A/N: Ok, so I thought it would be cool to have semi-ancient weapons for the bounty hunters. If you don't know what their weapons are or look like, you can find them on Wikipedia, once they're revealed. It's difficult to describe one of them. I realized while searching for weapons for these two that there really IS a Crescent Moon knife! Just not the one Chris has! It surprised me! So just so you know, the Deer Horn Knives (another name for the girl's weapon) that the girl uses is NOT the Crescent Dagger that Chris uses. I made that one up. A quick clarification, the fights are taking place at the same time! I just wrote them separately. Sorry for not updating in a while. I was really iffy about this chapter, and honestly, I still am, but you know, I'll deal with it. Now, without further distraction, I bring you Chapter 10!

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece in any way, shape, or form.

Pirates!

The Twin Bounty Hunters

Enter the Third!

Chris and Zugai followed the strange new boy into a good-sized restaurant, empty except for a few customers eating and the staff wandering. The sign outside had read Kui Ware; a strange name if Chris had ever heard one, but it sold food. Good food, she presumed. Or at least… she hoped. Jae led them to an empty table close to a window and sat with them, obviously curious.

"The usual, please Elle-san, for three." he called to a girl behind the bar. The girl had brown hair tied in a ponytail and eyes to match, and she wore a chef's outfit.

"Got it, Jae," she called back before disappearing. Jae rested his elbows against the table and placed his chin on the heel of his hands, gazing at the two pirates across from him. "So, who exactly are you two and where are you from?

"Well, I already introduced myself…" Chris muttered. She found herself wondering what 'the usual' was for this boy. He was pretty strange… she was worried for her stomach.

"I'm Zugai," Zugai stated, nodding his head. "We're from the East Blue," Jae's eyebrows rose, disappearing behind his bangs.

"Really, the East Blue?" he asked. "What are you doing here then?" Chris turned a bit red and looked away. She couldn't admit she was lost! She was formulating lies in her head, but before she could say a word, Zugai spoke.

"Oh, we got lost," he said with a rather aloof smile. "You see, we had to travel for two or three days without Chris' direction; a little incident on Rose Island, and well… Gonzo and I don't know a thing about navigation, so…"

Chris put her head in her hands. "Oh, you're a Navigator then?" Jae asked. He sat up and looked at Chris. The girl looked at him briefly, then sighed and leaned back.

"No," She answered. "I know basic Navigation; I can read a map, but I'm only familiar with the weather and currents of the East Blue…"

"So you have no idea how to get home," Jae pointed out bluntly. Chris felt the corner of her eye twitch in annoyance and before she could stop herself, she stood, reached across the table, and bonked Jae hard on the head.

"Don't say it like that!" she snapped. Jae gripped the top of his head and rubbed it with a tear in one eye.

"Hey! That hurt, Chris-san!" he said with a glare at Chris.

"That was the idea," Chris answered, crossing her arms. "And stop adding that to my name, it's too formal!" Their food was place in front of them; a plate of curry and rise that looked really good. Chris muttered a 'thanks' to the waitress as she lifted her fork.

Beside her, Zugai pinched the bridge of his nose, a bit embarrassed. "You'll have to excuse her. She's got a notoriously short temper," he said, glaring at Chris through the corner of his eyes. He picked his own silverware and smelled it briefly. "What exactly is this?"

"It's Curry," Jae said. He was already eating his, and in fact, was speaking with his mouth full. "You've never had curry before? Do you live in a box or something, Zugai-san?" Now, it was Zugai's turn to be annoyed. This boy really was too much.

"Now, now, Zugai," Chris said in a mock-reprimanding tone. "He only said one thing, no need to lose your temper," she glanced at him and smiled mischievously. Zugai rolled his eyes and kept his comments to himself, instead deciding to busy himself with his Curry.

"So it's just the two of you, and you're lost in the South Blue trying to get home…?" Jae asked. Chris looked at him and shook her head. She chewed and swallowed what was in her mouth before speaking.

