Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

As the Bezan Black drifted away from the Gecko Island the crew were having a heated debate on the deck.  A portly pirate named Lestrade yelled, “We can’t keep calling ourselves the Black Cat Pirates!  We abandoned that name when we left Kuro and Jango behind!”  The pirates surrounding the pair let out a loud cheer.

A thin pirate with a nasal voice named Alessandro yells back, “What are we supposed to call ourselves then?!?  We’ve always been the Black Cat Pirates!”  The pirates who had previously cheered for Lestrade now cheer for Alessandro’s counterpoint.

His face growing red, Lestrade bellows, “I don’t know, but we can’t keep using this name!”  The pirates again cheered, without a leader, the group had no idea who they should support and so were supporting each side with equal fervor.

“Well if you don’t have a better name then we should just stick with what we already have!”  Alessandro presses his finger into Lestrade's belly which jiggles on impact.  The pirates again cheer, confused but glad that something is happening.

A tiny voice from the back of the group calls out, “I have an idea!”  The pirates turn to face Mouse, their chore boy who gulps at the sudden attention, “W-well I just th-thought… W-what about that d-dog that h-helped us get b-back to the sh-ship?”

The pirates part as Lestrade and Alessandro walk through toward the boy, their fight is already forgotten.  Alessandro bends his knees to get down at Mouse’s level, “What about the dog?”

“I-I just thought maybe… We could n-name ourselves after him?”  Mouse lets out a small, “Squee!”, the noise that had earned his nickname.  Having been captured by the crew as an infant, he didn’t know his birth name and instead had adopted the nickname given to him by the crew.

Lestrade places a fat finger against his chin, “I don’t remember what name the crew used for him.  All I remember is that he was small, white and had a bad temper.”

Feeling a bit more confident, Mouse’s stutter falls away, “Maybe we could call ourselves the White Dog pirates?”  The pirates murmur but nobody protests.

Alessandro straightens to his feet, “I like it!  Not too far from the color and animal naming convention, with the added benefit of serving as a reminder of what we experienced together.”  The others around him nod their heads encouraging him to go on, “From now on we will be the White Dog pirates!”  A cheer is raised by the group and several of the pirates lock arms and begin dancing.

Placing his fingers into his mouth Lestrade lets out a loud whistle, ending the celebration and bringing attention back to him, “What do we do now?  We have a name, but what are we trying to accomplish?”

A woman named Agatha near the back of the group shouts, “Steal somebody's money?”  An older man named Charles calls out, “Pillage a town?”  Another woman named Beatrice joins with her own suggestion, “Kidnap some orphans?”

Shaking his head back and forth Lestrade explains, “No, that’s what the Black Cat Pirates would have done.  But that’s not us anymore.  Why don’t we try to do what that Straw Hat guy was doing?  He was a pirate but he seemed to do stuff that was…”  He pauses for a moment, trying to search for the right word, “... nice.”

The pirate groups sit in silence, trying to imagine nice things that they could do.  Eventually Charles shakily volunteers, “We could give all of our treasure away?”  He is answered by Agatha, “No, that red-headed girl took all our treasure!  Maybe we could try to break up a smuggling ring?”  Beatrice laughs and rebukes her, “Kyahahahaha, we could barely keep up with a couple of kids!  We have to start smaller than that, what if we went to an island and just asked how we could help?”  Several of the pirates nod their heads in agreement.

Alessandro who is also nodding says in a loud voice, “Alright.  I think we can do that!  But where would we find an island that needs help?”

A tall man named Anatoly makes his way onto the deck from the kitchens, as the chef he had been busy cooking when he found something strange.  Holding a letter in his hands he makes his way towards the group, “Found something downstairs.  You all might want to have a look.”  The rest of the crew turn to face him and noticing their intense focus on him raises his eyebrow, “Were you all waiting for me?”

A squeak escapes Mouse’s lips and he darts between his crewmate's legs towards Anatoly, “Squee!  Read it, read it!”  The young boy wraps his arms around the chef’s right leg and stares up at him.  He saw the larger man as a parental figure and was glad that he had finally come out to see them.

“Alright already!  Calm yourself Mouse.”  His thumb pierces the seal and he slowly pulls out a handwritten letter and begins reading it out loud for the group.

Folding the letter up, Anatoly prepares to rip it apart, “That’s dumb, the Black Cat Pirates don’t care about things like…”  Before he can continue the pirates around him shout in unison, ‘No!’  He freezes, his fingers poised to tear the letter in half, “... No?”

Alessandro and Lestrade make their way through the crowd towards Anatoly.

Several minutes later, after catching Anatoly up with the recent changes to the crew's name and goal the chef places the letter into his pocket, “Guess I should hold onto this for safekeeping.  But where are we going to find a Den Den Mushi out here?”

A squeak escapes Mouse who is no longer holding onto the larger man’s leg, “Squee, we could check out the port back in Syrup Village.  Seems a little weird to be going back so soon after we left, but they may have a way to make calls between islands.”  Several of the pirates around them nod in agreement.

Lestrade’s booming voice rings out, “Okay!  But we need to be on our best behavior!” The pirates cheer as Lestrade makes his way towards the steering wheel. As the helmsman it was his duty to guide the ship.

Several hours later the now well-fed crew arrived at the shipping docks. Alessandro had pulled down their old pirate flags and raised white flags in their place, reasoning that they were a more accurate representation of the crew's intention. Once docked Anatoly, Beatrice and Mouse debark the ship and make their way to the offices.

As the trio walk along the docks, the workers give them odd looks, but they ignore them and continue towards their destination.  Arriving at the offices, the trio enters and walks up to the front desk.  Beatrice taps a small bell drawing an irritated look from the receptionist, “We were wondering if we could use your Den Den Mushi.  Have an urgent call we need to make.”

Placing the pencil she had been using to write a note down, the woman shuffles her paperwork to the side before saying in an annoyed voice, “May I ask who you are calling?”

His large arms slap into the top of the counter as Anatoly leans against it, “None of your business.”

Slapping the chef on the arm, Beatrice attempts to smooth things over as the receptionist becomes visibly annoyed, “It shouldn’t take long.  Just a quick call then we’ll be out of your hair.”

“I don't think we can just give any…” Before she can finish her sentence a well-dressed man with hair that looks like a sheep's mane and two small horns round the corner.  Her face brightens as she smiles at the newcomer, “How can I help you today sir?”

The man stops next to the desk, studying the group for a moment before asking, “Who are these three?  Are they looking to purchase a boat?”

Before the receptionist can answer Mouse’s squeaky voice chimes in, “We were hoping to use your phone.  We’ve got an important call we need to make.”

Glancing back at the receptionist who shrugs her shoulders the well-dressed man waves for the group to follow him and turns down the hall.  The group follows him, Anatoly and Beatrice shooting dirty looks at the receptionist as they pass her desk.  Several moments later they find themselves in a neat office.

Reaching across the desk, the strange-looking man picks up a snail and hands it to the man, “Well, be quick about it.  I have important things to take care of and not much time to do so.”

As Anatoly takes the snail in his hands and turns it over looking for a dial, Beatrice offers, “Is there anything we can do to help?”

The man sizes her up for a moment before saying hesitantly, “Not unless you know how to sail a ship.”  Beatrice looked down at the ground, she didn’t have any sailing experience yet, mostly helping with cleaning.

As Anatoly finds the dial, he begins punching in the numbers when Mouse squeaks out, “Squee, I know how.”  Both Anatoly and Beatrice look at him in surprise and he continues on, “Lestrade has been teaching me.  As long as it’s got a wheel and not one of those whipstaff things I can probably do it.”

Nodding, the lamb man walks towards the young boy and places a hand on his shoulder, “I would be very grateful for your help young man.”  Turning to the older pair he says, “Feel free to take the Den Den Mushi with you.  I won’t be needing it after today.”  With his strong hand firmly on the boy’s shoulder he steers Mouse out of the room.  The other two shrug and focus on their call.

Dialing in the final digit, the device begins to jiggle in Anatoly’s hand, “Budeh Budeh Budeh Budeh.  Budeh Budeh Budeh Budeh.  Click.”  A woman’s voice comes on the other end, sounding very distraught, “Hello?  Who is it?”

Bringing the snail towards his mouth, not sure about exactly how it worked but reasoning that it would need to be able to pick up his words Anatoly responds, “The name is Anatoly, I’m calling because of a note that was left by Pirate Justice.  Said to ask for a Commander Ripper, is that you?”

There is a long pause broken by the occasional sound of sobbing before the woman’s voice returns, “He… isn’t here right now.  I can give you his office number unless you want to try back later.”

Shrugging his shoulders, Anatoly ignores the woman’s obvious distress as he replies, “Sure, give me the office number.”

The pair hear the sound of papers shuffling before the woman’s voice cuts through, “One twenty-eight, forty-three, six fifty-two.  Now if that’s all, I need to get back to something.”

Beatrice darts towards the desk and grabs a notepad and pen, hastily writing down the number she hands it to Anatoly who reads back, “One two eight.  Four three, six five two.  Is that right?”

The voice on the other end quickly replies, “Yes, that’s it.  Now I really need to go.”  The line goes dead as she hangs up the other end.

“Huh, I wonder what’s got her so bothered?”  Anatoly asks Beatrice.

The woman shrugs her shoulders, “Who knows, not our problem.  Want to call here, or should we take the phone back to the ship and call with the rest of the crew?”

Breathing deeply, Anatoly considers the possibilities for a moment, “I think we do it on the ship.  We are still a crew after all, better to not keep them in the dark.”

A short while later, Anatoly and Beatrice return to the ship.  They look around for Mouse but not seeing him Anatoly shouts, “Anybody see where Mouse went?”

The shipwright Alessandro responds, “Yeah, some weird-looking guy led him onto a big ship.”  He points north to a retreating vessel, “You can barely see it.  Hopefully, he gets back before we leave.”  Several of the other pirates chuckle as they start prepping the boat to take off.

Holding up the Den Den Mushi Anatoly calls out, “We probably shouldn’t abandon the kid.  He’s doing one of the dock managers a favor and in exchange, we get to keep this!”  The pirates let out a loud cheer which Anatoly quickly hushes, “Tried the number from the letter, but Captain Ripper wasn’t there.  The lady who answered gave us another number to try and I figured you all might want to listen in.”

The thunder of footsteps is almost deafening as the entire crew rushes towards Anatoly and Beatrice, crowding close.  Holding up a single finger he says, “You all need to stay quiet so we can hear what he has to say.”  He pulls out the note that Beatrice had written and carefully dials in the number.

The snail begins wobbling and several of the pirates jump backward in fear, having never seen a Den Den Mushi in person.  It lets out a slow, “Budeh Budeh Budeh Budeh.  Budeh Budeh Budeh Budeh.  Click.”  A calm voice from the snail carries across the deck of the ship, “Commander Ripper of the 153rd here, may I ask who is calling?”

Pressing the phone against his mouth, still not entirely sure how close he needs to hold it Anatoly says, “It’s Anatoly of the White Dog Pirates.  I was told to call this number.”

“You don’t need to hold it so close to your mouth!”  Came an exasperated response on the other end and Anatoly obediently pulled the snail away, holding it at arm's length, “Pirate eh?  Who told you it was a good idea to call a marine base?”

Scrunching his face, Anatoly tries to remember the name that had seemed so obvious before.  Eventually, it strikes him, “Someone named Pirate Justice.  They left us a note, saying that we should do whatever you tell us.”  There is silence on the other end and Anatoly becomes concerned that the commander has hung up, “You still there?”

The voice on the other end returns, “Pirate Justice huh?  I guess that means you met Luffy.”

Wrinkling his face, Anatoly attempts to recall the name, suddenly like a light going off in his head he remembers, “You mean that stretchy weirdo with the Straw Hat?”

Laughter can be heard from the other end of the line, “Hahahaha, sure!  That’s him alright!  So, you’re supposed to do anything I tell you eh?”

Anatoly nods emphatically before realizing that the snail can only translate sounds, “Yeah!  So, what should we do?”

“Hmm…” The man on the other end pauses for a moment, clearly thinking, “... do you have experience building houses?”

Anatoly looks away from the Den Den Mushi to the crew around him and notices a dozen hands waving in the air.  He looks back at the device, “Yeah a few of us do.  Why?”

“A few of you?  How many people am I ta…”  The voice stops for a moment before resuming, “Never mind, that’s great.  There’s a place in the Organ Islands called Orange Town.  The Buggy Pirates did some serious damage there and they really need help rebuilding the place.  I’ve got a shipment of supplies that should arrive tomorrow, do you think you and your crew could help them rebuild?”

Looking around, Anatoly sees heads shaking vigorously up and down, “I think we can do that.  We are only about a day and a half from the Organ Islands if we sail straight there.  We’ll meet your men and see what we can do.”

“Great.  And listen, I don’t want you causing trouble for the people of that town, so try not to do anything… weird okay?  They have been through enough already.”  Before Anatoly can answer in the affirmative, the commander hangs up and the snail’s body relaxes in his hand.

Addressing the rest of the crew, Anatoly announces, “Sounds like we’ve got our orders!  Get ready to sail for the Organ Islands!”  He stops for a moment and realizes that they are still missing Mouse, “But first, we wait for Mouse!”

The crew hear the sound of feet scrambling up the gangplank and Mouse’s squeaky voice calls out, “Don’t need to wait for me, I’m already here!”  The pirates cheer as several begin unfastening the rope that had been tied to the dock.  As the crew dissipates, they make their way toward the Organ Islands…

Chapter Text

It had been a day since they had arrived at the Organ Islands and the crew was beginning to grow restless.  While the Marines seemed to appreciate their help, they were only willing to delegate minor tasks to the pirate crew, which made them feel underutilized.

“Good for nothing marines.” Grumbles Allesandro as the crew leave the breakfast hall and begin making their way into town.

A man wearing a crisp marine uniform glares at him, “What was that pirate?”

Grabbing his crewmate by the arm Lestrade bellows, “Nothing sir!  Just glad that we can help out!”  Once the pair are out of the marines range he turns on Allesandro, “What were you thinking?  The more attention you call the higher chance they will realize we used to be part of the Black Cat pirates!”

“Squee, good morning!”  Says the bubbly young Mouse as he joins the two older pirates, “What are you two talking about?”

Rolling his eyes Allesandro jerks his arm away from Lestrade, “Nothing kid.  Get back to work.”

Pouting, the boy looks up at the two older pirates, “But I’m so bored!”

Letting out a deep laugh Lestrade pats the boys back, “Dahahahahaha, sounds like you need more work to do!”

The trio continues down the street until they arrive upon a particularly dilapidated building.  As they begin looking for a way inside an older man wearing homemade armor approaches, “Hello boys!”

Mouse waves as the older two pirates snap to attention.  Lestrade flashes a grin at the mayor, “What can we do for you today Boodle?”

Placing his hand under his chin the older man rubs his chin as he thinks.  Eventually, an idea pops into his head, “I know just the thing!  We’ve got a bunch of buildings like this one that the Buggy Pirates destroyed and while it’s been great to have help rebuilding, it might be nice to explore the wreckage to make sure nothing important is getting missed.  There are a couple of buildings with basements that might still be intact.  Would the three of you mind doing a bit of exploration for us?”

“Do we look like a couple of gophers to you, crawling around underground doing whatever little tasks you…”  Allesandro is cut off as Lestrade elbows him in the ribs.

Continuing to grin at the mayor the rotund pirate exclaims, “We’d be happy to!”

Mouse flashes a thumbs up, having finally found the door to the building they were investigating, “Squee, will do mayor!  Let's start with this one guys!”  He pulls open the remains of a door, revealing a dimly lit room with a caved-in ceiling.  The trio make their way inside, as a gust of wind blows down the street it slams the door shut behind them causing all three to jump in surprise.

After an hour and a half of exploring buildings, the trio came to the remains of a relatively small home at the end of a long street.  Mouse is now dragging a red cart filled with trinkets they have unearthed in their explorations that seem valuable or potentially sentimental.  Dropping the handle the young boy makes his way to the door, as he reaches towards the handle he suddenly freezes.  Tilting his head to the side to hear he closes his eyes, listening intently.

