Chapter Text
The man raised his hands a little in a sign of peace; he is not looking for fights. Kuma sighed looking at Crocodile with a calm smile with a hint of nervousness.
"Crocodile, long time no see," Kuma decided to speak first, still looking how Crocodile watched him cautiously.
"You didn't answer my question," Crocodile spoke in a low tone, his arms crossed over his chest.
"Don't worry, Dragon doesn't know I'm here," when he said that, Crocodile breathed a sigh of relief, although he still looked at him cautiously
Crocodile was about to speak again, to question him about what he was doing here. At his door. On his son's birthday. But Kuma spoke before he could verbalize his doubts.
"I came to check on you guys, you know, it's been a year since you escaped from the revolutionaries and I wanted to see if you were doing well" as he spoke, Crocodile could notice a slight hint of nervousness in his voice, and that certainly calmed him down a little, "And as I told you, Dragon doesn't know anything about this, I told him I had some business to attend to without specifying anything to him," Kuma concluded, fixing his hat a little
Crocodile felt like an idiot for a moment, it was thanks to Kuma that he was here right now, he helped him escape and told him to meet with Garp, and now he mistrusts him.
You can't blame him for being a little cautious — or paranoid, failing that — Kuma works with Dragon, who started all this trouble, although it was a little unfair to compare him to his boss.
Crocodile sighed, turning away from the door and opening it so that the other man could pass.
"You can come in, Luffy was about to blow out the candles" Kuma nodded slowly and with a little excitement in his walk he entered the house, being followed by Bewear who had a present in his paws and looked quite cheerful.
Kuma was a little surprised by the amount of pokemon inside, and wondered how the house was so big to hold so many.
The revolutionary could not help but be surprised to see the baby playing on Hippowdon's back with a small Zorua by his side.
Garp stared at him as soon as he set foot inside the house, it made him feel a little exposed to tell the truth, well, at least until Crocodile came to his side.
"I guess we have a surprise guest" Woop Slap announced, watching the newcomer. To which Kuma gave a quick wave with his hand
"Bartholomew Kuma, it's a pleasure" he introduced himself to the older man, not knowing that he was the mayor.
"Woop Slap, mayor of the little town near here, you better not cause trouble, I have enough with this decrepit old man here" The man spoke calmly while pointing at Garp, who grimaced almost instantly.
"Ha, first a pirate, and now a revolutionary? Hmph, this only gives me more reasons to start Luffy's training to become an honorable Marine" Garp grumbled, crossing his arms while frowning.
"Garp, Luffy will decide what he will be when he grows up, and neither you nor I have the power to make his decisions" Crocodile snapped out with a touch of finality, to which Garp frowned again.
"And more respect than this 'revolutionary' is the one who informed me of your wonderful and charming son's plan," Crocodile spoke with a slightly dismissive tone, a wry smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Garp did not claim, and instead just stayed quiet, possibly accepting responsibility for the situation a little.
Makino came curious to observe Kuma together with her beloved Tangela.
"Hello! I'm Makino and this is my Tangela," Makino picked up her pokemon in her arms. The Tangela let out a little excited shout, in a way of greeting.
The girl opened her eyes with surprise a few moments later, hugging her Tangela close to her "Right! And this is Luffy. Luffy is having a birthday today, he's Mr. Crocodile's son and he's quite a lovely boy," Makino excitedly exclaimed, clearly brag about the little boy.
Luffy watched the newcomers and blinked incredulously, first he watched the adult and then the pokemon that came with him.
And then watched the adult again and then the pokemon again.
Was it his idea or were they both identical?
The boy came out of his few thoughts when he was carried by his father, let out a few small laughs, watching the Bewear who was still holding the gift.
Although now it was time for the cake, so everyone went back to their places, this time with two new guest.
Crocodile approached the cake with Luffy in his arms "So, shall we light the candle?," Garp questioned as he reached into his pockets for something to light.
At that moment Crocalor — who was being charged by Garchomp — made a small flare to light the candle.
Luffy's eyes sparkled with excitement even though he didn't quite understand what was happening
Zorua climbed on Crocodile's shoulder and watched the child.
"Well, now Lu, you must blow, do you understand?"
The pokémon spoke to the boy, to which the boy slightly tilted his head without understanding.
The black pokemon sighed and tried to show the child how to blow.
Finally, Luffy seemed to have understood. He took a breath into his tiny lungs, preparing to blow.
Leavanny was hugging Chansey, holding the urge to cry for the very emotional moment.
As expected the first time he tried, Luffy only managed to blow out a little drool when trying to blow out the candle
Makino laughed a little and brought a couple of napkins to wipe the baby's chin that was full of saliva from his failed attempt
Garchomp sighed and placed himself in front of the baby.
"It seems like you're having a little trouble, so, I'm going to help you, okay? On the count of three"
Kuma was watching everything with curiosity, it seemed that genuinely the dragon-ground pokémon was talking to the baby, and it seemed to be a common thing for the rest of the people at the party.
The boy opened his little eyes with surprise, he knew the much acclaimed 'count of three' sometimes his father used it to carry him, other times when they were carrying him.
When the Mankeys carried him in the trees, when they gave him food, when one Mankey threw him at another Mankey.
Or just when he was being taken for a walk by his dad's pokemon.
Something always happened when he reached number three, and this time the baby understood that he should do the same as his dad's pokemon.
One.
Two.
Three!
At that moment the baby made his best effort to blow, clearly having his difficulties, but the small flame of the candle was extinguished, thanks to a small puff that the dragon-ground pokemon had given, but those are details.