"I never said I wanted to go home. I can get to Reverse Mountain from any one of the Blues. Our destination is the Grand Line," she smiled a bit. "You see, we're pirates,"

"And we've got our other crewmember back at the ship. He didn't want to come with us, so he's back there swimming around looking for fish," Zugai explained. "Hey, this stuff is really good,"

"You're never going to last in the Grand Line if you got yourselves lost in the Blues," Jae explained. Chris heaved a sigh.

"Ok, you know we're lost, can you please just stop repeating it?" she asked in frustration. "We haven't found a navigator yet. What do you expect?"

Jae shrugged and pushed aside his suddenly empty plate. Considering how scrawny he was, he was a fast eater. "Well, I'm a navigator," he said. Chris' eyes suddenly lit up.

"Really?! You can come along with us then!" she decided.

"There you go randomly inviting people," Zugai said with a sigh.

"I can't," Jae stated. "I can't leave my sister behind," Chris' smile faded as she stared at the boy.

"Come on! I know you didn't tell me you could navigate just to deny my invitation," she pressed. "What kind of person doesn't want to go on an adventure? Don't you want to sail the world?"

"Of course I do," Jae said, wrinkling his brow as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "I plan to make the best maps in the world; better then Nami's even, and I'm going to take Yunae-san to every location when I'm done with them,"

"Well that's all the more reason to come along!" Zugai said. "We're going to travel the world; you can come with us, make the maps, and then come back and take that girl Yunae everywhere,"

Jae looked at Zugai. He had a good point didn't he. And Yunae would definitely want him to go along. "I've got to talk to her first," he said at last. He stood up and put some money on the table to pay for the food. "Can I get back to you guys on that offer?"

Chris frowned a bit and leaned back. "Fine," she said. She took another bite of her curry. "You've got 'till sundown, then we're setting sail."

"With or without me?" Jae asked. Chris laughed a bit.

"Of course not," Zugai said. "Whether you make your decision or not, you're coming with us. We're not leaving without a Navigator,"

"Exactly," Chris confirmed with a nod. "I've made my decision. You claim to be a good Navigator; I'm going to trust your judgment. Besides, it'll be nice to have a new face along,"

Jae smiled a bit, covering his mouth with one hand in a rather feminine way. "Alright," he said. "Then I suppose, whether I want to or not, I'll see the two of you at sundown," With that said, he disappeared through the door.

"You know, Gonzo cooks better," Zugai muttered. He pushed the finished curry away, but looked far from content. The spoon fell to the ground and with an annoyed sigh, he bent down to retrieve it.

Chris shrugged. "Yeah, but beggars can't be choosers, right?" she asked. She lifted a spoonful of Curry to her mouth; the last bite in fact, but before she could eat it, a sharp dart pierced her hand. She dropped the spoon and cursed under her breath as she pulled the dart out immediately. A small drop of blood seeped from the miniscule hole the side of her hand. She stood up and looked around the room. Zugai rose and put the spoon he'd dropped on the table. He looked at Chris.

"What's up?" he asked.

"It seems you missed your target, Brother," a girls voice suddenly said. Chris and Zugai turned their attention to a dark corner of the restaurant, where a boy was sitting with a short blowgun in his hand He was resting his elbow on the table to steady it, and pointing it in Zugai's direction. However, he was facing the girl beside him.

"Well, it isn't my fault he moved," the boy argued.

"Hey!" Chris snapped. At once, the two looked at her, surprised. Chris lifted the dart angrily. "What the hell was this for?" she threw it back and it moved swiftly through the air before implanting itself in the wall right beside the boys head.

At once, the two, strangely identical, people jumped onto the table they sat at. "My name is Hikari!" the girl declared. She dropped the blowgun, but quickly pulled a Meteor Hammer, swinging one of the weights expertly as the other end hung limply

"And my name is Hikaru!" the boy added. He held a pair of Deer Horn Knives; one in each hand. The blades were shining; sharp. Chris stared at them with an immediate interest. The two turned, back to back, and spoke the next words simultaneously. "And we're the Twin Bounty Hunters!"

Chris and Zugai looked at them skeptically for a few moments. "What's with their names? They're practically identical…" Zugai asked.

