Author's Note: Hey everyone! Let's just take a minute to celebrate having over one-hundred followers on this story! *celebrates* And on my other story as well! *continues to celebrate* Anyway, as always, ya'll are awesome and I look forward to reading the reviews I get every time I post!
To 97fizhy03dt: Hello! Yeah, something like that. I see Katakuri as something of a mentor/father/big (REALLY BIG) brother figure for Lu :)
To B.A Victoria: Hey again! Gosh I love reading your reviews, they're great XD Yep, lots of fluff and commitment! With regards to Big Mom... haha you may find your answer in this chapter! See ya next time!
To SvalbardGirl: Did I take you by surprise lol! Yep, Katakuri has purchased his own ball of fluff. *cries* Poor Lu really does need some love! As for Ace, lol, there will be lots of "brother complex" moments showing up later XD Thanks so much for the wonderful review!
To myzmsandraa99: Hey there! Thanks for leaving a review! So, for this story, Katakuri will be in more of a mentor position than a love interest. So sorry to disappoint! Though, at the end of the story, I will be doing an epilogue when Lu's older and you might be able to squint and see KataLu if you wish to see it, though I won't be writing it that way ;)
To leafpool5: Hello! *laughs awkwardly* So... have I read Outbreak, YES I have! I actually co-author that story with my lovely friend Foo! For everyone else who skips through the review responses, I'll add a note here with that info. Yep, if you noticed any similarities, it's because I helped write Outbreak and came up with the story for that one as well! Yeah, Katakuri will not be paired with Luffy (especially looking at the age difference!) Thank you so much for leaving a review!
To FVHUj and vJ8J8: I'm not really sure if these are actually reviews or not cause they didn't come through properly... But if they were supposed to be, thank you and I'm sure you had wonderful things to say!
To Midnight Spectacles: I am also ready XD Gosh I love writing this story! Thanks for the review and lovely feedback!
To One Piece Fan Forever: Hey again! YES HE IS SUCH A PRECIOUS CINNAMON ROLL AND I LOVE HIM! Haha so sorry about not putting a spoiler warning up for you! I've gotten so attached to Katakuri, but I forget some people haven't even gotten to him yet! Katakuri is so epic and honorable and I love the mutual respect between him and Lu. In my own head cannon, I see him as nice enough to kids at least (considering how many younger siblings he has) and somewhat possessive lol. Though, he is definitely still terrifying and ridiculously strong. Anyway, thanks for reviewing again and I'll see ya next time!
To gabrielsangel23: Hello! First, can I just say that I am such a fan of your stories! To see that you left a review for me was really great :) You are so sweet and it makes me so happy that people enjoy what I think up and write *blushes* Thank you so much for reviewing!
To Kalainea: Yeah... poor guy... But, he's in good hands now :)
Holy crap that was a lot of reviews! I'm just so... HAPPY! XD
Anyway, leafpool5 asked if I'd read the story Outbreak as it has similar themes to my own story. Welp, as it turns out, I actually co-author that story with a wonderful friend of mine Foo! Our joint account is called FooandLu. For those who love Katakuri and Luffy, you should go check it out! I've updated my profile with the info.
Alright, enough of my rambling, on to the chapter! Let me know what you think!
After giving orders to the crew and feeling the ship start to move, Katakuri gave command authority to Mont D'or and moved to his private quarters. Shutting and locking the door, the man sat on his bed and looked into his front pocket at the trembling ball that was supposed to be a young 'D'. That particular bloodline was known for their courage and ability to accomplish the unthinkable, but…
Katakuri huffed and pulled the boy out as gently as he could, placing him on the soft comforter. Monkey D. Luffy's legs immediately buckled and his ears flattened themselves against the raven mop of hair. Definitely terrified, the little thing curled his arms and tail around his bare stomach, dark eyes tearing up and focused intently on Katakuri's knee.
The tall man's eyes examined the broken boy before him with… pity. Something he rarely allowed himself to feel.
'He's seen hell.' Katakuri thought as he switched his crossed legs, trying to ignore the flinch he received from the boy. Moving his eyes to the heavy collar around the kid's neck, the man decided that would need to go first. He had no intention of keeping an explosive device made of sea stone so close to himself and his siblings.
"Boy, can you understand me?" Katakuri said quietly as he leaned forward a bit, trying not to scare… Luffy. The kid gasped in fright hearing the man's voice but managed to give a curt nod in response.
"Good. Listen closely, I'm going to remove your collar and I need you to stay perfectly still, understand?" The boy stiffened and hugged himself tighter, but (most likely by accident) looked surprised. He obviously hadn't been expecting the collar to ever be removed.
