hear the bar getting louder and filled with more people. But couldn't be bothered to check, content with his meat in one hand and drink in the other. Eventually, Zoro and Sanji make it back but with a few bruises adorned on their faces.

“What happened to you guys?” Usopp asked.

“He did it!” They both pointed at each other as they faced Nami. She hadn't even said anything and they both naturally reacted to her that way. Her pride probably swells to know that she had at least left an impact on them from all those scolding.

“I didn't say anything,” she raised her hands innocently.

The two kept glaring at each other, they looked like they would tear each other's face off if Nami wasn't there to keep them in check. Whatever it is, Sanji scowled as he ordered for Zoro and made sure that the waitress told the cook of the bar to tone down the sweetness and put an extra teaspoon of salt into the meal.

Even though fumed with anger Sanji still took his job seriously when it came to taking care of the crew. Luffy was happy to have him back on the crew, he promises himself he'll never let anyone take his cook away ever again, Zoro would probably back that motion. Luffy grins to himself.

And if anyone thought it was weird that Sanji insisted on ordering for Zoro first before praising Nami, they didn't say anything. No one said anything about it unless they wanted to face Sanji's wrath.

Twenty minutes after Sanji and Zoro arrived Franky, Robin, Chopper came running in. Chopper had chosen to sit between Sanji and Zoro excitedly telling them about the rare medicine he bought. Luffy kept eating as every five minutes a new plate came to the table.

“Captain, I'm afraid the sweets you've requested had run out. But I've heard the locals tradisional sweets may cater to your taste,” Robin said as she pulled out a box of candy.

Meat stuffing his face full, Luffy smiles at her happily. “Thanks Robin!” He says before inhaling the sweets.

It was a comfortable outing, they haven't gotten the chance to just get together like this back in Wano. The party that was thrown didn't count, they weren't sober, well his crew wasn't. Luffy doesn't really like alcohol.

It was perfect.

Chapter Text

After he had bought the medicine and anaesthetic he needed, Law went to the centre of town and waited for the others. Shachi told him that he hadn't seen any of the Strawhats or Kid Pirates during his trip to the weapon store.

Perhaps they were already getting ready to leave.

Law didn't even spare a single glance at the Sunny and Victoria as he got off the Polar Tang. He sped out of the harbour, scared that he'll meet the captain of the Strawhats or Kidd himself.

“Captain! Let's go to the bar already!” Ikkaku whines. “I'm so thirsty!”

Shachi scoffs at the only female in their crew. “You only want to gamble, not replenish your thirst.”

The woman frowns before smirking and draping an arm over Shachi's shoulders. “It's okay… I feel ya, it must be hard to always lose,” she snickers as Shachi's face turns red in vexation.

“Oh fuck you! Those people cheated!”

Ikkaku had a smugged look, cocking her head from one side to another. She vaguely points to all them. “Pirates,” she states.

The duo continued their bicker that lacked any real heat.

Law wonders briefly if the Strawhats and Kid Pirates already made it off the island. It'd be good for him. He just hopes that they'd get off without ever bumping into him or not, he'll ‘Room’ himself off the island if possible.

He knew that with Luffy's luck it'd probably won't happen though, but it begs the question of, did Luffy and Kidd have a secret alliance?

Or had they perhaps continued the alliance after they broke it off? But then why hide it from Law? Maybe it's because of the red-head captain's pride. Law did say that he didn't need to rely on others in front of the captain multiple times throughout their alliance.

Obviously he didn't mean to offend Kidd with his comment, which probably led the red-head to decide to call off the alliance with the three of them and then proceed to continue it with just the Strawhats.

Then again, hadn't Kidd outrightly commented how much he hated Luffy? It didn't make sense. However, Luffy had been adamant that Kidd was his friend no matter how much the red-haired captain denied it.

His face always turns a bright shade of red as he scolds the rubber boy.

Later on at the celebration of defeating the emperors Law had seen them competing with each other in whatever stupid competition they both have managed to find themselves into. At the end of the party he saw them again, this time leaning against each other, shoulders a inch away from each other, talking softly, (something he didn't know his fellow captains were capable of doing) enjoying each other's company.

Perhaps then was the moment Kidd chose to continue on with Luffy. To end it with the surgeon and continue on, and Law, Law felt a little sad that they left him out. Yes, he basically avoided them like a plague at the party and everywhere else, but he had to be honest, the two younger males had grown on him.

He feels hurt that they left him. Perhaps a little jealous too. Of who? He has no idea. Perhaps both of them– wait… what? No, Law doesn't care about them– that's not–

He finds himself caring so much about the two idiots all of a sudden. Why? Who cares what Kidd and Luffy do in their free time? Who cares if they left him? Certainly not him, he tries to convince himself.

“Captain,” someone waves their hand in front of his face. Law wonders how long he had been daydreaming. “Earth to Law? Do you still want to go to the bar or did you finally get a heat stroke?” Penguin asks, hand still in front of Law.

Law smacked his friend's hand away with Kikoku and scowled. “Shut up.”

“Okay, snappy…” Penguin nursed his hand as if Law had tried to break it. The captain of Hearts scoffs at the display. “Anyways, you haven't answered my question. You still want to go?”

He is suddenly reminded of what his mind was thinking a few moments ago and shook the thoughts off. “Yeah let's go.”

“Finally yay!” Ikkaku is heard cheering.

—

Shachi leads the way to the bar since he had gone around asking people about the best bar in town. He wanted to find the best bar not because his captain had implied back on the ship that he might go with them but also because he knew the stress that was weighing on Law's face after seeing the two familiar Jolly Rogers.

“Ah! There it is, Sacrilege Bar!” Shachi announced.

They all went in without any problems and sat at a more secluded area. Law seemed to be more wary the moment he stepped inside the bar. The stress became more evident on his face as each second passed. The surgeon has always kept Kikoku close to him but today he kept gripping the nodachi a little tighter than usual.

Penguin looked around but couldn't find anything that would make Law uncomfortable. Even Law didn't know why he felt like something was wrong. Alas, they packed the topic up and began ordering.

The waitress came and told them that the steak one of them had ordered was sold out because someone had ordered 50 pieces all for themselves. This information prompted Ikkaku to almost cry on the spot, her stomach growling.

“Just order the fish and chips,” Law tells her, not even looking at the woman as he reads the menu again. She does it but not without cursing whoever had been the reason her steak was sold out.

Eventually all of their meals came. Shachi had a few bottles of rum as Law had ordered wine for himself and Penguin. All said and done, it was a great afternoon.

Until it wasn't.

The door to the bar rang as someone came in. The bar was extremely popular, people were all coming in and out.

But the new customer seems to have a problem all of a sudden, disrupting the usual peace for the bar.

Rough and angry voices began to increase in volume. The Hearts tried to ignore it as best as they could, no reason to get in between a fight they didn't start.

But by each second the voices became louder and screechier. The waitress that had attended to their table a while ago was shaking in her heels as she tried to calm the group of rowdy people seated at the far corner near the entrance.

Penguin noted that they were loud when the Hearts first came in, but they didn't seem to cause any trouble back then. So why now?

“Who is it!?” A man shouted. His voice, rough and laced with a thick southern accent. Oddly familiar. A little too familiar for Law's liking.

What are the chances of them being in that same bar, Law wondered. Did he perhaps catch wind of Luffy's disease of having trouble follow him everywhere?

Law didn't have to twist in his seat to know that the voice belongs to none other than Eustass ‘Captain’ Kidd, now the main spectacle of the entire bar.

“This is ridiculous! I don't believe that someone would order 50 pieces of steak all for themselves,” Kidd screams at the poor waitress. “Let me crack this person's skull for stealing my lunch!”

A sigh came from the red-head's side. “You were about to order the same amount Kidd. Fafafafa! We'll just go somewhere to find your steak, okay?” Killer tried reasoning with his captain. Keyword here, ‘tried’.

“Yeah! Let me punch this person too!” Ikkaku says.

Law had his hands covering both sides of his face to prevent making any eye contact with a certain crew. “Ikkaku,” he scolds the woman. “Shut up!”

“Oh that's the Kid Pirates alright…” Penguin comments from Law's left, picking up his glass and sipping his wine slowly as he watches the free show.

Shachi nodded along. “I was wondering when they'd start to cause havoc. Thought it'd be sooner.” taking a handful of Ikkaku's fries and eating them before she could notice.

Their captain grumbles. “Guys… why are you like this?” Law says to them defeatedly.

A big figure comes up to Kidd, “Captain Kidd, Killer’s right. Let's just go somewhere else. They don't even sell pasta here,” the person, the Hearts think they remember as Gig, whines to his captain.

“Jaggy?”

A voice says. Instantly Penguin felt bad for how wide Law's eyes became at the voice. He restraints himself from laughing out loud at how ridiculous his captain was being.

The surgeon could feel an intense headache coming in. He recognised that voice anywhere. With the shitty nicknames he likes giving to others.

Law ends up sinking further into his seat, hands covering his entire face as his crew looks at him with amused faces. Penguin snickers behind his hand and Law would like to die now, thank you very much.

They could now feel Luffy's presence and the rest of the Strawhats right behind them. The Strawhats were mostly facing the wall blocking their faces for anyone to see.

A gasp followed by an excited squeal. “It is you, Jaggy!” Luffy throws his hands in the air, jumping over the table and running towards Kidd.

Nami tried to catch him by the collar but the rubber man was faster. “Damn it Luffy!” She cursed and stood up.

“Jaggy!” What was his luck to find Kidd in the same bar, thought Luffy who was beyond delighted.

Whatever it was that Kidd was shouting at the scared waitress was cut off when he heard the ear scarring name. “Huh!?” He turns around, veins on his forehead about to pop. Everyone seems to be testing his patience today. “Who the fuck are you calling Jagg– Monkey!?”

Just like that Luffy leaped off his feet and jumped onto Kidd, hugging him tight. “It is you! I've been looking for you!” Luffy's entire torso covered Kidd's face. “I can't believe that you're here!” The straw-hat man nestled his cheek on the soft red tufts of hair.

Kidd fought to be free of course, pushing Luffy off of him by the face, to no avail. The Strawhats and Kid Pirates were surprised to see each other as they ignored their captain's figures in the middle of the bar.

“What the hell are you doing here!?” Kidd asked, pulling the straw-hat man away from his face just enough to see him. He was beyond confused, why was Luffy here?

The straw-hat man that had suggested that Kidd should join his alliance on multiple occasions and also self-claimed to be his friend was here in the northeast hugging him to death. Can life get more complicated?

Law on the other hand was confused. Why would Kidd ask that, didn't he and Luffy come to this island together? Law didn't understand.

Wait, if Kidd doesn't know why Luffy is here does that mean they aren't still in an alliance? Or did he just assume? Then why the hell are they both here then? Law took a peek at them, face still hidden behind his hands. Luffy looked really happy to see Kidd while the red-head looked utterly confused at Luffy's presence here.

“Didn't you have to head southeast!? What the hell!” Kidd finally managed to tear the rubber man away and threw him to the floor.

Luffy landed on his feet laughing. Dusting himself before smiling widely at the red-head. “Well, I could say the same thing about you! Aren't you supposed to be in the east right now?”

The Strawhat pirate didn't really care about how he ended up here or how Kidd did too. He was just absolutely happy that Kidd was here now.

“Tch,” Kidd turned his head to the side. “Where I go and end up is my business idiot!”

The straw-hat man cackled, smile widened with pure happiness. Kidd didn't have the normal look of hatred he held most of the time when he's dealing with people he doesn't like. He seems almost fond of the other captain.

“Wait, if you're here… then that means…” Kidd suddenly looked cross and grabbed Luffy by the neck, shaking him. Actually he was choking him. “You ate all of the meat! You fucking gluttonous monkey bastard!” Luffy guffawed more loudly at the red-head's angry tone. Rubber body equals rubber throat and all.

“Yeah! How dare you eat all of my stake!” Ikkaku yells as she stands up in support.

“Oh my seas, Ikkaku, would you stop it already,” Law pulled on her sleeves to sit down before going back to sinking into his seat. Surprise that no one has spotted them yet, better for him.

Penguin rolled his eyes at the scene. His captain was truly an emotional mess. “Honestly Law you…”

Shachi simply giggles at Law's deflated form.

“Boss, maybe you should put him down…” a blue-haired man stood up from his seat, towering over even his captain, Kidd. “He looks high,” Heat comments worriedly.

Robin could be heard laughing at the man's assumption. Luffy getting strangled while laughing maniacally does make him look like he had perhaps been doing drugs. Overdose too maybe.

House snorted before gasping as she remembered something. “Oh that reminds me! We need to buy cocaine–”

“Oh yeah!” Pomp agrees with her.

“No we don't!” Killer shut down the entire motion.

The last time drugs were brought onto Victoria Punk it was a whole mess to clean up. Bubblegum had spent the entire week lecturing Kidd and Killer for such carelessness in their leadership that could've led to their crew's decreased health.

They all have their own vices but drugs was not one of them.

Heat tries again. “Boss–”

“Leave it Heat,” Killer sighs as he calls out to the fire breathing man. “Fafafafa! As long as he doesn't try to kill him it's fine,” Killer picks up a glass with a straw and sips slowly as he watches the scene unfold. Dive, House, and Pomp howled words of encouragement to their captain.

“Uhh, shouldn't we be doing something?” Usopp asked around the Strawhats table. Nami had settled back down in her seat after sighing loudly.

Franky simply shrugs as Brook laughs happily. “Nope, our daring captain seems to be having fun so they'll be alright.”

The Strawhats seem to fully accept that this was now their captain's fate until Kidd's temper could finally calm down.

Quincy tried to make bets on how much longer Kidd would keep strangling the other captain with Killer but the first mate politely declined.

Nami was cursing at Zoro to go and help Luffy but the swordsman simply said that his booze wasn't finished. This earned him a well-rounded kick from their cook of course, for prioritising booze over their navigator's distress.

“Don't talk to Nami like that!”

“You don't talk like that!”

Chopper gets up from his seat and walks to Robin, not wanting to be caught in his two crewmates' fight. The little reindeer used to be so afraid and worried of Sanji and Zoro constant fights, but after a month on the Merry he practically ignores them until one of them would swallow their pride and come to him for treatment.

“You little shit monkey–” Kidd tried his hardest in squeezing the rubber textured neck. He knew that Luffy wouldn't get hurt and even if he did he'd vocalise it to the world so Kidd didn't hold back in his anger.

The bar transitioned from a momentary shock into a chill atmosphere. The two pirate crew seem pleased to see each other. The Hearts felt a bit awkward and left out but Law seemed serious about ignoring them so they could only follow suit.

Suddenly the door of the bar burst open. Everyone stopped moving collectively. A man panting, wore a black t-shirt adorned with fishnets on his forearms and legs where it peeked out underneath his short jeans and a mask that covered his entire face that is all too familiar to the Hearts.

Hakugan holds onto the door frame, sucking in deep breaths. “The mari–” he coughs. “Capt–” his voice was interrupted again by abrupt coughing.

At the mention of his name, Law sat up straight, facing Hakugan and signalling to him to not call out his name. He ran his hand over his neck vigorously, telling the Hearts helmsman to shut it.

Hakugan saw this and was confused on what to do. Then he noticed that the Kid Pirates and the Strawhat Pirates were here too. “Uh…”

He was noticeably caught between wanting to call out to his captain and listening to the vague orders given. Eyes darting from the main people in the bar which is Kidd and Luffy to his captain, Law.

It was this kind of situation where Hakugan wished his captain wasn't so emotionally constipated when it came to following his desires. Law has to be pushed to the very edge to even be able to freely say what he wants.

Hakugan could see, what his captain wanted was nothing more than to miss the two captains but pride and trauma stopped him from wanting and getting what he desires most.

It was intense, being stared at by 20 people or so. Hakugan shuffles awkwardly at the doorway. Accidentally looking to the side, he could see that Gig and Quincy had instantly recognised him. They were some of the Kid Pirates that he was comfortable talking to. They were nice and fun, and had amazing fashion sense too (he's not talking about Quincy).

Suddenly Hakugan was forcefully pushed aside as Bepo barged in, tears in his eyes. The bear shoved him so hard that he went flying towards the Kid Pirates. Gig got up quickly and caught him before he fell flat on his face on the floor.

Before Hakugan could thank the man that had saved him, he turned to face the mink first, scowling behind his mask. “Captain! The Marines are here!”

Just like that the spell was instantly broken. The Strawhats stood up, the Kid Pirates quickly grabbed their weapons.

