A/N: I honestly cannot see an ending to this! So maybe it'll go on forever ; _ ;
Sarge1130: I was partially inspired by Mad Max D: The four 'ultimate weapons' might be mighty but they're actually pretty big children – which makes a lot of things difficult for everyone. They were trained to be one thing and for one use but now that they're exploring themselves and growing, it's apparent that there are many aspects missing in their individual growth – and sensitive stomachs lol As the oldest, Law had grown sneakier and manipulative once he realized how the Marines work, but when something doesn't go to his favor, he tends to lash out (the library incident) while Kid isn't afraid to just walk up and throw a fit upon being displeased. But when it comes to affection – both of them are clearly lacking and don't know what to do. Thank you for reviewing each chapter – waking up to the notifications on your binges are great!
Nattsubuhanabi: Thank you! :D
Naghi-Tan: Yep, those particular memories are still there, however small. Both of them do but their circumstances keep them from truly giving into it. Sanji thinks Law is a modern savage while Law doesn't understand why Sanji just doesn't give in and do what he wants. Ahhh…it's complicated. (Good for me!) At the end of the chapter, things will change for Sanji and Zoro; it won't be the same. D:
: : Twenty Six
Sanji felt paralyzed, his limbs lacking strength as his mind seemed to ring over and over with some overwhelming fear of being hurt if he tried to move. It was foreign to feel this way, but some parts of him kept seeing grainy images of Law beating him for moving. Meanwhile other parts of him wanted so much of this contact so each warring instinct kept clashing together, rendering his thoughts a mess.
His body knew what it wanted but he couldn't quite vocalize it; it was as if he were awaiting permission to give it. With his back up against the wall, they were in the narrow corridor just outside of the hall, and he could hear the noises of the battle from the open windows nearby. It was cold, so their breath was visible. Common sense wanted him to direct this action to a more private place, somewhere warm, but the words were lost in his throat. His tunic was pulled up around his chest, exposing him from nipples down. His arms were directed to hold it out of the way, and he did so clumsily. The other man's mouth was moving over his exposed flesh, his needy hands feeling over Sanji's legs.
Sanji exhaled shortly, fingers curled tightly within the material he held. His body responded hotly to the feeling of Law's lips and teeth scraping over his skin; Sanji could hear him breathing hard, his exploration over Sanji's torso leaving no inch unscathed. Sanji tightened up at the feel of his skin being clutched lightly by eager teeth, smoothed over by rushed kisses moments after. He had a feeling Law wasn't going to stop until he was satisfied, and that made him both eager and frightened.
Because the castle was so empty, every sound from outside was intensely loud, echoing throughout the massive halls in a dull echo. As Law's mouth found Sanji's hips, moving over bone and skin with tense grips of his fingers to steady Sanji against the wall, Sanji felt the tension in his arms start to relax. His body was so used to receiving pleasure that it seemed to move without his conscious effort. He still hadn't received permission to move so he kept himself still and it seemed disappointing to do so. He could teach the man to physically love him properly if Law would just let him.
Law's hands then moved to the waistband of his pants and just clung there. He lavished attention to Sanji's bellybutton, making Sanji quiver a bit before he steadied himself. For a moment it seemed like Law didn't know what to do from there – releasing his pants to once again stroke over his legs before moving back up the length of his body and returning to Sanji's mouth. Sanji reasoned that no injury would occur if Law was being this attentive to him, so he released his tunic to reach up to touch him. He could feel a lessening of pressure that came as Sanji responded to him. This made him more eager to experience more, feeling hot from the inside out as his limbs lost that paralyzed pressure.
Sanji showed him how to use his tongue, his fingers curling up into Law's messy hair, clutching handfuls as he pressed his body up against his. Law's hands went to Sanji's waist and then moving down to hold his hips against his, Sanji bumping against the wall with his shoulders as their feet stumbled over each other's. He released Law's hair to find the buttons of his shirt and vest, pulling the material aside to feel the other man for himself. His eager fingers found the hard width of his bare chest, skirting over a muscled stomach before settling at his hips, encouraging movement against the erection he felt poking against his stomach. He reached down there and flattened his hand against the length, tasting Law's relieved exhale into his mouth.
Sanji teased him over his pants, stroking his palm against his erection then giving light squeezes. His mind was in a frenzy – his body knew what it wanted, and it was what he only wanted right now. His thoughts were scattered, not thinking too deeply into things. The only thing that mattered right here and now was that both of them needed relief. The visible exhalations of their breath intermingled as they pulled apart, something crumbling noisily in the distance. Luffy yelled out something that went unregistered, the castle walls shuddering lightly as an intense rumble built up from the windows to their right. If either had looked, they would have seen an oversized man separating into two, flying off into the night with combined shouts of defeat.