“What’s the hold-up Mouse?  Just open the do…”  Lestrade is silenced by Mouse’s flat hand.

After a minute the young boy turns back to the older pirates.  He opens his eyes and takes a deep breath, “I think somebody’s in there.”

With a concerned look on his face, Allesandro takes a step forward, “Are you sure about…”  He hears the faint sound of banging, “... oh wow.  I think you’re right Mouse.”

Walking to the door and pulling it open Lestrade says to the others, “The only way to find out is to get in there.”  A cold wind hits his face as soon as the door is opened and the pirate shivers.  Again the knocking can be heard, much louder this time and the trio make their way into the building, huddling close to one another for warmth.

Feeling along the wall, Allesandro’s fingers brunch against a switch and he flips it, causing the several lights on the ceiling to glow, illuminating the room, “That’s better.”  The trio continues through the home, eventually making their way into the kitchen.  A large walk-in freezer is sitting open and the cold wind can be felt emanating from within.

Making his way to the freezer, Lestrade carefully pushes it closed.  The door latches with a hiss, sealing whatever food is inside, “Do you think that’s what was making that ba…”  His words are cut short as the banging returns, now clearly coming from the center of the room.

The trio cautiously walk towards a hatch and Mouse bravely places his hands on the handle.  He looks back at the other two for reassurance and they both nod.  With all of his strength, he begins pulling, slowly opening the hatch.  Once it is opened a small boy leaps from within and lands on the kitchen flooring next to Mouse.  Before the pirates can say anything the boy turns around and leans his head and chest over the side, a pair of young girls are pulled up into the kitchen.  The boy continues to reach into the hole as more children are pulled out.

After several minutes of pulling kids out of the hole, the boy stands up, now joined by a dozen other boys and girls ranging in age from five to thirteen.  With a weak smile, he says in a soft voice, “Thanks.  The door got stuck and we weren’t able to push it open.  We ran out of food this morning, if you hadn’t come by when you did, we might not have made it.”

Approaching the boy who seemed to be the leader of these children Mouse offers his hand, “Names Mouse!  We came in yesterday and have been trying to help Mayor Boodle clean up the town.  What’s your name?”

Taking Mouse’s hand and shaking it the boy replies, “Mouse is a cool name!  I’m David.  But… what do you mean you came in yesterday?  I thought Buggy and his crew shut down the docks.”

The pirates begin leading the children out of the house as Mouse continues his conversation with David, “Oh Buggy is long gone.  Let me catch you up to speed.”

As Mouse and David continue to talk Lestrade waits for a lull in the conversation as he pulls the wagon filled with their rescued treasures.  Eventually, David begins to wrap up, “... saying that the same guy who saved us from Buggy also saved all of you?”

Mouse nods his head, “Yep!  Now we are peaceful pirates, trying to do the right thing and have fun while doing it.”

Clearing his throat loudly, the two boys look at Lestrade who looks back at them with a smile, “Mouse, why don’t you and your friends explore the town?  Allesandro and I can finish up these gopher tasks for the mayor.”

Looking to Allesandro for approval, the gaunt pirate rolls his eyes before nodding his head, “Get out of here and be a kid for once Mouse.”

Grinning at his new friend Mouse and David take off down the street, followed by the rest of the children.  Once they are out of sight Lestrade looks over at Allesandro, “I think we’ve done enough for this morning, how about you?”

Raising his eyebrows Allesandro turns to the portly pirate, “Ditching out early on work?  I like this side of you Lestrade!”  The pair walk down the street in search of the restaurant that had been hastily constructed the day before.

After a while, the kids grow bored and begin looking for something exciting and new.  Jeffrey, one of the older boys, asks, “Where do you keep your ship?”

Somewhat nervous Mouse looks around at the other kids who are now all intently focused on him, “Squee! I don’t know if I am allowed to…”

“Come on Mouse!  I promise we won’t do anything bad.” Promises David as he holds his hands behind his back crossing his fingers.

Not wanting to disappoint his new friends, Mouse reluctantly agrees, “Okay fine.  Follow me.  We docked outside of town.”

The kids cheer as Mouse leads them towards the beach.

As the kids made their way onto the massive ship, Mouse did his best to keep an eye on them but was quickly overwhelmed as members of the group splintered off, finding interesting things to investigate.  Continuing to stay close to his friend David, Mouse leads the older boy up to the rear deck where the steering wheel is located, “... is where we steer the ship.  Sometimes Lestrade even lets me do it!”

A thought crosses David’s mind and he asks, “How long have you been a pirate Mouse?”

The young boy shrugs and lets out one of his namesake squeaks, “Squee!  Most of my life I suppose.  The crew picked me up when I was really young, I never really knew a life off the ship.”

David thinks for a moment, “That’s sad Mouse.  Do you know who your parents are or where you came from?”

Shrugging again the pirate replied, “Haven’t really thought of it.  To be honest I’ve had so much fun here with the crew that it never bothered me.  Why do you ask?”

“Well…”  David sighs, “... I guess it’s just that I miss my mom and dad so much, I assumed you would as well.”

Cocking his head to the side, Mouse lets out another squeak, “Squee!  Don’t worry, we’ll get you back to your parents in no time!  The marines are doing everything they…”

“They won’t find them.” David cuts his friend off, a somber look on his face, “That house you saved us from was an orphanage.  None of our parents are still alive.  That’s why nobody came looking for us until today.  There’s nobody around who ca…”

He is cut off as Mouse wraps the boy in a tight hug, tears running down his cheeks.  Burying his head in David’s chest he sniffles, “I’m so sorry David.”

Returning the hug, David pats his friend’s back in reassurance, “It’s okay Mouse, you didn’t know.”  Releasing his hug the pair take a step back and both rub away the moisture from their eyes.  David’s smile returns, “Let's check out the rest of the boat.  I want to see everything!”

After an hour the children slowly gather on the deck.  As Mouse and his friend join them they hear the sound of heavy footsteps on the gangplank.  Rushing to the railing, the older children help lift the younger ones so that they can watch as a member of the town ascends toward them.  On the sandy beach, Anatoly waves up and shouts, “Hey Mouse!  I convince a painter in town to fix up our flag.  I’m tired of seeing the Black Cat Jolly Roger every morning.  Do you mind helping him get up into the crow's nest so he can paint over it?”

Saluting, Mouse yells, “You got it, Anatoly!”  He hurries to the end of the gangplank and lends his small hand to help the large man take the final step onto the deck, “Hey mister!  I’m Mouse, come with me and I’ll show you where the ladder is.”

Eyebrow raised at the young boy the man says with a chuckle, “Heh heh, well hello there little Mouse.  My name is Sven, what’s a youngster like you doing on a big ol’ pirate ship?”

Leading the man by the hand towards the main mast, Mouse begins to ascend it as he calls back over his shoulder, “Been here as long as I can remember.  The White Dogs are my family!”

From the shore, Anatoly shouts back up at the still-gathered kids, “Lunch is going to be served in half an hour.  Don’t stay out here too long or you might miss it.”  The group of children continues to stare silently down at him and he follows up, “I’m making pizza!”  The kids raise a cheer and he grins, “That’s more like it!”

From the top of the crow's nest, Mouse shows Sven how to use the drawstrings to lower the flag from its perch, “... you pull on this side it’ll go back up.”  He points his finger at the rear crow's nest, “That one works the same way.  Any questions?”

Shaking his head the large man places a large hand on Mouse’s small shoulder, “Nope, it all seems simple enough.”  He places his paint bucket on the wooden floor of the crow's nest and begins pulling the drawstring, lowering the flag, “If you want you can stay and watch me paint it.”  He looks down and notices that Mouse has disappeared, looking over the rail he laughs at the boy who is already halfway down to the deck, “You don’t waste time do ya, kid!  Have fun with your friends, I should be done soon.”

Mouse lets out a small squeak as he continues to make his way toward his friends, “Squee, sounds good!”

Dropping onto the deck he looks around the mostly empty deck until he spots David, “Where did the others go?”

Looking slightly nervous David lies, “Oh they are… exploring some more.”  A bead of sweat runs down his forehead.

Lowing his eyebrows, Mouse studies his friend, “What aren’t you telling me?”  He folds his arms in front of his chest, trying to look as serious as possible.

Opening and closing his mouth repeatedly, David tries to think of what to say.  With a sigh, he admits, “They are down in the cabins…”

“I don’t understand.  You guys are allowed to go anywhere on the ship, why are you acting so nervous?” Mouse probs.

Licking his lips nervously, David tries to avoid meeting Mouse’s eyes, “Well I may have told them…  and by that I mean I said something about…”

“You told them what David?” Mouse taps his foot impatiently, not fond of his friend’s evasive behavior.

Swallowing hard, David decides to come fully clean, “With the orphanage destroyed, I may have suggested that we’d be better off joining your crew.”  He meets his friend's eyes, still nervous but wanting to make sure things are okay between them, “Do you think that would be okay?”

Continuing to hold his firm expression, the corner of Mouse's lips twitch as he fights a smile.  Unfolding his arms he walks towards David, maintaining eye contact and pulls back his fist before punching the older boy in the arm.  His face splits into a huge grin, “Why didn’t you just tell me you jerk?  I can’t speak for the rest of the crew, but as long as you are willing to put in work around the ship I don’t see a reason why they would say no!”

Smiling back, David returns the punch to the young boy’s arm, “I thought you’d be mad!  You are pirates after all, not a floating orphanage.  Do you think we can join?  Who should we ask?”

Mouse pauses to think for a moment before he lets out a squeak, “Squee!  That’s a good question.  We are between captains right now, but Anatoly, Alessandro and Lestrade have been making most of the decisions for our crew.  I don’t think Anatoly or Lestrade will argue against it, but Alessandro might argue if…”  The ship shifts in the water and the boys grab hold of the deck railing as they try to keep their footing.

“What was that Mouse?”  Sven shouts from the crow's nest as he scrambles to secure the paint cans before they slide off the side of the platform.

Mouse looks inquisitive at David who says quietly, “I’m not su...”  His eyes go wide and he says slowly, “... Milly and Molly were talking about the chains down in the Bilge.  Do you think…?”  He leaves the question hanging.

Closing his eyes, Mouse sighs as he realizes what happened.  Opening them slowly he meets David’s gaze, “Those are for the anchor.  Get the little ones somewhere safe, I’ll steady the ship.”  Looking up at the crow's nest he cups his hands on either side of his mouth and shouts, “Hang tight Sven, some of the little ones pulled up the anchor.”

From the top of the crow’s nest, the older man’s voice calls out, “No worries kid, just keep her straight and I should be able to finish up here.”

Lips chapped from the sun, David licks them nervously, “Mouse do you think…”  He pauses, afraid to ask but eventually his excitement wins over his fear, “... maybe we can sail around the island once?  I’ve never been sailing before.”

Mouse’s mouth works open and closed several times as he rolls the question around in his mind.  On the one hand, they would need to get their sea legs if they wanted to join the crew, on the other they might get in trouble if the others discovered the boat missing.  Eventually, he gives in, “Fine, but just one lap around the island okay?”

Raising his hands over his head, David lets out a loud cheer, “Hurray!  I’ll go tell the others.  Thanks, Mouse!”

Mouse sighs, “You were planning this the whole time weren’t you?”

“Maybe!”  David laughs as he hurries towards the ladder leading down to the cabins, “Hehehehehe, there’s no backing out now Mouse!”

Cupping his hands around his mouth, Mouse again shouts up to the painter, “Hey, we are going to do a quick lap around the island!  I’ll keep the ship as straight as possible so you can keep painting.”

The older man laughs as he replies, “Bahahahaha, don’t rock me around too much little Mouse!”

Mouse makes his way towards the steering wheel on the rear deck.

Several hours after lunch was served Anatoly realized that the kids never came to eat and realizing that they had probably gotten caught up playing a game on the ship decided to pack their lunch and bring it to them.  As he carried the boxes filled with pizza he hummed a tune.  Nearing the beach he begins singing the lyrics aloud, hoping that by doing so he might alert the children to his approach, “What shall we do with a drunken sailor, early in the morning?”  Sand crunching beneath his feet he bellows out, “Foods here kids!  Come and ge…”

The words dry up in his throat as his eyes grow wide.  Their ship, the Bezan Black was missing!  Dropping the boxes of food to the ground he frantically runs down the beach, “... where are all of you?!?”

As his shouting got louder and more desperate other members of the White Dog pirates came running from the town, alarmed initially by the noise and upon arrival by the missing ship.  Eventually, Lestrade shouts loudly, “Calm yourselves!  It’s a huge ship, it can’t have just wandered off on its own!”

“Where did it go then Lestrade?”  Alessandro said in an irritated voice, “Only ones on the island are us and those marines and I don’t figure that they would want a pirate ship in their fleet.”

“Good point.”  Nodding his head slowly Lestrade looks around the group and notices that someone is missing.  His face tightens as worry creeps into his heart, “Where’s Mouse?”

Joining the pair Anatoly grins sheepishly as he scratches the back of his head, “Saw him up on the ship a couple of hours ago with a bunch of kids from the village.  Came out here with a late lunch when I noticed the ship was missing.  You don’t think…”  He turns back to the sea, “... he would run away do ya?”

“Not my Mouse!”  Bellows Beatrice as she saunters over to the trio, “He’s such a sweet boy, would never leave us like that.  How dare you suggest such a thing, Anatoly!”

Before the chef can defend himself the Bezan Black comes into view, newly painted flags blowing in the wind bearing a white dog skull and crossbones. The children on the deck lean against the railing as they take in the sights of the island. Manning the helm, Mouse carefully steers the ship towards the beach before calling out, “Lower the anchor!” The command is repeated from one child to another until it reaches a pair of girls who rush downstairs to the Bilge and let the anchor down, halting the ship's motion.

Joining the others on the deck, Mouse sees the crew on the beach and fearing the worst lets out a loud, “Squee!” Before hiding behind David.

Lowering the gangplank the children make their way down to the sand, followed by Sven. Bringing up the back of the group are David and Mouse, with the younger boy still trying to hide behind his new friend.

Before any of the crew can speak Sven turns and gestures at the flags, “How do you like the new look?”

The crew cheers and Anatoly says with a smile, “They look great Sven. Thanks so much!” He grabs hold of the painter's hand and the two bump chests before slapping one another on the back.

“It was nothing, Anatoly. After everything your crew has done for us, it was the least I could do to repay you.”  He turns to the boys and calls out to Mouse who is peeking over David’s shoulders, “Thanks for showing me around the ship little Mouse!”

Alessandro makes his way towards the children with an angry look on his face, David leaps out of the way allowing him to tower over the frightened Mouse, “What were you thinking taking the ship without asking?”

Terrified, the young boy lets out a loud squeak before stuttering, “Squee! I-I d-don't kn-know. I-it w-was a mi-mistake!  I promise I’ll never do it…”

He is cut off as the gangly man bends down and pulls him into a tight hug.  The rest of the crew are shocked, having never seen Alessandro show this level of kindness before, “You scared me Mouse!  I thought something bad happened to you.”

Petrified with fear, Mouse can only shake as the older man continues to squeeze him tightly, afraid that if he were to move it may draw the shipwright's wrath.  Eventually, Alessandro lets go and stands up straight, as he begins to turn away David asks, “Aren’t you going to ask them, Mouse?”

Stopping, the older man turns back to the young boy, “Ask us what?”

Small eyes darting between Anatoly, Beatrice, Alessandro and Lestrade, Mouse wishes he could go back to hiding behind his friend.  He takes a few deep breaths working up his courage before blurting out, “Can they join our crew?”

A confused look passes between the pirates and Beatrice is the first to ask the question on all of their minds, “What do you mean Mouse?  Don’t they have families to get back to?”

The children shake their heads as their eyes lower in shame.  Mouse bites the side of his lip before saying with a squeak, “Squee, they are orphans.  That building we saved them from was an orphanage and now they don’t have anywhere to go.”  The pirates exchange sad looks and several pull out handkerchiefs dabbing at their eyes, “The couple that ran it were run off the island by Buggy and his gang.  What do you say, can they join our crew?”

The four pirates speak at the same time.

“Of course!”  Says Lestrade, a smile on his face.

“That’s a lot of mouths to feed…”  Says Anatoly as he starts counting the children.