Two more figures nudge Bepo roughly. The polar bear from Hakugan's perspective unfortunately did not fall after the rough shoved. Two pirates pushed themselves through the door, falling to the floor before getting back up in an instant. “They have the entire town surrounded, Captain Law!” Clione and Uni screeched in unison.

“What?” Penguin stood up, making himself known to everyone. They couldn't pretend they weren't here anymore so might as well show themselves. Slowly everyone turned their head to face the Hearts that sat at the opposite side of the Strawhats and behind the Kid Pirates.

“Well this is awkward,” Shachi whispers to Ikkaku, smiling sheepishly. Waving his hand in a robotic movement. He really didn't want to be found out this way. He knows his captain sure would agree.

“Trafalgar!?”

“Traffy!”

The two captains screamed in unison when they caught Law's slumped form in the middle of the table. How couldn't they have noticed him there, the both of them thought.

Was Law here the whole time? If so, why didn't he say anything, Luffy wondered.

“The entire place?” Killer stood up, asking Bepo.

The mink took a moment to analyse the entire bar and turned back to Killer and nodded.

It indeed was a surprise to find his captain and their two rival pirate crew together getting chummy with each other. Though, judging from Law's expression, Bepo was certain that wasn't the case. “The Marines were called from their base near this island after the mayor's son was assaulted by pirates. The Marines are currently docked on the north harbour.”

Kidd, Quincy, and Dive started sweating at that. Killer eyeing them accordingly.

“And our ship's are all docked in the south, so they haven't surrounded the harbour then?” Law asks.

“Wait a second,” Kidd lets go of his hold on Luffy, the straw-hat man falling to the floor with a thud. “How did you know that we docked in the south too?”

“Too? Shit,” Nami cusses. She knew the Kid Pirates were docked at the same harbour as them but the Heart Pirates too? This couldn't be a coincidence anymore can it?

“It doesn't matter, is it safe to assume that the Marines haven't surrounded the harbour?” Killer asks Bepo.

“Yet. We have to hurry or they just might! I'm sure that the others are on their way to the dock by now, captain!” said Bepo. “But…”

“What?” Law urged his first mate to speak up.

“The Marines are after you, Straw-hat and Captain Kidd. They've been going around shouting for you guys to surrender.”

Now that wasn't good. They actually came here with the intention of capturing the three captains even though it was another pirate's doing that prompted them here.

All the pirates got out of their seats ready to run. Kidd wasn't fond of the idea but he is reminded of why they were here, on this island in the first place. He had a ship to repair, he doesn't need injured crewmates to come into the mix.

As they were about to leave, suddenly Bepo, Clione, and Uni were shoved out of the way by rugged looking men. The three Heart Pirates fell flat on their faces (much to Hakugan's delight).

Three heavily Punk looking guys came through the door looking bloody. They were battered and were covered in wounds. Kidd stares, shock. His crewmates look like they went through hell and back.

A man with purple hair that curls out to each side of his head coughs some blood out. He was sporting a black eye. More blood came out of his mouth before he pointed outside. “The Marines are here already, they're getting ready for an attack!” Bubblegum shouts.

Metal could be heard singing by no one but Kidd. The way they sang as human hands touched and worked the cannons. Metal clanging with each other in harmony. Ringing in his ears, whispering of the things they were made to do. ‘Shit.’

“Everyone get down!” Was the only thing Kidd managed to say as cannon balls blasted through the bar.

Heavy metal balls penetrated all the walls that came its way. The sound of someone ordering another attack had the pirates concerned. They needed to get out of here now.

Luffy's eyes were blurred, everything he saw looked like a bunch of colours swirling together but never mixing. It made him nauseas. Everyone's ears were ringing, they felt like they were about to go crazy.

The straw-hat man tried to stand up but dropped to his knees instantly.

More sounds of metal scraps grinding against each other. Kidd turned his head to the side, the other patrons were all shaking under broken tables. But he could see his crew were still intact and was shocked that he had mentally checked that the Strawhats and Hearts were also all breathing simultaneously.

Did he really just check up on his rival's crewmates? He didn't understand. Wasn't it better for him if they were dead?

He shook his head to get rid of those thoughts. They need to get out of here, now.

He zeroed his focus onto the metals outside of the bar. They sounded like music to his ears. This was how he felt when he used his powers. He'd listen to them and control them. The way they sang as he directed them. So they would come, swords, pistols, and cannon balls were hovering in the air.

They came to him eagerly and when they were near enough. “Repel!”

The chunks of different weapons, all metal, rushed outside to find their prey. Screams were heard, and that was their chance.

“Move! Move out, everyone get up and split up!” He barks at the three pirate crew. “Move in pairs with the other crews!” Kidd ordered his crewmates.

Someone had coughs painfully in rejection. “No! We can't –” Law tried to protest before continuing his coughing fit.

“We don't have a choice, Trafalgar! Didn't you hear your bear!? The marines are after us, we can split up and lead the marines away from the rest of the crew!” Kidd counters.

Luffy caught onto Kidd's plan, nodding to the red-head. “Everyone! Get up, we have to run now! Help the other crew members out too!”

“Wait!” Law shouted with determination. “And what would you two do if one of your crewmates backstabs my crew in this havoc of a situation? We're no longer in an alliance, Eustass-ya! I won't put my crewmate's life in another pirate's hand,” Law reasons. He knows of course he could at least trust the Strawhats but Law was wary and protective. He'd like to be there for his crew if they end up getting injured.

Kidd stares, face unreadable as he thinks.

Does Law have the power to always make things more complicated than it is or is he just born that way? Kidd has never understood the surgeon with his calculative plans and his complicated speech.

“They won't,” Luffy says. The two other captains turn to him. “None of them would harm the other,” he got up from the floor, brushing some shattered glass on his jeans.

“You don't kno–”

“Traffy,” Luffy stares at the surgeon, eyes determined, sincere. The straw-hat man knew that none of his crewmates would do such a thing but he comforts Law anyways. The surgeon had been through a lot at Dressrosa and Luffy didn't quite understand Law's background; and he didn't care for it.

He was there to see the other pirate captain at his lowest the same way Law had seen him at his too. He was there to witness what made Law the way he is now. He understands to an extent that Law will always put his crew above others and himself, because they are all he has left.

Law will never let go of his crew to the hands of another without a fight. That Luffy too would agree.

“If they do, I'll take responsibility.” Luffy said as final.

Kidd clicked his tongue. The surgeon just had to be difficult didn't he? “Same here! If you're still so scared, let's call a truce! A temporary alliance until we're saved from the Marines!” Kidd suggests.

An alliance. Again with the same idiots. Law isn't sure why he's so against forming an alliance with them. They were fine, strong.

Bullets suddenly fly to aim at them. Kidd, still staring at Law, raised his hand. “Repel.”

The Kids and Strawhats were strong. At least a little more than his crew when it comes to physical strength. They'd be safe with them if they were to split. Splitting up right now really might be the safest option since they don't know if a Marine admiral might be sent after them or whatsoever.

Law had left his crew back on Zou so they wouldn't get caught up in his problems and he swore to himself that he'd do it again if he was alive after that. Here he is. If the Marines are so focused on wanting them, then Law can lead them away, play with a few soldiers, giving his crew a chance to escape to the Polar Tang.

The three pirate captains that took down two emperors of the sea were all gathered on the same island, in the same bar. Following their luck and intertwined fate, he couldn't cross off the fact that the Marines would send an admiral to catch them before they could cause more mayhem.

If they split their crew's they could diverge the Marines rather than taking them all at once and being drained of power later on when a powerhouse comes. It was the most effective thing Law can think as of right now.

“Captain!” Hakugan calls for him. Law turns to see one of the Kid Pirates has been shot at the side of her abdomen.

“Shit, House!” Kidd runs to her, dropping on his knees to press on the wound. He hadn't sensed any of the bullets coming through her way just now, could it be from when the Marines first attacked the place? He cusses himself for lagging behind in protecting her.

“We can help her if we get to the Tang now!” Hakugan says and Law understands that he was telling him that. If Hakugan runs now with the blue-haired woman he could patch her up in a minute. Law made sure each of his crewmates learned exceptional medical skills in case of an emergency like this.

“Law!” yelled Shachi. Desperation in voice for his captain to just make a choice already.

The surgeon's head was throbbing and he wished for nothing more but to sleep on his bed back on his ship and pretend this never happened. If only.

“An alliance. Temporary, only till we're all safe from the Marines,” Law announced.

Kidd turned his head around, glancing at Law before looking behind him. Luffy nodded. “Everyone will work together and protect each other above all else! We will all meet back at the harbour!” The Strawhats captain orders the three crew.

“Drop your weapons and surrender!” one of the Marines threatened. Luffy could sense he was right outside the bar's broken door (if you could still call it a door). “Cooperate and you'll be spared!”

All the pirates in the bar scoffed at the statement. They could smell the dishonesty in the air.

“Never!” Dive yelled back.

The sounds of gun cocking told Kidd that they've run out of time. Luffy was standing behind Law, counting his crewmates.

Kidd took one last glance at House, currently taken care of by Hakugan. “I'm leaving her to you!” the masked man nodded in understanding. She'll survive. Kidd knows she will. “Alright! Time to go! Scatter!”

He ran up to the other two captain's, Luffy seems to be troubled on not seeing one of his crewmates but Kidd knows they're all here, breathing. So he grabbed the back of Luffy's neck and manhandled Law over his shoulder.

Shrieking came from the two captains. They fought tooth and nail to be put down. But Kidd has been patient and they've wasted more than enough time.

The red-head carried the two supernovas and ran straight to the back door of the bar.

The surgeon was dumbfounded. “Eustass-ya! You asshole–”

“Jaggy put me down!”

“Shove it you bastards! Or I'll gag you. You're drawing too much attention!” Kidd retaliated back.

Luffy gasps, a mischief smile on his face. “That's really kinky of you Jaggy.”

“Straw-hat-ya!”

Kidd's face lights into a fiery red that's similar in shade to his hair as he runs away from the Marines with two supernovas in his arms.

Chapter Text

To say the least, Killer was flabbergasted with the scene that just happened. He prays that Law would not kill his captain for manhandling him like a ragdoll is all. Now, he has a job to do since his captain had just dashed out with two other commanding authority figures.

But thankfully it seems that the Strawhats first-mate had picked his slack while he was distracted. He surveys the area and sees House, her wound had stopped bleeding from what he saw.

Killer got up and went towards House to offer some assistance before a bullet was shot, missing him by an inch. He stopped dead in his tracks staring at the direction where the small metal came from.

Another bullet was shot and was blocked by a hatted man before it could hit Killer. “Don't just stand there!” Penguin scolds him. “Come on!” The smaller man took Killer’s hand and led him outside through the fallen apart door. The Massacre Soldier was baffled at how big his hand was compared to the other. Either way, Killer didn’t protest the rough leading, picking up his own pace to lose the Navy.

“I didn't notice you guys were in the bar at all,” Killer says to Penguin.

The Heart pirate turned to face him, still running. “Well unlike you guys and the Strawhats we don't make it a tradition to make our presence known to the world everywhere we go like an idiot,” There was no heat behind his words, Killer noticed.

He smiled, hidden from the world by his mask. He feels the effect of the smile fruit starting on his face. “Fafafafa! I'll admit, I think Kidd had something to do with the mayor's son getting punched.”

“Well how wonderful,” Penguin gave him a smirk, one that sent chills down Killer’s spine. “I can imagine just how many pieces Law is going to cut your captain up into.”

Killer genuinely cackled this time. “It'll be his own fault then.”

They ran quite the distance from the bar. He looked back and saw nothing but a blur. The Marines however were as clear as day. Everytime they thought they finally had lost the soldiers they just kept appearing out of nowhere in more numbers.

It was getting sickening.

Killer looked around, he felt his head spinning from turning in different directions in speed. Then, he saw an alley. There was a narrow alley between two shops that could barely fit Killer.

He went over the new devise plan in his head and stared at the back of Penguin’s head. He was sure that just like his captain, Law, Penguin surely won’t appreciate being manhandled into an alley.

“Oi! Birdface!”

The insulting nickname garnered Penguin’s attention, anger in his eyes. “Who the fuck are you calling ‘Birdface’ asshole!?”

Killer was taken aback. Penguin was a pirate, so of course he had a sailor’s tongue and attitude whether it was overdue time or he was just born with it like Killer was, but it was still thrilling and surprising to hear the man talk to him like he couldn’t over power the Heart pirate right now if he wanted to.

To be met with fury and not horror was something rare to Killer since he was twelve.

“There’s an alley up ahead, seems like a great spot to lose them, doesn't it?”

The pirate upfront turned to see where Killer was pointing at and turned back with a sour face. Clearly he doesn’t seem to agree, but when Killer looks back and sees the army of Marines chasing them and thinks he could care less.

“Well, I don't think we really have a choice birdie,” Killer explains lazily.

Penguin stops with the sole of his boots screeching the ground, face red. “My name's Penguin you bastard!”

"Penguin,” he rolled the name on his tongue giddily. “What a lovely name for a birdbrain pirate,” He laughs before grabbing Penguin by the shoulders and throws the screeching man into the alley before jumping into it too.

—

“Move! Move!” Zoro shouted to the crew members that were running around like headless chickens. Dive crawled on the floor in front of him before hurrying outside. “Out everyone!” The swordsman scanned the bar and saw that House and Hakugan were still on the floor, unmoving, at least they weren't running. “Oi!”

Hakugan turns to see Zoro, the swordsman running up to them. Meanwhile, House was flailing on the floor like a fish out of water.

Zoro probably would’ve been more concerned if not for Hakugan yelling at the blue haired woman to stop being dramatic. “I’m gonna die, I'm gonna die!” she rolled around on the floor, eyes delirious.

“She's lost a lot of blood! I can't help her like this!” Hakugan tells Zoro.

“You sure she’s not having a seizure?” the swordsman asks sceptically.

“Probably not.”

“I’m right here!” House yells at them.

Hakugan was mostly equipped when it comes to psychological trauma but Law had enforced enough knowledge on him to know how to treat a shot patient.

They weren't called the Heart Pirates for nothing. His captain had made sure each and every one of them chose a profession in the medical field. Whichever they liked, Law would personally teached them all of his knowledge of it.

Hakugan was never good with anything to do with the internal organs but he has always taken a liking to people's different behaviour. Thus, he chose psychiatry as his main field of medical ability.

Though at this moment he could worry about House's weird behaviour after she’s away from death’s door.

The Strawhats first mate stares at them before going down on his knees. Hakugan catches sight of Shachi running past behind Zoro before turning his eyes back on the two pirates in front of him.

“The Polar Tang right? We'll have to get there fast,” Zoro tells the other man before directing his attention at the injured woman. “You think you can make it blue girl?”

House coughs, blood trailing down her mouth. “I'm not fucking fragile,” She had an expression of tiredness and madness. Zoro apparently took that as a yes. Just as he puts a hand under the woman’s waist she wails. “Agh! That hurt!”

The green haired man flinches away. Shocked that he’d hurt her.

Hakugan on the other hand, felt a vein popped. He hasn’t spent time with the Kid pirate longer than five minutes but he knew this was just a whole act of dramatics.

“No, it doesn't! House stop that!” behind his mask, he bares his teeth to House.

“How the fuck would you know!? You're not the one that got shot!” She yells in an annoying high pitched voice.

From the corner of his eyes, Hakugan could see that Zoro was amused with the whole situation.

“I'm going to shoot myself if we have to stay here any longer,” Hakugan grumbles to himself. It wasn’t like him to lose himself in a shouting match like that. He was usually professional.

“Then let’s get going before bluey here loses a doctor to stress suicide,” Zoro says with a chuckle. The Strawhat pirate wasted no time scooping the woman into his arms, this time with no protest.

Hakugan hastily stood up. “We came through a sewer system because the Marines were all over the city just now. We can make it back to the Tang in ten minutes tops if we go through there,” Hakugan explains.

“I just want my bed and to play hide and seek with Hip,” House whines to herself, curling into a foetus position in the swordsman’s arms.

“You’ll get your dream life once we manage to get there. Mask man! Lead the way!”

Hakugan runs ahead, head turned back to glare at Zoro. “The name’s Hakugan!”

Zoro smirks. “Nice to meet you then.”

—

Shachi ran out of the bar where he saw Penguin had gone hand in hand with the first-mate of the Kid Pirates. He craned his neck, running around trying to find his friend.

In the thick waft of smoke that clouded Shachi’s vision he could barely tell where his left to his right is. Running around blindly he had somehow run straight and knocked his head on something hard. “Ow!”