Quickly pushing Law's pants down to the floor, Sanji took his dick into his mouth. Law released a loud groan, bending over slightly over his back as Sanji sucked in the length noisily. He generated enough spit to allow a fast and slick twisting of one hand while the other pushed his hair back from his face with a hurried swipe. Sure there was enough lather left behind on Law's eager length, Sanji struggled to pull at his own pants. Law helped him, pulling up his tunic just to see what he was doing. Sanji managed to kick a leg free of boot and pants, still moving his hand over Law's spit covered dick. Before standing, he spit what he had left onto Law's dick before turning around to face the wall. Bracing himself against it with one arm, he used the other to guide the man's dick to his ass.
Clumsily Law assisted, his breath coming hot and fast against Sanji's neck. Once he entered Sanji, he gave a jumbled curse as sensation like none other filled him. Sanji wiggled his hips, standing on his tip toes just to allow him in. Without any stretching before hand it hurt and he tensed, his breath coming short as Law figured out how to continue this endeavor while slow inching up into him.
It made Sanji cry out a few times as Law entered him, breathing harshly as he braced himself against the wall with both hands. He could feel the man's dick throbbing deep inside of him, heat and length filling him in such a way that tears burned at his eyes. But he reached back with a hand on his hip to encourage Law to continue, his toes cold on the stone floor. Once Law was in deep inside of him, both of them panted noisily as if just finishing a hard race. Sanji adjusted to the invasion while forcing himself to take slow, deep breaths, braced against the wall with one hand. The other stayed on Law's hip, ready to give a signal. Law leaned in against him, arms curling so tight around Sanji's chest that he found himself supporting most of their weight by leaning against the wall. His tunic was pulled up so that their bare bodies could touch, back to front. Both of them sought warmth from each other's hot skin, their breath coming out as white puffs in the chill of the air.
Sanji jostled his hip, pulling up and forward. His calves ached, but Law straightened himself to hold onto his hips, keeping his dick steady inside of him. Any other movement would cause him to slip out, so Sanji was careful not to allow it to happen. He started the rhythm, palms flat against the wall. He showed Law how it should be done, and the man learned the right movement, following his hips. Once he was sure he could do this his thrusts became hard, and Sanji had to focus on bracing himself to catch the action.
He cried out gustily as he rocked on his toes, his back arching against the other man. Law eked out short grunts and curses, the clap of skin against skin noisy in the otherwise empty corridor. Sanji pushed away from the wall, reaching back behind him to wrap an arm around Law's neck to steady himself. His head tilted back against the man's shoulder as he rode with him, Law holding tightly onto his hips to keep the rhythm going. Sanji could tell that the man's inexperience was coming to light; he could feel it in the hard, uncoordinated thrusts, the way his dick seemed to expand deep inside of him. His other hand reached for his own dick, and he stroked himself hard and fast just to get his end of the deal.
Their movement brought them up against the wall, and he braced himself against it with his free shoulder. He was coming quick, gritting his teeth as Law drove into him. Sanji came into his own hand with a loud groan, his body settling back against Law's as his legs shook dangerously. Capturing his load, he tightened his hold on Law's neck, reaching behind himself. He eased his ass up just enough to rub his cum onto Law's dick, the extra lubrication allowing the older man to push back into him with a curse. His balls slapping against Sanji, Law pounded up into him, seeking the release that seemed just out of reach. Sanji's fingers pulled at the back of his head, his other arm moving to reach around Law's ass to grip a cheek. The combination of touches finally led to Law slamming up into him one more time, coming with muttered "fuck, fuck, fuck!" that was released against the back of Sanji's head. Both of them pushed up against the wall again, Sanji settling his full weight back onto his feet while his calves trembled. Breathing heavily, both of them rested there for a moment. Both of them had hearts racing at what seemed like a thousand miles per hour, pounding hard against sweaty chests; audible to each other. His sweat dripping on Sanji's neck and shoulders, Law stood still for several seconds, trying to get his thoughts back into order. Eventually the cold chill in the air prompted them to move again, Sanji reaching back to pull his dick out of his ass and resettling against the wall with a loud sigh of content.
His legs shaking, Law stood with his hands braced against Sanji's hips, staring at the ridge of the man's spine. Once he was sure his legs would cooperate, he pulled Sanji's tunic back down over him, and then wrapped his arms around the other man to hold him close. He could feel Sanji's heart thumping noisily against his ribs, the other man's combined scents from sex filling his senses. For these rushed minutes, Law felt calm descend over him. A strange sort of calm that pushed away all the building frustration and anger that he felt day to day, and quieted the negative feeling of helplessness that tended to be overwhelming when it appeared. For this short amount of time he only had to focus on the man in front of him and be ultra-aware of only him.
