Thank you all for the patience with this chapter. I really like to make sure Bones and His Heir are updated at the same time just out of habit now. This is a shorter chapter, but it's a nice little introduction to what I have in store for His Heir, so I'm pleased with it despite the length.

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece, but plot and OCs are mine.

Chapter 14: The Cerberus Fleet

The large bonfire burned brightly in the middle of the tiny village, and the crowd of pirates clustered around the blaze. Thick chunks of meat sizzled over the open flame, the sweet aroma of spice invading the atmosphere while the grease dripped onto the scorched logs in the center of the fire pit. Thom was having a lively conversation with the three large chefs from the Rust Company Crew, which forced Gabriella, Razor and Laddie to tend to the meat. The cooks exchanged exotic recipes that they collected over their travels, and their joyous and boisterous moods helped the pirates from both crews relax.

Kidd sat at a small fire away from the others because Owen wanted to speak on Block's behalf. Block sat on the ground with a huge bowl of red rocks in his lap, the large golem tossing the stones into his mouth like he was eating fluffy popcorn, but then there was a horrible crack as he ground the hard material into dust with his teeth. Owen remained perched on Block's shoulder just like a parrot, and the tiny golem was just as noisy as one of those mimicry birds. Kidd had honestly tuned Owen out, but Killer and Chamberlain we're close by so they could relay any important information. Kidd was too distracted to pay attention. Then behind Block was another member of his crew, Vana. The woman wore a cape that seemed to blend in with anything she stood by, but Kidd could still see a look of caution under the hood of her cloak.

Though, Kidd could tell that his own crew was still just as tense about the whole ordeal. It had nothing to do with the Rust Company Crew, but rather the purpose of the celebration.

The small golem tribe wanted to honor the pirates that saved them from the red dragon, despite the dragon never actually doing anything to them. The Golems were naturally timid creatures, but there were a few exceptions. Block and Owen weren't like the other Golems, even as children. Owen bragged about how when Pops came to the island, Block and himself chose to assist with the heist to steal the Athenian Researcher's relics. The Golems were never fond of the researchers, so stealing from them didn't cause the two any lost sleep. However, the rest of the tribe was scared of everything. The point was proven when the golems never approached a member of the Kidd Pirates. The little red golems dressed in colorful feathers would scatter like a school of fish in a pond if a Kidd Pirate stepped within range. They even hid behind the muscular members of the Rust Company Crew to tremble in absolute terror. But, Kidd did notice that a few of the very young golems showed little fear as they surrounded Gabriella.

The extremely tiny tots found the summoner mage's familiar to be a curious sight, since they boldly and rudely stated she had a rat on her head. Gabriella was unfazed by the declaration, though Musket was thoroughly insulted and flew away to hide behind Bedros. Gabriella actually looked tickled pink when the children said that to her face, and even crouched down to talk to them about her familiar. Gabriella seemed to have a lot of patience when it came to children; she did baby Razor and Laddie often, much to the cabin boys displeasure.

"She's real pretty."

Kidd blinked, flinching when he heard a tiny whisper in his ear and he mechanically turned his head to the side, staring at Owen. The tiny golem noticed that Kidd was no longer listening to him and had hopped onto the stone bench the redhead sat on to investigate. Kidd must have been staring at the summoner mage for awhile if Owen was able to tell who he was looking at.

The tiny golem smiled cheekily from ear to ear, and he curiously inquired: "You two an item?"

Kidd stared at the tiny golem blankly, but then veins of irritation pulsed against his brow when he suddenly felt the extremely nosy presences of Killer and Chamberlain looming over his shoulders. Kidd growled and lashed out, ramming his palms into the two men's faces to shove them away. Then, the redhead boldly declared: "No."

Owen tilted his head to the side, but shrugged indifferently. Then he hopped away, gracefully landing back on the large golem's shoulder. "Anyway, so," the tiny golem settled down in his seat. "What do ya say about the idea?"

Kidd pursed his lips in thought. The redhead didn't need to be paying attention to know what the tiny golem was talking about. "Dunno," Kidd answered honestly. "I'm not good at…working with others."

"Hmph," Block grunted, glancing toward the tiny golem on his shoulder.

"Yeah, that's true, Block," Owen nodded firmly. "I suppose alliance wasn't the word I wanted to use. It would be more, like, we should make a fleet, under your banner, of course."

Kidd's brow arched, his curiosity finally snared. "I'm listening."

"We gotta do your old Pops proud," Owen explained, grinning fondly. "He's the one that inspired us to be pirates. Right, Block?" And the tiny golem tapped his heel against the large golem's chest.

"Hmph," Block nodded.