The person who he had knocked into screamed in surprise as he obviously didn't expect Shachi to be there. The red-head stared at the chest that was covered in a dark burgundy corset, ‘So that's why it hurts’.

“You!” Heat looks down at Shachi. “Watch where you're going!” He yelled in a soothing voice.

“Me!? How about you watch where you stop suddenly Mr. Mountain!” He pushes the man. Heat stumbles with a baffled look.

The Kid pirate probably thought that Shachi was a scrawny, scared, and a useless member of the Heart Pirates as everyone else does. He wasn't really into the whole loud way of doing things as it wasn't part of his skill sets. He was raised to not be noticeable and that just blends right in with his role in the crew.

It really is the only reason he hasn't gotten a price on his head yet. Honestly, it's probably why the majority of the Hearts haven't gotten their own bounty.

It's a bit sad of course, but they're always reminded of the fact that they're likely less aimed by pirate hunters so long they don't wear their uniform. A win Shachi would claim in his books.

Still that just means he deals with a lot of scum who think they can overpower him just because the government hears their pathetic screeches of attention instead of noticing the intelligent silence.

Heat scoffs in surprise. “M–mountain!?” He asked, baffled to be insulted by the red-head. He looks Shachi up and down, black eyes sending chills through the red-head even with his shades on. Heat squints his eyes a little before a twisted smirk forms on his rugged face. “You got a death wish ginger?”

Shachi gulps. He read about the Kid Pirates. Read about the crimes they've committed. “Y-yeah!” He stutters. Fine, they were scary looking but Shachi concludes that this isn't the time to be fighting with a temporary ally. Although, Shachi has never been one to think twice before talking. “You're so fucking tall–”

Heat gasped loudly before he even managed to finish his sentence. “You midget– how coul–”

“You two there!” A Marine shouts at them, breaking all tension in the air. Suddenly, Shachi didn't feel any irritation towards the other pirate or anyone else, just dread. They whipped their heads immediately towards the soldier. “Stop right there, Pirates!” The Marine pointed his gun at them.

“Uh-oh,” was all Shachi let out, eyes fleeting to look at Heat before carelessly trying to run.

Heat following suit right behind him. “Run!”

“Stop right there! The Marine calls again.

“Holy shit! Where the fuck did he just come from!?” Shachi ran with his head turned back, looking around the running marine to see if there'll be more of them. For now it was just this one soldier that seemed to be a rookie.

Heat glance behind him before halting and pointing into the horizon. “I see the harbour! First let's run from this lad through the back streets.” Shachi nods before following the man.

They turned the corner into an alley.

“Stop in the name of Justice!”

That just scratches Shachi in the wrong way. He's never been a fan of the government probably from the moment he was born. Law loves that about him.

“Justice my ass! Go north and fix your laws there first before you start talking morality to me!” Shachi spews. “You spit a fuck ton of shit about justice but really you're all just some sad fat ass cows prancing around about your good heart when in actuality it's corrupted like spoiled milk!” He stuck his tongue out, flipping the Marine off.

Throwing insults that were really his bottled up feelings at the soldier felt good. Besides, it was a healthy way to relieve stress. It's just that Shachi didn't expect the other pirate to react to his mindless comment.

After all, Shachi could care less about the sea that was his home place. Nevertheless, Heat laughs, hard and loudly. He looked like a child clutching his stomach, eyes shut tightly, and throwing his head as he laughed.

“That's a good one!” He tells Shachi. The red-head didn't even notice that he was staring at the man, until Heat looked at him.

Shachi shakes his head, laughter bubbling in his throat. “The only true one too!”

“Oi!” Heat calls to the Marine with a cheeky smile plastered on his face. “If you're going to take a swing at the north I suggest you go south too while you're at it!” He guffaws a little more harder before continuing. “Lads and lasses there'll milk the shock out of you!”

Shachi giggles. “What's with these cow references? They don't deserve to be associated with scums like the government!”

“Right?” Heat laughs in agreement.

They kept shouting insults at the Marine and turning into every corner they saw. Once they thought they've finally lost him a group of marines bump into them.

“Damn it! They're everywhere!” Shachi quickly turns and runs the way they came from.

There were lots of ropes that connected from one building to another, overlapping with each other. Shachi could see that there was laundry hanging on it. Heat looks like he's a twinge bit pity for the owners of the laundry before sucking a deep breath and burning the ropes.

Coincidentally distracting the Marines for a few seconds.

“Left, left! Turn the corner–” Heat directs. Shachi simply follows the order, no question asked.

They couldn't see the Navy anymore but judging from the loud and hurried stomping of boots, they were likely closing on them.

“We can't waste anymore time! Let's–” Heat was suddenly caught off guard as he felt his feet could no longer touch the ground. His body hovers there for a while.

In reflex, he grabbed the nearest thing he could grasp, that being Shachi. The red-head screeches, body snatched and suddenly falling rapidly. Heat ends up dragging the poor soul down with him into the sewer.

“Where are they!?” The Marines hurriedly ran past the corner.

Running in a line, a man that was at the back of the line saw the unlid sewer hole. “Oh, this can be dangerous,” said the new marine recruit as he slid the lid back on before running to catch up with the rest of his colleagues.

—

Meanwhile, Quincy in the chaos of her captain dragging the two other captains out she had grabbed the only two people in her line of sight and followed the three captains out. Only to lose sight of their captains in the sea of Marines.

“Shit! Just how many are there!?” Nami screams, turning around to run. The two other pirates followed her.

Ikkaku turned to see the numbers of Marines kept getting larger the longer they ran. “This is crazy! They're expanding in numbers!”

The red-head was leading them at the front. “Faster!” Nami screams at the two women behind her.

The Heart pirate took multiple glances back before pointing at something. “Hey crown girl!” The Kid pirate turned to Ikkaku. She was about to protest the name before the woman continued. “You see those ropes? Got a gun right? Shoot ‘em.”

The Kid pirate turned and saw what Ikkaku was aiming for before she turned back to the woman with a mischievous smile. “What's the magic word?” Quincy asked with a smirk.

Ikkaku frowned. “What? This isn't the time to play–”

Nami screeches, loud enough to burst their eardrums. She had stopped running, halting the two pirates behind her too. “Oh my god!”

“What!? What happened?” Ikkaku stepped up to survey the situation.

Strawhats navigator could be heard sniffling, she fell to the ground crying into her hands. She let out a string of jumbled words that Quincy was sure she wouldn't be able to make out in a hundred years.

“I said the money!” Nami screams at them, turning to face them with a fury look. “I left my money at the bar!”

Quincy immediately sympathised with her. If it was her money, she'd be wailing too. Not Ikkaku though. “Who the fuck cares? We have an army of Marines after our asses!”

“Well I care! And I'm going back!” Nami began to walk when suddenly the Marines finally found them, rushing forward with guns pointed. “On second thought let's dash.” She ran like there was no tomorrow, Quincy and Ikkaku following suit.

“Hey! Please, please just shoot those ropes down!” Ikkaku pleads with Quincy.

The woman gasped, remembering that she was supposed to shoot the ropes before. “Oops sorry forgot,” She laughs.

Quincy took her gun out and shot the rope that was holding up a banner between two shops. The banner falls and lands on the Marines, blinding them from the three pirates.

The three of them were gonna be a weird match alright but they'd have to stick together until they can reunite back with their crewmates.

“Run!” Quincy screech. She pushes the two women into an alley to lose the Marines. Most islands with cities have the same ultimate layout. There'll always be a back alley.

Shortcuts and easy routes exist in these alleys. Quincy spent the majority of her life lurking in these parts of town. Probably would’ve kept on living in those rat holes if Killer didn’t find her.

When they're finally back on the main road a few Marines saw them and started chasing them.

There was just no end to them.

The dark haired woman points towards a ladder far ahead, leaning on a wall of a shop. “Let's lose them off the ground! The roof is high enough to see the docks I think!” Ikkaku said before hooking each of her arms with the two pirates to drag them.

Quincy wonders why she didn't think of that and stared at Ikkaku with amazement.

The Heart pirate saw this and cocked her eyebrow in query. “What is it?”

“You're so smart!” Quincy praises the woman. Ikkaku turned a dark shade of red as Nami smirks at the implications.

Ikkaku swiftly turned to look at the Strawhats navigator, glaring at her. “Shut up.”

“I didn't say anything,” Nami defended herself dryly. Giggling the whole time Ikkaku was dragging them.

Quincy was left questioning their interaction.

—

People were running out of the bar in hurried steps, making it hard for Dive to crawl to safety without notice.

Her captain was always adamant that someone was to keep a close eye on her at all times just because she was a little kid. Well she'd like to disagree with that, she had recently turned fifteen this year! She was a big girl already but she understands of course, not one to question her captain or orders in general.

It was how she became useful, adhering orders to a fault.

Finally managing to find herself out of the bar, she started running before realising that she doesn't know where she's supposed to go. She didn't remember which road led to the dock because of how bad the streets looked. The Marines sure cause more destruction than they do.

Dive went with the easiest way to solve her problem. She leaped onto the roof, catching the edge before pulling herself up effortlessly. She couldn't see the harbour until she did a whole turn on the spot.

Happy she knows where to go now Dive runs to jump onto the next shop. She landed perfectly and was ready to do it again when she suddenly tripped and tumbled off the roof.

Meanwhile, Chopper, following Zoro's orders, ran straight outside and without looking, into an alley. He kept running before he sensed something about to fall from on top of him.

“Ahhhhh!” Dive screams, failing to catch herself. Chopper could be heard screaming too before realising that the girl would likely land with broken bones if he didn't do something.

He quickly ran towards her changing into a heavy point and caught the girl in his arms. “Got you! What were you doing all the way up there!?”

Dive groans, being caught abruptly ends up hurting her hips. “What did you think!? Finding out where the fuck the dock is obviously!”

Chopper gasps. “You shouldn't cuss!”

“I'm a pirate!”

“Pirate, stop!” Chopper and Dive whirled their heads behind to see a white bear running towards them with tears in his eyes.

Bepo screams, sprinting faster to get away from the Marine. He sees Chopper and Dive up ahead. The girl still in Chopper's arms blinking owlishly at him. “Run!” The mink took another big leap.

Chopper tensed up while Dive got the note and knocked the reindeer on the head. “Run you idiot!” that seems to get him going and he runs.

The reindeer sprinted further into the alley. Dive glance back to survey the situation. Bepo was running as fast as he could from the Navy, breathing in a hurried pace while screaming in fear.

If it was up to Dive, she'd stuff the mink's mouth with a cloth to stop the screeching.

—

The swordsman was ordering people to move out as fast as they could after Captain Kidd had taken off with her captain, Luffy. Leaving Zoro in charge since Killer had been dragged off somewhere. Bepo didn't seem to be anywhere in the bar either.

Robin couldn't really see through the smoke and just ran ahead until she saw a big figure up ahead. She ran towards the unknown person in hopes of seeing someone familiar. “Franky?” the person turns and reveals himself to be a member of the Kid Pirates, UK.

Robin recognised him as one of the three punk men that came through the door moments before the disaster. “Oh sorry, UK was it?”

“Straw-hat!” The man greets her. Surprised that she knew who he was.

She had taken the time to learn all of the Kid Pirates names from Killer at the party in case they'd ever come across each other again, and they did. Robin was proud of herself that she remembered and recognised the heavily Punk dressed man.

“Hello, am I right to assume you're having trouble finding the others too?” She asked.

UK visibly frowns. “I can't find Pomp anywhere! He was here a moment ago,” he explains with a saddened expression.

“I could look for him for you,” Robin suggested. She crossed her arms and had bloomed some eyes to look around the bar, but the smoke was getting heavier and she couldn't make out anything. “I'm sorry, I can't reall–”

Robin, using her powers, saw that a Marine was getting ready to shoot her and UK so she quickly crossed her arms over her chest and twisted the man's wrist. Screams of agony were let out by the Marine.

“Woah what was that?” UK turned towards the source of the noise. “Did lad twist an ankle or something?”

The archaeologist giggled. “Something like that.”

The punk man looks at Robin sceptical before smiling

“Well then, we can't idle here, let's run first,” she tells UK, the man nods and follows her out.

—

Ussop had unexpectedly caught the ‘can't-split-up-with-his-crewmates-and-follow-other-pirate-crews‐to-the-harbour’ diseases. It was truly horrifying. They didn't need to split up, at least not from their own crew but his crewmates were loyal to a fault and they had all gone running with someone else.

They've left Usopp to suffer all alone.

Being a sniper he had to have good eyesight but with all this heavy smoke he couldn't see anything. He tried calling out to his friends yet, none had responded. He thinks that Zoro must have run off too because a second ago he was shouting orders, now Usopp could no longer hear his voice.

A few shots were fired, making Usopp jump and run further away. As he was running he kicked something heavy and big and fell hard to the floor. That something had turned out to be a human. “Ow! Watch where you're going asshole!” Pomp shouted at the sniper.

“Huh!? Dude you were literally lying on the floor! It's not my fault!” Usopp screamed back. The Kid Pirate snarled at him, making Usopp crawl backwards.

Crawling on his ass and hands he bumped into a figure, Usopp looked up slowly to see who it was, he was met with one of the Heart Pirates. “S–sorry I didn't notice–”

Another loud bombing sound was heard. Snapping the three pirates towards the source of the sound. The Marines have finally begun to march into the bar pointing their guns at them.

“Bad timing!” The Heart pirate, Uni screams.

Pomp quickly got up with Usopp scrambling to follow as they ran out of the bar where there was once a wall, now nothing but a gigantic hole.

“Don't follow us!” Usopp screeches. They've made it out of the bar safely with an army of Marines pointing guns at their back.

Pomp ran further at the front. He turned his head around to Usopp with a horrid looking smirk. “Yeah ‘cause the Marines will totally oblige you dumbass!”

“Eyes on the road!” Uni tells the Kid Pirate. “And run!”

—

His crew and him must have the most shitty luck ever in the Grandline. Bubblegum was having a peaceful supply run, hurrying so he could stop by the bar with his fellow crewmates later. Only to be punched and suddenly surrounded by Marines.

Bubblegum would've fought back if it wasn't for the fact that he still hasn't recovered from the recent storm that had made his arm suspiciously sore to even move.

He was forced to abandon the supplies he had just bought. Running through town and accidentally meeting up with UK and Papas on his way to the bar, in case the others didn't know that the Marines were in town.

Now as he manoeuvres through the heavy smoke where he has yet spotted a way out. He finally manages to exit the bar safely. Facing the way he knew where the harbour was, Bubblegum began sprinting.

No white and blue coloured people were on his tail at the moment, it seemed as if most of the Marines had split up chasing the others. The boss's idea worked after all.

Remembering back that he left the supplies at the clinic, he made a quick detour there. When he gets there the woman at the registered counter recognises him immediately.

“Bubblegum! Came back for your supply?” She asked sweetly.

The town wasn't keen nor had any problems with pirates, which works well in the Kid Pirates doctor's favour. The woman was more than understanding when he said he needed a lot of anaesthesia for his idiot of a crew.

Thanking the worker, he ran as fast as he could towards the harbour when all of a sudden a shop ahead exploded and a big figure came out of it.

“Ow! That wasn't what I had expected, Usopp-bro needs to improve these dials. That was shocking!” Franky dusted himself off like nothing happened.

Bubblegum stood in his place, stunt. Well usually it was his crew that was going around bombing shops so this was a first to see. “Oh hey!” The Strawhat pirate called out to him.

“Hey…” Bubblegum looks at his form up and down. “What are… you doing?”

“Oh y'know man, running away from the Marines. No worries though, they're taken care of already!”

“Yeah I can see that with the giant hole you've put into the poor shop,” Bubblegum crosses his arms over his bare chest with a smile.

Franky scoffs before smirking at the man. “Like this is anything new to you, isn't this what your crew does on the daily bro?”

“Hah! You shouldn't assume stuff about others' metal brains,” Bubblegum grumbles. “Then should I wholeheartedly believe that you and your crew killed everyone in Enies Lobby just for fun like the newspaper said?”

That seems to get the cyborg to shut up.

The Kid pirate scoffs. Wasn't the first time people assumed things about his crew. Please, they're not barbarians. They simply live by the saying ‘punch first, ask questions later’.

Most of the time it wasn't even their fault. “Pst, what? Cat got your tongue? You shouldn't believe everything you see on the news Mr. Metal Scraps.”

The Strawhat pirate expression was a bit unreadable but it was as if guilt had washed over his face. Was he ashamed of what he thought about the Kid Pirates?