Sanji sensed all this – all that angry activity that often whirled around the man seemed missing, replaced by an unfamiliar vulnerability. It was so profound that he felt he couldn't say anything; overwhelming because it only made things that much harder between them. But it was cold and his balls were freezing – he could feel himself leaking. He pulled out of Law's grasp, retrieving his pants.
"That was nice for your first time," Sanji said awkwardly. "But there's a time an' place for these types of things. No more touchin' out in the open."
Immediately, Law felt like he was being dressed down. Disregarded – for Sanji not to understand that any type of closeness were things he wasn't allowed to have and render his feelings and clumsy touches as something that was 'inappropriate' made that anger and frustration return. He pulled up his pants.
"Oh, right, I should be waiting for the full moon so it's appropriate to respond," Law retorted.
Sanji stiffened. "I just meant – "
"You started this."
"I ain't gonna apologize for kissing you. It felt right."
"Is that how it is with all your suitors?" Law asked nastily, rebuttoning his shirt. "It just felt right?"
Sanji just stared at him. He then said, "I ain't gonna fight with you."
"You weren't saying 'no'."
"Would you have let me?"
"…No."
"Then what's the point?" Sanji fiddled with his pants, the tunic giving him some warmth; but the cold still managed to find its way in. "I ain't saying this was a bad thing, it just – "
"I'll do what I want when I want. Like I told you before, nobody tells me what to do."
"That's how them Marines done with ya, so I guess it makes sense you repeat their ideals," Sanji retorted, turning to walk away with a shake of his head. Law looked after him with a scowl. "When you gonna learn to be your own person?"
"So I act like you and turn the other cheek? Pretend that the things that happened didn't?" Law asked, moving after him then stumbling as he discovered that one of his pants legs were caught on his boot. He wiggled about to dislodge it.
"I just don't want to be like those that dumped on me. I refuse to do that to another person."
"So that makes you better than me, doesn't it?"
Sanji turned to face him. "I'm no better than anyone. But I do appreciate what's set in front of me."
"Everything that wasn't in my reach I'm taking now, now that I have an advantage to do so! If that means taking advantage of this, of you, I'm going to. Whether you have anything to say to it or not. I chose you until the day I decide I'm done with you."
Sanji's jaw tensed as Law finally paused in front of him. He let the words roll around in his thoughts until he nodded. "Yeah, I figured that," he said to Law bitterly. "But while I'm here, I'll still give you everything I got. You won't starve while you in front of me. Now, I got food still cookin'. Leave me be."
He turned and walked off while Law stood there, feeling a different sort of fury take place of his earlier anger. He hit the wall, then turned and stalked off to find his sword.
: :
The morning light illuminated the damage caused to the colony by the fighting. Where stone buildings once stood were now rows of rubble, the streets covered in debris. Warpol was down, lying unconscious in the midst of rubble. Luffy was snoring a short distance away, unrecognizable by the coating of dust, smoke and injury.
Zoro frowned over the scene as he sat at Luffy's head. He did feel a little bad for the mess they'd caused – but it appeared that they'd come in for food and supplies and managed to overthrow an entire regime with one battle. It was impressive how quick and easy it had been; one moment he was fighting his way into the castle to retrieve the swords Sanji had left behind for him in one of the front rooms (he could smell them) and the next he was taking out two of Warpol's 'greatest warriors'. It had been fun and exciting for Zoro, having never entered a true battle before. The pair had combined themselves into one opponent and he'd taken them down with his own swords without having to revert forms. It gave him an ego-boost; it supported his want to actually do more of this type of battle just to see what else he was capable of. Just a week ago he was a lowly subject that survived off scraps and here he was helping a group of dudes annihilate a single regime. It was an amazing feeling.
He had no idea where everyone else was. He knew they were fine; these were some tough guys, and it was only two of them. Kid had basically annihilated an entire army himself while Luffy took care of a powerful king. He was absolutely impressed with Kid's determination and might – he was the one that disarmed the whole army of their weaponry, brought down their vehicles and forced every individual down onto the ground to prevent from being shot at. Luffy found Warpol in the castle and brought him out – there was an entire conversation held about what Warpol was capable of, what he brought to the place and this and that - Zoro wasn't interested. Luffy wasn't that interested, either – all he knew was that he had a strong opponent in front of him and proceeded to beat him down.
The colony had been emptied of its townspeople by the man that supposedly betrayed Warpol – his own bodyguard – and that gave them free reign to fight each other safely.