"He's the one that gave us our devil fruits," Owen continued. "He said it'd be worth the investment rather than selling them to the blackmarket, but he retired before we had the chance to join his crew. So, his grandson would be the next best choice to return the favor, yeah? If ya came, like, five years earlier, we would of probably just joined your crew…but, we ain't giving up our crew. Right, Block?"

"Hmph," Block nodded again, looking over his shoulder to send Vana a short wave.

Kidd blinked, slightly taken back. "You're just willing to give up power and authority to a stranger? You might know Pops, but you don't know me at all."

"We got a pretty good idea from the papers, especially if the stories are as true as you want them to be." Owen replied, smirking coyly. "You're just like Pops, but your age is really showing 'cus, dude, you need help."

"..."

"Don't glare at me like that." Owen scolded, wagging a finger toward the redhead. "Despite my looks, I am older than you, but that's beside the point. You lot were totaled by Big Mom's Fleet 'cus you charged head first into unknown waters. We've been sailing the New World for five years, and we know the politics 'round here. Right, Block?"

"Hmph," Block grunted and he held up two fingers.

"Yeah, yeah. These waters are divided up between two groups: the World Government or the Emperors, and even then, it's sliced up even more between the different Emperors." Owen continued on, a serious look in his eyes. "Think of it like spheres of influences, one moment you are in safe waters, then you're being chased by Big Mom's kids, then a second later you're knee deep in Marine territory. If you know where the spheres are, you can trek through the waters without being beaten by surprised, but right now, the New World has gone to shit. All of Whitebeard's territories are now up for grabs, so they are like warzones and it ain't pretty."

Kidd glowered at the tiny golem, the heat from mockery boiling in his stomach. "I—!"

"Stop," Chamberlain suddenly held a hand in front of the redhead's face. Then the navigator stepped over the stone bench and sat beside Kidd. "This is a good proposal."

Killer nodded in agreement as he took a seat on the other side of the redhead. "It will remove all the trial and error if we have someone with knowledge supporting us."

Kidd looked between the two repeatedly. He didn't like the idea that someone questioned his strength, but he couldn't deny that the first few days in the New World were…eye-opening. He realized that he was a very small fish in a large pond. It was something he didn't like to openly admit, but he did acknowledge it to himself. However, agreeing to the idea of a fleet would display that fact in the open. He didn't like it, but he couldn't disagree either.

"...Right," Kidd grumbled. "Fine."

Despite the obvious hint of annoyance in the redhead's tone, Block smiled in approval and then held out his hand. Kidd stared at the large hand for a long moment, but then he accepted it, and the two captains shook on the deal.

"You're the Boss," Block smirked, sending the redhead an encouraging thumbs up.

Kidd stared in shock; that was the first time he's heard the large golem speak. He honestly thought that Owen was the one that pulled all the strings because Block appeared to be mute.

"Block is a Golem of little words," Owen clarified with a mischievous grin when he saw the bewildered look on the redhead's face. "He only saves his breath when he means business. You should be flattered."

Kidd rolled his eyes in response to the comment, but Owen ignored the irritated look of the redhead's features.

"Soo," the tiny golem chattered on, a curious twinkle in his eyes. "What're you gonna call the fleet? Something cool? Something badass? Or something simple, like the Kidd Fleet?"

"The Kidd Fleet sounds dumb as fuck," Killer was frank.

"Hey!" Kidd snapped, scowling at the masked blonde. "It's my name!"

"That's why it's dumb."

Kidd growled Killer, his vision turning red, but then the navigator placed a hand on the redhead's shoulder.

"Why not Cerberus?" Chamberlain suggested calmly. "The heads of Cerberus protect Hades, after all."

"Huh," Kidd hummed in thought, a smirk spreading across his lips the more he mulled over the name for the fleet that accompanied the name of his ship. "I like it. Yeah, that's what we'll call it: the Cerberus Fleet."

Kidd was pleased with the name. The idea of having a grand fleet of his own was exhilarating and made him impatient because he desired the greatest of grand fleets. Eustass 'Captain' Kidd was aiming to be Pirate King, after all, and every king needed to have an army. Block and Owen were just the beginning, there were more captains out there that were willing to sail beneath his banner. He just needed to look for them.

Eustass Kidd needed to travel deep within the New World to a far off island. It was a land covered in a tall mountains and thick ice. Blizzards were common on this island, making it a barren wasteland, but a perfect place to hide a wondrous treasure that piqued the interests of many curious hunters. On that island, there had to be a man that was fit to fight with the Cerberus Fleet.

This man stood in the middle of a cold room, harsh wisps of icy air lashing against the pale skin of his cheeks. He gritted his teeth through the chill, and he stood his ground despite the fallen bodies that laid at his feet. The snow covered tiles were covered in the tainted color of red and oil.

"Kyle!"

Only his bones could hear his voice, the wind too strong to project the name he howled. The freezing wind rippled through the thick fabric of his black overcoat and his long red scarf fluttered wildly behind him. Through the red tint of his goggles, he anxiously watched the creature drag its mechanical feet across the floor.

"T-T—Tr—Tr-Tr-Tr—Trolley…"

The squeal of grinding gears echoed off the walls, making him flinch and cover his ears to block the agonizing sound that pierced through the wind.

"K—Kuh-Kuh-Kuh—Key…"

He stared in horror has two crimson eyes watched him from the snow, a black silhouette becoming more defined as the creature roared at the top of its artificial lungs.

"WHERE—WHERE—WHERE IS IT!?"

Then the man readied himself for battle, the fear a distant gleam in his eyes as he saw a familiar shadow flicker across the snow behind the tall creature. "There you are, Kyle…" he mused to himself, smirking from ear to ear. "Let's get ready to roll!"

Fighting the unknown could lead to unexpected outcomes, but with powerful allies, victory was certain. That was important for any fleet in the New World: numbers mattered if any pirate wanted to be worth their salt along side the four Emperors. However, there were also the common enemy among every pirate: the Marines.

Eustass Kidd might need to travel deep within a marine riddled territory, but these territories always had hidden coves where pirates laid to rest and traded with the blackmarket mafias. In one of these coves there were dozens of ships nestled close together, and among those ships was a large galleon filled with men and women anxiously looking for one single woman.

"Anna? Anna? Anna!? Where are you, woman!?"

He stormed through the halls of his galleon, peering through the open doorway, but all he saw was emptiness among the lifeless furniture. Then a flicker of movement came from a closed door that opened, and he sighed in relief when he saw a familiar face that could help him.

"Warren, have you seen your mother? I can't find her anywhere."

The young man pursed his lips in thought and scratched the back of his head to probe his mind. "Actually, I don't think I've seen her since breakfast."

"Is that so…"

"Ah!" Warren put his hands up, a tiny bead of sweat on his brow. "Don't worry, Dad! She probably just went out shopping like usual. I'm sure Hazel knows. She's in her room."

"Alright."

He pivoted on his heel, his son following quickly behind. They reached the pink door, and he gently knocked and a muffled voice rang out from inside. Invited to enter, he opened the door to see a young teenage girl sitting at a decorative vanity braiding her long pink hair.

"Hazel, dear, have you seen your mother?"

Hazel stopped braiding her hair for a moment and nodded. "She was upset and went to Fort Beatrix."

Warren's eyes went wide. "Alone?"

"Alone," Hazel repeated.

A large drop of sweat slipped down his cheek. "Oh bother, Anna…"

Fighting the marines could also lead to unexpected outcomes, but with powerful allies, victory was certain. That was important for any fleet in the New World: numbers mattered if any pirate wanted to be worth their salt in the eyes of the marines, just like the four Emperors.

Eustass Kidd was in a blur. There were so many ideas that rushed through his mind at the thought of having a grand fleet of his own. He felt a bit of childish glee at the thought. It honestly hadn't crossed his mind that other captains would want to work under him, but it was a good thought indeed.

"Keep an eye out for any potential commanders, Boss."

Owen's voice broke the redhead from his trance, and Kidd was somewhat startled to see that he was now on Hades, his ship anchored alongside the Rust Company's galleon.

"Pick the best you can find," Owen advised before the crews went their separate ways. "Of course, Block and I will be your right hand men for the Cerberus Fleet; your No.1 Commanders. I'll start recruiting more crews to sail under your banner. Just show some strength in the paper. It'll be like good advertisement, yeah?"

Kidd nodded toward the two golems. "Chaos is always a good idea."

"Just don't get cocky," Owen warned. "No one wants to work for a lunatic."

"Tch," Kidd clicked his tongue. "You are."

"Hmph," Block grunted.

"Yeah, that's right," Owen agreed with his captain. "Pops was a clever guy. I will assume you got some of those genes."

"Tch," Kidd clicked his tongue again and turned on his heel. "Whatever."

Owen and Block didn't seem deterred by Kidd's attitude; they probably chalked it up to him being young and stubborn, which was accurate. Though, Kidd put that thought aside because he had one last important thing to do before the day ended.