Bubblegum doesn't know. He's not really the best when it comes to reading people. Besides, no one has ever taken a second to understand them and frankly the Kid Pirates don't really care.

Franky suddenly laughs. “Is that so? Well nice to know! Sorry I assumed. Now come on! We've got to run now before the Marines find us!” He tells Bubblegum, still laughing. How nice it is to be simple-minded, thought Bubblegum.

The cyborg gives a wide smile to him that has Bubblegum stand there awkwardly. No stranger has ever given him such a sincere apology. He doesn't remember when was the last time someone outside of his crew has ever apologised to him.

Although, he's got to admit it. To have someone feel bad, ashamed, apologetic about the horrible stuff they thought about them, about him was… refreshing?

He looked up to see the cyborg pushing on his metal nose to change his hair into bizarre styles. ‘Yeah, the Strawhats are all screwed in the head’ he thought fondly before running up to follow Franky.

—

Brook was the fastest in his crew. Although it seems that Sanji sooner or later would challenge his spot. He had managed to run away without the notice of any Marines. Though he had forgotten that he was supposed to go back to the harbour and ended up on the wrong side of the island.

So now, he was running away from the Marines as they speak right now. “Yohohoho! You lads sure are persistent!”

He turns the corner a couple of times to lose the Marines but they just keep finding him. He turns down an alley on his right. He looks back to see no Marines but he wasn't about to trust that they won't find him soon so he takes another corner to lose them completely.

Just as he was about to exit the alley a shadow was looming above him. He barely has time to look up before a huge figure falls. “Oh my!”

If he hadn't been skeletonized decades ago Brook was sure that his eyeballs would've popped out of his socket.

Brook managed to jump out of the way just in the nick of time. The figure turns out to be a man. “Oh shit, that was close!” Gig mutters to himself. He ran a hand over his forehead in relief.

“Close call indeed!” Brook yells in frustration. His voice caught the Kid pirate's attention. “What were you doing jumping from that height young man!? You could've died!”

“Woah! You're that talking skeleton from straw-hat's crew!” Gig says excitedly.

“Well I am delighted that you know who I am, but I am more than just a talking skeleton! I'm the crew's official musician. Brook at your service!” He introduces himself.

Gig smiles bashfully. “Well nice to meet ‘cha Brook! I'm Gig, me crew's carpenter,” he announced proudly.

“Ah well then Gig I must inform you that I was chased by Marines a few seconds ago, so it'd be best that we get going now.”

“Stop right there!”

“Alright let's go Mr. Brook!”

—

Clione just wants to go home. He cursed the Strawhats captain for always luring trouble back to them. Law might have just caught whatever the rubber man had too. It was disastrous!

People were running around and he had somehow gotten himself separated from Uni. It was not helping his anxiety at all. Why must Law agree to an alliance again with those two captains?

He loves his captain, of course. He also would never question his decision but recently (actually ever since Zou) the captain has been acting differently. He wouldn't say free, no, whatever Law had gone through in his life he'd never be free from it. He was simply happier.

Clione could get on that but everytime the captain was near the presence of a certain straw-hat man and a red-head he suddenly gets all jittery. His body language changed only by the slightest but the crew noticed, of course they did.

Now his captain was nowhere in sight, the whirlpool in his stomach was growing. He could feel himself getting scared, he was all alone right now in the midst of smoke. He couldn't see any of his crewmates.

He took a breath, one, two, three, again. Again, and again, he did it like how Hakugan and Law had taught the crew once. Again. He did it continuously for a while but he knew that it wasn't working. The bar was supposedly already empty, at least almost.

Everyone has mostly made it out while Clione was stuck on the floor hyperventilating right now. He was never made for this kind of thing, Law's plans were the only thing that holds him together on the battlefield. That's why he shares the same discontent of the Strawhats with his captain, or he thought so.

Wano showed him that Law was slowly adjusting to the Strawhat's chaotic ways, and that just doesn't sit right with him. This was all out of the place.

He could feel his body shake but not from the tremor of his panic. Someone was shaking him. There were four hands on him. Two people?

“Oi–”

“Come back–”

They're voices were distorted in Clione's ears. He felt his whole world turn upside down, literally. He was slowly gaining some consciousness and noticed that he was slung over someone's shoulder. “What–”

“Finally back with us Heart!?” A Kid pirate asked him. Papas was running next to him.

“Papas!” Clione had avoided most of the Kid Pirates with how rowdy they were at the banquet except for one. It was hard to ignore Papas, he wasn't exactly the most punk looking person with his oversized hoodie that hides the top half of his face and the easy smile that the man always wore.

He also found out the Kid pirate was soft spoken too. So he was mostly okay when it came to talking with Papas.

“We lost you for a while there Clione! Scared blondie and I for a second there!” He guffaws, head thrown back.

“This isn't time to laugh asshole!” A rough voice emitted from the person that was carrying Clione. The Heart pirate twisted around to find out that it was none other than Strawhat's cook, Sanji. “The Navy is hot on our tail!”

“You sure are worried about the Marines catching up to us as if this is your first time,” Papas laughs at the blonde.

Sanji grits his teeth. “That's not it you idiot! We can't let them follow us all the way to the harbour! We need to lose them dammit!”

A giggle was let out from one of the three pirates. “He got you there Papas, so what do we do now?” Clione's laboured breathing finally eased up.

“Now?” Sanji asked without sparing a glance to the man he was carrying. “Now we run.”

—

Currently at the said harbour;

“Do you think your captain would listen to mine?” Wire asked, putting down a card. “At his explanation of why we’re here?”

Jean Bart stares at the card for a second before throwing his card into the pile, putting a coin besides it. “Honestly? He'd probably kill him first and question later. Don't ask how he'll do it, he'll just. He already thinks that you lads broke off the deal anyways.”

Jimbei laughs, his belly rumbles. “And do you think my captain might have a chance at explaining things to him?” He kept an eye on the coins on the crate.

“Nope, Bepo, our first mate might have a chance though,” Jean Bart reveals his hand to them. “Besides, your story is crazy enough for him to think both of your captains are trying to troll him.”

“Oh man! You won again!” Wire throws his cards on the crate in defeat.

The Strawhats helmsman smiles at the winner. “I expected nothing more from the notorious Captain Jean Bart.”

“Please that time has long passed, I am nothing more but a crewmate of the Heart Pirates.” Jean Bart collects the cards to arrange them nicely.

Wire scoffs at the man. “You give yourself such little credit.”

The fishman looked towards the city when he heard a soft booming sound. Nothing of the usual from his perspective. “I hope they aren't in any trouble.”

Chapter Text

“You absolute idiotic barbaric bastard!” Law cusses the man that is currently carrying him half way across town as he pulls on Kidd's hair. The Marines just right behind them.

Kidd had told them that he was more than sure that the mayor's son was the same bastard he punched a few hours ago. So it was the red-head's fault they were in this mess in the first place.

Law kept hitting the red-head on his shoulder, kicking, screaming, and cursing Kidd out.

“But then, why do they want us too!?” Luffy asked from Kidd's other side. Also being dragged, but no longer by the neck. Instead, Kidd has his forearm wrapped carefully around Luffy's midsection. The straw-hat man was facing the Marines and was deflecting any bullet that dared attack Kidd's open back. Luffy worked alone in keeping the red-head safe since Law was busy trying to kill Kidd.

“What do you mean ‘why'? A certain empty headed oaf had attacked someone without thinking! That's why!” He hit Kidd on the head harshly.

“Pipe down up there!” The hand that secured Law in his place tightens in warning.

“You shut it!” Law retorted back, growling at the man.

“No! Jaggy was the one that punched him so why are we being targeted too? Didn't that bear say that they left their ship at north while ours are at the south. Supposedly they haven't made it all the way to where our ship's are to spot our flags. There's a chance that they don't even know that Traffy and I are here so why were they targeting us from the start?”

Kidd hadn't stopped running but if he could, he would've. The two older captains were at a loss for words. Silence loomed over them with Luffy looking weirdly at them.

“What?” The Strawhat's captain asked.

Kidd looked to the side and watched Luffy's expression calculatively before breaking the silence. “There is no way your dumbass just thought of that shit.”

“Agree,” Law provides. Staring Luffy dead in the eyes.

Luffy huffs his cheeks, offended. “Rude!”

“But Straw-hat-ya is right. Why were they after us from the beginning–?” Law yelped when Kidd suddenly turned and went down an alleyway.

“I think it's more suspicious that they knew the three of us were on the same island on the same day specifically, don't you think?” Kidd spins on his heel as he turns around the corner again.

They were going round and round the city to lose the Navy and the surgeon was more than sure the Marines were probably scratching their heads to where they are because Law himself isn't sure where they are.

Everything just became more confusing by the second. It's been so ever since he allied himself with Luffy. The younger pirate just knew how to make his life and the life of others around him chaotic, and with Kidd sometimes joining in the straw-hat man's antics they were more or less giving heart attacks to everyone (mostly Law) every day.

That was how Wano was to him. Which was why he was happy to leave the alliance afterwards. He was very happy. Or so he thought he was. The truth of the matter is, he wasn't.

Not at Kidd's announcement of the end of their alliance, not at leaving Luffy or Kidd for that matter, and not at avoiding the both of them at the bar. Law was quickly growing fond of the two men that crashed into his life, and that scares him.

They weren't going to be like this forever. He knew that. Luffy and Kidd were competing for the One Piece unlike him. In the end, Law always gets the short end of the stick. It didn't matter what was going on between them right now, at the end of the day the two pirate captains would have to destroy the other to achieve their own dream.

What about Law? The Heart Pirates captain will be nothing but a spectator in the background, watching how the two supernovas take down each other to get to the top, and although it hasn't happened yet he still feels sick in his stomach at the future thought.

It doesn't matter who came out victorious, Law knew he couldn't continue life on with only one of them.

The two of them, Luffy and Kidd. They completed him. They clicked with him, however horrible and complicated of a piece he was, the three of them clicked.

He stares at Luffy, eyes big and full with naivety. This was the man that believed in him. The man that believes Law wouldn't betray him and the others. Then there was Kidd. Gruff and literally a punk. The same man that defeated an emperor with him. The same man that laid in victory with him afterwards.

He guessed it never mattered why the two men were here in the northeast. Law will always be delighted to see the two familiar jolly rogers. He eyes Luffy before twisting to look at the red-head captain. “Why are you guys here anyways?” His eyebrows scrunched tightly, pretending to be mad at them.

Kidd unfortunately had a shit eating grin on his face as he looked at Law, muttering something about ‘being cute’. “I don't know about stupid monkey here, but I was going through a storm when I suddenly blacked out. Next thing I knew, my ship was flying through the air. Believe it or not.” He turned the corner again and they were finally on the road once more.

“No way–” Law was cut off by Luffy's boisterous laughing.

“Same! Same! Franky used Coup de Burst to get rid of the Marines that were chasing us and all of a sudden the wind pushed us all the way here!” He tells them.

Their story has got to be the most ridiculous explanation that Law has ever heard in his entire life. There is no way that Law actually believes them. Yet he finds himself not saying anything to disperse the two captains' story.

“The New World sure is funny,” the straw-hat man cackled.

“Funny my ass!” Kidd jumps over something Law could not make up, he was starting to get dizzy. “This sea is irritating me to no end!”

“Maybe if you'd be less of a stupid piece of meat the sea would stop,” Law offers nonchalantly.

Kidd ignores the remark as he opted to just focus on their path for now.

Law was becoming more and more agitated as each second passed. The Navy has done nothing but chase them around, what were they trying to achieve?

Completely blanking in his own thoughts, Law looks behind him to see they were nearing the harbour when all of a sudden Kidd stopped dead in his tracks. His hold on Law and Luffy loosened and the surgeon fell to the ground.

“Hey– what was that for!?” He got to his feet, dusting himself off.

Then, he noticed that Luffy and Kidd were completely entranced by the ground, staring at it with wide eyes. He knew that the two captain's possess more exceptional haki than he does and if they were so intrigued by the ground surely something wrong was going on.

Using his observation haki he tried to understand the two captain's reactions. Reaching deeper and deeper he felt an overwhelming power. An unfamiliar presence that possesses such a powerful aura.

When he looked up expecting them to form a plan only to find his fellow captains were already running away, the opposite way of the harbour. “Those imbeciles!”

Luffy led the three of them towards an alley before stopping. Law steps forwards to see the two pirates were looking at a sewer lid. At that moment Kidd quickly made work of getting rid of the lid before jumping in. Luffy following suit.

Law stood there in front of the unlid sewer stunt. There is no way he'd jump into the sewer. Nope, no thank you. He turned around.

He contemplated going straight to the harbour when he caught wind of the powerful energy he felt just now, creeping up on his leg.

It was coming from the sewer. ‘That's why the two of them went down there, huh?’

The surgeon sighed for the hundredth time probably this day and gripped Kikoku tightly before jumping into the sewer as well.

—

The Marines have all finally past them. They were in the clear. Which means they could finally make their way to the harbour that isn't too far from their current location. Thank goodness the Marines had gone the opposite way so they wouldn't have to worry about bumping into them.

They should really get going towards the harbour. If only they could.

“Oh my god, move!” Penguin pushed all of his weight onto the man that was currently blocking his path with the road that leads them to freedom.

“Fafafafa! I physically can't!” Killer tells him.

“Why the hell did you choose this place when you know you can't fit in it idiot!”

Penguin was suffocating in this tight space. The front which is being covered by Killer’s big figure was the only way out since behind Penguin was a dead end. Seriously, why does he have to be squished by Killer’s enormous biceps?! It was ridiculous.

Penguin was cursed, that's it he's calling it. He could've been stuck with anyone and yet the sea had paired him up with the most hot and scariest man in the seas. He's surprised he hasn't popped a boner at their current situation.

Any other person would've creamed their pants with how much the muscular bicep that is Killer’s were rubbing up and down his chest and torso.

“This has got to be the stupidest way for someone to get trapped by,” Penguin mutters as he punches Killer hard on the shoulder just for his fist to hurt instead. Still he tries to push Killer out.

The first-mate of the Kid Pirates had been trying to move to help with Penguin's pushing but all of a sudden he had just stopped. “What are you doi–”

Killer quickly snatched Penguin's left arm. Face concealed behind a mask but the Heart pirate can feel the man's eyes, it bore into his soul. “If you tell anyone about this, I'll kill you.”

Killer was a man with a reputation to uphold. That much Penguin understands. He knew if word got out of what happened here Killer would be the laughing stock of his crew. Not that Kidd would allow it.

Penguin gulped. He had no intention of telling anyone about this, and Killer had just backed his reasoning more to never tell this tale.

“I– I won't you idiot! Now move!” He snatched his arm back, pushing Killer harder. The blonde helped him by digging his boots into the ground to push himself forward.

They were wasting time here when they could have already made it back to the ships and get ready to set sail. He briefly wonders if Hakugan had made it back safely with the Kid pirate he was treating. Their helmsman would certainly need help but Penguin trusts that Jean Bart could help.

Penguin grunts harshly before stopping pushing for a moment and shoves Killer roughly the next second. That seems to finally do the trick as the man falls to the ground on the road.

“Wow, thanks bird brain,” the blonde turns to the hatted man.

“Yeah, yeah now get up,” Penguin starts running ahead. It didn't take long for Killer to follow behind. “You know, you and the Strawhats have a lot to explain on why you broke our deal!”

He wasn't stupid. After they are safe from the Navy, Law would certainly demand answers, and if it was not to his liking then there's a chance that it'll result in a three way conflict and Penguin personally isn't really keen on fighting right now.

“We didn't!” Killer laughed as he turned to Penguin. The man hoped that the Heart pirate could hear the truth from his voice because his face was currently covered. “Believe me, I don't know about the Strawhats but we didn't plan to be here at all!”

Penguin didn't say anything nor did he look at Killer, his eyes were focused in front of him. “You better, or we'll kill you guys.”

Killer simply nods at that.

—

Hakugan and House have misjudged greatly how terrible the Strawhats swordsman is at directions. House hits the green haired man for the twentieth time. “Right! You oaf, right! Look at where I'm pointing!”

The three of them had made it into the sewer system without any notice, walking in hurried steps where Hakugan said was the harbour.

“Shut up! The paths all look the same!” Zoro made a whole turn and started walking back to where they came from. “I swear the sewer is literally changing every second!”

“No they're not!” House screeches at the top of her lungs, making Hakugan's ears ring for a moment.