Standing up and plucking the boy off the bed, Katakuri made his way over to his desk chair, sat down and plopped the child into his lap. He'd made sure to grab Luffy by his waist as to not hurt him, but, based on how silent tears fell from the boy's face, he'd likely put too much pressure on his many injuries. Grabbing Luffy's face delicately and tilting it up so he could look into the slave's eyes, the man firmly said,
"My apologies, little one. Did I hurt you?"
Looking into the boy's eyes for the first time, Katakuri could see a swirling mess of emotions. The most blatant one being fear but there was also confusion and pain. Keeping his head tilted and eyes up, Katakuri waited for Luffy to respond. The kitten swallowed and shook his head vigorously.
Frowning at the response, the man released the bruised face and watched Luffy's breathing quicken as the kid curled up into a loose fetal position.
'He's expecting to be hit…' Katakuri surmised, reaching up to run a hand through his hair. 'This is going to be harder than I thought.' For a moment, the man sat unmoving as he waited for the boy to unwind and relax. Once he'd determined Luffy to be as relaxed as he could be, Katakuri reached into his pocket and pulled out the key he'd gotten along with the ownership paperwork.
Holding the boy's head firmly with one hand, the large man pushed the key into its slot and unlocked it, being very careful not to touch the sea stone. Honestly, it didn't matter that he was wearing gloves, Katakuri still refused to touch the damn metal.
The second the collar was off, Luffy inhaled deeply, his pale skin gaining some of its color back. Placing the infernal device on his desk and making a mental note to get rid of it, Katakuri scooped the child up, this time allowing him to sit in in his hand as to not agitate the wounds on his side and placed him on the floor.
The boy seemed confused and simply sat there, not saying a word. Leaving the child be for the moment, Katakuri swiveled his chair and picked up a quill and fresh sheet of parchment. He needed to make a list.
It took about ten minutes to finish writing out everything he could think of in regard to the slave he had purchased. While he waited for the ink to dry, Katakuri mentally read over the list to make sure he hadn't missed anything.
STUFF TO DO/GET FOR KID:
New Clothes/Shoes
Medicine/Bandages (Need to have doctor look at him)
Diet Plan (Healthy food)
Place to sleep while on ship
Place to sleep while at home
Exercise?
Toys? (Need to figure out how old he is)
*Excuse for Mama*
Katakuri sighed as he read over the last entry on his list. For whatever reason, he couldn't stomach the idea of the boy giving up his lifespan to live in a place he had no choice but to live in. Honestly, the pitiful creature-
The man's eyes widened. That's it! If he could convince Mama that the boy was not a slave, but a pet (or the start of his own collection of creatures modeled after his mother's), perhaps he could be spared…
A loud banging on his door made the kitten jump and slide underneath Katakuri's bed. Sighing, the man stood and opened the door to reveal one of Mama's animated chess piece soldiers.
"Very sorry to disturb you, Sir, but we have a situation."
"One that Mont D'or cannot handle?" Katakuri responded, somewhat annoyed.
"W-Well… the marines are asking for you by name, Sir." At that, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Who could possibly be stupid enough to stop his ship?
"I'll be there shortly."
Closing the door, Katakuri approached the bed, knelt and lifted it up with one hand, revealing the trembling ball underneath.
"Come here, little one." The man said quietly, trying to imagine the kid was one of his younger siblings. Receiving only a slight flick of the boy's ears, Katakuri decided to try something else.
"Come here, Luffy." At the sound of his name, which he most likely hadn't heard in ages, the boy sat up a little and actually met Katakuri's eyes for a split second before slowly crawling out from underneath the raised bed. Watching him move, the large man could tell something was seriously wrong. The way the child moved just wasn't right.
Once Luffy was out in the open again and the bed was placed back on the soft rug, Katakuri grabbed pillows off the top of his mattress and created a nest of sorts for the kid. Fluffing the pillows from where they lay in the corner of his quarters, the man turned to examine the drooping kitten. The poor thing was struggling to keep his eyes open, though he was definitely still scared.
Moving too fast for Luffy to even see, Katakuri grabbed him and settled the kid on his new bed, at least until they arrived home. For a moment, the boy sat with his eyes wide, obviously confused how he was moved. Not giving him a chance to process, the large man covered Luffy in a blanket and gently pushed him into the pillows.
"Rest. I will return shortly." Standing up and cracking a smile under his scarf at the sight of the little kitten peeking out at him, the blanket falling off his head, Katakuri turned and stalked out, ready to confront the idiots who thought they could stand in his way.
Luffy watched his new master walk out the door and flinched a little when the door closed. He was… confused. When he'd first laid eyes on the huge man, Luffy had been sure his life was over. His second master was big enough to step on him and crush him without even trying. Was he a giant?
But, Master hadn't hurt him. Instead, he'd just carried him to what Luffy assumed was his ship and had even taken the collar off.
