A/N: I'm back with the new chapter. I'm surprised at how fast I got this one out. Goes to show just how much fun I'm having with it. It won't be immediate but I will touch up some things in the first chapter. Nothing major but just thought you might want to know. Idk.

Chapter 2

Garp ran a hand over his tired face. It had been a day since Kuroka had explained all about the supernatural world as well as her wanted status and he was still trying to accept it. The Devils sure, he had no problem believing in them, not when humans from his own world could be called even worse. Doflammingo and Celestial Dragons were both the living embodiment of the word Devil but God? That was still a concept he had to wrap his head around.

It seemed that while the base religions for God differed from his world and this one, they both clearly meant the same being. An all loving and all powerful entity that governed this world but Garp just couldn't accept that. Where was God when all those innocents died as the World Government hunted down all the women and babies accused of being Roger's wife?

Where was God when the people of Dressrossa cried for the years while forgetting their true heritage? Where was this so called loving father for the people of Wano during their twenty year subjection?

No if there was one thing Garp couldn't accept it was the sheer perfection of this God. Either he wasn't quite as loving or powerful as claimed otherwise their wouldn't be any suffering in the world.

'Or he could be dead and the Angels never told the people for some reason.'

But this kind of mental debate could be held at another time, Issei was far more important. It really was good that Kuroka decided to help. Once she had healed Issei, she used magic to clean up the blood on his body following Garp back to Issei's house. The only good thing was that it was Saturday and Issei's parents had accepted Garp's excuse that Issei had to finish all his home work before training again.

Kuroka the Nekoshou had taken advantage of the Hyoudou's hospitality and after using her magic to hide traces of her presence, spent most of her time watching anime on the television. Cat people, that was a detail that Garp surprisingly had no trouble with, not with the various amounts of fish men and other people living in the Grand Line. So she had weird ears, so what? No matter what you said, nothing would ever be weirder than those weird Zoan's in Kaido's crew.

Kuroka had said she was a criminal and her attitude reflected that; cutting down her defenceless attackers before burning their bodies. All in the name of safety and now that Issei was seemingly a part of the supernatural Garp wasn't truly fussed; her actions indirectly protected Issei. In direct contrast to that behaviour he also knew Kuroka was quite kind. She didn't have to heal Issei, it would've been more prudent to continue running and blame her attackers deaths on Issei.

What was troubling was the red gauntlet that had appeared on Issei's left arm. Garp hoped his grandson would wake up soon, there was a lot he needed to explain.

xXx

Issei thought that his training with Garp would be the strangest thing to happen to him. People weren't supposed to be able to jump through the air or punch through brick without trouble but seeing a massive red dragon in front of him took the cake as the weirdest thing to happen to him, or at least so far.

"Are you going to introduce yourself or just stare?"

Issei jumped. The dragon could talk, who knew?

"Ah, hello. I'm Issei Hyoudou. Do you know what's happening here?"

"Well Issei, my name is Ddraig and your consciousness is currently inside your Sacred Gear; the Boosted Gear. I am one of the Heavenly Dragons, a being so mighty I was sealed away by the strongest forces of the three factions."

"Um, what's a Sacred Gear? I heard what you said but only understood that your name is Ddraig. Sorry."

There was a brief pause before Ddraig sighed, "That's fine kid. A Sacred Gear is simply put a special power given to you by God, yes the one from the Bible. My soul is bound inside the gear located in your left arm and gives you access to my power. I was sealed thousands of years ago; you are just the latest in a long line of people who can wield my power. You're now the Red Dragon Emperor. I would explain more but it seems that your Grandpa wishes for you to wake up. No doubt he also has things he needs to explain to you."

xXx

As much as he tried Issei wasn't as cool as his grandpa which was why he reacted far worse to the revelations of the supernatural than Garp had.

"What! Do you know how crazy that all sounds Gramps?!"

"Yes Ise but it looks to be true. That lady you helped, Kuroka has cat ears and a split tail. The men who attacked had Devil wings. That Red Gauntlet on your arm also proves that at the very least something odd is going on."

Issei looked at his left arm again. His Boosted Gear; the place of Ddraig's soul.

'How do I make it turn off? I can't walk around with this thing on all the time.'

"Just think about your arm looking normal. If you look with what you call Observation, you should sense an amount of foreign energy that isn't yours in your arm. Will that energy into a trickle and your arm will go back to how it looked."

'Ddraig? You can hear my thoughts outside of dreams?'

"Evidently. Now focus in your arm kid."

Issei did as Ddraig had instructed and the Gear faded away revealing his arm.

"Issei."

He turned his gaze back to Garp, "That's not the only thing I needed to tell you. You have the third and rarest type of Haki; Conqueror's Haki. This is a Haki that you have to be born with and it is extremely useful.

"You can use it to exert your will upon others and knock them out. The bigger the strength gap between you and the target, the easier it is to do. Concentrated and continuous waves of Conqueror's on an area can cause damage to it like breaking trees and buildings. It can also be used to tame or intimidate wild animals.