“What can they even do?”  Asks Alessandro, a scowl returning to his face.

“These sweet kids deserve a safe place to lay their heads.”  Says Beatrice, clasping her hands in front of her.

Looking between the adult, Mouse tries to gauge their reactions, “Is that a yes?”

The four nod and say in unison, “Yes.”

The children cheer and rush to Mouse, lifting him into the air above their heads as they start walking towards the village, followed by the crew.

With more than a hint of irritation, Alessandro yells, “I expect you to be responsible for them Mouse!”

The young boy laughs as he is carried away, not bothering to reply to the shipwright.  Lestrade places his hand on Alessandro’s shoulder, “Give it a rest mate.  You know the crew can handle a few more kids.  We did good enough with Mouse didn’t we?”

As the group make their way back into town their hearts are filled with hope for the future of Orange Town and their growing crew…

Chapter Text

“I’m boooooored.”  David kicks a rock as he walks down the street beside his friend, “There’s nothing fun to do here.”  The pair walk past a freshly pained house drying under the sun's rays.

Nodding his head, Mouse tries to keep up with the older boy's longer strides, “Squee!  You heard Allesandro.  Once we finish this side of town we will be asking…”

The boy stops as a pair of young Marines rush towards them, waving frantically, “Thank the sun we found you!  Your crew is about to leave, hurry down to the docks!”

Glancing at one another, the boys race down the street, kicking up clouds of dust behind them followed closely by the young marines.

Arriving at the dock, the youngsters take a moment to catch their breath as they stare up at the Bezan Black.  From the deck, a gruff-looking man they both recognize as Anatoly rests his arms against the railing and looks down at them with a grin, “There ya are.  Lestrade wants to leave as soon as possible, I had to leverage some favors he owes me to get him to wait.”

Regaining their composure, David and Mouse look around for the gangplank.  Finding nothing, the older boy calls back, “How are we supposed to get up there?”

Anatoly shrugs, “You're resourceful, I’m sure you’ll figure it out!”  He laughs as he steps away from the railing and walks briskly towards the kitchen.

“Squeee, follow me!”  Mouse spots the rope attached to the anchor and dashes for it with David behind him.  Leaping from the dock, the boys soar across the water, grabbing hold of the rope as their chests slam against the side of the boat.  Exchanging mischievous looks, the pair begin to climb, using the groves between boards on the hull as a grip for their feet.

Arriving at the top, the pair collapse onto the deck, again gasping for air as Beatrice hurries to their side, “Boys!  I’ve been lookin’ all over the ship for ya’.  Where’ve you been?”  Pulling in lungfuls of air, David points towards the town before allowing his arm to flop limply onto the deck.  The older pirate clicks her tongue against the roof of her mouth, “Tsk, you boys need to be payin’ more attention!  We nearly left ya here, then what would ya have done?”

Beside the group three burly pirates yank the rope, pulling the anchor free from the ocean and up the side of the ship before dropping it unceremoniously on the deck.  From nearby Allesandro’s voice rings out in irritation, “Watch it!  I just fixed that spot two days ago you jerks!”  The trio laugh and elbow one another before separating to other parts of the ship to prepare for their voyage.

A bullhorn cuts across the dock from the nearby Navy Vessel, “Attention White Dog Pirates, this is Chief Petty Officer Shields.  We’ll be heading northwest until we arrive in the Conomi Islands.  Try to stay in our ship’s wake, we don’t plan on slowing down if you fall behind.”

Several of the pirates on the deck laugh loudly as they pull on ropes releasing the ship's massive sails.  Another bullhorn, much closer booms out with Lestrade's familiar voice, “Aih, what say we won’t be the ones leaving you behind Marines?  This girl may be old, but she can catch the wind as well as any of your ships!”  The pirates on the deck raise a loud cheer as a gust of wind catches on the sail and the boat breaks away from the dock.

Picking themselves off the group, David and Mouse make their way to the railing, looking back at Orange Town.  David sighs wistfully as several of the villagers line up on the shore to wave goodbye to the pirates and marines, “Guess this is it.  I’m finally leaving home.”

Placing his arm around his friend's waist, Mouse gives him a firm squeeze, “Wherever we are going, we’ll get there together.”

David smiles and leans his head to the side, resting it against his friend’s shoulder, “Yeah…”

“Well, ain't you two a cute sight!”  Beatrice saunters towards the pair before leaning against the railing beside the boys, “What are you looking forward to most in the Conomi Islands?”

“Squee…” Mouse lets out a squeak as he tries to recall what he had heard about the place, “... I heard they have the best fruit in the East Blue.  I want to try some!”

Laughing, the woman pinches his cheek earning a glare from the cabin boy, “Fufufufu, I ain’t ever seen you eat a piece of fruit Anatoly didn’t drown in sugar!  What makes you think you’ll want it now, boy?”

Ignoring the question, Mouse smiles and waves to the villagers on the dock who shrink as the ship drifts away from the island.  Once they are fully out of sight, he removes his arm from David and shrugs his shoulders, “I dunno!  Squee!”  Shifting his gaze down to his friend he notices the downcast look in the older boy's eyes, “Hey David, do you want to play a game?”

It takes a moment for the question to sink in.  As his mind wraps around it a smile returns to his face, “Sure!  What kinda game?”

Stepping back from the railing, Mouse takes hold of David’s hand, “It’s called Shipwreck!”  Following his friend, the pair dash across the deck.  They are soon joined by the other cabin boys and girls that had joined the crew in Orange Town who devolve into a giggling horde…

Chapter Text

Waves slap against the sides of the Bezan Black as they follow behind the massive marine ship.  It had been three days since they had left Orange Town and the crew was hopeful that they would soon arrive at their destination.  The children in the crew who had initially struggled to maintain their footing on the rocking boat were now sprinting about the ship as if they were on dry land.  Lestrade’s voice rings across the deck, “Land Ho!”

Scrambling to the side of the ship, David and Mouse are joined by several nearby kids and a handful of older crewmates.  Starting as a small spec, the island spreads across the horizon as they approach.  Eyes growing wide, Mouse points at a pair of ships traveling away from the island, “Squeeee, I know that ship!”  He bolts from his position and races towards the front of the craft, grabbing Lestrade’s arm he points at the familiar ships, “It’s them!  It’s them!”

“What are ya going on about boy?”  Lestrade attempts to wrestle his arm free from the child, who responds by gripping it tighter, “Who is them and why should we care?”

Does nobody else recognize it?!? Panic in his eyes, Mouse attempts to explain, “It’s THEM!”  Realizing that the words are having no effect he changes his tactic, “Luffy and his crew!”

Lestrade laughs and releases the steering wheel, placing his freed hand on the young boy's head and ruffling his hair, “Bahahaha, don’t be silly Mouse!  Why would Strawhat be out here?”

“But…”  Mouse stares across the ocean at the approaching ship which continues to grow, “... it’s the ship I brought them.”  He lowers his eyes to the deck, Why doesn’t anybody believe me?

Alessandro’s nasal voice comes from behind the boy, “I think he’s right.”  The pair turn to see the shipwright holding a pair of binoculars trained on the approaching ship, “I’ve never seen that Jolly Roger before, but it’s got Luffy’s hat on it.”  He hands the binoculars to Lestrade.

Placing them against his eyes, the helmsmen fiddles with the focus for a minute before gasping, “Whooa, it is them!”  Handing the binoculars back to Alessandro he turns back to the young boy, “Sorry for doubting you Mouse!  But…”  He looks over the boy's head at the older man, “... do ya think they’ll be friendly?  Last time we crossed paths our crew caused them plenty of trouble.”

Shrugging his shoulders, the wirey man replies, “Won’t know unless we get close.  I say we go for it.”

Please don’t shoot us down Strawhat , Nodding his head Lestrade places his hands back on the wheel and adjusts the course, aiming to pass beside the pair of ships.  As they close the distance, he notices another vessel approaching from the opposite drection, “Who do ya suppose they are?”

Mouse lets out a hopeful squeak, “Squeee, maybe another marine branch?”

Scoffing and rolling his eyes, Alessandro points a thin finger, “Doubt it Mouse.  That ship is pretty beat up and it’s flying a Jolly Roger.  Probably a pirate crew looking for repairs, we’ll need to keep an eye on them when we reach the island.”

Mouse rejoins his friends on the deck and waves as they pass by the massive ships.  He hears Luffy’s distinct voice ring out across the water, “I know those ships!”  Mouse smiles, At least somebody remembers.

The voice of Usopp, the sniper from Luffy’s crew, joins his captains, “No way!  Is that the Black Cat’s ship?  The Jolly Roger looks different, more like a white dog than a black cat.”  The long-nosed man roars with laughter, “Bwaaahahahaha, they renamed themselves after Chouchou!”  The sound of a dog barking from the other ship accompanies the declaration.

The White Dog crew laugh as they wave at the pirates who had rescued them from Kuro.  Pressing his hands against the railing and pushing himself up as high as possible without falling overboard Mouse yells, “Squeeeee!  Thanks for everything Strawhat!”  With a grin, he drops back to the deck and resumes waving at the pirates as they pass by and slowly fade from sight, What a small world!

“Who was that?” David nudges his friend with his elbow, “They seemed like a fun group!”

Wrapping her arm around the boy’s shoulders, Beatrice smiles at him, “That be Luffy, the future Pirate King.”  Giving him a squeeze she releases her hold on the boy and returns to the deck to begin preparations to land.

No way!  Eyes wide and mouth hanging open David slowly turns to face Mouse, “P-pirate K-king?”

“Yep!”  Mouse nods at his friend, “He’s the best!”  Seeing his friends continued confusion he decides to relay the tale of their time in Syrup Village.  As he is telling the story the other children gather around to listen.

An hour later the crew is disembarking from their ship as a crowd of onlookers observe their progress.  The marine vessel was unloading beside them and on the opposite side, the small dinghy was secured to the dock, abandoned by its crew who were exploring the village.  A massive man covered in metallic shields and a thin man with swords dangling from his waist and bandages on his wrists approaches Anatoly as he packs cookware into a backpack.  The large man clears his throat to get the chef’s attention, “Where’s your captain?”

Zipping up the backpack, Anatoly turns to the pair and shrugs, “Haven’t got one.  Where’s yours?”

The two men look at one another and shrug.  The thin man says, “Us neither.  So…”  He eyes the massive ship behind the chef, “... how do you know Luffy?”

What a strange pair , Anatoly swings the strap of his backpack over his shoulder, “He stopped our last captain before he could kill us.”

Their eyes grow wide as they again exchange a look.  The large man exclaims, “He did the same thing for us!”  Taking a step forward he offers his hand, “My name is Pearl.  My partner here is Jam.”  The thin man lifts his arm enough to wave before letting it drop back to his side with a grimace of pain, “What brings you out this way?”

Grabbing the man’s thick hand, Anatoly shakes it, “We heard about a fight between the Marines and Arlong Pirates.  Decided to see if we could help out any civilians caught in the middle.  Seemed like the kind of thing Strawhat would have done.”  Releasing the man’s hand he asks, “What about you?”

“Oh…”  Pearl droops his shoulders as he avoids eye contact, “... that’s so nice.  We are just here to pick up a new ship and determine what to do next.”  He stops and draws a deep breath before looking up nervously into Anatoly’s eyes, “We got a weird letter and none of us know what to do with it.”

I bet you did. A grin splits Anatoly’s face, “Mind if I take a look?”

Reaching into his pocket, Pearl pulls up a piece of paper and hands it to Anatoly who reads it aloud.

Wow, that’s a lot more direct than what we got.   Anatoly nods as he reaches the end of the note before glancing up at Pearl with a puzzled look, “Seems pretty obvious to me.  What’s the confusion?”

“What do they mean by do good?” Jam asks from behind Pearl, “Save kittens from trees and pay our taxes?”

Anatoly chuckles, They’re more clueless than we were!   Reaching into his pocket he pulls out a similar paper and uncrumples it before handing it to Pearl, “You aren’t the only ones Pirate Justice wrote to.”  A thought crosses his mind and escapes his lips, “What if we combined our efforts?”

The pair finish reading the note before looking up at the chef in amazement.  Pearl’s hand shakes as he returns the note, Is this fate?   A tear glimmers in the corner of his eye, “I think we can do that.”

Half an hour later the former Krieg Pirates and White Dog Pirates are gathered in the center of Cocoyashi Village.  Several of the gathered group mutter to themselves as they look suspiciously at the unfamiliar faces around them.  Dragging out a platform Anatoly, Jam and Pearl step on top of it and the gathered group goes silent.

Anatoly says in his loudest voice, “Who here’s life has been changed by a wild man wearing a straw hat?”  Every hand in the crowd shoots into the air and a loud gasp is heard.  Anatoly waits for the hands to lower before continuing, “Who was saved from a captain who didn’t care if you lived or died?”  All of the hands again fly into the air.  Grinning, he doesn’t wait this time to continue, “We all have a common story, let's make sure it has a happy ending.  Let me be the first to announce that the White Dog Pirates are joining forces with the remnants of the Krieg Pirates!”  A cheer is raised from the group as strangers hug one another.  Several of the former Krieg Pirates look in disbelief at Jam and Pearl who nod to signal their agreement with the decision.

An older man wearing a pinwheel hat calls out loudly from behind the group, “That’s great, but…”  He shouts at the top of his lungs, “... WHY ARE YOU ALL HERE?”

The pirates turn to face the man and several scratch their heads in confusion.  Pearl calls out from the platform, “We’re here to help!”  The pirates loudly cheer, “Arlong took a lot from you, but the biggest thing he took was your safety.”  The pirates again cheer, “It’s time somebody gave that back.  This island is now under the protection of the new White Dog Pirates!”  The pirates give the loudest cheer yet.

Rolling his eyes, the old man mumbles, “Just what we need, more pirates.”  Flashing a thumbs up with both hands he turns and makes his way towards a nearby building and ducks inside.

Neither noticing nor caring about the man’s obvious irritation, the pirates continue to cheer as they exit the village along the road toward their new base of operations, Arlong Park…

Chapter Text

Waking up early, Mouse stretched his arms above his head before throwing off his blankets.  He had selected the bed beside that of his best friend, David.  Glancing to the side, he sees David’s chest rise and fall.  What time is it?   Carefully extracting himself from his bed, he walks over to the clock on the wall and studies the large hands.  Alessandro said that the big hand is for the hour.  That means it’s six something o’clock.  I wonder who else is up?   Sneaking over to the door he places his hand on the handle and carefully twists.  The hinges groan and he lets out his trademark, “Squee!”  Panicked, he looks at David’s bed and is relieved that his friend slept through the noise.

Slipping into the hallway, Mouse carefully closes the door behind him.  Hearing noise from the kitchen he walks silently toward it, careful to avoid the boards that squeak, I bet Anatoly is up making breakfast!   A dollop of droll forms on the edge of his lips and he quickly licks it away as he slinks toward the wooden doors.  Above him a massive hole in the wall allows the first rays of morning light to pierce the dark hallway.  The crew had been spending every day repairing the tower in Arlong Park under the direction of Alessandro.  Despite their numbers, they were still midway through repairing the structure from the damage Luffy and his crew had done.

Pressing his cheek against the door to the kitchen, Mouse hears sizzling and Anatoly’s distinct baritone voice singing as he prepares breakfast for the massive crew.  At over two hundred pirates, the large man had been forced to adjust his cooking style from individualized dishes to larger group meals.  Pushing the door open, Mouse enters the room and quickly closes it behind him.  He lets out another trademark, “Squee!”  The sound of cooking stops and Anatoly turns to face the young boy.

“Mouse!”  A grin spreads across Anatoly’s face upon recognizing the young visitor, “You are just in time.”  He points his knife at a cutting board covered in fresh fruit, “Get to work chopping those will ya?”

“Yes sir!”  Rushing over to the cutting board, the boy dices the fruit and places it into a bowl.  As he chops he makes small talk with the older man, “Any gopher tasks for me and my friends today?”

“Why yes there are!”  A smile spreads across Anatoly’s face as he slices into a stick of butter before dropping it into the pan of scrambled eggs, “I met with Genzo last night and he let me know about some tasks they need to finish around the village.  The owner of one of the orchards took off with the Straw Hats and they have to start harvesting soon if they want to get them to market before any of the fruit rots.”