House was beyond understanding the man and his quirks of not knowing where his right to his left is. How did he manage to find the rooftop back in Wano?

She just wants to be back on the Victoria Punk and take a long nap to ward off the horrible sting in her abdomen that was growing uncomfortable towards her chest.

“Oh my Davy Jones!” Hakugan runs up to catch the swordsman. He snatched the man's arm that was holding onto House's legs and led him back on their path. “I need to seriously talk with your ship's doctor to know what kind of psychological trauma your head had gone through that made you this stupid.”

“Maybe he was born this– way–” House coughed. “Sounds plausible enough,” her breathing was getting more laboured.

“Oi, what's wrong with you?” Zoro frowned as he stopped in his tracks. “You're shaking.”

House grimaced. “I'm not,” She deflected the accusation.

She doesn't appreciate the concern coming from an oaf like him. A really scary oaf.

The Heart pirate was looking at her up and down because can feel his eyes roaming her body. She reflectively curls up in Zoro's arms.

“You're shivering,” Hakugan stated as a matter of fact.

“Huh?” House asked sluggishly. She felt extremely lightheaded, eyes barely opened and that's when Hakugan notices the blood that seeped through the woman's fingers that were gripping the wound.

Hakugan stops them and indicates for Zoro to lower House down onto the cement floor. She would've complained about being laid down on the sewers floor but couldn't find herself to utter a single word.

Hakugan puts a hand on her chest before going in and puts his ear on it to listen to her heartbeat properly. The man lets out a soft gasp.

“We need to get her to the Tang faster, she's lost far more blood than I thought she did,” Hakugan gets up and runs ahead. “The wound reopened, shit!” Zoro with House in his arms followed suit.

The swordsman suddenly doesn't get lost or foolishly takes a turn at a different corner and follows Hakugan obediently. The blue-haired woman was starting to lose consciousness, and House could feel her eyelids getting heavy.

House's throat felt dried like grass, she felt like everything was stuck to her skin. It was torturing. She almost saw only white. Not that she believed that she'll go to heaven if there's one.

The captain would be so mad if she died now. She hopes he could forgive her.

As if Hakugan could feel her distress he looks back at her, still running. “Calm down, we're almost there okay.”

The woman didn't notice that her breathing was coming in a weird pattern, she wasn't breathing properly at all. A panic attack, she remembered Bubblegum had explained.

Bubblegum sat the entire crew down and explained all the different kinds of mental anguish that people go through after the incident of Heat spiralling at Kidd's cut off arm. The speech helps House now to understand her situation better.

These were just the voices talking, she isn't going to die here.

House believes in what Hakugan said. She believes him because the captain had believed that he'd take care of her as he left her in his care. So House believes his words and holds onto them.

She could hear it. The sound of waves overlapping with each other. They were almost there. The strong smell of salt was in the air.

Suddenly, the screeching sound of shoes stopping unceremoniously could be heard. House fought her eyes open to see a man standing in front of them.

He was wearing a coat of some sort. One that was familiar to any pirate. He had green hair that was similar in shade to Zoro's. House eyes widened when it finally registered to her who he was.

“This is one horrible timing you have there don't you think?” Zoro asked the man.

The admiral didn't say anything back to the swordsman. He stares at them for what felt like an eternity. Eyes hidden behind shades but the intensity of his gaze did not go unwarranted by the three pirates.

None of them had moved from their spot (not that House could) the moment they all locked eyes with each other. The admiral finally breaks the silence. “Well this is interesting. I heard that there was a three-way pirate alliance that happened in Wano. But it is shocking to see it with my own two eyes. It's rare that you see pirates willingly ally themselves with others. Aren't you afraid the other will backstab you?”

Zoro's grip on House tightens. “Hakugan…” he addresses the man. “Take bluey here and get her treated.”

Hakugan stiffens. “Then what about you?”

“Isn't it obvious? I'll hold him off for you guys. Maybe, even kill him.” Zoro says with a smirk. He was about to pass House over to Hakugan when the woman suddenly grips Zoro's coat tightly.

Her face shows that of anguish and a hint of worry. “You think you'll make it back, green man?” She gave him a forced smile.

Zoro scoffs. “I'm not fucking fragile,” at that, House smirks and gladly let go of the man's clothes.

The admiral peers. “What are you doing?”

The Strawhat draws his swords and gets into his stance. “I'm sure you didn't come here to just check us out but I'm flattered if you did. So let's fight.”

The admiral laughs. “I have no time for people like you. Where are your captains?”

“You'll find out over my dead body,” Zoro slides Wado Ichimonji into his mouth.

“Is that so?” The Marine sighs before bolting towards them.

“Go! Now!” Zoro commands. Hakugan dash as he sticks close to the side of the wall and runs away from the two green-heads.

The Marine suddenly let out vines or more accurately, his fingers transformed into tree roots, at high speed it goes towards Hakugan and House. Just mere inches before the vine hit them Zoro blocks it with the end of Kitetsu's blade. Using Enma, he cut the vine down.

“You!” The admiral screeched. He held his wrist with the hand that wasn't cut down. Slowly his fingers grew back to be flesh and bone.

The Strawhat swung his sword to get rid of the remaining root that stuck to the blade. “Come on, show me what you got.”

The frown on Ryokyugu's face deepens.

Chapter Text

It just had to be Heat's luck to be stuck with an annoying, foul-mouthed ginger. No, he's not talking about his captain. Kidd will kill him if he hears him say that.

They plummet down the sewer, sliding down as they scream. Voices going up to an octave. Shachi was at his ear screeching so loud that Heat was sure his eardrums had burst. The sewer slide that brought them down continued for a few more seconds before they finally came to a stop.

Dropping right into the water.

“You– just– if you didn't just– you!” Shachi screams as he kicks around in frustration. Murky water splashes everywhere. Heat quickly gets up before the water could get on him more than it already has.

They had somehow fallen through an unlid sewer hole and landed directly in the middle of the flowing and disgusting water. Just their luck.

“Oi! Could you stop that!?” Heat screams at the man.

Shachi bares his teeth at him. Sharp and white. Due to how pointy his teeth seem, Heat has to wonder if he perhaps has fishmen ancestry. The red-head at some point growls at him.

“Why the hell did you drag me down with you dude!?” Shachi goes up to Heat, staring straight up at him.

It stunts Heat. Not many people were confident enough to just scream directly in his face, especially not if they were half his height. “It's not my fault okay!? I didn't even notice that the hole was unlid! And you were the closest to me, it's a natural reflex!”

Shachi sniffs, turning around with his back towards Heat. “Reflex my ass… Why must god do this to me?” He whines to some other being that Heat isn't interested in knowing.

The Kid pirate was amused by the red-head's attitude. When he first saw Shachi in Sabaody the ginger had seemed cool headed and calmly followed any orders that were given his way. Suddenly in Wano he was like a whole different person, screeching at any scary looking thing that came his way. But after the war he had returned to that cool facade when Heat first saw him, he had been the one that treated him too. The Hearts thrived in their department that is medicine and it showed after the raid, treating up to hundreds maybe even thousands of injured.

There was like an off and on button on the ginger's personality. It amused Heat to no end. He giggles at his own thoughts.

“What?” Shachi asked.

“Nothing,” Heat shakes his head with a soft smile. “I'll buy you a drink after this, okay? For dragging you into,” he indicates to the entire sewer. “This.”

Shachi gazes over the man's figure behind his shades. “This ‘drink’ better not be some cheap ass booze you found at the back of your ship's cupboard.”

Heat laughs. “Wouldn't dream of it.” He finds himself smiling sheepishly at the red-head. He was great company when he put aside the situation they were in right now. “Anyways, We've clearly lost the Marines, now how do we get ou–”

“Shh!” Shachi runs to Heat and stands on his toes to clamp the Kid pirate's mouth shut. “Do you hear that?”

Heat cocks his nonexistent eyebrow up. He couldn't hear anything except the running water of the sewer.

“The ocean!” Shachi let go of his hands on Heat's mouth and pointed behind him. “The harbour is this way! I can hear it.”

“Are you for real right now?” Heat crosses his arms over his chest.

“Yes! Maybe there's an exit there? I mean sewers always lead out to the ocean, right?”

“There's just one way to find out,” Heat shrugs and begins to walk to where Shachi says he hears the sound of the sea.

“Uh– hey wait for me!”

They weren't too far from the harbour before they fell through the sewer. So as they walked they could hear the sound of waves getting louder. Heat supposed the Heart pirate was telling the truth after all. His hearing ability was insane.

“So uh, how did you join the Kid Pirates?”

It took a while for Heat to register that Shachi was talking to him. He didn't really do casual talk so this was all too weird for him. “Oh uh, well I…” he scratches the back of his neck.

Shachi waves his hands around, face contorted with worry. “Uh no! I mean you don't have to answer that if you don't want to! I just… the silence was getting a little awkward…”

“Oh,” Heat hadn't noticed. He wasn't the best with social cues, besides, no stranger has ever made an effort to talk to him so that left him silent every time he met a new person. He doesn't really see the appeal in himself that would make anyone talk to him, especially Shachi. “No, I don't mind. Uh well you see Kidd, Killer, Wire, and I were from the same island. We were, I guess you could call childhood friends.

“Our island was not under the world government's protection and it was ruled by gang leaders. I had raised through the ranks in my twenties and became a gang leader myself, so did the other three. Then, something had happened and Kidd forged our gangs together and we took down a common enemy. After that Kidd declared that he was going to be a pirate and urged us to join him. The rest is history.”

He turns to see Shachi staring at him and it made him embarrassed all of a sudden so he quickly avoided the ginger's gaze. Did he think he was lame? Or is he terrified that he was a gang leader before he became a pirate? “Sorry I was rambling–”

“That's so cool!” Shachi beams.

Heat blinked owlishly at the man. “R– really?”

“Yeah!” The red-head smiles sincerely, teeth and gums showing.

Heat felt a hot sensation creeping into his cheeks and it was starting to freak him out. He clears his throat. “Um and what about you?”

The Heart pirate physically deflated at the question. “Well I was a sore loser before I became a pirate…”

“I'm sure you weren't that bad…”

Shachi scoffs. “You want to bet? Penguin and I were beating up Bepo when we met Law. The captain kicked our asses and made us realise how much of a jerk we were so we followed him, the end.”

“Bepo? As in your first mate? The bear?” Heat asked, not quite believing that anyone would put their hands on that creature.

“Yup.”

Heat stares at Shachi for a few seconds before laughing. “Man, you were a sore loser!” He held his stomach when it began to cramp from how much he laughed.

“Shut up!” Shachi's cheeks turned as he pouted. He attempted to hit Heat in the arm but they both almost toppled into the water from how much the Kid pirate was cackling .

“Wait, I have to wonder though,” Heat says breath coming out in short form. “Are all of the Heart Pirates certified doctors?” Heat bumps his forearm to Shachi's shoulder.

“Well I guess? I mean the government obviously can't certify us but we're practically real doctors! Law is a medical prodigy, he forced all of our crewmates to choose a field we'd like to pursue and he makes sure we learn till we master it.”

“Cool, so are you all like different types of doctors or…?”

“Yeah, but Law does force us to study the other fields to make sure we're all equally competent when an emergency rises. I'm mostly into anesthesiology and sports medicine.”

“Woah, and is your bear also a doctor?”

Heat found himself enjoying the topic they were on. It was fun learning about the Hearts and how different of a pirate crew they were compared to the Kid Pirates.

The Hearts sound like a bunch of nerds that went out to sea for the fun of it. A stark contrast from his crew that were mostly filled with a bunch of traumatised rowdy but lovable idiots.

“Yup! Bepo is a Paediatrician. What about you guys?”

“Hmm?”

“Like, I saw most of your crew repairing all the ships in Wano and they all looked super efficient in it.”

“Oh well, most of them were shipwrights or carpenters before joining the crew so yeah. I'm the official navigator only because I could read maps but most of the time Kidd navigates us but I can be hands-on when needed. I mean after spending an entire childhood with the boss, how couldn't I?”

“Wait, wait, hold up. Kidd can navigate?” Shachi asked, extremely baffled.

“Surprising right?” Heat chuckles.

“I mean, not to be mean,” Shachi looked around as if making sure nonone could overhear them before tip-toeing and leaning into Heat's ear. “but your captain doesn't look like he can even read,” he whispers to the Kid pirate.

Heat let out a stream of giggles. “It's okay. Most people don't believe it either. Ask the crew they'll tell you their shocking first encounter of Kidd being smarter than he looks.”

Suddenly the ground shakes. A burst of energy came through the way of the ocean. The two pirates immediately recognised it to be Haki. There was a battle going on up ahead.

Heat took one glance at Shachi before taking off towards the direction of the burst of energy, the Heart pirate not far behind from him.

They didn't know what to expect but it certainly wasn't Zoro fighting what seems to be an admiral. They were in serious trouble. The Marine with his vine fingers swiped powerfully towards Zoro, cornering him and slashing his chest.

The vines came back to finish the Strawhat off when Heat quickly breathed fire towards the admiral. The Marine leapt back, giving Shachi a chance to run towards Zoro and inspect the extent of his wounds. They were mostly minor and the green haired man was already trying to stand up.

“Oi, what the hell happened here?” Shachi helps the Strawhat up.

Zoro grunts holding onto his side. “The harbour, it's up ahead. Blue girl and the mask boy need assistance…” The swordsman pointed towards the small light that was coming out of a hole on the ceiling. Heat instantly knew what Zoro was talking about and snatched Shachi's wrist.

“Shachi go, House needs you!” Heat was already getting ready to breathe another gust of fire. Zoro pushed Shachi aside to stand next to the Kid pirate.

“You insolent scum really doesn't know when to quit,” the admiral says.

Heat took a deep breath before lighting a ring of fire to surround the admiral, Zoro, and him. The fire grew in hot flames, uncontrollable.

“Stay close,” Heat tells Zoro. The green haired man grunts in response. Shachi was already climbing up to the harbour, they just have to buy him time.

—

Ikkaku has always been agile. Forced to be, to survive her master's cruel and brutal training. Later on when she meets Law she is forced to test her adaptability.

Adapting to being around the Strawhats and Kid Pirates were not part of her training.

“You owe me fifty thousand Berries you idiots!” Nami yells. The red-head ran along the tiles that were on the roof of the town's shops. Two more pirates accompanied her.

Quincy, the woman that'd dragged her and Nami out of the bar was laughing maniacally. She seems to be enjoying their current predicament. Every few minutes she would make an utterly unfunny joke and laugh to herself that has Ikkaku scared for her wellbeing.

The ginger head pirate has been shouting utter nonsense relating to money for the last ten minutes that Ikkaku was sure she was going to rip out the woman's throat any second now.

Ikkaku jumped where there was a gap between two shops. Looking behind her to see if the other two women made it across. “Fifty thousand is over the top woman! When in the world did I owe you anyways!?”

“For dragging me here!” Nami screams back at her.

The Strawhats navigator was famous for being incredibly greedy and just plain rude. A true pirate and someone Ikkaku isn't emotionally capable of handling. She already has her captain thank you.

“You lass are all funny,” Quincy cackled.

Ikkaku glares at the woman. “This isn't the time for laughing!”

“Well aren't you moody? Is it a mandatory thing to be creepy, gothic, and half-dead to be a Heart Pirate?”

“I'll tear and flip your insides out! Let's see how creepy and gothic I can be!” Ikkaku yells at Quincy.

“We have to make sure that the Marines won't follow us all the way to the harbour or we'll doom everyone!” Nami explains.

Ikkaku nods, they've been for god knows how long and everytime they got away from the Marines they just kept coming back. A never ending cycle. “How exactly are we going to do that?”

“We can start by getting rid of those three!” Nami points to a trio of Marines, the same ones that have been chasing them since the beginning. “They're persistent.”

“I'd shoot them from this range if we could find cover but I didn't bring my gun,” Ikkaku could see from the corner of her eyes that Quincy wasn't paying attention to anything they were saying. “Oi listen! You got a gun right? If me ginger here cover you do yo–”

“This shop houses sure are tall,” Quincy says mindlessly.

“Listen!” Nami and Ikkaku yell in unison.

Nami was suddenly falling behind, her breathing laboured as she's been running for quite some time. The uneven surface of the roof wasn't making it any easier to run.

“Wa–wait up!” She calls to the two pirates in front of her when she suddenly stumbles. She tried to break her fall but just ended falling in a ball position and rolling forward. Crashing into the other two females, the three of them rolled down the side of the roof.

Tangled in each other's limbs before they fell off the roof and landed in an empty wagon.