"And those poses…" Chris added.

"They're obviously complete idiots…" Zugai said.

"Yeah, idiots," Chris agreed. With a suddenness that surprised both of them, one of the weights slammed into their table, completely destroying it. The two took several steps back as Hikari pulled the weight back with expert skill and it fell right back into its spinning swing.

"Enough!" she said. "We, the Twin Bounty Hunters, are going to capture both of you and claim your bounties!" She held out Zugai's Bounty Poster with a grin. "Zugai the Demon's Orthopedic!"

Hikaru lifted Chris' bounty poster as well. "And Crescent Dagger Chris Hopkins!"

"And then, once we have you two tied up and in our custody, we'll get the last one!" Hikari added, lifting the final poster. "Cascade Gonzo!"

"You've got to be kidding…" Chris muttered. She started laughing suddenly, and Zugai joined in.

"Don't be so cocky, you idiots," he said. "You really think that with those things, you can take us on?" Even though they are pretty cool…

"Don't underestimate us, Pirates!" Hikaru snarled. "We're the best Bounty Hunters in the South Blue!"

"According to who?" Chris inquired. She shook her head and lifted a hand to silence them before they could even answer. "Never mind, don't answer that…"

"Hey!" the girl, Elle suddenly shouted. "I don't mind if you're Pirates, but don't go starting fights in my restaurant!" Chris looked at her apologetically.

"Sorry, lady," she said. She looked back at Hikari and Hikaru. "You two say you're the best bounty hunters? Well, time for a little hunt then. Zugai, let's go!"

Zugai shot a skeptical look at his captain as she ran out of the restaurant, but followed regardless.

"After them!" Hikaru said to his sister. He jumped off the table and Hikari followed the suit. That said, the bounty hunters took off after their prey.

(--)

Chris and Zugai were long gone by the time the twins exited the bar, toward a slightly forested area of the island. They stayed together, though; it was never good to separate on unfamiliar terrain. They stopped running behind a large, healthy tree to catch their breath.

"So what's your plan, Chris?" Zugai asked his captain. There had to be some sort of reason they were leading their opponents to this terrain. Chris adjusted her hat, which had fallen a bit askew during their escape, and smiled rather aloofly.

"Well, there isn't one," she said honestly. Zugai stared at her, dumbfounded. "But I didn't lead us here for no reason! I didn't want the town getting damaged!"

Zugai slapped his forehead in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me… Why do I follow you, anyway? You're such an idiot sometimes!"

"Hey, hey, there's no need to be so harsh," Chris said, raising her hands in defense. "We can take those goons without a problem."

"You're being too confident, Chris," Zugai said. "That Meteor Hammer is a really unpredictable weapon, and that girl seems to have complete control over it. And those Deer Horn Knives are really dangerous, did you see how sharp they are?"

Chris suddenly smiled, her eyes narrowing mischievously. "Are you scared, Zugai?" she asked playfully. Zugai stared at her for a few moments, holding his breath to keep in his anger.

"Of course not," he said sharply. "What a stupid thing to ask!"

"Then there's no problem!" Chris assured him. He was about to argue when the weight of the Meteor Hammer slammed into the tree they were against, breaking the bark and nearly hitting them. They jumped away, rolling and landing in a crouch a few feet away. There was the soft sound of someone landing behind them, and they turned their heads to see Hikaru, arms crossed in front of him. Beneath his beanie, his eyes shined dangerously. The two stood and took a step forward to avoid it, but failed, earning themselves a deep cut on opposite shoulders. Chris grabbed her left shoulder as blood began to seep through the wound and Zugai gripped his right.

Damn it! He thought. They're working as a team! Hikari jumped down in front of them and shot the Meteor Hammer out like a whip, aimed at Chris' head. That was at least a thirty-pound weight; it would crack her skull. Zugai pushed her aside and quickly hardened his bones. The weight hit him in the side of the head, sending him staggering to the side. It hurt, yes, but not as much as it should have. Now, he was seeing double. He gripped his head in both hands, trying to clear his vision. He felt the chain wrap around his left arm, and a sudden tug, and pushed his foot forward a bit to keep his balance. He wrapped it once more around his arm and grabbed the chain, then took it with his free hand as well.