“Is that the old guy with the pinwheel hat?”  Mouse’s eyes remain fixed on the fruit as he continues chopping.  The last time I saw him he chased us out of town for peeing in the fountain.  Hopefully, he has a short memory!

“The very same.”  Lifting the pan, Anatoly pours the cooked eggs into a bowl before picking up three more, cracking them against the counter and pouring them into the pan.  A sly spreads across his face as he carefully mixes the eggs and sets the pan back onto the burner, “You owe him an apology for what you and your friends did the other day.”

Dangit, he does remember!   Mouse says in a whiney voice, “But it’s not my fault, David…”

“I don’t care.”  Anatoly says, cutting off the youngster, “You told us that you’d be responsible for these kids, it’s your job to keep them out of trouble.”  Looking up from the scrambled eggs he grins at Mouse, “You don’t want me telling Alessandro do you?”

“No!”  Cheeks turning bright red, Mouse quickly chops up the remaining fruit and places it into the bowl, “I’ll fix it, I promise!  Don’t tell Alessandro!”

Several hours later, now with full bellies, Mouse and his friends make their way toward Cocoyashi Village.  They are joined by several former members of the Krieg Pirates who also had business in town.

“So, how long have you been sailing with the White Dog pirates, Mouse?”  Asks Hustle.  A former combat instructor for the Krieg Pirates, he was a well-built man with stylish hair.  Wrapping a thick arm around the youngster’s shoulders he looks expectantly down at him.

“Squee!”  Mouse nearly jumps out of his skin as the man touches him.  Don’t panic!  It’s okay!  He’s part of the crew now!   Breathing quickly, Mouse’s eyes dart to David who flashes him a thumbs up.  He looks at the man beside him and says in a quiet voice, “Most of my life.  I don’t remember a time I wasn’t with ‘em.”

“I can tell!”  Patting the boy's shoulder he releases his grip on the youngster to Mouse’s relief.  Striding confidently forward he continues, “The rest of the crew treat you like one of their children!”

“Heh heh heh.”  Kagikko’s deep voice booms out.  A fairly quiet man by nature, the locksmith was feeling particularly talkative today after the delicious breakfast, “Don’t expect us to baby ya, kid.”

“Don’t be such a bummer.  The boy’s a natural stunner.  Everyone should be a friend of his!”  Bustle sings out, rhyming each line as he strums his guitar.  The former musician for the Krieg Pirates, he had often been relegated to menial tasks under Don Krieg’s oppressive reign and enjoyed the opportunity to express himself without fear of retaliation.

As they approach the village they hear the sound of laughter and singing.  Stepping through the thick foliage and into the clearing the group is shocked by the sight before them.  Some villagers are playing music, another group is dancing and others are preparing an enormous feast.

“This must have a thank you party for everything we’ve done!”  Shouts Hustle.  Straightening his shoulders he marches proudly toward the village center.  The others follow behind, less confident in his assessment.  As the group passes the first few houses they are stopped by an older man wearing a hat with a peculiar pinwheel.

“Here for the party?”  Asks Genzo.  His smile is mostly hidden beneath the dark mustache across his upper lip.

Beaming, Hustle sticks his hand out to shake the older man's hand, “We sure are!  So glad you all finally recognized…”

Delivering an elbow into Hustle's gut to silence him, Bustle takes over, “My apologies!  What my friend here was trying to say, is that we would love to join in the festivities!”  He meets the older man’s gaze and puts on his most disarming smile, “May I ask what the celebration is for?”

“Haven’t you heard?   The Straw Hats were in the paper this morning!”  Pulling a crumpled newspaper from his pocket, Genzo hands it to Bustle.

The others crowd around, trying to read over Bustle’s shoulder.  He mouths the words as he goes before finally looking up at Genzo.  With a goofy grin, he hands the paper back to the older man, “I forgot, I never learned how to read!”  Pulling out his guitar he strums several chords before breaking into song, “In a village old and far, lived a bard with a fancy guitar.   Songs he'd sing with a heart so free, but the written word, a mystery to he!”  Tapping on the guitar he bows as the children clap and giggle at his silly song.

“Okay then.”  Genzo shifts his attention to the other men, “Anyways, we are celebrating the Straw Hats' escape from Loguetown.  They managed to avoid being captured by Captain Smoker and are heading to the Grand Line!  Isn’t that incredible?”

“Squee!  How wonderful!”  Calls out Mouse, rushing up to the older man.  As the man’s gaze shifts to him, his heart drops, Oh no, I still haven’t apologized!   Licking his lips he lets out another, “Squee!”  Swallowing hard he attempts to work up the courage but is interrupted by David who joins at his side.

Standing tall beside his mousy friend, David grins at the sheriff, “Sorry about pissing in your fountain the other day.  We were just trying ta’ play a game, but it wasn’t very nice.”  Sticking out his hand he offers it to the older man, “Swear we won’t do it again.  Mouse and I’ll make sure of it.”

Suppressing a chuckle, Genzo takes the boy’s hand and shakes it, “Water under the bridge lad.  Why don’t you kids follow me?  We’ve got some trees to harvest, once that’s done you can join the party.”

The children swarm around Genzo who guides them down the street toward Nojiko’s now-abandoned orchard.

Back in Arlong Park, the crew is hard at work patching the tower.  Dozens of pirates haul material back and forth across the courtyard under Alessandro’s careful direction.

“A little to the left Jam, we don’t want to…”  Closing his eyes momentarily, Alessandro takes a deep breath, “... see what happens when you don’t listen?  You almost knocked over that pillar.  Now I need you to move a bit more…”  A hint of a smile touches his lips, “... perfect.”  He scans the courtyard for the next catastrophe waiting to happen.  Spotting Pearl arguing with Ideaman he calls out, “Oih, what are you two doing?  Pearl, you are supposed to be getting a load of stone for the query and Ideaman I thought you were working on the sound system!”

“Sorry boss!”  The pair shout before separating to their respective tasks.

Taking a step back, Alessandro frames the building with his hands.  We still have a lot of work to do, but this place is coming together!

His thoughts are interrupted by a ship horn blaring from the Bezan Black.  Lestrade’s voice carries across the courtyard as he announces through a Megaphone Den Den Mushi, “Taking the ship to Fune Village.  Who’s coming with me?”

A dozen pirates raise their hands and hurry up the gangplank of the massive ship.  They had spent the last few days teaching the villagers how to pilot their vessels so that they could establish trade routes off the island.  It hadn’t taken the crew long to discover that despite being skilled shipwrights, Fune Village had very few competent helmsmen, having relied primarily on the Arlong Pirates to conduct all trade.

As the massive ship pulls away from the courtyard, Beatrice throws open the main doors to the tower and saunters through them.  The bright sun hurts her eyes and she holds her hand up to shield them against its rays, “Damn that sun.”  As her eyes adjust to the change in light she slowly lowers her hands to her sides and scans the courtyard.  Spotting Alessandro she makes her way to him.  Stopping beside the man she gives him a mock salute, “Got a report from the villages sir!”

Rolling his eyes Alessandro says sarcastically, “Do ya really gotta do that every time?”

Beatrice punches the shipwright on the shoulder with a grin, “I’ll stop as soon as it stops bugging ya!”  Fishing a piece of paper out of her pocket she carefully reads it out loud, “Message from Cocoyashi Village.  They invited us to a party celebrating the Straw Hats' escape from Loguetown.”  Shoving the paper back into her pocket she beams at the man, “What do ya say?  It could be fun!”

Raising his eyebrow, Alessandro shoots her an amused look, “Made it past Smokey eh?  That’s a pretty big deal!  Most crews have been steering clear of Loguetown because of his reputation.”  Placing his middle and index finger into his mouth he lets out a high-pitched whistle, calling the attention of the others, “Double time folks!  We got invited to a party down in Cocoyashi!”

The pirates cheer and redouble their efforts, working as quickly as possible to patch the remaining chunks of the missing wall.  As they finish their tasks, they trickle off toward the village to join the celebration.

Around noon the children’s stomachs begin to grumble.  A young girl approaches Mouse and says in a quiet voice, “Do you think…”  She stops and swallows hard.  In a much louder voice she makes a second attempt to call his attention, “... do you think we can take a break and go get something to eat?”

Turning to the youngster, Mouse doesn’t notice an apple fall from the top of the tree until it bonks him on the head.  Glancing up at David who had tossed it at him he shakes his fist, “Watch where you’re throwing that!”  The older boy laughs and Mouse shifts his focus back to the girl, “I don’t think Pinwheel would mind if we took a break.”  As he climbs down he calls up to his friend, “We are taking a break for lunch!  You should join us, David!”

Grinning down at his friend David is about to reply when he feels his foot slip off the branch he had been standing on.  Things slow down around him as his fingers grasp desperately at the trunk but fail to find purchase, he feels himself begin to fall to the ground.  As he passes by Mouse he desperately grabs at his friend but is unable to make contact.  Slamming into the ground below he groans, “Ung.”  Pressing his hands into the dirt, he carefully pushes himself into a sitting position.  He looks at his arms and sees them bleedingly badly, “That’s one way to get down…”

Scrambling down, Mouse grabs David’s hand and pulls him to his feet.  He immediately notices that the older boy favoring his left leg and pulls his friend's arm over his shoulder to help take weight off his right side.  The other children have gathered around the pair and Mouse points at two of the faster boys, “Go find Nako.  Tell him we’ve got an injured kid.”

The boys speed off and the others follow behind at a distance with Mouse helping David take each step.

Nako meets the children just outside of Nojko’s old house.  Looking over the kids he wrinkles his brows, “What have you kids been getting up to all day?  You’re filthy!”  Before they can answer he sees David’s injuries and darting forward, lifts the boy into his arms, “You look like you fell out of a tree boy!  Come with me.”  Turning, he walks briskly toward his clinic, followed by the other children.

As they make their way through the center of the village, the kids are hit with a cacophony of noise.  Villages are singing, playing instruments and dancing.  Bustle stands in the center cackling like a madman while strumming his guitar.  Nearby, Hustle and Kagikko are being taught a dance by a group of young girls who giggle each time they mess up.

Arriving at the door to his clinic Nako looks back at the horde of children, “Sorry kids.  It’s kind of small in there.  I only have enough space for the patient and a single guest.”

The kids all point at Mouse who steps forward, “I’ll stay with David.”  Turning to the others he grins, “The rest of you go have fun!  I saw food, drinks and a bunch of games set up outside.”  As soon as the words leave his mouth the children scatter.  Turning back to the doctor Mouse dutifully follows him into the building.

On another part of the island, Lestrade is standing beside a map of the East Blue hanging from a whiteboard.  A group of hopeful future merchants sits in a circle around him, hanging off of every word, “Any helmsman worth their salt has a basic understanding of navigation.  It’s important to know where you are going if you want to have any hope of getting there.  That’s why I brought Specs with me!”  Placing a thick arm around the shoulders of a bespeckled man, Lestrade pushes him toward the villagers.

“Oh um.  Hi.  The name is Charles, but most people of the crew call me Specs.”  Charles nervously adjusts his glasses.  There certainly are a lot of them.  Why do I have to do this myself?   Swallowing hard, a bead of sweat runs down his face, “Navigating is all about knowing where you want to go.”  Turning away from the others he carefully adjusts the map lining it up straight.  It’s okay Charles, just keep calm.  Nobody has to know you are nervous.   Placing his finger against a large island surrounded by several smaller islands he says hesitantly, “This is the Conami Islands.”  He traces a lineup and to the left to another large island, “Over here is Cozai Island, you’ll want to…”

“Excuse me?”  Shouts a man waving his hand emphatically trying to get the navigator's attention.  Charles turns to face the man who continues, “Do you mind taking a step to the side?  You are standing in front of the map!”

“Oh dear…”  Stepping awkwardly to the side, Charles bumps into Lestrade who grunts before moving out of his way, “... is this better?”

The man nods and smiles, “Much better!”

“As I was saying…”  Turning back to the map, Charles shuffles back in front of it as he stabs at the island, eliciting a groan of frustration from the assembled villagers.

Back in Cocoyashi Village, a large group of White Dog pirates have arrived.  Stinking of sweat from their grueling labor, they intermix with the villagers.

Ideaman bounces from area to area, investigating the various decorations and attractions the villagers set up.  Brushing his fingers across a line of feathers hanging from a string he exclaims, “Gorgeous!  Simply gorgeous!”  He launches toward a piñata hanging from the branch of a nearby tree, “Could use a bit more glitter!”

The villagers stand perplexed as Ideaman pulls out a box filled with craft supplies and sprinkles glitter onto the pig decoration.

“Is he okay?”  Asks one of the villagers.  Another villager shrugs in response.  The pair follow after the energetic man, curious to see what he will do next.

Holding a massive turkey leg in each hand, Pearl makes his way down the street.  Beside him, Jam is nursing a mug of ale as the pair reminisce about their time in the Krieg Pirates.

“Remember how we almost took over the Oykot Kingdom by accident?”  Asks Pearl a grin on his face, “I don’t think Don Krieg realized that the king would so easily give in to his threats!”

Spitting out his beer, Jam doubles over with laughter, “Bahahahaha!  I think you’re right!  He sure acted like he did, as if it was all part of his master plan.”

The pair continue down the street recalling past misadventures as part of the Krieg Pirates.

The crew celebrate late into the night alongside the villagers, sharing food and stories with their new friends…

Chapter Text

On the Beach Outside Cocoyashi Village

The water sparkled as it reflected the rays of the morning sun.  The tide was beginning to recede, providing more sand and opportunities for play.

Several villagers, donning bathing suits, played in the water while children from across the island gathered on the beach to build sand castles and enjoy the warmth.  Repairs to the base formerly known as Arlong Park now rechristened White Dog Harbor were nearing completion and the crew had decided to take the day off and enjoy everything the island had to offer.

Walking side by side, David and Mouse enjoy one another’s company.  In David’s hand is a walking stick he had found on the beach which he drags absentmindedly through the sand.  The pair had become inseparable, rarely spending even a single moment apart.

Seeing a cool sea shell ahead, David quickens his pace before stopping in front of it.  Lifting his stick he carefully prods the shell, “What do you think this thing is?”  He glances at Mouse who is hurrying to catch up.

“I dunno!”  Coming to a stop beside his friend, Mouse stares down at the shell which lifts slightly from the ground as legs sprout from within.  The boys leap backward and watch as a hermit crab peaks its head out and gives them an irritated look before scurrying toward the ocean, “Guess it’s that thing!”  Following the creature with his eyes, Mouse’s enthusiasm is quickly replaced with concern as he spots what appears to be a body lying on the splintered remains of a wooden raft.  His hand shakes as he points at the body, “Squee!  What d-do you th-think th-that i-is?”

“There is only one way to find out!”  Grinning David grabs his friend's hand and runs toward the figure.  He feels Mouse trying to pull away but their size difference allows him to drag the younger boy along.

Ahhh!  Why does he have to be so strong?   Giving up on the attempt to yank his hand away, Mouse allows himself to be led to the body.  Upon reaching it they come to a stop, “I don’t think this is a good idea, David.  Shouldn’t we get one of the grown-ups?”

“No time.”  Extending his stick, David hooks it under the person’s arm and pulls it toward him.  The body slumps over and he gasps seeing the face of a young girl.  Time seems to slow down as he studies the girl who couldn’t be more than seven or eight for signs of life.  Her chest rises slightly and he lets out a breath that he didn’t realize he had been holding, “She’s alive.”  Glancing at Mouse he admits sheepishly, “You might be right, Mouse.  This girl needs a doctor.  Can you get Nako?  I stay here with her.”

“Squee!”  Still nervous, Mouse takes a step away from the young girl.  This looks bad.  I need to be fast!   He turns around and shouts over his shoulders, “You got it!”

Cocoyashi Village

Having sprinted up the beach, Mouse races down the main street looking for Nako’s clinic.  I know it’s around here somewhere!   His eyes dart around as villagers dodge out of the way of the youngster.  Not paying attention to where he is going he crashes head-first into an older man with grey hair, a mustache, and a goatee.  Oh no!   Falling to the ground, Mouse can feel the grit of the road tear into his legs which immediately begin to bleed.

“Woh there son!”  Managing to stay upright, Nako offers a hand to Mouse to help him to his feet, “I know you’re in a hurry, but that’s no reason to go running through town like that!”

Taking hold of the hand, Mouse allows himself to be lifted to his feet.  He squeaks, “Squee!  I know, but I must find…”  Looking up at Nako he realizes he found who he was looking for, “... you!”

“Me?”  Brow furrowing Nako studies the young boy, “What on earth do you need me for?  I’m sure it can wait for me to treat you.”  He gestures at the boy's legs.

“No time.  Come with me!  It’s important!”  Turning away from Nako, Mouse begins running back the way he came toward David and the strange young girl.

Shrugging his shoulders, Nako jogs after the youngster.  Despite his age, it wasn’t hard for him to keep up.  What a curious boy.  What could be so important?

On the Beach Outside Cocoyashi Village

A small group of children had formed around David who was now kneeling beside the young girl holding her hand and whispering, “It’s all going to be okay.  My friend Mouse is going to get you help.”

The girl was unconscious but still breathing.  Suddenly the children around David split allowing Mouse and Nako through.

Dropping to the ground beside David, Nako pulls a stethoscope from around his neck and places it against the girl's chest.  He listens for several moments before saying calmly, “She’s breathing, but it sounds like something in her lungs.  How long has she been like this?”  He didn’t want to scare the children, but in situations like this information was vital to provide the best care.

“I don’t…”  David looks up at Mouse, searching for the right words.

“We found her like this.  Haven’t seen her before.”  Mouse interjects for his friend.  He places a hand on David’s shoulder to comfort the older boy, “Can you save her?”

“I’ll do my best.”  Stuffing the stethoscope into his jacket, Nako looks around at the crowd of young children.  In his most friendly voice, he asks, “Can you kids go find your grown-ups?  I need adult help to get this girl back to my clinic.”

The children scatter and return moments later followed by even more adults who appear concerned and ready to help.

Standing up, Nako points at two large men and shouts, “You two pick her up!  I need her kept as flat as possible.”

“Aye!”  The men yell in unison.  They jog to the young girl and carefully scoop her into their arms.

Shifting his focus to the others, Nako yells, “The rest of you try to find this girl's parents!  I don’t want them to worry.”

The children and remaining adults scatter, leaving Nako and the two men behind.  Not wanting to delay care, the trio set off for Nako’s office, keeping the girl as flat as possible as they head back into the village.

In the White Dog Harbor Courtyard

Several hours later the boys returned to their base.  They both felt dejected after failing to find the young girl's parents.

Sulking on a bench in the courtyard, David stares at the ground.  He mumbles, “She’s probably an orphan like me…”

Rubbing his friend's back, Mouse tries to comfort the older boy, “It’s not so bad.  At least we found her right?  I can’t imagine what would have happened if we hadn’t…”  Stopping himself he shudders at the thought of the girl’s fate if left alone.  Shaking his head he pushes past the mental image, “... anyways, we did everything we could.  She is in safe hands with Doctor Neko.”

“Did I hear you say Doctor Neko?” A familiar voice comes from nearby. Beatrice walks toward the pair. “I just got off the phone with him! He was asking for the two of you.”

“Us?  Squee!”  Fear enters Mouse’s eyes as he looks up at the older woman.  Did we do something wrong?  Are we in trouble?  Is the girl in trouble?  What happened?   Eyes watering he tries not to cry, “W-what d-does he w-want from u-u-u-us?”

“He said he’d like to see the two of you in this clinic…”  A smile splits Beatrice's face, “... said that a friend of yours has been asking for you.”

The boys look at one another, eyes wide with shock before leaping to their feet.  As they sprint out of the courtyard toward town David calls out, “Thanks, Anatoly!”

Doctor Neko’s Clinic in Cocoyashi Village

The door to the clinic bursts open and the boys tumble through into the well-lit office.  They quickly spot the young girl sitting upright in bed drinking from a juice bottle.  Racing to her side the pair can’t help but smile.

“You're okay!”  Shouts David.  Resting his hands on the girl's arm he beams down at her, “We were so worried!”

On the other side of the bed, Mouse squeaks, “Squee!  So exciting!”  Heart still racing from the run he is overcome with joy at seeing the girl's condition.

Putting the juice on the table beside her, the young girl blushes at the boys fawning over her.  Her voice is faint as she is still recovering but she manages to croak out, “Mouse?”

“Yep!”  Nodding his head enthusiastically, Mouse points at his chest, “I’m Mouse!”

She smiles at the boy before rolling her head to the side to look at David, “So you…”  She erupts into a fit of coughing at the exertion.  Grabbing the juice box she takes a long sip to clear her throat before dropping the now empty container onto her lap, “... are the boy who…”

“Stayed with you.”  David finishes her question, not wanting to risk the girl having another coughing fit.  Smiling warmly at the girl he squeezes her arm, “My name is David.  I’m so glad you are feeling better.”  He turns his head to the side and addresses Nako who is retrieving another juice box from a refrigerator in the corner of the room, “When did she wake up?”

“About ten minutes ago.”  Making his way over to the bed with a new juice box, Nako hands it to the young girl before retrieving the empty carton from her lap, “I told her to rest but she insisted on seeing the two of you.”

Shifting his gaze back to meet the young girl’s eyes, David gives her arm another comforting squeeze, “What is your name?”

“It’s…”  The girl’s voice trails off and she struggles to remember.  Suddenly, as if a light bulb has gone off she blurts out, “... Apis.”  Eyes wide Apis sits up straighter in the bed.  A panic creeps into her voice, “We aren’t safe!  The Eighth Branch…”  She tries to swing her legs off the bed but is stopped as another round of coughing overtakes her small frame.

The boys attempt to calm the frantic girl as she coughs while still struggling to get off the small bed.

“You need to rest!”  Nako shouts at Apis.  Seeing that his words aren’t getting through to her, he hurries to his medicine cabinet, “Don’t let her get up boys!”  He shouts.  Without waiting for a response he begins riffling through the drawers.  I know it’s in here somewhere… AHA!   Grabbing a syringe and a bottle labeled Midazolam.  Unscrewing the lid he places the syringe in and draws back the plunger filling the barrel a quarter full.  It’s not an exact dosage, but it’ll do.

Now visibly scared, Apis flails her arms at the boys who desperately attempt to hold her on the bed.  She is overcome with another coughing fit and stops long enough for David and Mouse to get a better grip on her before she again begins writhing trying to get free, “Let me go!”

Grabbing gauze Nako hurries across the room.  Sliding in beside David and taking hold of the girl's arm he holds it in place before jabbing the needle into her forearm.  Pushing the plunger he yanks the needle out and quickly wraps the wound with gauze.

“YOUCH!”  Yelps Apis.  Her struggling stops and tears well up in her eyes, “That…” The tears begin to stream down her cheeks and she wails, “... hurts!”  Another coughing fit wracks her small body as the medicine courses through her veins.  The muscles across her body begin to relax and she sinks backward onto the bed.  Eyes now heavy she struggles to stay awake, “They’re…”  Her eyes slowly close as she lets out one last whimper, “... coming.”

“Boys…”  Eyes locking on David and Mouse, Nako says in a calm yet stern tone, “... fetch your captain.”

“B-but we don’t have a…”  Mouse begins to explain.

“Yes sir!”  Interrupts David.

Confused, Mouse looks across the bed at his friend.  How can we bring our captain when our crew doesn’t have one?   Seeing determination in the older boy's eyes he decides to go along with it, “Right away, Nako.”

The pair exit the clinic together and head back toward White Dog Harbor.

In the White Dog Command Room

“I need to start lunch soon, can we hurry this along?”  Looking somewhat annoyed, Anatoly taps his foot against the stone floor as he stares at Alessandro, Pearl, and Jam.

“Just a few more things.”  Pulling out a blueprint of a blacksmith forge Jam places it on the table.

“As if I don’t have enough work to do!”  Shouts Alessandro before crossing his arms.  He lets out a loud huff as he studies the blueprint.

Ignoring the irate helmsman, Jam stabs a finger at the blueprint, “I think we need to start working on…”

The door to the room is thrown open.  Racing through the opening, David and Mouse hurry over to the group, talking over one another.

“We have to go…!” Yells David.  His eyes are wide and frantic as he attempts to get the adult's attention.

“It’s an emergency…!”  Shouts Mouse.  Also looks quite frazzled as he relays the urgency of the situation.

“... to Nako’s clinic…!”  Continues David.

“... Marines are coming…!”  Bellows Mouse.

“... right now!”  They both shout in unison.

“Woah, slow down boys!”  Calls out Anatoly, attempting to calm the pair.  He places a large hand on each of their shoulders, “One at a time.  You first David, what’s going on?”

Taking a deep breath, David tries to sort through his thoughts, “We found a girl on the beach this morning…”

“Apis!”  Shouts Mouse, trying to help his friend.  At seeing Anatoly’s glare he squeaks, “Squee!”  He places his hand over his mouth in embarrassment.  David can do this!

“Exactly, Apis.”  A smile plays across David’s lips.  It’s okay Mouse.  I got this.   He subtly grabs hold of Mouse’s free hand and squeezes it, “She was unconscious, so we got Doctor Nako.  Apis woke up a little bit ago and asked for us, so we went down to the clinic to visit her.  While we were there she had a panic attack and told us that the marines from the Eighth Branch were coming for her.  She’s sleeping again, but Nako asked us to come get you guys.”

“Not good.”  Color draining from his face, Pearl turns to look at Jam who appears equally concerned by the news.

“Are you sure…”  Jam starts hesitantly.  His eyes flick back to the kids, “... that she said it was the Eighth Branch?”

“Y-yes.”  Says Mouse in a small voice.  A bead of sweat runs down his brow.  Is there something wrong with that branch?  Why do they look so scared?

“That’s not good.”  Face tightening, Pearl begins walking toward the door, “If they are coming here, then we are all in danger.”

The others follow after the large man, pushing through the door and into the hallway.

“What’s so bad about the Eighth Branch?”  David asks.  His voice is shaking slightly, but he tries to hold himself together.

Ignoring the question, Jam barks, “Alessandro, load up one of the clippers.  I want her ready to sail in an hour.”

“Really?!?”  Rolling his eyes Alessandro peels off from the group and heads down the hall toward the docks.  I can never catch a darn break around here!

“Anatoly, round up a crew.  Ready for conflict, but experienced enough to move quickly.”  Calls out Jam as he leads the group toward the courtyard.

“Yes sir.”  With a quick salute, Anatoly also separates from the group and heads toward the main quarters.  I guess it’s sandwiches for lunch today.

Doctor Nako’s Clinic in Cocoyashi Village

As the White Dog Pirates spring into action, Doctor Nako continues to monitor Apis, whose condition is still precarious.

Making his way to the bed, Doctor Nako presses his index and middle finger against the side of Apis's neck.  Feeling the beat of her heart through her jugular vein he glances down at his watch.  One Hundred Beats Per Minute.  Well within the acceptable range.   Pulling the stethoscope from around his neck he places the tips into his ears and prepares to check her breathing when there is a knock at the door.  Placing the bell against Apis' chest he listens as she takes a deep rattling breath.  Partially blocked airway.  Probably from all of the seawater she took in before getting here.  I need to keep an eye on that.  Between this and the possible concussion, it’s a wonder she is still…   His thoughts are interrupted by another knock at the door, this time more insistent than the last.  Irritated, he shouts, “In a minute!  I’m with a patient.”  Hearing the door open he grits his teeth and turns to shout at the intruder, “I said I’m with a…”  Seeing David and Mouse accompanied by two older men he stops, “... oh sorry boys.  That was faster than I expected.”

Glancing at Apis who is sound asleep on the bed, Jam looks back up at Nako, “She can’t stay here.  Not with…”

“No!”  Scowling, Nako marches across the room and shoves his finger into the swordsman’s chest, “This girl fought for her life to get here, and you…”  Anger boils inside of him and he splutters trying to form a coherent sentence, “... you think you can just toss her…”  He grits his teeth and glares deciding to let his facial expression speak for itself.

“No no!  You don’t understand!”  David shouts at the doctor.  I have to fix this!  He thinks we are just going to send her away!   He clarifies quickly, “We have a boat ready and are preparing a crew to…”

“Not without me.”  Still frustrated, Nako’s expression softens as he turns toward Apis sleeping peacefully on her bed, “She needs a doctor and I’m the best on the island.  If I don’t go, she doesn’t go.”

Shrugging his shoulders, Pearl has to crouch to push his large body through the small frame, “I don’t have an issue with ya’ coming.”  Walking across the room to where the young girl is resting his eyebrows pinch together, “We taking the whole bed or just the girl?”

 “The bed…”  Nako’s words slow as the large man grabs the legs of the bed and pulls, “... is mounted to the wall, just take the…”  There is a tearing sound and he looks on in horror as Pearl yanks the bed free from the wall, “... girl.”  Thoughts race through his head leaving him speechless.  How?  Why?  HOW?!?

“Oops.”  Dropping the bed to the ground launches drywall in every direction.  A blush runs up Pearl’s neck and he quickly scurries to Apis's side and lifts her out of the bed, “We good?”

“I…” Swallowing hard Nako turns away from the large man and addresses Jam, “... let’s just go.”

The group sets off for White Dog Harbor to check the other's progress.

In the White Dog Harbor Courtyard

A group of men and women assemble near the water, watching Alessandro make a few last-minute modifications to the boat.  He glares down at them from the deck, “We are in a hurry, do ya think any of you could maybe lend a hand?”

The group below cast their eyes to the ground, pretending not to hear the irritable pirate.  They had learned to avoid working within sight of the man, out of fear of being yelled at for messing up.

Rolling his eyes, Lestrade yanks a hammer from his tool belt and begins nailing a loose board into place muttering to himself, “So useless.”

There is a loud commotion as the gates to the courtyard slowly open revealing the return of the group of Cocoyashi Village.

Hurrying to the assembled group, Jam gives them an inquisitive look. “Anatoly, I thought I told you we needed people who had seen combat.”  The group murmurs in protest, but Jam hushes them, “And we need people who are experienced sailors. What is he doing here?”  He points at Bustle, who instinctively wraps his arms around the body of his guitar and hugs it to his chest.

“This is the best I could find on such short notice…”  Anatoly begins, in an attempt to sidestep apologizing for his choices, “... besides, everyone here has seen some action.”  The others nod serious expressions on their faces, “If you are so worried, why don’t you go with them?  You’re the best swordsman in the crew.”

“Oh, believe me, I will.”  Mouth splitting into a grin, Jam places a hand over the handle of his blade.  His hand, now free of bandages, had fully recovered from Rika’s attack several weeks prior on the Baratie, and he was excited for the opportunity to use it, “Pearl is coming too.”

“Aww man.”  With a disappointed huff, Pearl glances at his friend, “I don’t want to fight the Eighth Branch!”

“Too bad.”  Still grinning, Jam surveys the group.  Spotting the crew doctor amongst them he says calmly, “Hey Agatha.  Nako insisted on coming with us, so you should stay here.  No sense in having two doctors onboard.”

Reaching into his pocket, Nako pulls out a pair of keys and tosses them to the young woman, “Look after the clinic for me, will ya?”

“You got it.”  Catching the keys as they soar through the air, Agatha quickly pockets them before excusing herself from the assembled group and heading for the gates, “I won’t let the place burn down while you’re gone, Doc!”

“I’ll also be going if you don’t mind.”  Anatoly says with a smile, “Need to make sandwiches for the rest of the crew.  I stocked the ship’s fridge so you should be set for your journey.”  He also steps away from the group and heads toward the base.

“Now that is taken care of, let's see who is left.”  Jam scans the group, checking off boxes in his head as he goes.  We’ve got Specs for navigation.  Beatrice can handle communication.  Lestrade is our helmsman.  Neko’s our doctor.  Bustle for… music I guess.  Hustle, Pearl, and I will handle combat.  What are we missing?   Glancing to the side he sees David and Mouse with their hands collapsed together, pleading with their eyes to be included.  We don’t need two chore boys, and Mouse has more experience at sea.   He waves toward the boys who leap into the air and race toward him.  Pinching his lips together, he prepares to deliver the bad news, “Sorry boys.  Only one of you can come with us.”

Dejected, David stares down at the ground.  He takes a step backward, “Take Mouse.”  A tear runs down his cheek and before his friend can protest he turns and runs toward the base.  It’s not fair!

“David wait…!”  Mouse calls out after his friend, but the older boy is too far away to hear his desperate call.  What am I going to do without my best friend?!?   Dejected he turns back toward Jam to listen for further instructions.

This is why I hate dealing with kids.   Not wanting to engage in the boy's distress, Jam addresses the group, “We’ve got a crew.  Next, we need to figure out where we are going.  We’ll need somewhere that the Eighth Branch can’t follow us, any ideas…”

“Warship Island.”  Croaks Apis.  Still tired, she tries to open an eye but immediately snaps it closed as the sunlight hits her retina, “It’s my home.  I just want to go home.”  A tear runs down her cheek and she tries to stifle the sob building up inside, “I miss my grandpa.”

“Isn’t that island in the Calm Belt?”  Charles asks nervously.  Pulling out a map he scans for the island and spotting it stabs the spot, “It’s right here near the edge.”  Looking up at Jam, fear evident on his face he sputters, “W-we aren’t s-seriously g-going th-there a-are w-we?”

“You scared, Specs?”  Ginning cruelly at the navigator, Jam snatches the map from the man’s hands and folds it haphazardly before handing it back, “It’ll be a quick trip.  In and out before the Sea Kings even wake up.  But if you’re too scared…”

“I AM!”  Shouts Charles, interrupting the swordsman.

Figures.   Rolling his eyes, Jam places his hand back on the hilt of his sword, “... too bad.  Because you’re coming with us whether you want to or not.”

Darnit.   Hands still trembling, Charles unfolds the map before refolding it correctly.  He whimpers, “Okay…”

“Ship’s done.  No thanks to any of you.”  Calls out Alessandro as he descends the gangplank to the courtyard.

He might be useful.   Turning to the shipwright, Jam shouts, “Any chance you…?”

“Nope.”  Barks Alessandro as he brushes past the group on his way toward the base, “Too much work left to do here.”

Worth a try.   Shrugging his shoulders Jam begins walking toward the boat.  The others follow behind with Pearl bringing up the rear carrying the girl still struggling to stay awake, “Guess we’ll be going then.  Onward to Warship Island!”

The others, except for Charles, let out a loud cheer as they pick up their pace toward the ship…

Chapter Text

In the White Dog Harbor Courtyard

With a wild smile, David and several other crew members wave emphatically at the ship as it leaves port.  As the craft passes over the horizon, his smile falters, and his shoulders slump.  I wanted to go…   With a deep sigh, he gives one last wave before turning from the ocean and heading into the mess hall for lunch.

On the Deck of the White Pug

Mouse gripped the railing, his knuckles white. The White Dog Harbor was a speck on the horizon, disappearing into the vast blue. It's only for a little while.   He told himself, but the unfamiliar ache of separation was already settling in. He missed David's easy smile, the jokes they would make when they thought the adults weren’t listening. What if something happens while I'm gone? He pushed the thought away, but it lingered like the salty tang of the sea air. “I'll be back before you know it.”  He whispered to himself, a quiet promise echoing in the wind.  A large hand lands on his shoulder, and he glances up to see the familiar face of their helmsman.

“You miss him, don’t ya lad?”  Smiling down at the young boy, Lestrade pats his arm.  He had been young once and could empathize with the feeling of loss.  He tried to soothe the youngster, “It’s hard to be separate, especially with how much time the two of you spend together.”  He again pats the youngster's shoulder and roars, “Some of the crew were starting to think you two were conjoined twins!  Bwahahahahaha!”

Some of the other crewmates, close enough to overhear, join his laughter, and Mouse blushes before joining in the revelry.  Having been raised by the crew, he’d developed a thick skin when it came to jokes at his expense.

In the Living Quarters of the White Pug

Pressing his palm gently against Apis’ temple, Neko tries to gauge her temperature.  No fever, but that doesn’t mean she’s out of the woods. The young girl lay on one of the many beds scattered through the room, sleeping peacefully under his watchful care.  His eyes dilate as she lets out a sharp gasp before settling back into sleep.

Making her way into the small groom, Beatrice spots the doctor and quickly hurries to his side, “Hey Doc, we’ve got a problem.”

“Huh?”  Shifting his gaze away from the young girl, Nako meets her gaze.  The pirate's hands are visibly shaking, and he responds in a comforting but quiet voice, “What’s wrong?  Did somebody get hurt?”

“Not exactly.”  Hurrying over to his side, Beatrice glances down at the sleeping girl before returning his gaze to the doctor’s.  Her breath comes in quick bursts as she tries to figure out the best way to explain the situation, “You see, we’ve entered…”  Suddenly, the room shakes as something large slams into the ship.

Grabbing hold of the young girl who is suddenly wide awake, Nako shouts, “Into where?!?”  Her mind races as he considers what could have caused the ruckus.  Pirates?  No, I’d have heard cannon fire by now.  Marines?  I suppose that would be the same.  Is it… no.  It can’t be.   Eyes locked on Beatrice, he barks, “Are we in the calm belt?!?”

“I’m afraid we are.”  Looking sheepishly at the ground, Beatrice avoids Nako’s piercing gaze as she grabs hold of the bed to steady herself for the next strike, “We weren’t going to say anything, but Specs spotted a couple of Sea Kings approaching.”  The room is again thrown as another of the creatures slams into the ship.  Grabbing tightly to the bed, she stops being thrown to the ground, “You two should take cover if…”

“H-help me…”  Croaks Apis, lifting her hand. Still weak, she stretches toward Nako and says, “... up.”

“Apis, no.”  Shifting his focus to the Apis, Nako takes hold of her hand. His face softens considerably, and dimples form on his cheeks as he smiles at the young girl, “The safest place for you to be is here.”

“T-trust me.”  A smile forms at the edges of Apis’ mouth as the fog of sleep rolls away.  With her free hand, she pushes down the sheets and begins wiggling toward the side of the bed, “I know what I’m doing.”

The two adults exchange nervous looks.  Eventually, Beatrice breaks the silence, “She knows the area better than we do.  Maybe we should trust her?”

Releasing a loud sigh, Nako slowly nods, “I suppose.”  Tightening his grip on Apis’ hand, he helps the youngster to her feet.  The ship shakes again as the beasts outside slam against it.  He instinctively wraps his arm around the girl's shoulders, pinning her to his side, “Stay close to me, and if I decide something is too dangerous, you have to listen.  Understand?”

“Yep!”  Nodding along, Apis slides her free hand behind her back, crossing her fingers.  They are going to be so surprised!  This is exciting!

On the Deck of the White Pug

“Man, the artillery!”  Shouts Lestrade as he tightly grips the steering wheel of the small ship.  His knuckles white, he strains to keep the vessel from capsizing to either side.  The others nod before racing around the deck to load rounds into the cannons located on the perimeter.  

Taking firing positions behind three cannons, Bustle, Charles, and Mouse direct Hustle, Jam, and Pearl as they quickly load shells.

I know what this situation needs.  A fighting song!   With a wry grin, Bustle cries out, “And a one and a two and a…”

“NOT NOW!”  Shout Jam and Pearl together.

“Aww, man!”  Calls out Hustle in reply.  He winks at his musically inclined friend before loading the cannonball, “I was looking forward to some good tunes!”

One of the Sea Kings lets out an earsplitting roar before diving toward the ship.  The three cannons fire one after the other, striking the beast before it makes contact and driving it backward.  Charles squirmed the moment the cannons fired, startled by the sharp noise.  The air on the deck was thick with the smell of salt and brine, mixed with the acrid tang of gunpowder after the cannons fired. The ship groaned and shuddered beneath their feet, the wood creaking like an old man's bones.

“Another!”  Cries Bustle, a jovial smile on his face, as he swings open the base of the cannon to prepare for the next round to be loaded.  Taking a deep breath, he sings, “Ooooooh!  There once was a…”

The song died in his throat as a door slammed open, and Nako and Beatrice stumbled onto the deck, panting. Apis, surprisingly energetic, darted between their legs, a mischievous glint in her eyes. Beatrice, her face flushed and her chest heaving, grabbed at Apis's arm, but the girl slipped away, giggling.

"Apis, no!" Nako shouted, his voice strained. He shot a look at Lestrade, a silent plea for help in his eyes.

Lestrade grinned. "Hey lass! Glad ya could make it! Grab a cannon or get down, those beasts are coming back!" He winked, but his eyes held a flicker of concern as he watched Apis.

She shouldn’t be out here!  She’s not even a pirate!   A bead of sweat runs down Mouse’s neck as he glances over his shoulder at the young girl who is rushing toward him.  It was a bit ironic, given his own youth, to be questioning her choice, but having grown up on the sea, he felt better equipped to deal with its danger.

“Hey Mouse!”  Calls out Api as she passes by the boy, only a few years older than herself, who lets out his trademark ‘Squeak!’ in surprise.  Slapping her hands onto the cold metal railing, she looks up at the terrifying Sea Kings towering above the ship.  A smile splits her face, and she gives the closest one a friendly wave, “Hello there!”

The Sea King's eyes, huge and black like polished obsidian, locked on Apis. It tilted its massive head, a leathery flap of skin rippling beneath its jaw. A low, guttural growl rumbled in its throat, a sound that vibrated through the deck and into Mouse’s bones. The air around the creature shimmered with the smell of wet seaweed and something ancient, something primal. The Sea King's gaze shifted from Apis to the ship, then back again, as if weighing its options.  It opened its maw, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth, letting out an inhuman screech, “Skreeeee? (Who are you?)”

Lowering her hand and placing it on her chest, Apis tilts her head to the side, “Who am I?  The better question is, who are you?”

The crew stood frozen, their faces a mixture of awe and disbelief. Jam's jaw hung open, his eyes wide. Pearl clutched Jam's arm, whispering, "What is she doing?" Lestrade, usually jovial, watched with a furrowed brow.  He tightly gripped the wheel, knuckles white from strain.

The Sea King tilted its massive head, its black eyes fixed on Apis. It began to sway back and forth, stirring up the waves around the ship and rocking it gently back and forth.  Lestrade uttered a few choice phrases unsuitable for the ears of the younger members of their crew.

The creature's mouth splits into a wide grin.  An unholy roar rips from its throat, “Skraaaa! (I am Razorfin!)  Skreeee! (Who are you?)”

“Hey Razorfin!”  Still smiling up at the creature, Apis grabs the railing tightly.  The ship threatened to throw her overboard as waves smashed into its hull.  She calls out in a friendly voice, “I’m Apis!  My friends and I are headed to Warship Island!  Will you lead us?”

The creature lifts and lowers its head, in a move that could generously be called a nod.  Lifting slightly, it dives into the water, followed by the other Sea Kings. They emerge a moment later ahead of the boat.  Their bodies seemed to slide across the ocean, a movement that was equal parts smooth and unnatural. The water parted before them, leaving barely a ripple in their wake. It was as if they were gliding on air, not swimming.

Mouse stared, his mouth dry. She talked to it. He thought. She talked to it.  Like, actually talked to it! He glanced at Apis.  She is still smiling, her eyes shining with excitement. He wanted to ask her how, but the words caught in his throat. She's just a kid. He thought. Just like me. How can she…? A shiver ran down his spine.

"So uh," Lestrade said, turning the wheel slightly to line the ship up with the creatures. He attempted to wrap his head around what was happening. "Are we doing this?"

“I think so…”  Replied Jam in a half daze.  Dropping the cannonball he had been preparing to load, he stares at Apis.  The young girl rushes back across the deck toward Beatrice and Nako.  What did I just witness?

Great.  Another Devil Fruit user.  That’s exactly what I needed in my life.   As the young girl rushes toward him, Nako forces a smile onto his lips.  I feel like somehow this is the Straw Hat kids' fault.  Before he showed up, life was peaceful.   Placing a hand on the young girl's arm, he guides her gently through the door, “That was very impressive, young one.  But you really should get some more rest.  We have a long journey ahead.”  He glances at the massive creatures leading the ship.  And it seems to be shaping up to be an interesting one.

Somewhere on the Calm Belt

The sun rises the next day, casting an orange light across the serene blue ocean.  Despite the absurdity of their situation, the crew had grown used to their serpentine guides.  A tiny spec slowly moved into focus, revealing itself to be their destination, Warship Island…

Chapter Text

Warship Island Docks

It isn’t long before the White Pug arrives at the docks.  The crew quickly disembarked, waving farewell to the Sea Kings, who slowly drift back out to sea, leaving trails of white foam behind as they slice through the otherwise smooth water.

Just before vanishing from view, Razorfin turns to face the crew.  Locking eyes with Apis, it lets loose a tremendous noise, “Roaaaar!  (Stay safe!)”  The air trembles as the sound carries across the water to the small pirate crew.  Satisfied, it dips its large head beneath the surface and hurries after its companions.

A thick rope wrapped around his arm, Lestrade searched for somewhere to tie off the ship.  Spotting a metallic hook, he drops to his knees and carefully loops the rope around and through before finishing with a cleat hitch.  Ignoring the others, he mumbles, “Leave me to do all the damn work.  Typical.”

Wiping a tear from her eye, Apis turns away from the water and looks out at the island she had called home for most of her life.  Stay safe, Razorfin!   She calls out to the others, “We are close!  Come with me and meet my grandpa!”  Giggling, she suddenly dashes toward a small dirt path leading into the woods.

The others exchange skeptical looks before following after the youngster.  Leading the group, Mouse quickly catches up and, placing a hand on her shoulder, whispers, “Slow down.  The others aren’t as quick as us.”

“Sorry!”  Apis whispers back as she slows to a walking pace, allowing the rest of the crew to close the distance between them.

Api’s Home on Warship Island

It isn’t long before the small group arrives at a small hut.  An old man tending to the garden outside immediately recognizes Apis.  Running toward the group, he sweeps her off her feet before crushing the young girl against his chest.  Tears stream down his cheeks, and he blubbers, “My sweet Apis!  I thought I had lost you!  Don’t even run away like that again!”

“Grandpa Bokuden!  Kuso kuso!”  Apis giggles as she buries her head into the old man.  Placing her hand against his chest, she pushes back and meets his eyes.  She exclaims, “Come meet my new friends!”

He’s so old!   Mouse studies the old man, safe in the comforting shadow of his crewmates.  He had never met a man as old as Bokuden and was taken aback at his beard and cane.  Turning to Charles, he whispers, “Is he okay?  What if he falls over?”

Placing his hand on the boy's head, Charles ruffles his hair before replying, “There, there, Mouse.  We must respect our elders.”

“Our elders?”  Snorting Nako gives the boy a sly grin, “He’s not much older than me.  Show some respect!”

“Squee!”  Rushing over to the old man, Mouse bows apologetically, “I didn’t mean to offend you, sir!  I have just never met someone who is…”

“Don’t fear!”  Bokuden cuts off the boy as he places his granddaughter on the ground.  Giving him a wide smile, he continues, “Any friend of Apis is a friend of mine!  Come in, all of you!”

The crew follows Bokuden into his home.  He begins to prepare tea while Apis races around the hut, pointing out everything she sees to the bemused crew.

“... that’s the couch where I first learned to read, and this is my favorite toy!”  Excitement etched on her face, Apis picks up a small wooden train and hands it to Mouse.  He gives her a confused look before placing the toy onto the ground and carefully moving it back and forth.

What is the purpose of such a thing?   Raising an eyebrow, he listens as the wheels scrape across the ground.  The hint of a smile touches the corner of his lips as an old memory surfaces of his time before joining the crew.  I used to play with toys like this.  Back before…   His attention is drawn to Apis, who is pointing emphatically at a white canvas depicting two crudely drawn stick people.

“Look, look!  I drew this of me and grandpa!”  Apis esclaims, eliciting a chuckle from some of the older crewmates.

“Ah, before I forget!”  Bokuden calls out, not looking away from the teapot, which has begun to boil.  He continues, “I believe our old friend has been looking for you.”

