The man was wearing a rusty-colored suit with golden decoration around the stitches and a matching golden tie. In his hands he was holding a cane. Not the new one but still a very pretty one. The knob was decorated with golden leafs and the iron nib was loosing its golden coloration. The rest of the cane was a dark worn wood with a few dents in it. You could say that the men liked gold for all it was. It's color and foremost it's value.
He slowly moved up and down in front of the boys. Shachi was shivering while Pengin was staring straight at the ground studying the light colored tiles, the hands clenched to fists.
He knew it wasn't their fault, but he also knew that Shachis uncle wouldn't care.
They were sent to deliver the merchandise … smuggling weapons … and to bring back the money. Sadly the intermediary didn't really agree with the price, and so he hadn't paid full before disappearing with the merchandise never to be seen again. There hadn't been anything the two kids could have done to stop him.
It had been Shachis idea to break into one of the shops and steal the missing amount out of the cash register. But it still hadn't been enough … around 30 Berry were missing.

Shachis uncle always counted the money when they brought it and so the missing amount had been discovered quickly. It wasn't much but still enough to anger him.
"You two think you're very smart, do you?", he asks in a condescending tone. As if they were nothing but vermin. "You thought you could get away with stealing from me?"
"We didn't -", Shachi tried to say with a small voice, but he gets interrupted by the cane that comes down in front of him. "Did I allow you to speak?"
"N-No Sir."
"Then shut your trap!"
Shachi tried to make himself smaller than he already was.

He and Penguin were living with his relatives for three months now. His mother's sister had married a rich men and Penguin remembered how Shachi had told him about the wedding. How beautiful and glamorous it had been. Shachis eyes had sparkled as he described the dress his mother had worn that night five years ago.
Shachi always had good things to say about his aunt … before they had been sent to his relatives. How rich she was and that they would have it good there. Even though after the wedding neither him or his family had seen her again or even had spoken about her.
Penguin didn't have any relatives left. At least none that were known. His mother, his father, his big brother and his cousin with her parents and husband all had lost their lives to the tsunami. He was the hatchling of the family. His older brother wanted to join the navy while his cousin was newly-wed and had been expecting her first child. No one had been rich or famous … just normal people with normal lives. But now nothing was left of it. Just as nothing was left of Shachis once loving family.

"Where is the money?" Shachis Uncle asks again, leaning closer to the already distraught Shachi. "If you hand it back now, I maybe won't punish you."
Even if that was true, they couldn't give him what they didn't have. Penguin swallows and decides to not say anything so Shachis uncle wouldn't pay him any attention. Of course, he felt bad for Shachi but there wasn't anything he could do anyways. His fingernails burrowed deeper into his palms, and he bites his tongue in frustration. Better Shachi than him.
"We-", starts Shachi again. "We don't have it." Then he squeaks making Penguin jump a litte. His uncle had pulled him up at his collar pushing Shachi against the wall. His face red with anger. "How dare you! After all I've given you!" He hits Shachi against the wall and raises the hand with the cane. Shachi whimpers, pressing his eyes shut and awaiting the pain from the impact.
"It was my fault!"
Shachis uncle stops and focuses his attention towards Penguin for the first time this night. Oh shit! Why did he say that? Now they both would go to bed without dinner and with new wounds to take care of. He was such an idiot!
"What?" The uncle hisses and Penguin swallows dryly. Now it was to late anyways.
"I took it and I spend it.", he lied through his teeth knowing full well that Shachis uncle wouldn't believe the truth anyways. "There were these … pies … and … I really wanted one. I thought you wouldn't realize it. So I bought them and ate them. The money is gone."
Shachi mouth falls open in disbelief and his Uncles already red face started to get even redder patches. The anger burned in his eyes as he grabbed the cane tighter turning slowly towards the shaking Penguin.
"I gave you shelter …" His voice was low and dangerous like a tiger ready to pounce. "I give you food and a place to sleep …" He let's go of Shachi who slips down to the floor with a small sound. His eyes and mouth were wide open but no sound escaped, that stopped his uncle from turning towards Penguin completely. "... and this is what I get for a thanks!?"
Never would have Penguin thought that the fat men was able to move so quickly. The cane came down mercilessly on him and the feared glued Penguin to the spot.
"Your nothing but trash! I don't need tools who steal! You piece of shit!" And so on and so forth continued the insults. Penguin didn't really hear them anymore he was way to focused on protecting his head and keeping in the sobs, and he was laying on the floor hoping for Shachis uncle to run out of breath.

