Now, many people would be freaked out by the mere mention of a monster in its own right. They'd most likely drop dead of a heart attack at the sight of one. Luffy wasn't one of those mentioned people.
It wasn't with fear or curiosity that she looked at the beast with, it was purely just in awe. She'd never seen or heard of such a creature like this. He was intimidating in sheer height alone, his eyes cold and calculating. His lips were pulled in a frown, sharp fangs poking out from underneath a black upperlip. Strange markings that decorated his exposed skin, reminded her of tattoos she had seen a few of Shanks' crew bare.
Most of them were hidden beneath tuffs of hair, the hair stemming up from legs that looked similar to that of a goat. There were no hooves, just talon like claws that erupted from something. The upper portion of this beast was especially cool to Luffy. His horns were a magnificent black, stretching and circling high around his head like a crown. His voice was rough too, almost sounding forced to be that scratchy.
"Are you only now feeling the weight of your actions?"
Ace was frozen for a while, so were the two enchanted beings behind them. Ace tried to come up with something, anything in his mind to at least speak. Then before he could think properly, he threw the wheel at the beast and yanked Luffy over his shoulders and ran.
He heard the loud roar of anger, and the shouting of Nami and Penguin what he didn't hear was Luffy telling him to stop because the wheel hit the beast square in the jaw.
Ace ran the distance from the shed to the courtyard, but was caught on a broken part of the decorative walls that made up the yard. He turned to look at his sister whom was rising to her feet, brushing off her breeches while doing so.
The beast was fast to reach them and was merciless when he kicked Ace across the stone pathway.
"Stop!" Luffy cried out, putting herself between the beast and Ace without so much as thinking about the consequences.
The beast halted its actions when the faint smell of something coppery hit his nostrils. He faltered in his steps, something unlike him, and stared down at the boy- no girl- in front of him with bewilderment.
There was no distinct scent of fear on her, now that he focused better, neither was there any on Ace. Seemingly his reckless action was for her sake rather than his own. From the look of things, she didn't need it.
"Don't hurt him, you!" She pointed at Ace "Don't you ever do that again!"
Ace grumble something that the beast didn't care to hear. He was only interested in this stupidly courageous woman before him.
"The wheel."
The beast furrowed his brows, forgetting about the thing that caused all of this.
"How much for the wheel?"
"What?" His voice broke, coming back to its original pitch.
This girl was ridiculous, pitching a barter for the wheel now instead of her own life. Any sane person would be fleeing in terror or begging to be set free.
"For trespassing and attempting to steal from me would cost a fortune girl."
Luffy looked back at Ace who was just getting to his feet, clutching his side where the beast had hit him. There was an angry red scratch visible from the tear in his shirt, luckily no blood.
"We'll pay!"
"Luffy!" Her brother came to her side, pulling her shoulder but she instantly brushed it off.
"We don't have the money now but we can get it."
"How do you intend to do that." He commanded, getting over the initial shock of her brave front.
"Ace, he's got a super cool glove that shoots fire, you can have it."
"I'd have no use for it."
Luffy looked at Ace, thinking really hard but coming up short, thinking wasn't her strong suit.
Ace took her look for help and nodded.
"I can sell it, and come back to pay for it."
The beast hummed, thinking it over and came to a quick conclusion. This might just work in his favor.
"Alright, you can go, but she stays until you can pay."
Ace grimaced at the thought of leaving Luffy behind but his rational side knew that he'd want something like this if it meant the person would come back. But he couldn't just leave Luffy with this beast either.
"What if we try to escape now?" It was a stupid question he knew that, but he needed a valid reason to leave.
"I'd kill you both, seeing as you attacked me first."
A smirk appeared on the beasts smug face, he knew that Ace wasn't dumb enough to get himself in danger, maybe the girl too but people loved to be alive.
"Fine. But if you lay a single finger on her I'll kill you myself."
"I may be a beast, but I'm not a monster."
Ace took that to heart and looked at Luffy. She seemed perfectly okay, unafraid of anything. Which was the norm for her.
"It's only fair Ace, sell the cool glove for lots of belli and then come get me so we could eat lots of meat after!" Luffy rubbed her tummy and chuckled at the thought of being full. Speaking of eating.
"Hey beast dude, you got any food?"