"Zugai!" Chris shouted. He felt her step behind him, heard steel upon steel, and felt her back press against his. She tried to hold her ground, one-foot forward, the other slightly back. Her Double-Sided dagger was in her hand, both blades keeping the Deer Horn Knives at bay where the blades and handles connected.

"Bastard," she hissed. "Attacking while he's disorientated,"

"That attack should have killed him," Hikaru explained. "Why is he still standing?"

Zugai smirked a bit. "There's a very good reason for that," he said. He tugged on the chain, his muscles straining, and finally managed to pull Hikari into the open. He twisted, pulling the chain over his shoulder, with Hikari still holding it, and faced Hikaru and Chris. "Move!" he ordered.

Chris didn't hesitated. She saw the shadow of the girl, linked to the chain, falling, and jumped aside. Hikaru staggered forward and looked up at his sister for the briefest of moments before she fell on top of him with a shout.

Zugai quickly untangled himself from the chain and let it fall. He rubbed his arm; even the few moments the chain was wrapped around it cut off the circulation, and now, he was feeing pins and needles. Chris grabbed hold of him and pulled.

"Let's go!" she said. She pulled him away from the siblings, tangled in the chain on the floor. When she felt safe, she stopped and turned to look at Zugai. His shoulder was bleeding, and there was a trickle of blood coming from his head. "Are you ok?" she asked. She pushed his hair aside to examine the large bruise forming on his forehead. There was a thin, bleeding cut there.

Zugai closed his eyes for several moments and when he opened them his vision was clear. He heaved a sigh and nodded. "Yeah," he said as he pushed her hands away. "Those bastards fight dirty,"

"Yeah, I noticed," Chris agreed. "They fight as a team, perfectly in sync. If it was just once of us against them, we'd definitely be annihilated."

"But there's two of us," Zugai reminded her. "Why is it that every time something like this happens, I don't have Honehakaisha?" he snarled. His eyes turned to the small trail of blood from their wounds that followed. They'd be able to follow that. And when one attacked, the other wouldn't be far behind. His eyes widened and he lifted his head, struck with a sudden epiphany. He looked at Chris quickly. "I've got an idea!" he said.

(--)

"Found 'em," Hikaru muttered from his position in the trees above. He and his sister had followed the blood trail, though it was faint, to a small clearing. Hikari was below, hidden stealthily in the bushes.

Zugai stood in center of the clearing, facing the direction Hikari stood. He held no weapon, but was completely silent. Listening, watching, waiting. The boy with the hat was nowhere in sight. Hikari smirked. She looked up at her brother and he met her gaze, and with a smile, he nodded. She spun the Meteor Hammer and shot it out at Zugai.

Zugai's eyes widened upon seeing it approaching. He twisted aside, barely dodging.

Hikaru jumped down behind Zugai, looking down as he made his strike with one Deer Horn Knife. He was surprised to hear the sound of metal upon metal and looked up. Chris was smirking, holding the Double-Sided dagger out in defense with her right hand. "Surprise," Chris said with a grin. She twisted her hand, stabbing the smaller blade of the dagger into the back of Hikaru's hand. The boy shouted and dropped the Knife. Chris grabbed the handle before it could get too far and promptly slashed the Deer Horn Knife across the Bounty Hunter's chest. Hikaru's eyes widened as blood began to pour from the wound and staggered back. "You want to hunt pirates?" Chris asked. "Then be ready to lose your life," She shot a forward kick hard at his chest. He was knocked back into a tree, coughing from the force. The second knife slipped from his grasp as he slunk downward into a sitting position, his head down.

Zugai followed the length of the chain toward the bushes where Hikari was hiding. He grabbed hold of the chain and pulled her out. Her eyes were wide, frightened. He grabbed her right upper arm tightly and slammed her against a tree. She tried to retaliate with the Meteor Hammer. To stop her, Zugai lifted a foot, placing it on her hand to halt her movement. "Do you know why they call me the Demon's Orthopedic?" Zugai asked her. She stared at him, terrified. He looked back rather apologetically and tightened his grip on her arm. "Evasive Surgery," he began. Hikari screamed suddenly and passed out. Zugai raised an eyebrow skeptically, but released the girl all the same and stepped back, at which point she promptly fell to the ground.