Later he was laying on the cold cellar floor in the room Shachi and he shared. Shachis aunt had told them more than once that they weren't welcome in the house. They just would make it dirty and their shabby appearance spoiled the aesthetics of the premises.
Shachi kneed next to him pressing a cool and wet cloth on a particularly painful spot on Penguin's shoulder. Neither of them talked.
They didn't get anything to eat and they probably won't get any breakfast either. Penguin would be useless for a few days until most of the pain was gone and Shachi would have to work for both of them.
"Why did you say that?", Shachi asks into the silence. Penguin opens his eyes and stares to the ceiling. He didn't know why either. Probably because he is an idiot. A dumb idiot.
"Don't know", he answers truthfully. He didn't want to talk to Shachi … It was his family not Penguins. It was so unfair that he had to suffer even though it had nothing to do with him! He was so angry! He would love to punch Shachi in his stupid face just for that … if he just would be able to move right now! Oh how much he wanted to unleash his anger on the smaller redhead.
Something warm dripped on his neck. Surprised Penguin loos back into Shachis face. The water was flowing out of his eyes and nose and something in Penguins stomach twisted. He felt tears welling up in his eyes too.
"I want to go back to mum", whimpers Shachi. "I want to go back home! I want my mum!" He started to sob heartbreakingly.
There was nothing Penguin wanted more too! Going back home … going back into his mother's arms. He missed his brothers teasing and the way his father had ruffled his hair.
Suddenly Penguin understands. It wasn't only him but Shachi had lost everything too. It didn't matter that the people upstairs were his relatives. Shachi wasn't having it any better because of it. What worth had the bound of blood if his uncle and aunt didn't care about it?
Penguin joins Shachi in his crying and sobbing.

They just had each other. There was no one else left. They weren't related … hell they just kind off were friends because they had played once in a while. But now everything was different.
They both had watched how the sea had taken their families and friends. They both had been sent to Shachis aunt and uncle. They both committed crimes and they both suffered the same abuse.

Between the sobbing off the two children Penguin finally understood why he had stepped in. Shachi was everything he had left and he was everything Shachi had left. They needed to help each other. They needed to protect each other because no one else would.

_

"If I get you, you are DEAD! Do you hear me? DEAD!"
Shachi rounded the corner laughing as he aimed for the door of the room he shared with Penguin. His safe haven … or not. He wasn't fast enough to close the door before Penguin could reach it so he escapes to the top of his bunk bed, arming himself with a pillow. "It's your own fault if you leave it alone on the table!"
Penguin was trying to catch his breath as he blocked the door and glared towards his roommate. "You know how much I was looking forward to that Pudding!"
"Leaving it means having to part with it.", Shachi answers wisely holding the pillow in front of himself like a shield.
Just a few days ago they had left an island that was famous for its dairy products. The cows gave especially good milk because of the special kind of grass that was just growing on that particular island. Shachi, Bepo and Penguin had bought as much as they could carry … and the pudding had been everything that was left of the milky treasure. And now it was in Shachis tummy.
"I'm going to make you throw it up and feed it to you again!" Penguin growls jumping towards the bed. Shachi throws the pillow and tries to escape again.

Penguin and Shachi. Shachi and Penguin. And now they had Law and Bepo and all the other crew members. They were the Heart-Pirates and they protected and helped each other and they loved their captain!