“Oof– what the hell!?” Ikkaku screams, kicking off the scraps of fabric that managed to get stuck on her boots. She looks around to see Nami and Quincy groaning before a broken sound becomes audible.

The three women's breaths hitched.

The brakes of the wagon had broken, and without wasting time the wagon started to go down the road.

“Shit, hold on–” Ikkaku tried to jump out of the wagon before a firm hand pulled her back.

Quincy held her down, her smile had subtly been replaced with a calm deamenour. “This is the shortest route.”

“Huh!? What are you talking about –” Ikkaku stumbled before falling on her bottom as the wagon hit a rock.

The next thing she knew the three of them were speeding down the town's road towards the harbour. Plummeting down the rocky road with Nami screaming her head off next to her and Quincy pressed up against her front screaming in delight.

“Aghhhh! Sixty! Seventy! Eighty! Ninety, ninety thousand Berries!” Nami says before the stuff she keeps yelling afterwards becomes an intangible mess of words.

“Stop with your stupid debt! I'm not paying anything back!” Ikkaku screams.

“I think it's quite impressive that she could still count in such a distressing situation.” Quincy giggles, her flowy hair pushed back by the wind. She holds onto her ridiculous hat tightly.

Ikkaku glares at her, face coloured with frustration and vexed. “So you do realise that we're in a distressing situation after all you psycho bitch!” The Heart pirate finally snaps as she grabs Quincy by the collar, shaking the cackling woman.

“This isn't the time to fight!” Nami wacks the two of them on the head.

The wagon hits a huge rock all of sudden, sending the three women to brace themselves. They held onto the wagon for whatever that was coming. Next thing they knew, they were flying across the harbour.

Screaming for what felt like an eternity before they finally made landfall and landed on the jetty. The second they were safe the wagon broke and collapsed, leaving the three pirates scrambling to get up.

Normally Ikkaku would've felt embarrassed by the scene that just happened but she currently couldn't care as she dusted herself off and started to strut in long strides towards the Polar Tang.

“Ikkaku!” Jean Bart calls out to her. He was sitting between Jimbei and Wire, playing some kind of card game that she knew Penguin always lost to the older pirate in their leisure time. “What's going on?” He asked, clearly confused with a clear amusement at the scene that'd just unfold. “Quite the entrance I must say.”

Jimbei and Wire would've said the same although they schooled their reactions a little more since they didn't really know Ikkaku that well to joke around.

Ikkaku huffs her cheeks out. The news hasn't reached the harbour yet it seemed. She collects herself to not make it more awkward for herself than it already has. “The Marines are on the island. They're after our captains.” She points to the Strawhat and Kid pirate next to Jean Bart.

This seems to change the expression of the three male pirates. “What?” Jimbei stood up, Wire following behind.

Nami walks towards Jimbei. She sighs dusting her forearms. “Luffy and the others are still in town. They're most likely still running from the Marines.”

“Yeah, we should get the ship ready for Boss.” Quincy walks up to the group.

“How long ago was this?” Wire asked.

“Half an hour?” Ikkaku responded. “Give or take.”

Ikkaku's observation haki suddenly went haywire. It was as if the ground was flaming hot, burning her toes through her heeled boots. She quickly looked up when she caught the feeling of someone running towards them, desperately.

“Jean! Jean!” Someone shouts for the Heart Pirates shipwright. Everyone turned towards the source of the sound. They could see far off the view there was someone carrying a blue-haired person in their arms.

Quincy let out a gasp, covering her mouth with both hands. Her eyes widened as Wire squinted to get a better look.

“House!” Quincy said, running up towards the two. When she was near enough she could see how pale the woman had become. “What happened?” she asked, hands shaking.

Hakugan shakes his head, directing his attention to Jean Bart and Ikkaku. “I thought that she was going to be fine since the blood had stopped but I didn't account for the fact that she lost too much blood. I'm pretty sure the bullet is still inside too!”

The man says. Ikkaku can hear it in his voice that he was close to tears. He must've been running as fast as he could to treat her, seeing that he was panting profusely.

“Bullet? She was shot?!” Wire's eyes widened, protective instinct began to turn on. His normally calm completion turned angry. He came forward to stand between Quincy and House.

Jean Bart pushed everyone aside before taking House into his arms. “It's okay Hakugan,” he comforts the young pirate, turning around and nodding to Wire before taking off towards the Polar Tang. “Ikkaku get the theatre ready, we'll have to take out the bullet first. Hakugan! Get the anaesthesia, you'll be in charge of it for now!”

Hakugan sniffs before running after Jean Bart. Ikkaku saw that Quincy had visibly turned white. She tried to smile but her face showed she was clearly worried for House. The Heart pirate walked up behind her and patted her shoulder to get her attention. “She'll be alright, we promise. I promise.”

She sprints after Jean Bart and Hakugan after that. Not bothering to look back at the other pirates' reaction.

The three pirates run into the Polar Tang, leaving the others to their own devices. They could hear hurried footsteps following them, whomever that had followed them stayed on the deck as they got ready for an emergency surgery.

They got rid of House's clothes in exchange for a patient gown and placed her on the operating table. Hakugan was fumbling with the cardiac ultrasound machine, hooking and unhooking wires.

“What are you doing? Where's the anaesthesia?” Ikkaku scolds him. He looked around, clearly lost at what he's supposed to do. It was then that Ikkaku realised Hakugan had never helped in surgery. This would be his first one. Ikkaku would've hoped that Law would be the one to demonstrate on how to operate for their helmsman for the first time but they don't have a choice. “Screw that, we know where she's shot, just get the anaesthesia and the monitor in the other room. Go!”

Hakugan rushes out of the theatre as Jean Bart comes in with a cart, carefully placed surgical instruments arranged on it. “Will you be doing it or do you want me to do it?” He asked.

This would be Ikkaku's fourth time performing surgery. She has done operations for a total of three times the entire time she has been on the Polar Tang. She wouldn't go as far to call herself a professional but she's confident she can perform an emergency extraction surgery. “I'll do it. You'll stand in as my first.”

The door opened again, Hakugan pushed the monitor in and quickly got it ready. The anaesthesia was given and they sat Hakugan down away from them to monitor the vitals.

Deep breaths in and out, just like the captain had thought her, and they began. The skin was closing around the bullet in order to heal itself, clenching around the metal. She cut the skin for a better view, Jean Bart quickly cleaned the blood that was spilling everywhere. Ikkaku took the blunt retractor and opened the hole up.

“Hm?” She looked confused. Turning to one of the machines to confirm her suspicions she looked utterly shocked at the current situation. “Shit, she's been shifted too much. The bullet moved!”

“What?” Jean Bart was visibly sweating. He inspected the machine and looked back at the patient before coming to a conclusion. “Hakugan change with me, I'll monitor her vitals. You go and get the ultrasound machine.”

They moved in unison, changing roles with ease. Ikkaku directs Hakugan on where to plug each wire and to turn it on. Handing the machine over to Ikkaku she glazes over the chest of the patient when she sees an unfamiliar thing under the ribcage. “There!” She pointed to the machine screen.

“Change,” Jean Bart orders. Hakugan runs back to the monitor as Jean Bart gives the scalpel to Ikkaku. She cuts through the skin again, higher before changing instruments and cutting deeper.

It was a bloody scene. One that was normal for other doctors, but not for the Hearts. Law's devil fruit allowed the Hearts to have a non-traumatic experience in dealing with near death situations where red liquid was often decorated on doctors.

The traditional way of performing surgery was only ever done twice by the Heart Pirates, both of which Ikkaku was present in the operation room for. This marks the third time they've performed an operation the supposed way.

The smell of flesh thick in the air, cutting deeper until the light finally catches on to something shining. The bullet was stuck right underneath the heart's left ventricle.

“Careful,” The older pirate warned Ikkaku. Having a surgical instrument anywhere near the heart was terrifying. So Ikkaku steadied her hand, eyes focused, and she took her time to find the right angle to extract the bullet.

A sudden beeping sound alerts Ikkaku that the patient was running out of time. “Her vitals just suddenly dropped!” Hakugan explains.

“Infection,” Jean Bart mutters. Ikkaku turned to look at the drastic vitals dropping in speed. She needs to close up the wound faster. The blood House had lost before she got here was contributing now to the fact that her heart couldn't pump enough blood throughout her entire body.

She starts to panic. She couldn't rush this, she wasn't made for it. But if she doesn't act now then House won't have a chance to live.

She chooses to deal with whatever side effects that come with rushing later and puts all her efforts into this.

—

‘Run’ was all that was circling in Chopper's mind. He raced against the Marines, getting away from them. Bepo was hot on his tail, wailing a never ending plea to be left alone.

Dive was still in his arms, leading them as if she knew the island like the back of her hand. “Left! As soon as you see the corner turn right! The harbour’s not far, I know it!”

Chopper made an affirmative sound, following the girl's instructions properly. Bepo simply followed them, believing in Dive's navigation. Her directions were proven to be true when he could see the flag of his ship blown fiercely by the wind.

Then he could also see the swarm of Marines up ahead. “Shit stop!” Dive orders.

The sudden halt didn't apply to Bepo as he crashed into them, toppling them over. Chopper groans from the impact when he turns and sees a bunch of crates being left out in the open and got an idea. “Quick hide in those!” He got up and dragged the two young pirates towards the box.

“In here?” Bepo asked sceptically.

Soldiers yelling threats and vicious words got louder by the second. Dive looks at mink, an eyebrow raised. “Doesn't seem like we have a choice.”

Bepo sighs. “Let's get this over with.

Chopper smiles before opening the box and jumping in. Dive followed him with Bepo settling in last.

It was a tight fit, but they've somehow made it work. Heavy footsteps go past them in a tandem. After a minute or two Chopper was sure that the Marines were fully gone but Bepo counters back and says that he could still smell them around the perimeter.

“Oh fucking seas, we're like tuna in a canned!” Dive whines, shoving Bepo in the face.

They were huddled together in a big crate. There were other empty boxes around them but Chopper didn't really remember why they chose to hide in the same box.

Now it was nothing but agony. He was pressed up against Bepo's front, sitting half on the mink's lap and half on the box's surface floor. Dive was facing them at the front, her feets digging into their chest every so often.

Bepo sighs. “I wish I could eat tuna right now…” he waters.

“Shut up,” Dive barks at the mink who obviously apologises to her the second after.

Chopper was starting to sweat with how small the space seemed. He had changed back into his normal form to squeeze in further but both him and Dive forgot to account for Bepo's naturally big figure. His fur mixing with Bepo's was not helping at all. “Are they still around?” He whispers to Bepo.

The mink tilted his head up, sniffing the crate's lid. “Yeah, not far from us.”

“Ugh! When are they going to be gone!? I'm melting in this heat!” Dive kicks her legs, stabbing Chopper in his thighs.

He hissed and swab at the protruding leg. “Shh! You're going to alert them!”

“Oh relax, if they weren't stupid they would've found us by now. They probably think this is just a talking crate.” Dive huffs, crossing her arms as she leaned back on the crate's side.

“Literally no one would think that!” Bepo and Chopper counters her logic.

The girl scratches her ear without looking at them. “Mosh would.” (Mosh certainly would not)

Chopper sighs. They needed to get to the harbour as fast as they could before the Marines made their way there. Besides, he doesn't want to be left alone with the Kid pirate any more longer than he already has either.

All of a sudden his nose twitches, smelling a familiar scent in the air. Chopper tries to stand a bit to sniff the box's cover to get a better smell of it. In doing so he accidentally stepped on Dive's bent knee. “Ow don't step on me!” She kicked her leg up, hitting Chopper in the stomach.

“Eugh! I didn't!” Chopper tells her.

Her face contorted with vexedness. “Yes you did, you stupid reindeer!”

“I'm not a reindee– I mean,” he stutters. Too used to being called anything but a reindeer short circuited his brain. “I'm not stupid!”

Dive lunges towards him but Bepo comes between them by putting his hand over the girl's face holding her back. “Guys, let's not fight alr–”

“Shut up!” She smacked the polar bear's hand away, her teeth baring.

Bepo physically deflated. “Sorry.”

Chopper grits his teeth. Who was she to keep taking advantage of mink's humble attitude? Bullying him around like that. “Don't talk to Bepo like that!” He screams at her.

“Shut up! I'll talk to him however I like!”

At that, Chopper threw himself at her. “Don't be mean to him, he hasn't even done anything to you! You're just like your captain, you guys are all mean for no reason!”

“Shut up! Don't talk about Captain Kidd like that!” She hit him on the head and tried to kick him off of her. The two pirates kept hitting each other and rolling around in the tiny box until they had toppled over.

The box fell with a thud on the side and the lid slid open revealing the three pirates to the outside world. Laying on the floor still trying to claw at each other Chopper and Dive were snapped out of their little fight bubble when a pair of boots came into view.

The reindeer feared that the Marines had found them after how loud they were. By now, the three of them would've made it to the harbour already but now that the Marines have found them how much longer are they going to have to keep running? He was an idiot; he should've never picked a fight with the Kid pirate.

“Dive?” The query came from the owner of the boots. Suddenly a familiar laugh echoed.

The green haired girl looked up as her face beams in delight, eyes shining. “Killer!” She jumps to her feet and launches herself onto the man.

“A killer? Where!?” Bepo asked as peeps out of the box, looking around with horror.

“Bepo?” Another voice calls for the mink.

The polar bear screeched, covering his eyes. “Don't kill me! Please!”

“Uh… what?” Penguin tilts his head to the side. “It's just me Bepo, and what exactly are you guys doing?”

The mink opened his eyes and looked at the man that had called out to him in between his fingers. “Oh Penguin…” Bepo scoffs before schooling his face into a serious facade and gets up quickly. “I knew that it was you.”

Chopper looked around to see that no one was around anymore so he raised to his feet (hooves). “We were running away from the Marines,” he points to the crate. “It just seemed like the most exceptional place to hide.”

“Oh well no need to worry about them anymore we took care of them on the way here,” Killer explains.

Then only does Chopper realise that Penguin was holding his spear in one hand while the top of Killer’s mask was covered with blood, the liquid slowly dripping down. They seemed absolutely wrecked and scary.

Penguin smiles sweetly at him. “Well then, shall we?”

“The harbour isn't that far anymore,” Killer started walking, leading them. Dive runs to walk by his side. “We should be there in a minute.”

Chopper sighs in relief. They could finally reach their destination with no more distress, or so he hopes. He waddles after the four pirates. Being the shortest had more disadvantages than its advantages.

He mostly clings to Bepo's side, still not too familiar with Penguin and certainly not with the two Kid Pirates up front. He was mostly scared of them and Dive's earlier behaviour wasn't really shining a good light onto his perspective of the punk looking pirates.

The mink and Chopper had spent some time back in Wano when they were treating patients. Bepo was the one that had the same shift as the reindeer apparently so they had gotten to know each other. He had even found out that the polar bear was actually childhood friends with Law!

Bepo's medical skill wasn't actually that needed in the infirmary as Marco was also on the same shift as them. So Bepo ended up bringing back more patients from the raid than treating them. Chopper remembers the horror everytime Bepo brought back someone battered so badly, some of them weren't able to be saved.

The Hearts weren't the only ones that had helped in the aftermath of course. The Kid Pirates were mostly uncsatched from the battle and they had helped the most when it came to rebuilding and repairing the broken.

Now that is being said, Chopper vaguely remembers that Dive was always around the infirmary. She didn't stay to talk of course but she had helped a lot around, asking for orders and performing them well to her abilities.

She was young, younger than Chopper and yet she works the hardest from what the reindeer observed. He also works a little too hard sometimes, don't get him wrong but in Dive's case it was more like she needed orders to function, to live.

Having a job to get done and needing a job to keep going wasn't the same thing.

It makes him wonder what exactly was behind that bossy and snappy attitude that she hides herself in. Intrigued, Chopper finds himself wanting to learn more about the girl when just five minutes ago he was scared to death of her.

“Hold,” Killer orders, authority in his deep voice reminds Chopper of Luffy when he's serious. The other pirates stopped in their tracks. They've arrived at the harbour, finally but it doesn't seem to be occupied.

Penguin looked around them to get a better understanding of what Killer was looking at. They stood like statues in the middle of the jetty waiting for the green light from Killer.

The sound of someone running catches Chopper's attention. The reindeer made a sound before turning around towards the sound, this alerted Killer who turned around quickly before pointing at someone.

Killer jerked his head at Penguin, indicating that the man should also see this. Penguin turns and immediately recognises the person sprinting towards them. “Shachi!” He smiles. “You've made it.”