"Luckily for you I have it and can teach you how to use it properly. If my Grandson is about to join a world of other worldly beings capable of destroying the world than that just means that I have to make your training even more intense. Good thing your summer break is coming up, we can use all of that time to make you stronger!"

Garp finished by making a proud face and raising his fist into the air. It would've been an impressive sight if he hadn't been wearing slippers but Issei wasn't going to tell him that.

"Hey Gramps, where's Kuroka? I have to thank her for healing me."

"Oh she's either watching the telly or in the spare room."

xXx

Kuroka was having more fun than she had any right to. She had betrayed and killed her master to protect little Shirone from experimentation but after that she had been hunted near constantly. Sleeping and eating were luxuries she rarely got and relaxation was an afterthought but here in this house she found herself getting relaxed. She didn't know if that was a good thing, staying on guard had sharpened her edge and turned her already talented skills into something fierce and formidable but would she lose that if she stayed? Could she afford to put her comfort first over getting strong enough to protect Shirone?

She was lost in thought, not really watching the afternoon anime when the boy who had saved her sat down on the couch. He had undoubtedly saved her, Kuroka had been running on empty for several days with barely any sleep. The group who had managed to find her weren't truly on her level but being exhausted and starving had made all the difference. She had been convinced that her dreams to reunite with her little sister and secure the future of her race were over until a human had jumped into the fray without a second thought.

"I'd like to say-"

"Thank you for-"

Both Kuroka and Issei had started at the same time. Issei smiled, "Ladies first,"

Kuroka grinned. "Okay then, thank you. Without your help I would've died in that clearing. I don't know what prompted a stranger to leap to my aid but without it I would've perished without fulfilling my dreams. Thank you Issei."

Issei made an embarrassed face; he wasn't used to such heart- felt words. Rubbing the back of his head he said, "Well it was no problem. It's like Gramps says, the ones with power should help the powerless. Ah, that's not to say you're powerless but hopefully you get the idea. Once I saw you needed help I jumped in.

"I guess it's my time to thank you. My injuries probably would've been fatal if not for you and I really prefer living."

Issei ended that with a slightly awkward laugh. This was the longest conversation he had had one on one with a beautiful girl and he felt a strange sensation in his gut that was not quite entirely unpleasant.

Neither one of them had any idea what to say next. What did you say to someone who was so vastly different to yourself? It was at that second that Issei glanced at the TV.

"Oh hey, Magical Girl: Milky Spiral Seven is on. Do you like magical girl shows?"

"What's a magical girl?"

Such an innocent question but one loaded with risk. Fortunately for Kuroka, or perhaps less so, Issei was a closet otaku for the Milky Spiral series. The previous awkwardness was forgotten as Issei went on a slight rant about the virtues of the show and how the underlying values the main character had could be used as great life lessons.

A great amount of what Issei said went completely over Kuroka's head. The only form of entertainment you usually got in the Underworld was in televised Rating Games. Only nobility could afford to stream human television shows and Kuroka refused to watch Miracle Levia-tan on principle. That a current Satan would lower herself to act in such a way should be shameful. It was a nice outfit though it must be said.

Even though she didn't quite get what Issei was saying she liked the sound of his voice. It didn't hold any kind of anger or spite. It was open and held no deceit; Issei had the voice of an honest person. Nekoshou had a sense for truth and she could listen to it without annoyance.

Noticing Kuroka's slightly glazed expression Issei paused. He'd done it again, he'd freaked someone out with the amount of knowledge he had about magical girls.

"Ah sorry. I guess I went overboard again. Just tell me to shut up when that happens."

"No no it's fine. I don't really know anything about human shows though so maybe you should put another show on so that I can compare it to this one."

Issei nodded and started channel surfing. He paused on Drag So-Ball. That was a pretty safe bet; it was as simple a premise one could get. Punch them harder or use more energy. As the sounds of the TV went on Issei felt his eye's drawn to the Kuroka's cat ears.

"Um, Kuroka. If you don't mind my asking, what do your ears feel like?"

She didn't answer, just turned and lowered her body so that Issei could reach her ears. With a tentative hand Issei lightly stroked the soft fur. It felt nicer than any animal he had pet before, so sleek and soft. He didn't say that, it would probably annoy Kuroka. A faint purring sound rose up from Kuroka's throat.

"Are you purring Kuroka?"

Kuroka raised her face to Issei's, looking to make eye contact before speaking but she stopped when she saw his face. She tilted her head to the side in curiosity and felt his hand cup her cheek.

For his part Issei wasn't sure what had changed. It was the same face as before; maybe it was the light or the lowered angle. Maybe it was the fact that his hand was currently cupping her cheek or the way her hair now framed her face. Whatever it was, it had resonated with something deep within Issei and he couldn't stop himself.

In a whisper he said, "B...beautiful..."