Crocodile knew that Garchomp helped Luffy, but he didn't say anything, just smiled. He settled his son in his arms more comfortably, looked at him and placed an unruly strand behind his ear and smiled at him.
"Hey brat, stop growing up so fast, please"
A light and quick memory appeared in Crocodile's mind; how Luffy had learned to walk. One quiet day, he was training his Pokemon while Zorua and Sylveon were taking care of Luffy, there was a bit of a serious fight and they left Luffy for a moment, and the boy a few moments later just got up with difficulty and walked to where his father was trying to calm his pokemon.
Crocodile felt so proud for his son, and of course, his pokemon also made a small celebration, in which even the forest pokemon who were trying to kidnap Luffy ended up joining somehow.
Garp clearly clapped loudly while laughing.
Makino hug her Tangela.
Slaking had joined Leavanny and Chansey to cry, also the Kangaskhan of Woop Slap was in there, Palossand was trying to calm them all down, although of course he understood them since he was also quite proud that Luffy had completed his first year of life.
Zorua had jumped from Crocodile's shoulder to Hyppowdon's back to celebrate alongside Marshtomp, Palaffin, Crocalor and Krookodile.
Honestly, Kuma felt a little out of place, the same with his Bewear that still held the small gift on his front paws.
Sylveon was carrying Luffy with his ribbons, while the baby, or well now one-year-old child was laughing contentedly while being lifted up.
Although Woop Slap started to cut the cake, all Luffy's attention went there.
Everyone had their piece of cake, pokemon, pirate, marine, mayor and girl.
And clearly Luffy with his piece of cake, who — to no one's surprise — was eating it with his bare hands, soiling his clothes and his face.
Kuma's pokémon noticed the gift on his paws and finally took enough courage to approach the boy.
The boy watched the Pokémon bear with a black body and a pink head with curiosity, it was that pokemon that looked too much like that man with bear ears.
The Pokémon extended the gift to him, although Luffy watched him with more curiosity.
"How do I explain it to you...?, "
The pokemon bear questioned himself, the boy just looked at him with his bright little eyes, he had stopped eating cake because of the pokemon.
"You have to break the wrapper,"
The pokémon took a corner of the gift and tore the paper a little.
Luffy seemed to understand, with his —still— sticky hands he put the plate aside so he could concentrate on the gift and tearing the wrapping
He took his due time, but the gleam of excitement in the boy's eyes were an early gift in itself for the pokemon
The boy curiously observed his gift already revealed; it was a cute red drum.
Krookodile put her piece of cake aside to approach the child and gently tap the toy with one of her front limbs.
The sound captivated the boy and he quickly imitated the action of the pokemon, seeing that it sounded nice he laughed and beat the drum more.
"I thought it would be a nice gift for Luffy" Kuma shifted his gaze from the little boy to Crocodile who was eating his piece of cake
"Well he quite likes it" Crocodile spoke calmly, a small smile spread across his lips at the sight of his son's excitement
"He's definitely going to play that drum while you're sleeping" Garp appeared out of nowhere next to both of them while letting out not at all discreet chuckles.
"Well, at least Kuma hasn't given him a book of all the laws of the navy" Garp frowned slightly
"Hey, at least I'm trying to educate him" Garp protested.
"Garp, can you explain to me what good is it for a child who is just turning one to know the internal laws and rules of the navy?" Crocodile watched him severely.
"Well, so as not to break any navy laws" Garp spoke calmly as he took Luffy in his arms, the boy tried to take his drum again but couldn't.
"Besides when Luffy becomes a future Vice Admiral, he will put you two to Impel Down" Garp said, too casually, to which the boy cried
Crocodile watched him disapprovingly as the boy continued to cry.
Slaking tried to carry him but that didn't work to make the child stop crying, instead that, only made him cry louder.
At that moment the boy opened his teary eyes and the first thing he saw was Kuma's Bewear, and he stretched out his arms in his direction, wanting to be carried
Crocodile watched the interaction curiously, he didn't quite know the nature of the Bewear, only that they were quite affectionate.
Kuma honestly was slightly nervous.
Slaking did not want to let go of Luffy, he had been offended when the child did not want to be in his arms, but when he heard his crying he sighed and extended the child to the pokemon bear, who seemed nervous.
The child stretched out his arms crying, until finally his crying stopped when he was carried by the Bewear, who felt pressured due to the looks not only of people but also of the pokemon.
The Bewear carried the child with his eyes closed in fear of seeing him, as far as possible, although he slowly opened his eyes when he heard the child's light laughter.
The boy was laughing much more comfortable, he had stopped crying once he was charged by Kuma's pokemon
Without noticing her, the girl had approached with a smile without saying anything she stood on a chair to be able to be at the height of the Normal/Fight pokemon, although of course she was a few centimeters short to be at the same height as him.
But that was beside the point, the girl carefully settled the boy on the pokemon's front paws.
The pokémon was wagging his tail as if he were a happy puppy, but his front paws were almost shaking, he was afraid of squeezing the child too much and maybe breaking his spine, a common fear for a Bewear, more for one who was carrying such a little child.
The pokemon never carried a child before, but the feeling was simply unique, especially when the child clung to his soft fur closing his eyes, possibly being about to take a nap.
Of course, the boy had been awake all day, leaving his nap aside so possibly all the exhaustion of the day had accumulated in him.
Maybe he should add Bewear to his list of pokemon he loves to sleep with.
Crocodile watched with a slight smile to his son and as he was already sleeping clinging to Kuma's pokemon.
Kuma next to him smiled slightly, refusing to say that his pokemon was capable of breaking an adult's back relatively easily.
Besides, his pokemon looked too cheerful to interrupt him.