The beast and Ace looked at each other, Ace smirking now while the beast felt a sense of dread.
"You better feed her, put it on my tab for when I get back!"
From a mission, to a fight, then a deal, now friendly goodbyes. The beast felt deafeated by what had just transpired between these two siblings and even more so at how the boyish girl was looking at him with a blank stare. He couldn't get an exact read on what she was thinking at all and it frightened him more.
"I'm hungry! C'mon let's go eat!"
She said goodbye to her brother and marched towards the castle, walking in a silly way while humming about food. Then she hunched over and grabbed her stomach.
"Oww, my stomach hurts!"
The beast smelt her blood, more so now that she was actively bleeding out of her, womanhood.
"M-master L-l-law?" Penguin asked, catching up to the trio while they came up with a deal. Nami right by his side.
"Get Empirio to, make a pad." The words felt foreign in his mouth, yet he couldn't exactly let the girl wander his home and make a mess.
"Prepare a bath as well, she smells." His subjects looked at each other and grinned when Law followed after the girl.
He was still processing what happened and walked in a daze behind the girl. She had willingly let herself become a sort of prisoner so he brother could leave, who knows if he'll come back, and strode to his home with the confidence of a madman. Ace really didn't seem that worried either, instead he seemed happy when he realized that she'd be staying as a guest? He didn't know anymore, but when she asked for food and his smile shone, it could only spell trouble for him.
"The lesser known route huh, I've got to hand it to my dear brother in law. He knows how to run." Bellamy laughed.
Eustass just glanced at him and said nothing, beside them the town crier, Usopp, laughed nervously with him. Smoker, the deputy of the town just puffed on his cigars and ignored them all.
Somehow they had managed a ragtag team of people who were stupid enough to volunteer for this escapade. Smokers reason was to bring Ace to justice for burning east blue village property and fraudulent death. Usopp sas bullied by Bellamy, Eustass felt a little bit of pity for the boy, he knew how that was. The other men were not worth mentioning since they were simpletons who followed the insanity incarnate.
Bellamy had said that the day before the incident, he managed to woo Luffy and the boy agreed, big brother Ace didn't and threatened Bellamy, then he pulls this stunt and kidnaps his 'bride' to be. Eustass could not set him straight and tell the truth, the hyena of a man knew deep dirt that could cost him his business and pride.
"Wherever they run, we'll catch them. And if Ace puts up a fight then I'd be glad to bury him on the spot. Always knew the kid was trouble." Smoker actually spoke up, taking a big puff and blowing it back out towards Usopps way. The boy coughed at the pungent smell and waved it away.
"Y-yeah! You handle the guy and I'll be your b-backup!" Usopp tried to appear confident but failed by the way his teeth audibly chattered.
"Ace isn't someone you want to take lightly captain, he used to be known as a spit fire way back in his soldier years. You know before the other brother disappeared." Bellamy spoke with a grin.
"You were right to bring these men, you may be a fast shot but you're no sniper." Eustass quipped from his side. Bellamy clenched his jaw but remained silent at that. The look he gave Eustass however got the red head to shut up as well.
The hounds barked loudly, sniffing around the crossroads they reached. One dog dug at where the cart was stashed while the other two pointed in different directions.
One pointed left while the other looked straight ahead.
"What do we now?" One of the men asked from the back.
Bellamy frowned, but turned his horse around to talk directly to the group.
"Eustass, you take the kid Usopp and a hound and go left. The rest of you follow me."
"What are you doing?! What if they turned left!" Eustass pulled on the reins of his own horse when the creature sensed it's riders distress.
"The old Donquixote castle ruins are there. They might have split up and brother dearly used himself as bait. You never know" Bellamy whispered to him.
Eustass grit his teeth and sucked in a deep breath through his nose to calm his rising anger. The obsession this man held with Luffy, a young boy, was sickening. Eustass couldn't put him in his place even if the guy didn't have dirt on him, he had connections with Doflamingo. Nobody messes with Doflamingo.
"Alright" he grunted out and motioned for Usopp to follow. The boy just let out a pathetic squeak but did as he was told.
Eustass didn't spare Bellamy another glance as he followed the bloodhound towards the castle. He just hoped Luffy wasn't there, and if he was then maybe Eustass could get Usopp to keep his mouth shut.