Friends, Meet Family
AU. When news got back to Tottoland that battleship of a certain Charlotte daughter was spotted within the mysterious Florian Triangle, Katakuri was tasked with the mission to retrieve his runaway little sister, with Panna and Nougat tagging along. They arrived on Thriller Bark the same night a certain rookie pirate crew made their entrance.
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Desserts
The food substance was adhesive and pliable, stretchy and frustratingly sturdy. Franky and Usopp pulled in vain at the white mound that imprisoned their captain, trying to dig a hole, but they were making no visible progress.
"We need to get some flour on this thing, to make it less sticky," Sanji said, rubbing the stuff between his fingers. "Filling this with red bean paste and whole strawberry can make fine ichigo daifuku, a type of traditional dessert."
Chopper's eyes twinkled in excitement, and his mouth salivated. "Is it very sweet?"
Zoro uncrossed his arms, standing vigilant as he watched Warlord Kuma made his wordless exist. "Stairs to the kitchen was destroyed a while ago," he said. "You're the cook, any other bright ideas to get our captain out?"
As the Strawhats squabbled over what to do, the mochi pile they were all gathered around suddenly started to cave in, top sinking down at the center. Chopper panicked, anxious that his friend would be suffocating in the rice cake, when the crest broke open. Luffy poked out his head, his neck stretching, mouth full as he swallowed.
"Help, I'm stuck."
"LUFFY!"
Strawhat Pirates scrambled to the rescue, peeling back the opening around Luffy's neck. Robin offered assistance by sprouting hands with her devil fruit power, pushing her captain up, in a similar fashion to how she had once saved him from being buried alive by Crocodile's quicksand. Nami and Zoro filled Luffy in as the others work cleaning away the food trap, about everything that had transpired with the appearance of Warlord Kuma.
"Where is he now?" Luffy asked.
"He left, soon after that man cut off his arm," Nami shivered. "Gave me the creeps."
"We should be more careful though," Zoro added, he had always been among the more cautious Strawhats. "Having a mutual enemy doesn't always make us allies."
Luffy nodded.
Two members of the Rolling Pirates approached the Strawhat Pirates as they talked. Luffy was the first to take notice. "You're with those weird people from the forest," Luffy said, dusting himself off as he stood up, hands on his hips.
"Yeah, we are. Sorry about doing strange things to you," Risky Brothers said, apologetic, before turning very serious. "We are very thankful for what you did, by taking down that Warlord Moriah. We want to repay the favor."
Luffy cocked his head to the side, inquisitive. "What do you mean?"
"Captain Lola is negotiating with her older brother now," Risky Brothers answered in a hushed whisper, gesturing to where the four Charlotte siblings were located. "You guys should take this chance and run, while we keep them occupied."
"Whoa, wait a minute," Usopp interrupted, feeling the bruise where the younger Charlotte daughter had previously choked him. "Are they our enemy after all?"
Franky rubbed his triple chin. "I can't get a good read on them to be honest. They attacked us one second and helped us the next, their actions are very contradictory."
"The same happened to me," Brook added. "I don't know what to make of it."
"It would be troubling, if they had ill intentions," Robin said, carefully assessing the Risky Brothers. "On the chance they are indeed as hostile as you implied, would you people be alright dealing with them on your own?"
"Don't worry about us," the skinny Risky Brother replied, offering a shaky thumbs up. "Lord Katakuri might look intimidating, but he is actually a pretty understanding commander, all things considered."
The shorter Risky Brother grimaced. "Most of the time, at least."
"That doesn't sound reassuring," Nami deadpanned. She watched the heavyset woman with pink pigtails some distance away, still concerned for her new friend, before turning to her own captain. "What do you think, Luffy? Should we heed their advice?"
Luffy put the straw hat on his head. "No, running away is not how I prefer to do things," Luffy said, his sandals pattered on gravel as he began to walk, in an unexpected direction.
"Much simpler to just ask them what they want."