This was something he'd never imagined happening. Never imagined participating in. An adventure Zoro had never thought he'd have a chance to have a hand in.
He wanted it, he'd decided. This was the sort of life he wanted.
He looked up once he heard sound behind him, and rose to his feet cautiously. Luffy was utterly exhausted and didn't seem to be moving any time soon. He cupped hands around his mouth and released a shout for Sanji.
Kid appeared moments later, looking disheveled and weak. He'd yet to refuel properly, so Zoro was impressed that he was still able to move. His hands settled on his hips as he grinned at him.
"Good morning!" he greeted.
"Fuck off with that chatter," Kid muttered, wobbling as he made his way over. "We done here?"
"Yeah, there's no one left."
"Can we fucking eat, now?"
"I'm sure it's ready," Zoro said with confidence.
Wearing a disgruntled expression, Kid caught sight of Warpol and then Luffy. He scoffed at both of them. "He didn't kill him?"
"Does he need to?"
"Well, yeah! To make sure he don't get up and come back! Eliminate the enemy!"
"Well, I think he's done for, anyway," Zoro said with uncertainty as Kid staggered over to Warpol.
After some seconds of consideration, he threw his hands up. "Kill him, Zoro. Chop his head off."
"I had no beef with him, I ain't gonna. Why don't you?"
"I have no more juice." Kid sat gingerly atop of a wide stone block, sighing heavily. "I have nothing left."
At the clatter of sound beyond them, Zoro looked up. He could smell another animal moving about, and the presence alone carried enough strength to it that made it possibly dangerous. He withdrew Wadou, walking a few feet to be in-between the intruder and the pair on the ground; a man finally revealed himself from around some rubble. Once Dalton caught sight of them, he held up his hands in surrender. Zoro didn't relax as the sight of guards behind him became present, hands settled on their spears but not wielding them. The man was missing most of his armor, revealing an upper torso wrapped with hasty medical care. He'd bled through some of it, so he appeared pale and weak, holding himself up by sheer will alone.
Dalton looked over the scene, signaling for the guards to stand down while he then approached. Kid made to stand but his legs refused to work properly. He trusted Zoro to handle the situation as it seemed the wolf had the strength to do so. He couldn't help but appreciate the sight of the shirtless wolf, blushing a little as he did so.
Bella was a fool, he thought. She should've gone for the werewolf.
"I bring no harm," Dalton stated, his voice obscenely loud over the still silence. "You've brought Warpol down?"
"Yeah, looks like it," Zoro answered evenly, searching for any sign of deception from the man.
Dalton looked relieved. He paused a few feet from him until Zoro sheathed his sword. Then he approached Warpol cautiously, looking over the former ruler with disdain. He looked back at the pair that watched him with impressively blank expressions. He then bowed low. "Thank you."
"For what?" Kid asked.
"For saving us." Dalton looked relieved. "Warpol…wasn't very kind to us."
"We didn't come here to do that," Kid muttered. "We came in for food and supplies and got attacked. So don't think we're anyone's saviors."
Dalton was a little confused, but since he was part of the crew that had found them in the first place, he supposed that this statement was true. The group had been struggling with all of them clearly broken by the elements and lack of food, so to think that this had happened purely on chance alone convinced him.
He nodded slowly. "Still…please, now that the battle is over, let us take over. You're all invited into the castle, where you will find what you're looking for. Staff will do everything in their power to provide you with what you need, and give you a place to rest. Do you intend on staying here, or moving on? There's a market here in the winter with the most amazing snowboots that I'm sure you'll find useful when you have to venture out of your house to refill your fireplaces. They come in either orange or blue, with tentative plans on releasing more colors once the dye factory has been restored."
Puzzled, Kid and Zoro exchanged glances before Dalton made a signal over his shoulders. One of the guardsman hollered that the coast was clear, and a line of relieved faces began to appear on those wearing Warpol's colors. They were ushered towards the castle, their joy and excitement obvious as they returned to the structure that still stood proudly within the center of the disaster zone.
"Some of our people are still in there," Kid warned.
"Then they will be treated as graciously. Come. We will take care of Warpol. You lot can get some rest, some food – a bath," Dalton then added, catching their scent with an awkward expression.
Zoro bent and threw Luffy over one shoulder to follow, then indicated that Kid use him as a crutch. Kid didn't want to because he knew he stunk to high heaven and he didn't want to show the man any weakness. He stubbornly stood and put every effort into walking, gritting his teeth with determination. Zoro followed along after a cautious look back at the king lying unconscious there.