“Ryu…!”  Eyes wide, Apis glances at the doorway, leading back to the forest.  Her demeanor shifts from bubbly and excited to worried and tense.  I hope he is okay!

The others follow her gaze, confused and concerned by the sudden change in the young girl's behavior.

Jam instinctively grabs the hilt of his sword, sensing tension in the air.  The feeling quickly passes, and he relaxes his grip, but leaves his fingertips resting against the leather.

Snaking her way through the room, elbowing Pearl and Bustle as she passes, Apis stops beside her grandfather.  She whispers something into his ear, and the old man nods.  Turning to the others, she smiles widely and asks, “Who wants to go on an adventure?”

Her enthusiasm was infectious, and it wasn’t long before the crew were waving their hands one by one, each volunteering to join, except for Charles, who was attempting to disappear into the wallpaper.  Unfortunately for the nervous man, Bustle grabbed his wrist and lifted it high, intimidating his nasally voice with a loud, “Me too!”

Pouring the now finished tea into a large travel mug, Bokuden crosses the room and hands it to Pearl.  The large man stares at the mug in confusion before recognition flashes across his eyes.  He bellows, “Supplies for our adventure!”

Nodding, barely hiding his smile beneath the wispy hairs of his beard, Bokuden shouts, “Hurry back!  I hope to see you all again before you leave!  Learn more about my sweet granddaughter’s new friends!”  As the crew makes their way out of the small home, he says in a low voice, “I sure hope these nice folks don’t end up meeting any nefarious vagabonds.  The seas have been crawling with pirates these days.”  The irony of his statement was lost on him as his daughter and the pirate crew made their way into the woods.

Ryu’s Cave on Warship Island

A short time later, Apis and the others arrive at the entrance to a large cave.  The sound of loud snores can be heard echoing against its stone walls.

Confused, Beatrice places a warm hand on Apis' shoulder.  Lowering slowly to her knees, she whispers in the girl's ear, “Are you sure this is the right place?”  She swallows as a particularly loud snore draws her focus back to the cavern's large opening.  What kind of person could make such a loud noise?

Nodding emphatically, Apis pulls away from Beatrice's touch and begins skipping into the dark cave.  She giggles before replying, “We are almost there!  Just follow me!”

Worry for the young girl overrides their self-preservation, and the crew follows tentatively after her.  Hand on the hilt of his sword, Jam slowly draws the blade, ready for a fight.  Tipping back his head, Pearl drains the last drops of tea before tossing the empty container onto the ground and striding after the swordsman.

“Ryu!  Wake up!”  Apis calls as she continues forward.  With each step, the snoring gets louder.  Reaching down, she picks up a rock, pressing it against the cavern wall.  The rock was made of flint, the same material as the cave around them.  A spark leaps from the wall and lands on a torch, which ignites, shedding light on their path.  Continuing down the hallway, she drags the rock in a straight line, igniting each torch she passes.  She steps around a corner into a large room.  As the first torch in the room ignites, a trail of flame spreads along the wall, igniting the other torches and illuminating the space.  In the center of the room is a massive creature with pale gray scales along its chest and green feathers along its back and wings.

Following the girl into the room, the others gasp, and Nako hurries forward.  Placing himself between Apis and what appears to be a sleeping dragon, he hisses through his teeth, “Stay back!”

“But…”  Tilting her head to the side, Apis looks up at the man in confusion. She continues, “... why?  This is my friend.  Ryu!”  Brushing past the doctor, she rushes over to the massive creature and wraps her arm around one of its talons.  In a loud voice, she proclaims, “I missed you so much, Ryu!”

The snoring stops, and one of the dragon’s large eyes opens wide.  Darting around the room, it sees the pirates huddled near the entrance.  Sensing danger, its nostrils flare, and it attempts to push to its feet, unfurling its massive wings.  Feeling tension against its foot, the creature glances down and, upon seeing Apis, its body relaxes.  A loud noise fills the cavern, “Rooooooar!  (Little one!)  Rooooooar!  (How I have missed you!)”

“I missed you, too, Ryu!”  Apis cries, hugging the talon tighter.

“Are you seeing what I’m seeing?”  Jam asks in disbelief.

Nodding his head, Pearl attempts to answer but cannot get the words out of his mouth.

I guess it’s harmless?   Approaching the young girl, Nako drops to his knees.   He carefully examines the creature's massive paw.  He asks Apis, “How old is Ryu?”

Holding up her fingers, Apis sticks out her tongue as she starts counting them off before finally shrugging her shoulders and replying, “I don’t know.  I just know that he’s old.”

Not fully trusting the doctor, Ryu’s eyes lower into slits as he studies the man before shifting his focus back to Apis.  Another booming roar fills the cavern, “Rooooooar.  (Many centuries.)  Rooooooar.  (My people are ancient.)”

“He says many centuries, and that dragons like him are ancient.”  Apis says as she lovingly pets the dragon’s claw.

Another noise escapes Ryu’s mouth, but it isn’t a roar this time.  Wet coughing mixed with gasps for air.  The creature shakes with each desperate breath as the cacophony of noise fills the cavern.  Eventually, the fit subsides, and the dragon gently rests its head against the floor.  A tear escapes, making each scale shimmer as it slowly carves a path down the dragon’s cheek.

Rising to his feet, Nako places his hand against the creature's paw.  It flinches before giving in to the man’s touch.  In a soft voice, he says, “You’re sick.”  The creature nods in agreement as another tear rolls down its cheek.  Turning to his crewmates, he says, “We must get him back to the ship.  I need my equipment.”

“Are you mad?”  Lestrade shouts back angrily.  Fear enters his eyes as the dragon glares in his direction, and he splutters, “H-how will we f-fit such a m-massive c-creature?”

“We’ll make it work!”  Bustle shouts enthusiastically.  Pulling out his guitar, he strums a quick chord before singing, “Here on Warship Island found.  An ancient dragon on the ground.  Took him to our ship to heal.  So that great sorrow it shall not feel!”

Placing a hand on Apis' shoulder, Nako motions for her to step backward.  She complies hesitantly, and he shifts his focus to Ryu, “We want to help, but I am afraid we cannot carry you.  Can you make the journey on foot?  I promise our ship is not far.”

Eye darting between Apis and Nako, it takes Ryu a moment to decide.  Nodding, the dragon carefully presses its paws against the ground, pushing until it eventually rises to its feet.

Apis and Nako hurry back to the others as Ryu takes a cautious step forward.  It stumbles slightly but quickly regains its balance.  The crew lets out an excited holler as they head for the exit, followed by the titanic creature.

Warship Island Docks

The docks shook as the group approached.  The dragon, now much more confident in its ability to walk, was keeping pace with the others.  Each step by the large creature sent ripples through the earth.  Breaking through the line of trees, they see the ship still anchored against the dock.

Thank goodness, my knot held!   Relief washes through Lestrade's body as he hurries to the ship to inspect it for damage.  A smile spreads across his lips as she runs his fingers along the hull, checking for cracks in the wood.  Thoughts drift back to the companions they left behind at base.  Allesandro would pitch a fit if he knew we were bringing a dragon onto the ship.  Best not to let him know!

Ryu looks hesitantly at the ship as he approaches.  Its deck would barely fit his large frame, leaving little room for the others if they needed to get somewhere in a hurry.  Looking down at Apis, he lets out a mournful noise, “Roooooar? (Are you sure?)  Rooooar (I don’t want to…) Rooooar. (... be a burden.)”

“I’m sure!”  Apis says, with a smile, as she scrambles up the gangplank onto the deck.  Tapping her small hand on the wooden surface, indicating where the dragon should land, she shouts, “Trust me!”

Giving the ship one last nervous look, the dragon flaps its large wings.  A powerful blast of wind knocks the others to the ground as the creature lifts slowly into the air.  Another flap comes with another powerful gust.   The crew grabs hold of the deck, trying desperately not to be hurled into the water.  Deciding it is high enough, Ryu tilts his wings and carefully drifts down to the deck, landing gracefully on its surface.  The ship starts to dip into the water, and for a moment it appears that it will fully submerge before the boyancy evens out and the craft settles into place.

Scrambling to his feet, Mouse desperately presses down on his hair, which is now an unruly mess.  Satisfied that he has done all he can, he looks up at Apis, who is again hugging the dragon’s claw.  I can’t believe he fit!   Grinning, he races over to the gangplank and hurries onto the deck to join the young girl.

Pushing himself up into a sitting position, Charles grabs hold of his head and groans, “If we never do that again, it’ll still be too soon.”

“Tell me about it.”  Rising to his feet, Lestrade double-checks that the knot hasn’t come undone.  Dragons!  Who could have imagined such a thing?

“Ung.”  Pressing his palms against the ground, Nako feels a familiar ache as he carefully pushes himself into a standing position.  Placing his hands on his hips, he carefully stretches his back while gazing at the dragon.  Why did I think this was a good idea?  I’m a human doctor, not a vet.   Sighing, he ascends the gangplank toward the dragon, preparing a mental examination checklist. A real-life dragon.  Where do I begin?

While Nako starts his preliminary examination, a familiar voice calls out. “Off so soon?”  Emerging from the woods, Bokuden approaches the crew still on the dock.  Glancing up at the dragon perched on the deck, he says, “I see you got our old friend up and moving.  Good.  He needed to stretch his legs.”  The dragon snorts in response, turning away from the old man who cackles with laughter, “Wahahahahahaha!”

Usually preferring to let his more boisterous companions speak for him, Hustle chooses to address the old man.  In a deep voice, he says slowly, “Thanks for seeing us off…”

“What my friend here means to say!”  Bustle interrupts his crewmate.  Again, pulling out his guitar, he strums a simple tune, “We’ve enjoyed your island and all its pleasures.  But now we shall be off at our leisure.  This dragon is quite a glorious find.  He must reunite with his kind!”

“Uh huh.”  Unimpressed by the boisterous musician, Bokuden asks, “Where exactly do you think that is?”

Strumming his guitar again, Bustle attempts to invent another clever song to answer the man’s question, “Well…”

“We don’t know.”  Interrupts Beatrice, placing her hand over the strings, silencing Bustle's instrument and earning a hurt look from the musician.

“You should have asked!”  Bokuden replies cheerily.  Glancing back up at the dragon, he smiles before again looking at Beatrice.  He continues, “There have been stories of the Sennenryu as far back as I can remember.  Passed down from generation to generation.”

“Sennenryu?  Is that what he is?”  Beatrice asks, tilting her head to the side.

“Indeed!  More commonly known as Millennium Dragons, the Sennenryu have guarded our island for centuries.  Ryu is the last of his kind here on Warship Island, but there is a rumor that they have a nesting ground in a hidden place known only as Lost Island.  If you can find it, you will find his people.”  Bokuden replies.  His smile falters as he sees something over the woman’s shoulder.  Taking a step back, he says in a hesitant voice, “You haven’t much time.  They are almost here!  You need to leave this place!”  Not waiting for a reply, the man turns and races into the forest, moving surprisingly swiftly despite his advanced age.

Pressing her face against Ryu’s claw, Apis whispers, “Don’t worry, we will get you back to your people.”

Exchanging worried glances, the crew hurried onto the deck.  Signaling to Mouse, the boy immediately leaps into action, climbing to the top of the Crows Nest to get a better look at the surrounding area.

Grabbing a pair of binoculars hanging near the center of the small structure, Mouse places them against his eyes and peers through the lens.  It took him a moment to dial in the settings.  Seeing what the old man had seen, the color drains from his face.  He stammers a warning to the others, “I-it’s, i-it’s, i-it’s… THE MARINES!!!”

Scrambling around the dragon to the railing, the crew watches as a small fleet of marine ships appears over the horizon.  On their sails was the familiar looping insignia of the Marines.  Hope that these were Ripper’s men was dashed as the flagship drew close, revealing a second set of flags with the number 8 in large calligraphy.  These were no ordinary marines, they were members of the 8th Branch, the same branch that Apis had escaped from days earlier…

Chapter Text

White Pug Deck

A cannonball slammed into the water, falling just short of the small ship.  Waves splashed into the hull, rocking the vessel back and forth.  The crew grabbed at anything they could hold onto.  Clinging to the massive dragon, Nako holds a needle filled with a milky liquid between his teeth. Beside him, Apis whimpers in fear, arms wrapped around the creature's oversized paw.

Lifting his head, Ryu lets out a deafening roar that echoes across the sea.  Cruel laughter erupted from the marines in response as they continued their approach.

Nelson Royal’s voice booms out, amplified by a Den Den Mushi, “No use hiding!  Your friends back at the Conami Islands already told us you are harboring the girl!  Turn her over and this can all be over, pirate scum!”

A tear runs down Apis' cheek, and she burrows her head against Ryu’s paw, trying to hide from view.  She is startled as a soft hand is placed on her back, and turns to see Mouse smiling down at her.

“We won’t let them hurt you.  I promise.”  Mouse says confidently.  Inside, he was filled with turmoil as he mulled over the marine's words.  Did he hurt David and the others?  Are they safe?

Having drifted a short distance from Warship Island, the White Pug was surrounded.  They had avoided taking damage, but as the other vessels drew closer, it was clear that would not remain the case for long.

Gaze focused and brow slightly furrowed, Pearl strode across the deck.  The metallic plates hanging from his body kept him steady as the ground beneath his feet shook.  Approaching the ship's bow, he carefully lifted himself onto a small platform behind the figurehead.  Spreading his hands wide, he brings them crashing together, slamming the metallic plates held strapped to his palms into one another with a loud ‘BOOM’.  A spark flies from the metallic plates, landing harmlessly against his chest as he spreads his arms once more before bringing them together with another thunderous ‘BOOM’.  He repeats the action several more times, increasing in speed.  Each time, the sparks grow in number.  One lands on the shiny orb in the center of his chest, and it erupts into flames, spreading quickly across the metallic shield strapped to his chest.  The shields on his elbows and knees also ignite, burning bright white.  Manic look in his eyes, Pearl screams, “Fire Pearl Big Bonus!”

“HIT THE DECK!”  Jam screams as he drops to the ground.  Covering his head with his hands, he squeezes his eyes shut.  What are you thinking, Pearl?!? You’re gonna burn our ship down!

The others follow suit, dropping to the ground and covering themselves as flaming orbs erupt from Pearl’s armor, flying through the air in every direction.

An orb slams into Ryu’s scales.  Dropping to the deck, it smolders on the ground.  Letting out a low growl, the dragon stomps on the projectile, extinguishing the flames and preventing the ship from catching fire.  Another orb collides with the sail, which immediately ignites.  Flames spread quickly across the fabric.

Not good!   Leaping to his feet, Mouse darts across the deck, grabbing a bucket full of water before scurrying up the mast to the burning sail.  The liquid sloshes against the sides of the container, threatening to spill with each move.  Approaching the flames, Mouse feels the heat against his cheeks.  Holding on with one hand, he throws the bucket at the sail.

The crew holds their breath as the water flies through the air and lets out a satisfied sigh as the flames are extinguished.  It takes a moment before the crew realizes that the marines are no longer firing at their ship.  Shifting their focus to the surrounding fleet, they saw marines desperately fighting fires on their ships.

“Let's go!”  Hollers Lestrade as he races toward the flying bridge.  Eyes locked on the steering wheel, he ducks under Ryu’s tail before scrambling up the stairs.  Moments later, he has the wooden wheel in his hands and is cranking it hard to the side, tilting the ship toward a marine vessel that is struggling in their war against multiple raging infernos.  There is a loud ‘Boom’ and several of the marines fly across the deck as the ship’s armoury explodes.

Sliding down the mast, Mouse sees Jam and Hustle readying the main cannons.  Noticing that many of the cannonballs have rolled away, he makes a split-second decision to support his crewmates by retrieving them.

Pulling the syringe from his mouth, Nako jams it into Ryu’s leg.  Sorry, big guy, we don’t have time to be gentle.   Pressing his thumb against the plunger, he delivers the sedative into the dragon’s bloodstream.

Eyes widening in rage, Ryu glares down at the doctor, who waves apologetically.  Lips curling back to expose a row of razor-sharp teeth, he growls loudly.  He is about to strike when the sedative kicks in.  Slumping forward, he crashes onto the deck.  The air is filled with the sound of the creature's loud snores.