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Panna and Lola were arguing over how best to handle Rolling Pirates and the other members of Victim's Association. Panna considered it standard procedure to take Grand Line refugees back to Tottoland, while Lola was vehement on respecting people's free choice. Katakuri was silent between the two girls and offered no input, his thoughts engrossed in the logistics of transporting two hundred and ninety-two additional crewmen with his small battleship. Nougat on the other hand kept glancing at the Strawhat Pirates, itching for his postponed duel, so he was quick to note their approach.
Luffy had climbed atop a jutted protruding rock, to make himself look slightly taller, though he only managed to reach the Sweet Commander's waist.
"You're welcome, but I didn't do it for any of you," Katakuri answered.
"Thank you for helping us chase away the Warlord," Luffy said, grinning brightly, because he had been taught by many great people to always appreciate other's kindness. He then got somber, his grip tightened on the brim of his signature hat. "What do you guys want though, that got everyone else here so nervous?"
Katakuri wasn't paying attention to those words, instead his gaze was drawn to the straw hat, for the first time seeing it on that brunet boy's head at this angle, obscuring the not-red hair. Abruptly Katakuri shut his eyes and turned away, suddenly blind, the world rushing forward to overtake his perception. He did not want to get triggered by flashback from almost two and half decades ago, goddamnit.
"Panna, Nougat," Katakuri said, controlling his breath. "Pick your gifts for Mama, we're leaving."
Panna and Nougat exchanged a puzzled glance, unsure of what had caused their older brother to lose composure. Nougat was unhappy, but obeyed the direct order, and he searched around before deciding on the singing skeleton. Strawhat Pirates didn't know what that meant, but Brook promptly stiffened with a hand on his concealed cane blade. Nougat was surprised, when instead it was one of Zoro's swords that unsheathed, holding steadily across the chest in the universal defensive pose to keep him at bay.
"Bones is with us, kid," Zoro said sternly. His subtle threat didn't work all that well though, because Chopper suddenly shouted in dismay. The small human hybrid reindeer was already caught in Panna's large talon hands.
"What is going on?" Sanji asked sharply, not keen on another conflict.
"I told you before, that our assistance won't be for free," Panna answered, attempting at courteous. "Look here, you are a nice person and we're not trying to pick a fight. The skeleton has no crew and this raccoon is just a pet. Let us have them and we will leave, no harm done."
Sanji shook his head. "We can't comply to such outrageous demands, Panna-chan."
Panna was genuinely perplexed. "Why not? We're not trying to take your captain, nor your chef," she said, then slyly smiled. "Unless you want to take the raccoon's place instead?"
Sanji blushed. He quickly put a new cigarette into his mouth, to prevent himself from saying anything he would definitely regret later.
"Lola, get your things, we're going home," Katakuri addressed his little sister, almost as if he was in a hurry, before turning to inspect the creatures his other younger siblings had chosen. "We'll take the skeleton and that animal—"
—the next instant shocked everyone, when a rapid pistol punch was thrown directly at the Sweet Commander's face...!
Katakuri widened his eyes, leaning back in the last split second to avoid the hit, fist shooting past, but even then he was still very visibly grazed above his cheekbone. The younger Charlotte siblings gasped, bewildered and extremely alarmed. Every single person currently present that were former Tottoland TARTE soldiers had mouths hanging open, eyeballs bulging out, logic defied and the world just flipped on their heads. Katakuri blinked, staring at that boy captain, uncomprehending.
"Stay away from my friends," Luffy growled, his arm snapping back and veins popping on his fist.
"WHAT TRICKERY IS THIS...?!" Nougat screamed, absolutely furious out of his mind and vision seeing red. He was there in a heated flash, blade glistened and aggressive, his action completely dictated by irrational wrath. Zoro chased after him at once, intercepting the slash aimed at his captain when their katanas met with a resounding clank.
"That boy is overreacting," Franky muttered.
Panna was still stunned. "I... have never seen Brother Katakuri touched in battle before, in my life," Panna whispered. She threw Chopper aside and flexed her mammalian claws, stalking after that insolent brunet brat, because she too was boiling enraged, just emotionally contained compared to her slightly more temperamental little brother.