The servants that immediately attended to him took them all into the guest bath areas. They were given sets of clothing and small snacks. Luffy was unconscious the entire time, so it was a struggle for a few of them to get him washed up and dressed, all of them amazed at how stretchy he could be. Then they were shown to some rooms, ushered to take as long as they needed to feel one hundred percent.
By the time Luffy made enough noise to announce to everyone within hearing distance that he was awake, evening had fallen upon them. Zoro felt well-rested and dressed in the clothes he was given, having a hard time with the shirt before leaving it open. He left his room, following his nose to the dining area. The table set up had platters upon platters of meat, side dishes and drinks, with Luffy already decimating a quarter of it. Law, Perona and Ussop were eating as well, all of them in appropriate Drum Peak clothing to combat the noticeable chill in the castle.
Zoro noticed Sanji helping the workers, wearing such a cheerful expression that Zoro felt some relief. Everyone around them wore happy smiles and were quick to attend to needs; clearly grateful for the usurping of the king. He must've been that terrible, Zoro thought as he took his place at the table, ready to eat.
Sanji set down his serving tray and forced him to his feet to fix his shirt. "Honestly, take advantage of this," he scolded. "When we gonna have nice things again?"
"Where was you all this time?" Zoro asked, leaning over to sniff him as he clumsily tried fixing his shirt. He caught the scents of the kitchen and bath salts, but there was something else there that made him wince, exhaling through his nose with a snuff. Sanji pushed his face away before showing him how to tie his shirt properly.
"Dumb dog. Here. Didn't get involved with that nonsense." Sanji looked up from supervising to see Kid stumbling in, yawning noisily. Once he caught sight of them, his face switched to a hard scowl. It was only obvious why, and Sanji tightened up the collar of Zoro's shirt. He leaned in to hiss as Zoro strangled. "Pay attention!"
"To what?" Zoro asked with exasperation, reaching up to loosen his collar as Sanji wandered off.
"Why are you serving us?" Kid complained as he sat down roughly, wearing a pout as Zoro sat back down to start eating. The blue material he wore didn't suit his coloring very well – it gave him a sort of dreary appearance, clashing with his hair. But the wide collar showed off a muscled neck and the slope of his powerful shoulders. The shirt sleeves strained at his arms, threatening to pop the material at any moment. He'd stuffed the ends of his shirt into the wide belt that accompanied light blue pants – he wore his own boots, disregarding the white ones that seemed customary here. "Hey, it's because you weren't doing anything in the first place. Just the four of us did."
"If you were here instead of being passed out hours ago, you could've eaten something then, too," Sanji retorted. "You should've peeled that skin before you came – gonna be dropping flakes everywhere."
Kid glared after him, self-consciously reaching up to feel at the places where his skin was peeling from the sunburn. He looked across the table to Law with a scoff. "We made a name of ourselves, here."
"Is Warpol dead?" Law asked, finished separating his food into neat piles before he started to eat.
"No, Dalton's doing something with him."
"Then you didn't finish a job you started, did you?"
"No point to it," Luffy said with a mouthful of food. "He knows he's beat! Now Dalton can take over."
"I need to have a few words with Warpol, anyway," Law said.
"Over what?" Kid asked tiredly.
"Sorry I am late," Dalton apologized as he walked in.
Law scowled at him, lowering his fork. He looked to Sanji as he deposited a platter onto the table with some sort of monstrous slices of meat and indicated that he sit beside him. "Isn't it time for you to eat, too?"
Sanji moved to retort when he saw that Dalton had entered the room, sitting at the table's end. With a roll of his eyes, he sat because it would be easier doing so than risking Law starting some unnecessary action with the man based on his petty jealousy. Perona noticed that neither of them looked very happy being in each other's space – she wondered what happened.
"I'm happy to see that all of you look healthy again," Dalton said, looking at each person with approval. It was plain to him exactly who was in need of immediate rescuing – while four of them were rather large in stature compared to the common man, three of them were smaller in size and looked well-weathered to the elements. He assumed the three guides had known exactly what they were doing, but it had not been an easy task. "I'm sure you've had a terrible time down there in that desert – food is sparse, and with the fire as it was, it surely made things difficult. While I was informed that it wasn't your original intention to overthrow the king, I, and the rest of the kingdom, thank you profusely. Warpol was not a kind ruler. Any plan or thought to overthrow him had been impossible. Which is why we rely on a meat based diet, gathered by trade and good standing with those around us."
Not seeing the puzzled expressions, Dalton took a sip of water that had been placed in front of him. "We are prepared to live under what you feel is best."
"We're not here to rule anything," Kid said impatiently. "At least, not this place! It's way too cold!"