Rolling a cannonball across the deck, Mouse feels the first droplet of rain splash against the back of his neck.  It is followed by many more.  Ignoring the water, he continues to his destination, dropping off the projectile beside Jam before scurrying after another.

Thunder rumbles through the clouds above, followed by a bolt of lightning which strikes one of the marine vessels, igniting its mast.  The flames are extinguished quickly as the rain grows more intense.

Wiping the water from his brow, Lestrade shouts, “Almost there!  Keep pushing!”  They were sailing beside the marine ship he had targeted, and the marines aboard had not yet returned to their battle stations.  An explosion from Jam’s cannon precedes a black projectile crashing into the marine vessel's hull.

The wind picks up, billowing the sails and pushing the White Pug across the waves.  Thunder continues to ripple through the clouds as another bolt of lightning strikes the water, which hisses in protest to the intrusion.

Footsteps and splashing of water precede Apis' arrival on the Flying Bridge.  Yanking Lestrade’s shirt, she quickly gains the helmsman’s attention.  Pointing at the clouds, the young girl shouts, “We have to go into the storm!”

“Are you mad?!?”  Lestrade shouts back.  His eyes widen in panic as the water ahead starts swirling counterclockwise around a single point that is lower than the rest.  The cloud above appears to dip downward, forming a tunnel between itself and the chaotic waves.  A tornado?!?   Muscles tensing, he attempts to tilt the steering wheel, but it remains stubbornly locked into place. We are getting pulled in!  This is bad!

The wind continues to pick up, pushing the ship toward the tornado that is now sucking them in.  As they come close, the crew brace themselves, ready for whatever is coming.  Before long, they reach their inevitable destination.  Lifting the craft into the air, it hurls them away from the pursuing marine fleet.

Strange Beach

The White Pug skipped across the water.  It came to a sudden and violent stop against the sandy bank of an unfamiliar beach.  In the chaos of the storm, the crew had been rendered unconscious and now lay prone across the deck.  Dents along the hull served as evidence of their violent journey.

Sporting a black eye, Mouse is the first to wake.  Pushing his palms against the wooden deck, he rises to his feet.  Feeling slightly dizzy, the world swims before his eyes as he braces himself against the ship’s mast.  Where are we?   The thought burned in his mind.  Vision crystallizing, he takes in the island.  Porcelain sand, untouched by man, covered the beach.  Beyond its borders, trees dotted the landscape.  It’s beautiful.   A hand rests on the boy's shoulder, and he turns to see Bustle looking out on the tranquil shore.

“A true beauty.  Makes me want to sing.”  Smile on his face, Bustle rests a hand on his guitar.  Behind him, the others start to stir, lifted from their slumber.  Before long, the crew has gathered around the young boy, admiring the serene island.

Yawning, Ryu lets out a muffled, “Grawwh. (I’m home.)”  Rolling onto his side, the dragon’s eyes close, and he resumes snoring.

Tensing from the creature's unexpected movement, Nako relaxes and resumes his task.  A myriad of needles lay at his feet.  He carefully inserts one between the dragon’s scales and injects the medicine.

Overhearing Ryu’s declaration, Apis smiles and races over to the pirates.  Bouncing from foot to foot, she loudly announces, “We’re here!  We’re here!”

“Huh?”  Hustle replies, looking down in confusion at the young girl.

Dropping to his knees, Bustle ruffles the girl's hair.  He replies in a sing-song voice, “Your confidence is world-renowned.  Pray tell, how was the identity found?”

Wrinkling her brows in frustration, Apis points at Ryu and shouts, “Grandpa Ryu said so!”  Seeing doubt in the pirates' faces, she continues in a frustrated tone, “He did!  I promise!”

“Squee!”  Mouse exclaims in exasperation, earning a bemused chuckle from the older crewmates.  Slapping a hand over his mouth.  The boy's cheeks burned red with embarrassment.  Be nice to her!   The thought raced through his mind as he slowed his breathing and attempted to relax.

Hooking his arm around Mouse’s shoulders, Bustle pulls the young boy toward him.  Flashing a toothy grin, he replies, “The lass has never led us astray.  We must make haste, for adventure today!”

Choosing to set aside their unease, the others follow as Bustle leads the group down to the shore, arm still wrapped around Mouse’s shoulders.  Having regained his composure, the young boy strides more confidently beside the musician.  They leave behind Nako, who is still caring for the elderly Ryu on deck.

Lost Island Forest

Striding confidently into the forest, the crew keeps their eyes peeled for clues that might lead to Ryu’s fellow dragons.  Despite its vegetation, the island seemed devoid of life.

“Where do you suppose we are?”  Beatrice asks.  Her mind wanders back to the conversation she had earlier.  Hopefully, Ripper’s men find us before those Eighth Branch guys do.   She shudders at the thought of what might happen to Apis if they are captured.

“My grandpa called it Lost Island.”  Apis replies in a helpful tone.  Eyes darting around, she searches the woods for any sign of the other dragons.  She continues, “He used to tell me stories about this place.  Said it was where Ryu’s people came to nest.  I thought it was a fairy tale.”

That’s peculiar.   Stopping in his tracks, Bustle walks over to a tree covered in strange markings.  He places a hand on the bark and studies the symbols etched into the wood.  These look almost like… notes?  But how could that be?   Taking a small step backward, he swings the guitar in front of his body.  Eyes focused on the notes, he strums the first chord, followed by the next.  The guitar vibrated in his hands, each note piercing the air, as he continued playing the haunting melody.

Eyes wide, Apis turns to the musician.  She stares in awe as he finishes the work before exclaiming loudly, “Where did you learn that…?”

Raising a brow, Bustle turns to the young girl.  Flashing her a smile, he replies, “It is the sound of the forest, etched into the trees themselves.  Did you like it?”

“I…”  Tears well up in Apis' eyes as she recalls the many times her grandfather had sung her that lullaby before bed.  Biting her lip, she quickly wipes away the tears before asking in a quiet voice, “... can you play it again?”

I’ll never say no to an opportunity to play!   Nodding Bustle begins strumming the chords again.  He didn’t need to look back at the tree, having memorized the tune the first time.

Licking her lips, Apis sings in a quiet voice that builds as she grows more confident, “​​They say when storms begin to brew.  Thunder roars across skies of blue. The island shimmers, calls the brave. A haven 'cross the wildest wave. For in its heart, where wonders dwell. Great dragons weave a sleeping spell. Their scales like emeralds, strong and bright. Their wings, a comfort in the night.”  As the last notes fade away, her eyes shimmer, fresh tears threatening to spill forth.  I miss grandpa.   A thought flashes through her mind, and her eyes widen in realization.  Wait… why is my lullaby here?!?   Excitement bubbling up in her chest, she exclaims, “This is Warship Island!”

Raising an eyebrow, Jam elbows Pearl and mutters, “She’s lost her marbles.”  The large man roars with laughter.

Sticking out her bottom lip, Apis balls her hands into fists and pushes them against her hips.  She shouts back defiantly, “I’m not crazy!  Take it back!”

“You certainly aren’t.”  A cruel voice came from behind the group.

Whirling to face the intruder, the crew watches in horror as a squad of marines approaches their position.  As if on cue, Ryu’s roar echoes through the forest.

“You!”  Shrieks Apis.  She points at a slender man with a square-like face, long and sharp fingernails, and purple hair curled upwards in the shape of a hook, leading the marines.  Ducking behind Pearl, she continues shouting, “You're that good-for-nothing, mean, jerk head!  Eric the Whirlwind!”

Focused on the marines, Pearl spreads his arms out, making himself a larger obstacle between them and the small girl.

Lips splitting into a grin, Eric replies, “Indeed, I am.  So glad you remembered, Apis.”  The marines around him chuckle in amusement before he lifts his hand to silence them.  Despite not wearing military attire, he was clearly in charge.  His voice grew cold, “Be a dear and come along.  We need your help convincing that rotten dragon of yours to behave.”

Glancing at one another, Hustle and Jam each draw their blades and level them at the marines.  Flanking Pearl, they expand the barrier between the bloodthirsty 8th Branch and the frightened young girl.

Reaching into his pocket, Mouse draws a small dagger.  He’d never had the opportunity to use the weapon, but wouldn’t let them take Apis without a fight.  Likewise, Bustle drew a long rapier from his belt as he swung the guitar over his shoulder to rest against his back.

Beatrice and Charles huddled beside Apis, trying to comfort the young girl shaking with fear.

Drawing a blunderbuss, Lestrade poked the barrel between Pearl and Jam, aiming at the approaching marines.  He calls out in a calm but authoritative voice, “Not another step, Marine scum!”

White Pug Deck

To Nako’s amazement, Ryu’s eyes snapped open as the marine's boots hit the gangplank.  Somehow unaffected by the lingering sedative, the mighty creature had launched to its feet and roared defiantly at the invading army.  Fangs glittering in the sun and talons ready to rend the humans, the dragon was a threatening presence aboard the ship.

As the first marines reached the deck, Ryu flapped his wings, sending a gust of wind that threw them backward into their oncoming companions.  Letting out another fearsome roar, the dragon gave another two quick flaps, rising into the air.

A second roar answers Ryu’s, followed by many more as the forest trees shake.  Suddenly, a horde of dragons burst through the tree line, rising into the air before making a beeline for the ship.

Rising higher, Ryu joins the dragons circling the small ship.  Letting out one last deafening roar, his wings collapse, and he dives toward the deck.  The other dragons follow suit, diving toward the sand, and each smashes into a terrified marine, sending them tumbling to the sandy beach.

A portly man, Commodore Nelson Royale, holding a fried turkey leg with one hand and a Den Den Mushi in the other, shouts into the snail, “GET UP!  WE DON’T GIVE UP THIS EASILY!  WE ARE THE EIGHTH BRANCH MARINES!”  Snearing, he rips a chunk of turkey with his teeth and noisily chews.  Around him, the marines groan as they struggle to their feet.

Peeking out from around the mast, Nako sees more vessels bearing the distinct marine flag appear along the horizon.  His heart sinks as he takes in the size of the approaching force.  At least a dozen ships, maybe more!  Even with dragons, we can’t possibly handle them all!

Spotting the approaching marines, Nelson gives an evil grin and again raises the Den Den Mushi to his lips, “There’s no getting out of this!  Surrender the dragon, and we might let you live!”

As the marine ships draw nearer, there is a high-pitched whine.  The noise is replaced quickly by a commanding voice, “Commodore Nelson Royale, by order of Rear Admiral Ripper, you are under arrest.  Surrender peacefully or suffer the consequences.”

Eyes growing wide, it takes Nelson a moment to realize what is happening.  Grabbing a marine stumbling past, he shoves the Den Den Mushi into the man’s hand and growls, “You are Commodore Nelson.”

Staring in confusion at the snail in his hands, the man replies, “What are you talking about, sir?”  Before he can complete the sentence, Nelson takes off across the beach.  Confused, he looks to the other marines, who simply shrug in response.  Rolling his eyes, he drops the snail into the sand and sinks to his knees, muttering, “I don’t get paid enough to deal with this.”

Lost Island Forest

Blades clash as Hustle and Jam engage in combat with Eric.  He was a surprisingly talented swordsman, but struggled against their combined assault.  Beside them, the rest of the crew were locked in combat against the marines while Pearl held his ground between the attacking force and the young girl.

“I’m scared.”  Whimpers Apis as she huddles closer to Beatrice, who is slowly running her fingers over the young girl's back in an attempt to soothe her.

“Me too.”  Replies Charles, huddled beside the pair.  Arms wrapped around his knees, he is shaking in fear.

Rolling her eyes, Beatrice shoots Charles a dirty look, “Grow a backbone, Specs.  We’re supposed to be pirates.”

The crunch of leaves and pounding of footsteps indicate others approaching, and the crew prepares itself as more marines spill through the trees into the small clearing.

Even more marines?!?   Mouse thinks to himself as he ducks beneath a cutlass that was aimed at his throat.  Stumbling backward, he brings the dagger in front of himself.  I can’t let myself get distracted!

“STOP!”  Shouts one of the new arrivals.  Most of the 8th Branch Marines obey, but several continue to pursue their assault against the White Dog Pirates.  Irritated at being ignored, the man raises a pistol and fires it into the air, drawing everybody's attention.  Satisfied that the conflict is over, he says, “By order of Rear Commander Ripper, I demand that all members of the Eighth Branch return to their ship and leave this island immediately.”

“Who is Rear Commander Ripper?”  Asks one of the marines, eying the man in confusion.

The marine who had given the order aims his pistol at the man and pulls back the hammer, “Smoker’s replacement.  Vice Admiral Garp placed him in charge of all Marine forces in the East Blue.  You had best heed his instructions.”

Grumbling to themselves, the marines sheath their weapons and walk toward the beach, leaving behind Eric and the White Dog Pirates.

“Well, I’m not a marine, and I’m not about to let some upstart tell me what I can and can’t do.  If Ripper wants me to stop, he can come here and tell me to my face.”  Eric shouts as he slashes his blade at Jam’s, knocking the weapon from the unsuspecting swordsman’s hand.

The marine snaps his fingers, and a dozen marines charge forward, grabbing Eric by the arms and removing the sword from his grasp.  He smirks and replies, “If you aren’t a marine, I don’t see why you’d be authorized to trespass on your island.  I’m sure Ripper won’t mind if we bring two prisoners back rather than just one.”

“You can’t be serious!”  Shouts Eric as he struggles against the men.  Rage painted on his face, he continues, “I’m a mercenary, not a criminal!  You can’t do this to me!”

Peeking out from behind Pearl’s back, Apis shouts, “You aren’t just a mercenary!  You hurt me and tried to take Grandpa Ryu!”

“Hurting a minor?  That’s not going to look good.”  With a look of bemusement, the marine pulls out a pair of handcuffs and quickly slips them over Eric’s wrists.  Shifting his focus to the White Dog Pirates, he says in a much friendlier voice, “Ripper sends his apologies for the delay.  We came as fast as we could.”  Not waiting for a response, he snaps his fingers, and the marines lift Eric into the air and begin walking back toward the beach.

Lost Island Beach

Gathering together at the beach, the crew waves as the 8th Branch and Loguetown Marines depart.  As the ships disappear from view, they shift their focus to Ryu, who has returned to his perch on their boat, looking much more upbeat than he had since they first met him.

Making their way onto the ship, Apis rushes over to the dragon, wrapping his paw in a tight hug.  Looking up at the dragon, eyes sparkling with tears, she yells, “You are all better, Grandpa Ryu!”

Grinning, the dragon lies down, wrapping a wing protectively around the small girl.  It had been a tiring day, and despite Nako’s attention, Ryu was beginning to feel the effects.  The other dragons had left, returning to their nests throughout the forest, leaving the ancient creature alone.

“Apis…”  Beatrice says in a calm voice as she approaches the dragon.  Lowering to her knees, she gently prods the dragon's wing out of the way so that she can see the young girl, “... what do you plan on doing now that we’ve saved your friend?”

Looking up at the dragon, Apis ponders the question.  Resting her hand on Ryu’s paw, she says softly, “I need to stay with Grandpa Ryu.  He needs me.”  Her gaze drifts to the White Dog Pirates.  She continues, “But I want to spend more time with all of you.”  A tear runs down her cheek as she feels torn between what she knows she must do and what her heart wants.

Beatrice brushes the tear from Apis' cheek before cupping it in her palm.  She says softly, “What if you can have both?”

“How?”  Hope bubbles within Apis' chest as she stares intently at the older woman.

Meeting the girl's eyes, a smile spreads across Beatrice's face.  She replies, “There is a skilled carpenter on the Conami Islands named Teru.  He would be delighted to build a home for you, your grandfather, and Ryu.”

“Really?!?” Apis practically yells.  Leaping up, she wraps her arms around Beatrice's neck and squeals, “That would be wonderful!  I can’t wait!”

The others join them, hugging the young girl and letting her know how excited they are that she will join them on the island.  As the last rays of sunlight kissed the porcelain sands of Lost Island Beach, the White Dog Pirates gathered around their new, unlikely family. The roar of dragons echoed faintly in the distance, a sound not of fear, but of reunion and promise. Soon, they would set sail for home, where new adventures awaited them, and an even grander purpose began to unfold…