Kuroka felt herself blink. Beautiful? What? Kuroka hadn't intended for this happen. She was grateful for the save but romance? Not a chance but then, well, he was the Red Dragon Emperor. If anyone could give her strong children he could.

Kuroka smiled coyly; Issei had managed to wake up her teasing and flirtatious side. Heaven knows it hadn't been used in a while.

"What was that, nya?"

Kuroka crawled across the couch until her face was right in front of Issei's.

She whispered sultrily, "I didn't quite hear you...nya."

Issei swallowed. What was happening? All he'd done was be honest and now Kuroka was right in front of him. His train of thought was getting derailed from her proximity. Issei was fair too focused on his training to have spent much time talking to anybody at middle school, let alone girls and now he had no idea what to do next.

Kuroka had no such inhibitions though, she leaned forward to kiss Issei but she was stopped by an interrupting cough. They both looked to the side seeing a grinning Garp.

"Now Issei, what did I tell you? You gotta be in high school before I let you go on dates and married before anything further happens. You disappoint your poor grandpa."

As Issei spluttered Kuroka grinned. She could tell that Garp was teasing Issei and not truly serious so she decided to have some fun with the situation. She ran a hand across Issei's chest while saying, "What do you mean by further Garp? I'm not sure what. you. mean." She ended that sentence emphasising her last words with gentle pokes to Issei's chest.

For his part Garp had caught on right away. His grandpa senses had activated and he never missed a chance to tease Issei. It was never malicious and he never took it too far but Issei made it far too easy. He was such an innocent child who just happened to love breasts. Curse that random old man from the park!

"Have you never gotten the talk Kuroka? Well I guess I have no choice. Now when a man and a women love each other very much they-"

That was the breaking point and Issei fled upstairs in embarrassment. Garp and Kuroka looked each before they fell over laughing.

xXx

Issei was stumped. What on earth was this thing? It was gold, actual gold and curved. It could've been part of a bracelet but if it was a bracelet than it would be for a giant. It wouldn't even fit on his head like a crown, that is if it was a whole circle.

"Issei, I believe that is a fragment of a claw ring that I stole from Tiamat. She is one of the Five Dragon Kings and harbours quite a grudge against me. I stole that claw ring from her treasure hoard in an effort to gain more strength in my fight against Albion.

"For a time the ring did its job but Albion managed to break it and the pieces scattered. It didn't help that we were flying at high speed and the explosions and force of our blows sent the fragments far away.

"Perhaps if you manage to find the other fragments, Tiamat won't be quite as angry at me and less inclined to murder my hosts."

Issei gulped nervously. 'Did she do that often?' A Dragon King coming after him was definitely something he wanted to avoid.

"Unfortunately yes. The only other entity to have killed more of my hosts is Albion and his hosts. I advise collecting it all back together before facing her however. Perhaps being reminded of my transgression and with only a small piece in her hands would drive her over the edge and cause her to strike you down."

Well now it looked like Issei had an immediate goal. The only problem was that he had no idea where to start looking. The fragments could be anywhere in the world and he didn't know how many he was looking for.

Issei looked at the fragment in his hands. It had a slight draconic energy but he could only sense the smallest trace.

'Maybe Kuroka has an idea.'

Issei wasn't quite sure what to call Kuroka. Best friend, girl friend? Torturer? All he did know was that she had changed ever since that incident on the couch last week. She was now constantly standing close by and once she learned the concept of skin ship from the internet never wasted a chance to engage it with Issei. Why Garp had shown her how to use the internet Issei couldn't fathom but if he was honest he rather enjoyed this side of Kuroka. She was so bubbly and full of energy.

"Stop thinking about your girlfriend and head home. Honestly, if you didn't have Haki and the Six Powers, I would fear that you would be the weakest of all my hosts but at least you're not a blatant pervert."

Issei jumped. 'She's not my girlfriend. Shut up Ddraig.'

Issei hurried home. Now that he could actually use all three forms of Haki at will, Garp's training had gotten even harder and it never paid to be late.

Add the fact that he also trained with Ddraig and his gear and manipulating natural energy with Kuroka and his power was growing at an alarming rate.

Issei just hoped that it was enough to stall Tiamat long enough for him to explain that he was returning her treasure and not perish. He didn't want to part from Kuroka before fulfilling her vague promise of four, whatever it meant.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: What did you think? Was the scenes between Issei and Kuroka believable? First time writing a budding romance.

Nope - took out the Doffy stuff. Reasons at the end of chapter 4.

Training also took a back seat. I don't want to bog the story down with those details since if you are reading a One Piece and DxD crossover story you should hopefully be up to date on both. If readers know those details already, why write them in?

I also don't want to start a philosophical debate in the reviews. I just wrote what I thought Garp's thoughts on God might be. Just remember this is a work of fiction and has absolutly no hold over anyone's beliefs. No harm intended.

Let me know your thoughts. Also could use a beta for this story, not sure if I managed to catch all my errors with my proof read. If ya interested PM me.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter.