"Be careful, I had Randolf put a lot of fish to the side today so the buckets might be heavy." Makino called out as Shanks went to lift the large wooden pails.
Shanks snorted but didn't bother to correct her. The worry was cute, even though they both knew he could easily lift many times that weight without straining himself. She was right that the two pails weighed more than they had yesterday. There was also water sloshing in them so he assumed they were going to stick with live fish since the boys…. wolves…. wolf-boys…. had refused to eat any of the meat they'd brought.
Not that he could blame them. Just thinking of what they'd probably witnessed in that jungle angered him. All three were thin instead of lean and carried themselves like wounded animals. Not that they weren't injured, but even a seafaring man like Shanks knew animals didn't just show weakness like that. So he assumed wolf-boys wouldn't either. They hurt though, and not just physically.
"Sounds like they're at it again." He commented, listening to the howls rising from the barn. Shanks just hopped the howling was a good sign and not a sign of things getting worse. The little one worried him the most, if he was honest. He was quiet and withdrawn where the other two obviously only barely tolerated Shanks. Twice now they had looked like they were going to make a run for it and only the little one moving slowly had bought him and Makino the time corral them back into the barn.
It wasn't the best solution, but they couldn't go back to the mountain. Shanks would take them off the island first.
"Poor dears are calling for the pack, I think." Makino sighed, lifting her basket with bandages. A useless attempt since they'd shredded all the ones she had tried so far. And the pants. That had be fun. "I could just- ooh it burns me up just thinking about it. Next time I see Garp, I'm going to give him a piece of my-"
"Garp is here!" Woop shouted, hobbling towards them as fast as the aged mayor could. "He's heading to the barn! After wolves. Gotta stop him before someone gets hurt!"
"God damn marine bastard!" Shanks snarled shoving the buckets at Woop Slap. "If I was sure it was him about to get hurt… bring these by in a bit. I'll take care of it."
"Not alone you won't!" Makino snapped, chasing after him.
Shanks didn't have time to argue the point as he ran flat out from the docks to the barn. He didn't make it before Garp opened the large swinging doors, but his shout of "Garp!" managed to surprise the marine, making him turn as the wolf-boys charged out the door. That meant the dark-haired one with the grey eyes only caught his arm in his teeth and mostly sleeve at that.
"What the hell!" Garp spat out, momentum carrying him around until he was facing Shanks and flinging the boy free. The blond turned to snarl at the man offering a distraction while the youngest slipped past his legs.
Shanks kept half his attention on the boys, the older dark haired one in particular as he spat out the torn sleeve. "Don't move. You've upset them and they don't like strangers as it is."
"They're upset?! That nut job just tried to bite me!" Garp hollered, basically doing the exact opposite of what Shanks had told him as he stomped forward.
"Garp! I'm warning you, don't move." Shanks bit out, shifting his weight and debating if he could beat the boys to the idiot marine. He ignored the voice in the back of his head telling him to let the three of them rip into the man. Garp might deserve it, but he didn't know that and he would defend himself. It would get ugly really fast.
Luckily Makino chose that moment to come skidding into the small barnyard. "Garp! What on earth do you think you are doing?"
"W-what am I doing? Yo-you're hiding wolves in the barn!"
"Do you see any wolves?" She shot back, crouching as the three boys pressed close to her, protecting and defending her from the perceived threat.
That might have been that; Makino just had a way with the feral wolf-boys Shanks lacked and could usually calm them quickly. He was sure she'd have managed if Garp hadn't moved forward, a look between annoyed anger and concern on his face. Instantly all three of the wild children were snarling and growling once more, teeth bared in honestly menacing grins.
Shanks didn't bother with words. Knowing he had just seconds to get things under control he rushed Garp. It was no secret where the pirate's strength lay. Hand to hand combat wasn't really something Shanks excelled at. The element of surprise was a great equalizer, however. Shanks threw himself at the larger man. Taking advantage of his slighter frame he didn't waste time grappling. Instead he hooked his leg behind Garp's while pulling the man off balance by tanking on his arm. When Garp fell, Shanks used the grip on the arm to twist it between the man's shoulder blades, planting his knee in the small of Garp's back. It wouldn't hold a veterinarian fighter like Garp long, but hopefully long enough.