The boy shivered as he thought of the man's eyes. It had been terrifying. Luffy wasn't sure what he'd felt, but it had been like the man's will and power had pierced through his very being and he'd been upset. But… he hadn't hit him, which had been weird.
Whoever his new master was, he was very strong and not someone he wanted to get angry. Plus, he'd known his name and had even called him by it! It was… scary.
Cuddling into the blanket and pillows, the boy coughed quietly. It was nice to have the collar gone and to actually sleep on something other than the cold, hard floor. But Luffy was not going to relax. What if Master came back and-and decided to hurt him?
'I'll just be g-good.' Luffy thought as he tried to re-position his still broken bones, 'Then, Master won't n-need to punish me.' Stifling a yawn, the boy nuzzled himself deeper into the pillows and fell asleep seconds later.
Katakuri stepped onto the deck and immediately narrowed his eyes. The first warning sign was the fact that Cracker was in his "disguise". Moving to the bow of the ship, the sweet commander crossed his arms and waited for someone from the other vessel to say something. By getting in his way, they were asking for death. A man dressed in white stood tall on the government ship.
"Dogtooth, we wish to make a trade!" The man yelled across the gap, his cape flapping in the wind. Frowning, Katakuri scoffed.
"I don't make trades with dogs of the World Government."
"At least hear us out, it will be worth your while!"
Katakuri didn't need to hear the man out as his Haki had already alerted him to what the man wished to acquire. They were after Monkey D. Luffy and would offer him a significant amount of money in an attempt to convince him to give up the boy. Not bothering to restrain himself, Katakuri allowed his Haki to flow out over the enemy ship, watching the weaker one's collapse.
"Let me make something very clear. Monkey D. Luffy belongs to me. If you want him, you'll have to take him." The speaker snarled before trying to salvage the conversation.
"You-" Katakuri didn't bother to let him finish his pathetic secondary offer.
"Considering you all are so supportive of the practice of slavery, and I bought the boy legally," The man removed his trident from where he stored it in his mochi body and brandished it before continuing. "We really shouldn't have any issues!" The government agent scowled at him.
"Very well! Then we shall take him by force!"
The fight didn't last very long, not with himself, Cracker, and Mont D'or on board. They left none of the impudent fools alive. Cracker allowed his armor to fall away and turned to Katakuri.
"Ahhh…. What a work out!" The man said while stretching, "They were pretty gutsy to approach us, or rather you, just for the slim chance of getting the brat!" Katakuri nodded and threw a bloody body into the ocean.
They had been desperate to get their hands on the boy… He would need to do more research into who exactly wanted Monkey D. Luffy so badly. Otherwise, it could cause trouble for Mama. Leaving the rest of the cleanup to his little brothers, Katakuri returned to his quarters, wondering if the kid had managed to sleep through the ruckus.
Surprisingly, Luffy was sound asleep in the bed of pillows, apparently too tired to wake up to even the sound of battle. The boy looked much more relaxed while he slept, a peaceful and serene look on his face. Katakuri found it amusing that the kitten's fluffy tail had managed to escape the warmth of the blanket, its black fur on end from the chill.
Silently approaching the sleeping child and making sure to mask his presence, Katakuri gently grabbed the appendage and tucked it back under the blanket. The boy didn't even stir.
Reclining on his own bed, Katakuri relaxed against what pillows were left, thinking about how his family would react to his… pet. Cracker thought it was great that he'd picked up his own habit and Mont D'or had only raised an eyebrow, never one to get involved in another sibling's business (especially not Katakuri's).
Brulee would be elated and would definitely want to help make new clothes for the boy. She loves taking care of children and is good at it too! Katakuri sighed thinking about his own experience with his younger brothers and sisters. While he was certainly held in high regard and practically revered by his 80+ siblings, he hadn't played a huge role in raising them due to his responsibilities to Mama.
He did like kids though and enjoyed playing with the younger ones when he had time, but he always looked forward to returning to his own, secluded house where there were no screaming children. Silence was always best, and he couldn't have anyone around when he had his merienda…
'Oven and Daifuku will definitely give me a hard time…' Katakuri thought as he glanced down again to watch the little kitten snuffle into a red pillow he'd latched onto. 'They always tease me about never marrying and here I am coming home with a kid. Not that they've found themselves wives either.'
Readjusting his scarf, Katakuri ran a hand over his serrated and scared jaw line, the greatest secret he held. 'I'll need to adjust my routines to make sure Luffy never sees it.'
Deciding he wasn't tired; the man willed his right arm to turn to mochi and stretch over to the desk to pick up a book. Opening to where he left off, Katakuri found himself thinking,
'I wonder if the boy has any siblings?'