~…~

The loud snores of the hellhound under her bed filled the empty air with noise, but it didn't prove to be the distraction Gabriella wanted. She laid in her bed, curled underneath the covers as she stared at the tiny black box. It sat like an eyesore on the shelf beside canned fruits and vegetables. Razor had given it to her after the celebration and asked a few questions about it, but even she was stumped. She had examined the documents, and found out she couldn't read the pages; it looked like ancient texts that were poorly mishandled. However, it didn't appear like anything that had to do with her mission, nor would it affect the crew. With that in mind, she didn't want to think about it anymore, but she couldn't stop thinking about that damned black box anymore because it still worried her.

Diamonds had nothing to do with summoning magic, but she knew the mages that studied the Light Arts would sometimes grind up diamonds for certain spells, which included rituals. But, that left the question of why. Why did those three want a colossal amount of diamonds, and what in the hells did they want to summon?

Gabriella never thought she would cross paths with others mages, with the small exception of her companions that were also looking for the gem. It wasn't unheard of that mages left the island of RC, but it was extremely rare to see one in the Grand Line. It was more common to see them traveling in the West Blue, especially for trade.

"What are they up to, especially you, Hebe…?" Gabriella mumbled aloud, scowling at the box.

Hebe was an alumni from Calamity's Academy for Warlocks, the school Gabriella was currently attending. So, it was baffling to see the other summoner in cahoots with an enchanter and pyromancer. Those three were suspicious, very suspicious. She thought they were suspicious without the box because of the nullifying hexes and the powerful red dragon, but now she was certain. They were up to something illegal.

Gabriella sighed in frustration, covering her eyes with her hands. "I hope she knows what she's getting into. The Council will try and take her head if they find out she was doing something against their rules…"

Not everyone had a certain level of immunity to avoid possible death in the RC. She would be considered one of the lucky ones, but she hardly felt that way due to the harsh treatment it earned her. All because of the mistakes of her ancestor.

"She's probably acted out because of jealousy."

"Jealousy…?" Gabriella sat up and lifted the blanket, staring at her familiar that laid beside her. "Do you actually think she was that mad she didn't get chosen for the mission?"

"She was very huffy when she wasn't picked," Musket pointed out.

Gabriella sighed in disappointment. Hebe was an excellent warlock, but she let that get to her head. It was true that Hebe was the overly confident type, so when she wasn't considered the best option, she could lash out like an irrational child.

The summoner mage just cast aside all thoughts by repeatedly slapping her cheeks until her skin turned red. Overall, she had to worry about herself. She was already treading thin ice with her magic, but she had a gut feeling that she fell through and into dark waters. She may have an ounce of immunity, but it didn't stretch that far. The Council was probably very aware she left the island and were furious. Hopefully Calamity's explanation was enough to cool the fires, or else Gabriella would be dragged back by force to face the consequences.

That thought made her sigh, frowning grimly. She had so many enemies and groups working against her; it felt like she had no allies in this world. Then she pursed her lips when a new thought crossed her mind. The Kidd Pirates surprisingly felt like a little safe haven for her. She was sure she could tell Kidd everything and he wouldn't give a damn about her heritage (because that history meant little to him as an outsider of the RC), and the danger it would be like a challenge he'd eagerly accept.

Suddenly the hellhound's head popped up, alerted to a strange sound. The dog's long snout twitched as he sniffed the air, and his pointy ears flickered toward the door. There were heavy footsteps in the hallway, and the stomps got louder and louder as they got closer and closer. Then she saw the doorknob jiggle.

Gabriella thought the door was about to burst open, like usual, but it didn't. Instead, the doorknob went silent and then a minute later, she heard two knocks on the wood before the door slowly cracked open and Kidd peered his head in.

Kidd scanned the room, his brows furrowing when he saw her in bed. "Were you sleeping?"

"No," Gabriella shook her head. "I can't sleep, so a talk would be nice. What's up?"

Kidd walked into the room and closed the door gently behind him. Under his arm, there was a small white plastic box, and he pulled it out and then tossed it to her.

Gabriella stared at the box, examining the bright red cross stamped on the front before she looked back up at the redhead, confused. "What's this for?"

"A first-aid kit," Kidd was blunt and he shrugged nonchalantly. "I had Doc fill it with basic stuff. Ointment. Bandages. Stuff like that."

Gabriella tilted her head to the side, her brows knitting together. "Why?"

Kidd's calm composure started to crack under her perplexed gaze and questions. The redhead glanced away, biting his lip in thought before he spoke.. "So…if you get hurt, you can patch yourself up," he answered, sheepishly scratching the back of his head.

Gabriella blinked. "Isn't that Doc's job?" She inquired.

"...Ugh," Kidd groaned in frustration. "I just—ugh, look. I'm sorry, okay? I realize, that, I'm probably too rough with you and treating you too much like a, like a guy. I shouldn't do that 'cus you're a girl. So, I'll try better not to…hurt you, and if I do…you have—you have that."