"We only wanted food and supplies to go north, because we're going to Sanji's home," Luffy said.
"We're not going there because it no longer exists," Sanji told him.
Luffy looked puzzled. "Then why we going to a ferry?"
Kid hit the table, fork clattering to the plate with frustration. "Why are we headed to his home?"
"You knew this was coming ever since we set out," Ussop said with exasperation.
"How was this man modified?" Law asked Dalton over Kid's sputtering.
"It was a circumstance that he happened upon years ago," Dalton explained, crossing his arms over his chest. "When he was a child, he was experimented upon. He had an ancestor that had survived the bombing two hundred years ago, and that colony had implemented years of forward science. Once they had the products and the knowledge after intensive study, they began to work on certain individuals. Of course, many of these experiments were a failure – Warpol's hatred of doctors come from that time period."
"But there are successes out there," Law clarified.
"There could be. I am the result of this experimentation, but I couldn't tell you where it happened. My memory was erased. I was found wandering the desert before the colonists' hunting party found me. I was raised here."
"Zoro and Sanji are also products of experimentation. Sanji is from an island that Warpol claims is now gone, and Zoro's useless for any other information."
"It's true," Dalton said to Sanji.
"I'm the one doing the talking here, so you'll address me," Law interrupted shortly.
Kid snorted, then choked on his food while Perona erupted into giggles. Sanji didn't look amused but his stony features were impossible to read. Luffy looked at Sanji with concern but since the fox looked only irritated, he assumed this wasn't a threat. Zoro lifted an eyebrow, thinking that he'd been right.
Faltering a bit, Dalton then said to Law, "There were individual colonies that focused on experimentation alone. But they either faded out of existence as time changed or were disbanded. Their powers are certainty indicative of professional experimentation – "
"It was probably those that were used upon us that were passed amongst the survivors at the end of the world," Law said.
"Which probably explains why those three killed themselves," Kid said. "And why that stuff you were looking for was gone. Maybe it was stolen from the inside sometime before the hit. Could explain why Sengoukou was so pissy before then."
"A breach?" Perona asked. "So if these people of today have powers, then maybe we can find them and see if the same things that affect us will affect them."
"But none of that affected these two when they were in the bunker," Kid pointed out. "So it can't be the same formula."
"So either they perfected their methods or it was individually mutated based on what information was had. The map room…where did he get that information?" Law asked Dalton.
"He brought in navigators from around the world to draw their area, and combined it. It's not fully completed because communication isn't constant due to only radio and messenger contact. Every time lines are attempted, the marauders bring them back down for material."
Law exhaled low, Kid lowering his fork once more.
"There is always interest in those that have abilities, and it's not limited to just one. There were failed experiments in the east where animal and man were combined to create an adaptable oddity able to survive the wastelands and potential colony failure – this was considered the ultimate character until mutations in individual experimentation began to become the norm. But because of the range of power with these…with us," Dalton corrected himself tersely, "power can go right to the head. Colonies either implode as a result of this, or is overrun by their experiments. Tell me – what abilities do you have?"
"That's not information that's necessary to share," Law said curtly.
"Not all experiments are considered perfection – some die after some time, some mutate on their own…the island you spoke about earlier – " Dalton started to say to Sanji.
Law blocked his line of vision by leaning into it. "I'm right here, look at me."
Dalton cleared his throat, wearing a nervous expression. Kid flicked some mashed potatoes Law's way.
"Stop embarrassing us with your childish behavior!" he hissed.
"They were direct descendants from that time period, and retained information that others sought. They were infamous for practicing on their own offspring in hopes of creating a superior race. Unfortunately, they self-destructed some years ago – whether it was an uprising or a mistake, that island was sank as a result of their efforts. It is unknown whether there are survivors, so if…he is a survivor, then he'll be of interest to those that want to further pursue these studies."
"My colony was about all that, but sold us out as slaves," Zoro spoke up. "We retained many stuff that another wanted, but none of us were perfect, either. I don't got my mind when I'm turned."
Dalton was surprised at his level of speech, wearing a concerned frown before saying, "If you were from the east as I suspect, yours was one of those that imploded. Theirs raged out of control. Whether or not there are survivors like yourself remains to be questioned, but it's true – if you're in your other form, you're unstoppable."
"Not completely," Kid said with a smirk. "I was able to pause him."
"Don't count if I don't remember," Zoro said with a sip of his wine. He signaled for more.
"So this world craves power – nobody learned their lesson," Law muttered bitterly. "Destroyed one world just to repeat itself."
"Where do you come from?" Dalton asked curiously.
"We're from the colony by the sea – several times removed."
"And it was destroyed," Sanji said bitterly.
"I'll never be sorry," Perona told him.
"I ain't blaming you – I blame these rantallions for allowing you to do it."
"We didn't even know!" Kid said with a sigh.
"It's still your fault for allowing her to make desperate decisions!"
"If only we had known Perona was no good, we would've tried harder, Sanji," Luffy said with a sad frown.
"Take responsibility, why don't'cha?" Ussop scolded Perona.
Perona cheerily smiled, absolutely guilt free about her actions. Kid looked at Law. "So what's the point of carrying on this interest? So what if the information leaked? It is what it is. These people are considered deformities and failures in what we are successfully!"
"What I am getting at is perhaps those men didn't kill themselves – they were killed because they either didn't have the information wanted, it was forcefully taken from them, or because it was the result of having already gave information over," Law said. "The world was going to end, someone knew about the program, and they wanted to continue the process. We were given a chance to survive by Cora, who must have known about the potential leak or was given some time to do so under distraction."
"But they said we were failures," Kid stressed.
"We weren't, apparently, if this information was carried over and there were numerous attempts to recreate it. The fact that there could be others out there just like us should cause you reason for concern. You might end up fighting against someone who is better at your ability than you."
"Hopefully they have better personalities," Ussop muttered, rubbing his chin.
Kid sat back, frowning at him. He did look a little bothered. "Instead of taking the results, why didn't they just take us instead? We were practically giftwrapped!"
"Because we don't obey," Law stressed. "And if we were transferred to the care of other personnel, do you think we'd listen to them?"
Kid reluctantly had to agree with him."…Yeah, probably not."
Dalton gave them puzzled looks. "You were the results of similar experiments?"
"We're the originals," Kid stated with a smug look. "Nothing can compare to the original. We don't age or anything – we're gods. So spread the word."
"Don't listen to them," Sanji spoke up quickly. "Their minds addled by the elements. Sounds like they still crazy."
"Weren't you supposed to shut up?"
"Telling the truth might be damaging," Sanji snapped back at Kid.
"I'm proud of who and what I am! I didn't go through all that just to hide it! I am who I fuckin' am, and if anyone wants to ask, they're going to get the truth!"
Dalton wasn't sure what to think – he didn't think any of them were any older than he was. But if what Kid was saying was correct, then they were more than two hundred years old. He couldn't believe that, shaking his head slightly.
"What'd you want to talk to Warpol about?" Kid asked Law curiously. "This guy sounds like he knew exactly what you wanted to know."
"I just have a couple of questions that I'll leave for him to answer," Law said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "I'll do that now. Where is he?"
"In the dungeon. I'll take you there," Dalton offered.
"Stay here and finish dinner," Law told Sanji as he rose from his seat.
Kid looked at Sanji with disgust as the fox made a stubborn face. "What is wrong with you? Why do you allow him to boss you around like that?"
"That's his mate," Zoro said firmly. "He can't help but listen, now."
"NO!" Sanji snapped at him, red-faced. "I ain't involving myself cuz I know exactly what he's gonna do and I don't agree with it!"
"What does that mean, Zoro?" Perona asked curiously.
"I smell it. He made his decision. Foxes tend to mate for life once they choose the one that will produce the strongest pups."
Kid laughed uproariously, slapping the table as Luffy looked puzzled. Sanji rested a palm against his forehead, ears, neck and face red. Perona looked awed, then sad. Ussop kept eating because he knew better than to say something at this point; he had an idea as well, but he considered Sanji's feelings at the moment. It wasn't easy for the fox to admit this, and it clearly looked to Ussop that he wasn't happy about it. He couldn't be happy unless his friend was. He would have to talk to him in private about it.
"Just like that?" Perona asked with disappointment. "Could've chosen someone better than that, I think."
"Sanji, you're going to have puppies?" Luffy asked, looking delighted.
"NO!" Sanji snapped at him, rising from the table and stalking off to the kitchen.
"Wolves also mate for life," Zoro added. "When I choose mine, that's it."
Kid tried not to look hopeful but Perona made barfing sounds from her side of the table while Luffy looked at Zoro with the same sort of delight. "You, too, Zoro?"
"It's not something that you choose," Zoro said with a shrug. "It's part of our instinct. We might be man but we're still animal, too. I knew that was going to happen so it ain't no surprise. When I make my decision, there's no question about it. My mate will just have to deal with it cuz I ain't gonna say anything more about it."
"I don't know anything about animals, but that sounds…like a done deal," Kid said slowly.
"You sound really hopeful about it, Kid," Ussop said with a suspicious look. Kid shot him the look of death, causing him to recoil away from him.