"That was too easy…" he decided. He lowered his arm and flexed his hands in an attempt to loosen the muscles that had tensed in preparation for his 'attack' He looked at Chris. "They're good as a team, but get them separated and they're pretty pathetic…"

Chris turned her attention to Zugai and smiled. "You know, we make a pretty good team," She pointed out. She picked up one of the knives and examined it. "I want these…"

"Well then, take 'em," Zugai said lazily. "You earned them, anyway. And besides, knives as nice as that are better suited in the hands of someone who actually knows how to use them," he looked back at Hikari. "I thought she would put up more of a fight. She's such a girl…"

Zugai suddenly felt harsh eyes staring at the back of his head and stiffened. He shouldn't have said that. He hesitantly turned around. Chris was now holding both Deer Horn knives at her sides, staring at Zugai angrily. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked darkly.

Zugai swallowed the lump in his throat and turned to look at Chris with a smile, backing away. "Oh, nothing," he said. "It was just uh…" he turned away from her and ran. "Last one to Ivory does dishes!" he covered.

"Hey! Get back here, you bastard!" Chris shouted. A small smile crossed her lips, despite her annoyance with him. Idiot. She thought playfully. She ran after Zugai. "You cheater!"

-A Few Hours Later-

Chris sat on the railing of the Howling Ivory, staring at the island before them. The sun was beginning to set now, and there was still no sign of their would-be navigator. She found herself wondering if that boy really did leave to talk to that girl he'd mentioned. Her eyes darted to the setting sun. It was going to be troublesome looking for him.

But beggars couldn't be choosers. And she really wanted this boy, Jae, on the ship. There was a loud splash, interrupting her musings, and Gonzo jumped out of the ocean. Over his back, he carried a net, where at least nine Blue-Finned Elephant Tuna were flopping wildly in an attempt to escape. Chris raised a brow. "Wow…"

"This place is incredible!" Gonzo said. "These babies are everywhere down there! Damn, am I going to miss the South Blue when we head off to the Grand Line!" he looked at Chris as if just noticing her. "Oh, you're back! I restocked on food, I spend 15,000 Beli. Hope you don't mind,"

"No, of course not," Chris said. "As long as the food's good, I'm fine with it!" She gave him a good hearted thumbs up.

Gonzo grinned and started to the kitchen. He stopped suddenly and turned to face Chris again. "Strange, I smell blood," he said. He stared at his captain. "Did something happen?"

Chris smiled. "I'm sure Zugai will explain it all to you. He's been waiting for you in the kitchen,"

Gonzo nodded. "Alright then." He said. He pulled the net from his shoulder and looked at the fish. "Time to make some dinner then!" That said, he disappeared into the kitchen.

Chris considered going with him; she wanted to see Gonzo's expression when he heard of his price. She swung her legs over the railing and stepped back on deck, about to go when she heard a voice from below.

"Hey, Chris-san!" Chris turned and looked down at Jae, standing there with a backpack slung over his back. She stared at him for several moments, surprised. "I've made my decision. Is there room for one more on that ship of yours?"

Chris smiled a bit and tilted her head back. "Come aboard," She said to him. Jae smiled at her and for a moment, Chris could see a flash of excitement in his eyes. He was finally going to sail the world. "And welcome to the Crescent Dagger Pirates, Jae,"

Current Crescent Dagger Members

Chris Hopkins: Captain/Spy

Zugai Hibiware: First Mate/ Shipwright/Blacksmith

Gonzo: Cook

Jae Axia: Navigator

A/N: I've noticed that a lot of people are giving me doctors; I've gotten three and I really like them all XP. And a lot of people have pets as well. Howling Ivory is going to be a zoo, I swear, lol. God knows this crew is going to get in a LOT of trouble! But here was a nice long chapter to make up for slowness.