Gabriella stared at him, bewildered by the sudden change. She didn't realize just how much the enchanter's taunts affected him. "You know I'm a lot tougher than I look." She tried to comfort his worries. "I'm not going to get my panty's in a bunch because I'm treated like one of the guys. I mean, I saved your ass today, remember? I think we're even now, by the way."

"What?" Kidd snapped his full attention on her, scowling angrily. "No. Th—That didn't count! I could have handled that myself!"

"I'm only teasing," Gabriella chuckled, amused by the reaction. "I think I'll hang around here for a bit longer. I'm in deep water already so you gotta suffer the consequences of harboring a mage now~"

"Is that a challenge?" Kidd questioned, his brow arched in curiosity.

Gabriella smirked. "You bet."

"Tch," Kidd looked away, scoffing at the comment. "Fine, whatever. I can handle whatever comes my way. You'll see. I'll keep you safe."

Gabriella stared at him for a moment, observing him closely. Kidd shuffled on his feet, his head turned to the side to hide his expression and avoid looking at her, but she saw that his pale ears were stained a light pink hue. Then she gasped, covering her mouth with her hands, and her eyes popped open wide when she realized it.

How could she not realize sooner? His confusing actions made so much sense when she put them in that perspective. He poor just had trouble expressing them properly. He probably didn't even know, and the thought made Gabriella grin mischievously.

Gabriella got out of bed and slowly stalked closer to the redhead, watching him fidget uncomfortably on his heels when she purposely invaded his personal space. She leaned up against his broad chest, resting her hands against his bare skin. She looked up at him, eyeing him sweetly.

Then she asked: "Do you think I'm cute?"

"What?" Kidd's eyes opened wide in shock and he tried to take a step back, but he rammed into the door with nowhere to go. "N-No! You're too annoying to be cute!"

Gabriella wasn't fazed by the insult, if anything her smile widened when she saw his ears prickling a darker shade of red. Then she asked: "Do you think I'm pretty?"

"Uh, well, maybe…" Kidd shifted awkwardly against the door, glancing away to avoid eye contact. "Maybe I do find you to be pretty. I—I mean, I already said you have a good ass and a nice pair of tits—sorry."

Gabriella chuckled, amused that he was keeping to his word to try and treat her like a proper lady. However, she took his crude phrasing as a compliment; she felt it was a fitting way for the redhead to express his feelings in a brash, but honest way. "So, you are attracted to me, Kidd."

"I—um," Kidd stuttered, sweating bullets. "Uh, what?"

Gabriella smiled softly as she stood on her tippy toes to reach up and gently boop the tip of his sharp nose with her finger. Then she boldly declared. "You have a crush on me."

Kidd's face went blank. Gabriella could visibly see the gears of his brain processing her words. Then his eyes opened wide when he received the conclusion to the review and his entire face turned red from embarrassment.

Gabriella took a step back, giving the redhead some space. "You may have wild hair, horrible fashion sense and a weird nose, but you're nicer than you let on. Like…the cuddly side of a grizzly bear."

Kidd's expression morphed into rage at her comment, his brows furrowing into a tight knot at the bridge of his nose. "Don't mock me," he seethed bitterly.

"I'm not mocking you," Gabriella was blunt, smiling innocently.

Kidd glared at her coldly, but then a smug smirk crossed his lips as he reached down and gently cradled her chin, forcing her to look at him as he coolly said: "Do you want to play with this fire, babe?"

Gabriella opened her eyes wide. She didn't think the redhead would suddenly turn the tide and be assertive in the conversation. Though, his words were a warning, but she was eager to accept the challenge. The summoner mage gingerly wrapped her tiny hands around his wrist and leaned into his touch.

Then she sent him a flirtatious wink and replied: "A little burn never hurt, sweetheart."

Kidd's coy expression shattered and he stared at her, his face void of expression. The redhead didn't appear prepared to handle such a comeback and it rendered him speechless. Kidd pulled away from her quickly, then he pivoted sharply on his heel, opened the door and stormed out of her room.

And then promptly screamed in pure frustration.

Gabriella chuckled lightly, a smile on her lips when she heard him howling. A little blush crossed her cheeks. She couldn't get over how cute Eustass 'Captain' Kidd's reaction was.

I've been experimenting with transitions written through narrative instead of using hard line breaks (look like this ~...~) while writing. I'm not the best at it, but the only way to be better is to keep on practicing and learning through trial and error. And as I said before, if you want updates on my progress with the rewrite (if I haven't already updated), just take a look at my profile.