"No, let me cut in," Luffy said, setting aside a platter of clean bones and burping. "That mating for life theory isn't true - wolves can find others to bond with. But the alpha female wolf will breed with another wolf that looks yummy while the dominant male and a beta will cockblock others from trying to mate with her. Which is why Zoro cockblocks other wolves trying to mate with Sanji during his time because he's passive to Sanji, who is more dominant. And why Ussop follows them around cuz he's only a beta."
Zoro spit out the wine he was just consuming. Ussop sputtered with a hand over his heart, as if he were wounded.
"And during his heat, Sanji is seeking a dominant bond so when he didn't find one he kept having heats. Now that he's bonded with Law, who is a bossy guy we happen to follow, he won't have anymore heats. I read so many animal books, so I know a lot of this stuff. But then again, you two don't follow all the animal rules, so it isn't as if you gotta follow the animal code. Sanji should have already bonded with his first mate and he didn't. Foxes just find one and stay with them, and he don't until he met Law, so it makes sense. Law must be part fox, too, because they're generally really protective of their mate and he does that a lot."
Perona's eyes bugged out of her head as Luffy finished his speech, Kid looking at the teen with utter horror. Zoro looked like he'd been slapped.
"Twilight was a lie," Perona muttered.
"All I know is what National Geographic tells me," Luffy said with a sigh. He rubbed his belly. "Man, I'm full! I'm so full! I'm going to die!"
"Useless information!" Kid cried, hitting the table. "All of it! I want my ten minutes back without it!"
"Well, it is true, my eye does stray," Zoro mumbled to himself.
Kid looked at him with horror.
Luffy shrugged as he dug into his sundae. Kid crossed his arms, frowning sullenly at the table while Perona snickered.
"You should've let me do it, Kid," she said. "I have a guaranteed success rate!"
"You were the one to show me the movie! I already believed in your lies once!"
"Now that y'all know this information, what you going to do with it?" Zoro then asked curiously. "Cuz part of the reason why we were headed north was to visit Sanji's home. Now that it ain't there, now what?"
"Didn't this feel great?" Kid then asked him, nodding with excitement. "Getting out there and proving yourself? Seeing what you were capable of?"
"Yeah, it felt nice."
"Then it makes sense to continue doing it, right? There's confirmation that there's more of people like us out there. Wouldn't it be interesting finding every one and testing your skill against them?"
"Yeah," Zoro answered without hesitation, thinking of just how well he'd done in this battle. "Think I got a taste for it."
"Then it's agreed," Kid said to the others. "That's what we're going to do. We're going to find others like us. See who's bad. All the while making our mark on this world."
"That's interesting. How are you going to get there?" Perona asked curiously. "We would still need Sanji."
"NO WE DON'T."
"The decision is made," Law said as he re-entered the room, holding onto Warpol's head. He was alive, looking around with panicked action as everyone stared at him with apprehension. Law dropped Warpol down onto the table, all of them looking at the head with startled faces. Dalton looked traumatized as the servants quickly scattered. "We're going in search of other labs. I couldn't help but overhear your plans, Eustess. Stop copying me."
Kid rubbed his face with frustration.
"You fools!" Warpol cried, head wiggling about amidst some empty dishes. "If my mouth still functions, I can still munch! I can still be a danger!"
"Luffy, the next time you down an opponent make sure you finish the job. If we're to commit ourselves onto this conquest, we must make sure we don't leave anything behind," Law said, unsheathing his sword.
All of them jumped as he cleaved Warpol's head in half, blood, matter and gore spilling out onto the table with a terribly loud crunch of sound. Perona giggled as Kid and Ussop turned to the side and vomited onto the floor. It took a few moments to wiggle the sword's blade out from the metallic matter of Warpol's jaw, but Law managed to do so, reaching for discarded napkins on the table to clean it before re-sheathing it.
Zoro had to admit that he was impressed with the blade's strength; it had cut like a hot knife through butter, making such a clean cut that only the jolt of impact connecting with the table had sent the halves falling over.
"We won't be expecting any trouble from you after this, right?" Law asked Dalton as he tossed aside the napkins.
The big man shook his head minutely, looking troubled.
"After you all get some rest, we'll leave. I have a destination in mind," Law said, turning and leaving the room while Dalton stared at Warpol's halved head pieces with a paling expression.
Zoro nodded, crossing his arms as Luffy's nose wrinkled with distaste. "Why did he have to do that at the table? Would've been cooler in the throne room."
"Right?" Perona agreed.
"He's so dramatic," Luffy said with a sigh. "If he isn't burning things to the ground or killing ladies with kids, he's cutting heads in half."
Dalton looked very distressed.