“Where are they? Are they okay!?” Shachi asked before coming to a stop in front of them.

Bepo tilts his head to the side, face lace with confusion. “Who? What are you talking about?”

“The– the–” Shachi stutters to find his words.

Killer's posture was no longer relaxed like it was before. His arms had a slight shake to it that made Chopper worried. The man was staring straight at Polar Tang.

The reindeer will admit that the ship was cool when it comes to its design and size. Then again so was Victoria Punk. So it begs the question why does Killer seem so agitated looking at the Hearts ship.

Suddenly before Shachi managed to spit out whatever he wanted to say, Killer started running towards the Polar Tang.

“Killer?” Penguin asked as Dive gasped, stunted that the man ran with unbelievable speed towards their ship. “Why is he–”

Dive, not wanting to be alone, ran to Killer. “Wait! Kill!”

“What's going on?” Bepo looks around, confused about the whole scene. So was Chopper and everyone. The reindeer's guts were twisting and screaming for him to follow them. There was a calling at the Polar Tang for him. He chooses to listen to his instinct and takes off.

Killer although big in mass, jumped onto the Tang with ease. His agility was impressive. Chopper changed into his jump point and grabbed Dive before jumping onto the submarine's deck.

There he was met with familiar faces that were all coloured with worry. Nami and Jimbei stood out the most to him. “Chopper!” Nami greets him happily.

“Nami,” he drops Dive to her feet, the girl went to Quincy's side. “What are you all doing here?”

“Is House in there?” Killer’s voice filtered Chopper's out. Authority exuding from just his stance. The pirates on deck were all jittery suddenly, confirming Killer’s query. “What happened?” His eyes focused on Quincy.

The woman deflates, not knowing how to explain the situation. Wire steps in front of her. “One of the Heart pirates brought her here and said that she was in critical condition. She's having surgery right now, I think.” he tells his crewmate.

It finally dawns on Chopper that all of the pirates on deck are waiting for the news. The Kid Pirates were the closest to the door to the entrance of the Tang, they've been waiting for who knows how long with worry pooling in their guts.

The air was knocked out of Chopper's lungs. To have a crewmate on the verge of death was something the reindeer has experienced for years now. He knew that his crewmates always felt bad when they couldn't help him when it came to their injured crewmates. He also knew that being forced to wait around for the results was always a heart wrenching experience.

So to see the other pirates just waiting outside like this, praying and wishing for the best hits him hard. They weren't so different from his own crew, Chopper realised. Past their mean demeanour they care for each other. Took care of each other, from Wire stepping in for his emotionally out of it crewmate to Dive being defensive of her captain. The Kid Pirates reputation has blinded the Strawhat pirate for as long as he could remember.

It was something to behold. To see them so human even if their past actions aren't much.

He still holds them accountable of course, he doesn't stand with people who hurt the innocent but he at least can finally see them past their gruff exterior the same way his captain does.

The sound of boots hitting the deck brought everyone to look at the side of the railing. Penguin, Shachi, and Bepo finally caught up to them. They're faces were written confused all over but Shachi quickly caught on. “They're still in there? Is it just Hakugan alone?”

Nami looks around to see that no one was planning to answer. “Uh… There were two more Heart Pirates that followed the,” It was as clear as day that she didn't know the names of the two pirates she mentioned. It made Chopper a bit ashamed that they didn't try to learn any of their allies crew's out of respect.

“I believe Jean Bart is leading them. There was a girl named Ikkaku that's helping them too,” Jimbei detailed more. An appreciative smile was given to the fishman by Nami.

Shachi glanced at Penguin before nodding and going to the door together. Bepo follows them. Before the mink made it inside the submarine he turned to Chopper. “What are you standing there for? Let's go,” he tells Chopper.

“Eh?” The reindeer stands there awkwardly.

“We need as many doctors as we can right now,” the Polar bear says nonchalantly.

Chopper breaks out into a sudden panic. “Eh!? Do we need a doctor!? Doctor! Doctor!” The pirate ran around the deck shouting for help.

Nami slapped her forehead as Jimbei sighs. “You're the doctor!” They explain to him.

“Oh yeah!” He scratches the back of his head, smiling sheepishly at the rest of them.

Dive simply bore her annoyed eyes at him. “Well if you're done calling for another non-existent doctor, could you please go and treat House now?” She taps her foot repeatedly on the deck.

Chopper smiles at her. His iconic full of teeth smile on display. “Don't worry, Dive! I'll take care of her to the best of my abilities. You can count on me!”

Dive was taken aback. The girl's face reddens in embarrassment. “Sh-shut up! I'm not worried! And I certainly don't trust you! Go away reindeer!”

“I'm not a rein– I mean… uh, bye-bye!” Chopper runs towards the door. He sent one last look to his fellow crewmates before running after Bepo.

Chapter Text

No matter how far they ran, the Navy was just everywhere. UK was starting to consider just giving himself up to them already. The roads all looked the same to him but Nico Robin was navigating them with ease. If it was anybody else, UK doesn't think he’d be confident enough to follow them blindly, except maybe Dive. The girl is a really fast learner and is growing into a very intelligent woman, she could memorise a whole essay in under a minute. Must be a perk from being a former assassin.

He could occasionally hear a loud bombing sound from the other side of the city. It was probably his captain or Papas. The Strawhats archeologist doesn’t seem very concerned about the sound either.

“Are you alright, UK?” Robin asked him. “We’re almost at the harbour if that’s what you’re worried about.”

The man shook his head. “No, I’m fine. Just fleeting thoughts. How much further?”

“Not far,” she replies with a gentle reassuring smile. UK almost forgot that this was the woman that the world government has been hunting for the last two decades or so. She was known as the devil to the entire world.

Robin seemingly began to slow down before signalling UK of something ahead.

“What is it?” He asked the woman.

She did not look back at him and just kept walking slowly ahead. She was focused on something. Her eyes glued to the ground. “We're not all that far from the harbour.”

UK stares. “Yeah but it'll be a real pain in the ass if we can't lose these sailor boys before leading them right to our men.”

Robin finally turns to him. “Perhaps we should take creative liberties by choosing another route to safety.”

Eyebrows drawn together, UK shrugs as he crosses his arms. “Like what? Soaring to the harbour?”

A sudden crashing sound alerts them both. The navy are right behind them.

“Well, flying is a great option but a dirty sewer with rats, unknown diseases and perhaps unidentified corpses is a great option too in such a pickled situation, yeah?” Robin smiles innocently.

The Kid pirates gave her nothing but a disgusted look. The sounds of Marines shouting seem to be getting nearer.”Well can't argue with that,” he said unenthusiastically. “So how are we…” UK didn't even manage to finish his query before Robin opened a sewer lid, ready to go down. “Alright,” he clasps his hands, face changing to completely accepting the prospect of the situation. “Adventure here we come!”

UK without utter grace jumped into the hole. Robin seemed to disagree but not put off by his action as she went after him and closed the lid back.

The woman descends down slowly, climbing down the ladder step by step. UK wasn't in a hurry and was more than happy to wait for her.

“Well, any ideas as to where to go next?” She sighs, hands on her hips.

“I'd say, we keep going south,” he suggested.

Robin had simply hummed before walking ahead, her posture poised and unnerving.

The Strawhat pirate cleared her throat, “UK if it does not make you uncomfortable, would you like to talk about our captains?”

“Sorry? I don't follow,” he sheepishly replied.

“Well, I'd like to broach the subject of our captains’ unusual relationship with each other,” She offers nonchalantly.

UK's eyes widened, his hands gripped tightly into a fist.

He was by all means a little against the whole thing. Now, he wasn't one to meddle in his captain's love affair, but them? They just didn't seem like the people who would make Kidd happy. Or so he and the rest of the crew thought.

Kidd never outrightly said anything about his feelings towards them but he has a certain tell when it comes to this kind of thing.

“Yes, it is a bit of a concern, no?” UK said.

Robin simply nods. “We're pirates, if word was to get out that Luffy is truly besotted over your captain and Traffy, it'll be quite the havoc.” She glanced at him. “I am of course not implying that Jaggy and Traffy could not take care of themselves but it'll surely prove a tad bit difficult no? Same would go to my captain.”

On that, UK could agree.

“And why tell me this? I mean you're not asking me to confront my captain about this, right?” UK asked with a ridiculous face. “I can tell you right now if you think Kidd's dumb then he's definitely dumber when it comes to this,” he tells Robin nonchalantly.

Yet, UK lies. His captain knows love very much, he's quite familiar with it.

His love for the woman that led him to this path of piracy. His love for the innocent such as Dive, no matter how much he denies it. His love for their ship and their home. For them and their well-being. Kidd has quite a lot of love to give around if he could have himself love thirty odd people.

Robin scoffs. “My dear, how awful,” she turns to look at him, a frown on her pink lips. “I would never suggest such a thing.”

“No?” The Kid pirate cocked an eyebrow up.

The woman shakes her head. “I am just asking if Jaggy would be ready to face the reality of the situation if he so decides to one day acknowledge these,” Robin paused, trying to choose her next words carefully. “Feelings of his.”

Would he? Kidd certainly won't acknowledge them. It'd take him the next millennium to finally admit to himself that he holds such sentiment towards them.

“I would not like it,” Robin continues. “If he was to be forced upon the consequences he didn’t ask for.”

UK hums, he doesn’t have to think about it. Every Kid pirate knows the answer already.

“Kidd wouldn’t let the world trample over his feelings that he has every right to it.”

The woman was silent, eyebrows raised in amusement. “I'm glad,” was all Robin said before they continued their endeavour in silence once more.

—

Uni might be the first in his crew to admit Law isn't really subtle with his affections towards Strawhat and Eustass. Shocked and disgusted, most of the crew had expressed when word went around two years ago that their captain might have been fraternising with a certain red-head a few months after Sabaody.

Personally, the Heart pirate had seen nothing wrong with the notion. His captain was a grown man and clearly had a type.

That to say Strawhat was someone Uni wholeheartedly believed Law would never glance at in a million years. Two years ago the pirate was lying on the Heart Pirates operation table bleeding to death. Now he had grown, matured not by much, his abs were filled out and the last of his youth were only showing in his cheeks.

A boy mostly.

His captain most definitely wasn't that kind of man in all his cruelty. Then again his behaviour only changed after he came back from Dressrosa. A certain glint of hope in his eyes. Before this there was a type of disdain he held for Strawhat, subtle but the crew sees it.

It was as if envy and jealousy clouded his eyes everytime Strawhat was mentioned.

Besides, Strawhat's bundle of energy was something that he knows his captain doesn't enjoy. So ‘why’ he asks himself many times, does Law, whether he knows or not holds this figure dearly to his heart?

One of Luffy's crewmates, famous for lying, surely will not hold the answers to his queries as they run for their life. Usopp.

Usopp is the one that runs ahead of him and the punk beside him. Although Uni can say with confidence perhaps the long nose fool does not know where exactly he's leading them to?

The Kid pirate certainly thinks so as he screams, “Do ‘ya know ‘yer way around or are ‘ya pretending to?”

“Hah!?” The Strawhat pirate turned. “Wha- of course I know where we're supposed to go! The harbour!”

“Yes,” Uni joins the conversation. “But are we truly heading there, is the question.”

Usopp's brows furrowed. A fleeting expression of embarrassment flashes through his face. Silence was his response. “Uh, well…”

“My dear seas. ‘Ya don't know!” Pomp concludes, grumbling as he does so. The punk's steps hurries and dashes past Usopp leading the three of them to where he knows the harbour is.

Uni would not mind if his captain were to mingle with Kidd if it meant that he'd not be anywhere near the Strawhats, incompetent as they are.

Suddenly, Pomp stops abruptly. In doing so Usopp crashed straight into him and Uni into the Strawhat.

Usopp yelps. “Hey what's the bright id–”

At that moment a group of marines appeared in front of them. To their left Uni sees more of them and unfortunately so is to his right and behind him.

“Shit the they went around us!” Usopp's screech.

Pomp clicked his tongue eyes surveying the area to find an out for them. “Motherfucker.”

“Damn,” Uni looked around too, but there truly was no escape they were being force on all sides but—

“Down!”

“What?” Pomp asked.

“Down there,” Usopp provides. He points to an alley, hidden between two enormous buildings. Perhaps it was not even an alley to begin with but a small gap between two shops. It was small enough to fit one person at a time, a flight of stairs leading them down.

“Yeah,” Uni draws out the word. “I don't think we're gonna fit–”

Pomp whirled his head back before pushing the other two pirates towards the alley. “Make haste men!”

Uni went first, his curly hair kept getting caught on the sharp points of the brick walls. There was some struggling as he went through all the way down, although the deeper he went the smaller the gap became. Usopp was hot on his tail, he did not make any effort to look back to his companions, their heavy breathing was enough to tell him they're there.

Finally, Uni made it to the end of the alley; the gap became extremely small towards the end but he barrelled through. The Strawhat pirate made it out with no qualms, his bulk shoulders scratching a bit at the walls.

It was the latter that had brought anxiety upon Uni and Usopp. Pomp was small indeed from dwarfism but he was wide. Extremely wide on his torso and he was not even near the end. There was no way he could make it out.

“Shit! Fuckin hell!” The Kid pirate struggles to move.

“Oh dear god! What are we going to do!?” Uni desperately looks around for a way to help the man that is stuck in such a distressing place.

“I say we leave him and run for our lives,” Usopp says flatly. Uni glares at the man with intense heat. “Which we will not! ‘Cause I was just kidding,” Usopp chuckles awkwardly before reaching into his purse grumbling to himself.

“Maybe I could turn around?” Pomp suggests.

Uni shakes his head. “No! Nope, definately not! The Marines might be there!”

“They wouldn't wait patiently for three pirates that mysteriously disappeared before their eyes pansy,” Pomp rolls his eyes teasingly.

The Heart pirate scoffs. “What makes you say that? Wait, they think we disappeared?” Uni asked.

Pomp nods with a smile. “Heard them after I went in.”

A triumph shout was heard. Usopp was brandishing something in the air. “I've got it!” A seashell, it was quite large. Uni had not seen such a kind of seashell in his life. Although the seashell did not look natural. It was not artificial either.

Unique and foreign was what it was.

“What is it?” He asked Usopp. The long nose man's face lights up.

“This is a dial! It's going to help you punk out of here!” He explains.

Uni and Pomp both tilt their heads in confusion. “A… seashell, long nose? Are ‘ya sure no screws are loose back in the bar?” Pomp asked in concern.

Usopp laughs sheepishly. “Certain!” he knocks his head a few times. “But you need to take a few steps back.”

“Me?” Asked Uni.

“What? No, p– ah him?” Usopp struggles on what to call the man stuck between the walls.

“Pomp.” The punk introduces himself.

The Strawhat pirate smiles in relief. “Ah, I'm Usopp.”

“Uni everyone,” he smiles at the two.

“Alright, now that introductions are done. All that’s left is to get Pomp out. Are you able to step back?” Usopp inquired.

Pomp made a show of pushing his body back, his shoulders and side of his torso grazing the walls harshly. Uni could feel the horrible burns from a mile away.

“I can but need I a bit–”

“Keep going!” Heavy footsteps approaching could be heard. Worse of all they came from behind Pomp.

Shadows of horror dawned on Usopp and Uni.

“Bastards found us,” the punk grits his teeth tightly.

“Shit you need to move back, Pomp! Now!” Usopp hastily stood near the end of the alley wall, the seashell or as he called it the dial pointed to the wall.

“I'm trying!” The Kid pirate struggles, wiggling his arms to get out but it seems not to be working by an inch.

“Push yourself harder, we don’t have time!” Uni urges.

Pomp growls. “I am ‘ya fool!”

“Well you're clearly not trying hard enough as it is!” Uni calls out worried etched on his face. Surely they can't leave him here but they must not just wait until the Marines arrive to cuff them too.

“I see someone at the end!” Shouts an officer.

At that moment Pomp's left arm managed to free itself and he quickly positioned himself sideways. Ussop saw it and wasted no time in howling at the punk. “Step back now!” Pomp did as he was told and Usopp hesitated in a jiffy before pressing the dial and everything went white.

There was no sound and practically nothing too. Uni could not feel his body for a while nor could he know where he was. He could be concussed before he feels someone shaking him. His shoulder to be precise.

Then he feels every sense and motion coming back to him. He pry his eyes open and saw Usopp and Pomp above him, the sky for some reason was filled with smoke that made the sky look rather dark. “We in hell?”

Pomp snickers. “ ‘Ya wish.”

“Are you alright?” Usopp frets. “The blast was quite big and it shook me too.” He giggled.

Uni sat up groaning as he touched the back of his head. “Yeah ‘m fine. Probably a concussion,” at that moment the world started to spin a little in his head. “Luckily I'm a doctor, illegally, and I can proudly say I'm concussed!” he announced with a giddy smile.

“Yup, he is. And delirious too,” Usopp suggested.

“Well then shall we?” Pomp stood up.

Usopp held his hand out for Uni and that's when he noticed the dark coloured palm was littered with scars, fresh burned scars. He grabs the offered hand with both of his and inspect it closely. “They're new, was this, was this from the explosion just now?”

“Uhm…” Usopp quickly pulled his hand away, face embarrassed as he looked to the side.

“What is?” Pomp turns back to them.

Uni stood up quickly before holding his head in hands. His head was pounding as he groaned. “Fuck.”

“Hey, hey slow down,” Pomp urged him to slowly sit down. “Guess it was bit more than a concussion huh?”

“Well I must not be a good doctor then if I misdiagnosed myself,” He gripped his hair tightly in an attempt to ease the hammering pain.

Pomp gently soothes Uni's hands out of his already unruly curls. “Hey,” he gently scolds the Heart pirate. “I'm sure ‘yer a great doctor when you're not fighting a brain-killing concussion.”

Usopp was also by his side at this point, holding his shoulder and patting him on the back for comfort. “Well we can't sit here any longer. Do you think you could walk for a bit?” He says softly to Uni. “With our support?”

Uni couldn't respond except panting. The pain was not subsiding and he could not talk, worst of all his eyes were starting to water. He didn't want to cry, especially not in front of strangers. Although there's a part of him that's saying the two pirates aren't truly.

They fought together, no? Back in Onigashima. Sure Uni was mostly with his crew back on the Polar Tang but they fought as far as they could to the end. Fought the same battle. He cured these people, these two now that he thinks about it.

Usopp was not in the infirmary long, his crew's doctor insisting he's fine. Same was with Pomp, but Uni had been the one to wrap the long nose's arm, his legs and his chest. He had put ointment over the burn Pomp occurred during the fight.

They were no strangers before this run in together. So were their captains.

When Uni was certain the pain subsided a bit he opened his eyes once more, ‘When had I shut it anyways?’

It was then he noticed that he was no longer in the same spot he thought he was, he was being hauled by Usopp and Pomp with the latter holding tightly to his hip and Uni's hand slinging over Usopp's shoulders as they walked in silence.

It was not bad, he thought. The silence was comforting and their company was nothing but welcomed by Uni.

“You alright?” Usopp asked.

He had to shut his eyes again from the sudden raging headache. “Yeah,” he muttered to ease their worries.

“Well stay with us man, we’re almost at the shor–” an explosion went off, again.

No, this was different. The explosion that happened last time was like a wave of wind pushing him back, this one, it rumbles. The ground that they stood on shook, seconds from collapsing. This one was powerful.

The long-nosed man screams in fear. “What was that!?”

“It’s coming from underneath,” Pomp lets go of Uni’s waist to kneel as he touches the ground ever so slightly. “Haki.”

The Heart pirate did nothing but hummed. “Our captains.” Another booming sound was heard which startled them as Usopp continued to scream, even louder.

“Argh, you're not helping!” Pomp howled at Usopp.

“Can we move on?” Uni says, exasperated.

“Aghhhhhhhhh– I mean,” Usopp coughs to clear his throat before he nods enthusiastically. “Yes, yes, let's go!”

Pomp had a frown on his face. “Aww man ‘ya don't want ‘ta investigate a bit about the explosion?” he pouts.

“No,” Uni replies dryly.

“Not even a ‘lil bit?” Pomp pouts as his voice cracks at the attempt to sound sweet.

“No!” the other two pirates shouted.

—

The cyborg was appalled when Bubblegum had revealed his role on his crew.

A doctor.

“Honestly! I was this close to wrapping him up like a mummy and bound him to the bed!” Bubblegum explained, making motions with fingers to express his frustration.

Franky laughs. “Kidd is so much like Zoro! I'm sure if you really needed to bind him next time, Chopper could help,” the cyborg shields the left side of his face with his right hand as he whispers. “He has experience.”

“Seas please!” Bubblegum says breathlessly. “It'd make my job so much easier.”

They hadn't been doing much running since there weren't many Marines in the area where Franky accidentally met Bubblegum. As they kept walking they finally saw the harbour.

“Damn, it feels like I've been walking like forever!” Franky says excitedly as he spotted the Thousand Sunny.

Bubblegum chuckles, “You tell me.”

Suddenly a loud booming sound up ahead caught their attention. Franky recognises the sound of it or more like the feel of his captain’s haki.

“I think that's Luffy,” Franky says, unbothered.

Bubblegum on the other hand looked concerned. “He's with Trafalgar and Kidd isn't he?”

“Yeah,” the cyborg says offhandedly before looking at the other pirate in realisation. “You don't think they…”

“Are trying to actively kill each other? Yes, yes, I do.”

Franky huffs and folded his arms over his chest. “Let's hope Traffy will at least try to break them up.”

Bubblegum snorts. “What makes you think it wasn’t him that instigated the fight in the first place?” he asked, smirking.

The Strawhat pirate thought of it for a while before coming to a conclusion. “Hmm, he totally would,” nodding to the idea. “We should go and check it out, yeah?”

“If it means less time spending in the infirmary tending to Kidd's wounds then sure, let's go.”

They approached the area where smoke was spreading around. The explosion and their captains weren't too far off from where Franky and Bubblegum originally were, their captains were actually more closer to the harbour than they were.

Lo and behold, all three pirate captains were fighting, just not with each other but with an admiral, judging from the uniform. There was a huge hole in the ground which Franky deduced is where the three captains came from.

“Alright, just what the heck is going on here!?” Franky screams. At that moment Ryokugyu turned his head towards the cyborg, he snorted before a little smirk creeped up on him. “Ah yes, just what we needed. An admiral attacking us. We're totally not doomed or anything,” the Strawhat crossed his arms with an annoyed expression.

“We're fucked!” Bubblegum panics. “Kidd!” he calls out for his captain.

Trafalgar coughed up a ridiculous amount of blood as he tried to get up but ultimately failed and fell down on his knees. Eustass looked a bit better, he wasn’t covered in dirt from head to toe like Luffy was nor is he drenched in water like Law. He was, although, heaving horribly as if he couldn’t breathe.

Ryokugyu was the only one that seemed normal about it all. He looked bored even. A cocky look plastered across his face.
Bubblegum makes a noise of annoyance.

The admiral turned his head slightly to their direction. “Ah, more pirates for me to arrest.”

“Damn you,” Trafalgar coughed up more blood. It was starting to look concerning.

“Captain?” Bubblegum looked confused like he was trying to solve a puzzle. Kidd was just on his knees, heaving. There was something wrong with his posture. He’s breathing almost unnaturally. “What ‘ya do to him, you living greenery!”

A blue dome suddenly envelops them all. “Take them to the Tang!” That was all that Law said before his infamous switcheroo was done and that is how Franky, Bubblegum, Kidd and two more figures found themselves falling into the ocean.

“Wai–” The Kid pirate uttered while falling towards the vast blue.

Franky was shocked for a while before quickly holding his breath and grabbing the two closest people to him and swam up. After he reached the surface Bubblegum followed behind him for a few seconds, holding onto Zoro.

Franky looks to the people in his arms to find that it’s Kidd and a man with stitches all over his face. Bubblegum gasps. “Heat!”

Heat was knocked out cold as far as Franky could tell but he understood Bubblegum's worries so he suggested they swim to shore. Once they made it Franky realised they’re right next to Sunny. “Hold on,” he assures Bubblegum who is already checking on the three bodies.

“Guys! Is anyone there!” Franky shouted. “Hello!?”

There was no response.

“Damn it, where are they?” The cyborg scratched his head.

A series of coughing sounds were made behind the cyborg. Zoro was the one coughing while Heat was repeatedly hitting his chest as if to get something unstuck in his internal organ.

“You alright?” Bubblegum asked his crewmate but Heat's only response was a pained look as he hit his chest. Bubblegum grimaces before coming to a conclusion. “Come on, open that corset. We'll have to wait for the captain to wake up to repair whatever that is clearly broken inside.”

That was all that Bubblegum said before beginning to help his friend undress.

Zoro's coughing finally came to a stop as he took in deep breaths. “You okay there?” Franky asked.

“Never–” he coughs. “better.”

“Well what the hell happened?” asks the cyborg as Bubblegum walks over to tend to his captain.

Zoro didn't say anything for a while before pointing a finger to Heat. “Him.”

The person in question gasped. Heat's face automatically scowled. He didn't say anything to rebut Zoro's claims yet his entire body language said so.

“When the admiral attacked him something happened and he started spitting flame everywhere,” Zoro explained. “At some point the smoke started getting excessive and I ended up inhaling too much and was knocked out.” the swordsman stated nonchalantly.

“That isn't good.” Bubblegum chimed in. “The smoke could've caused damage to your lungs better let your reindeer check in on you.” At that statement Zoro visibly flinched.

Franky chuckled in amusement. “Alright so then how did Kidd, Traffy and Luffy fit in the picture?”

Heat suddenly started waving his arms around and motioning something with his hands. It's a bit embarrassing for Franky to admit how long it actually took him to understand that Heat was actually signing.

“Hey, hey, slow down, you know that I'm not that fluent asshole.” Bubblegum told his crewmate. To that, Heat sighed before signing again this time, slower. Bubblegum gasped when he finally understood. A sort of panic was in his eyes as turned his full attention to Kidd.

“What is it?”

“That admiral has a strange power, he– he can kind of suck the life energy out of someone. He did it to Kidd.” Bubblegum's voice became frantic. He started to skim his hands all over Kidd's body.

“Hey, Traffy asked us to go to his ship right? You can check him properly there." The cyborg tried to reassure the punk.

Heat hums loudly. Moving his hands once more. “Really?” Bubblegum suddenly looked intrigued. “Heat says that all of the Heart Pirates are doctors. Illegally.”

“What's the difference?” Zoro asked.

Bubblegum just stared at him before answering. “Nothing.”

“Okay…” Zoro looked at Franky irreducibly.

The cyborg clapped loudly, ignoring the awkward conversation that just happened. “Okay, come on let's get going.” Franky walks over to carry Kidd's body. He draped the pirate captain over his shoulder before marching towards the Tang. The others followed him slowly behind.

As they approached the submarine they could see there were lots of people on deck. Yet no Heart Pirates to be seen. Dive, who was hanging around the railing, saw them first and squealed delightedly.

“Bubblegum! It's Bubs!” Heavy footsteps were heard behind the girl.

Killer's form fully showing itself as he stands next to the girl. His stance was stiff though and was even more when he could make out the body that was draping over Franky's shoulder.

“Kidd…” Killer looked directly at Bubblegum. “What happened?”

“His energy was drained by that admiral, I need to do a full check up on him to know what's going on.”

“What admiral?” Killer’s voice loud enough for the others on deck to hear. Everyone started to talk loudly in panic with sudden news of the admiral.

“Uhh well you see–” Just as Franky and the others made their way up the door towards the inside of the ship opened.

Everyone was silent as Penguin came out, a strained smile on his face. He searched around until his gaze landed on the Massacre Soldier. His breath hitched before calming himself down and opening his mouth. “She's alright. Stable and resting, the operation went well.”

Everyone cheered at the happy news. Nami was holding her breath even after Penguin’s announcement and any Strawhat can tell you that was the tell sign of her holding back her emotions from breaking the dam.

“Goodness, that's a relief,” Nami sighs. To others it might've looked like she was annoyed or frustrated but to Franky and the other Strawhats she was absolutely happy.

Killer sighed loudly. A Kid pirate that was taller than Killer and possibly Jimbei came forward. “Thank you.” To that, Penguin nodded, he looked around before his eyes landed on Kidd.

“Um, if you wouldn’t mind,” Bubblegum cleared his throat. “Your captain sent us here with direct orders to go to the Tang. And well,” he looks back to the group of people he came with. “These men are a bit battered and I need to do a thorough check up on Kidd.”

“Of course!” Penguin wasted no time, inviting them inside warmly. “Right this way!”

—

As those that were injured went in, Killer halted Penguin by grasping his wrist tightly. “Hold on, wait–” the Heart pirate stared at him with a hint of bewilderment in his eyes. “Uhh, you see…”

At this point the door behind Killer was already shut, shielding them from the rest on deck while the group of people that went in had already vanished deep into the hallway.

Killer's mask hid whatever overwhelming emotion that he knew was showing on his face right now. It was a comforting thought yet it still didn't calm his nerves. Penguin twisted his wrist that was still clasped in Killer's hand, slowly interlacing their fingers together.

The Heart pirate sighed. “It's alright.” He didn't say any more comforting words ‘cause Poseidon knew that the two of them would be dead before they'd be actively vulnerable.

Yet, as Killer’s thinking about it further it didn't seem all so bad to be intimate with Penguin. He was already holding hands with the man, if it was anybody else (except for his crew) he'd chop off their hands the moment they'd even think about doing such a thing.

Killer didn’t realise that his hands were shaking until he looked at them, where one of them was joined with Penguin's. “Thank you.” He whispered, they were both looking down but at that moment Killer decided to take a peek at Penguin's face. Being taller than the man, all he saw was a shy smile.

“It was nothing,” he replied. “It was a group effort and mostly Ikkaku's resilience.”

Killer chuckled, rubbing circles onto Penguin's hand. “Thank, you. Nonetheless, you helped her.”

Slowly Penguin lifted his head and crane to get a good look at Killer. He smiles widely at him.

“Peng–” just as Killer was about to say something before the submarine tips, shaking as it leans to the side before straightening back up again.

“What was that!?” Penguin yelled. He started running inside the sub, Killer right behind him. As they finally make it into what Killer assumed is the control room, a man with a mask was already checking things frantically. “What's going on Hakugan?”

“Uh– the sub's been hit!” He didn't spare either of them a glance as he worked through the buttons.

“Yeah I can see that!” Penguin yelled.

“By what?” Killer authoritative voice snapped Hakugan out of his shaking trance.

The Heart pirate looked at him up and down before turning to his crewmate. “Uhh…” he pointed to Killer.

“Not the point, and ignore him!” Penguin waved him off, going to a panel to check something. “Is the ship damaged from the hit?

“Of course not, what do you take the Tang for?” Hakugan turned back and began to push different colored buttons fastly. “I just need to see if I can accelerate–”

“Oh my Davy Jones!” Someone had screeched. The volume and tone of the voice was unmistakable to Killer.

“Quincy!” The blonde rushed out, not caring if the other two pirates followed him or not. He was not about to have more crewmates injured. When he made it back on deck everyone was looking to the side of the Tang. “What's wrong? What's going on?”

“Kil!” Dive came running to him. He picked her up and she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. “You've gotta go see it.”

“What is it? It was as if a bull hit us or was there an attac–” he couldn't believe what he was saying as he finally made his way to the side of the submarine.

The sub certainly was hit. But not by what, by who? The question of whether it was an attack or not still lies unanswered.

There, Monkey D. Luffy is practically engulfed by the exterior wall of the submarine, denting it. That was sure to mess with maneuvering the sub later on.

“Oh yeah,” Shachi suddenly spoke up next to him. “Law's gonna kill him for sure.

“Where the fuck did ‘ya come from?” Dive spoke for both of them in this situation. After all, it wasn’t everyday someone could sneak up on the little girl and Killer at the same time. He was starting to think there's more than what it is shown by the Hearts.

Shachi chuckles. “Not my fault you guys don't pay attention to your surroundings,” he then used his hand to shield the side of his face as if telling them a secret. “and believe me, it's better to keep your guard up especially on a submarine.” He whispers.

“Alright!” Wire sighed in frustration. “Just what the fuck is going on!?”

—

Gig and Brook, for some unknown reason, had ended right back to where they started.

“Well this is odd,” Brook says, staring at the wreck of the bar. The marines really don't take care of their civilians better. “I'm quite sure we've passed this bar before, yes?”

“I'd think that be because we were eating here just now Mr. Brook,” Gig offers an answer.

“Ah! Well of course, silly me.”

“So where'd ‘ya think the navy went? Can't catch a whiff of them around here.”

Brook scratched his bony chin. “Hmm, indeed. I say we better not dwell on it and move on. We must hurry after all.”

Gig nodded and started running again.