"Please get out of my way, Sanji," Panna snapped, irritated, when that blond man stopped her again. Franky and Robin went over to aid Sanji, since they knew of their chef's weakness to women, and blocked her path as well. Everyone else also took out their weapons, sensing that a fallout conflict was imminent.
Lola panicked, and she dashed in without thinking, to come between the two groups and held up her arms. Before her were the raised blades of her friends and crew, behind were her blood siblings, because certain protective familial instinct would never fade even after years and years.
"Stop it, all of you," Lola said.
Zoro and Nougat separated from their fervent clash of swordsmanship, flower blossom swirled, the final exchange of interlocking strike caused the ground around them to fracture into spiderweb. They both jumped back, giving a wider berth, but ready to engage each other again should the need arise.
Nougat inhaled, slow and deep, to cool down the buzzing noise screeching for blood in his head. Sister Lola ultimately choosing to stand by their side placated him somewhat, but Nougat was still glaring daggers at that Strawhat captain who dared scratch his perfect older brother's face.
"I'll go back home, to accept whatever punishment Mama has in store for me, but please, don't hurt these people," Lola pleaded.
Panna was apathetic. "You are fairly resistant half an hour ago, Sister Lola, but now you are willing to take even potential capital punishment for someone you barely know?"
Before Lola could reply, Nami interrupted, for she could not hold herself back any longer. "Wait a fucking minute," Nami said loudly, because what she was hearing was preposterous for someone who also had a sibling back home. "You people are looking for your sister all this time... to kill her?! Are you insane?"
Katakuri sighed, he was a bit annoyed with himself for his brief lapse in observation haki, and now his younger siblings were all on edge. "I will not deny the possibility," he tonelessly replied. "Our Mama is not a very forgiving woman."
"You're okay with that?" Nami couldn't believe this.
Katakuri clenched his fists, a question he constantly struggled with himself, but there was really no other answer he could give. "YES, because I'm a good son."
"You are a puppet, nothing more," Nami accused. A statement that hit too close to the truth.
"I am willing to be whatever ideal necessary to keep my family safe."
"What about Lola? Is she not family for you—"
Lola stepped in, gingerly placing her hands over Nami's shoulders. "I appreciate your concern, but there are a lot you don't understand about my family, Namizo," Lola said, pausing to mull over the name she had subconsciously given to this oddly familiar stranger who seemed to know her. Lola put that thought aside for now. "But please, you must not provoke them any further."
"I won't let you die for us," Nami said. "You are my friend, and friends always help each other."
"They're not just your problem either," Sanji added evenly, puffing a languid smoke ring into the air. Franky cocked his artillery, Robin raised her hands, Brook leveled his cane blade, Chopper shifted into Heavy Point, and Usopp aimed his giant Kabuto slingshot. They all stood before Charlotte Panna, knowing that woman was actually among the most dangerous foe they had ever encountered.
Zoro removed the black bandana secured around his left biceps and tied it over his forehead, drawing all three swords. He locked gaze with Charlotte Nougat, the kid would be his solo opponent.
Luffy cracked his knuckles and turned to Charlotte Katakuri, as always had the uncanny insight to quickly identify the primary issue, with all the people he inadvertently helped on this island offering their support.
"So we beat you up, and make you guys leave."
The simple solution to this complicated conundrum, but actually a crisis in disguise on the horizon, like watching the advance of an unstoppable avalanche. Three hundred people might surround the three Charlotte siblings, a ratio of one hundred fighters to one, but it was certainly not them that were truly outnumbered.
"Please, don't do this," Lola whispered, trembling in distress. She held onto the orange-haired woman in her arms, touching the navigator gently. "You have to stop them, Namizo. I beg of you, or you're all going to get yourselves killed."
Nami shook her head. She knew there was no changing her young captain's mind.
"Luffy has taken down Crocodile and Moriah," Nami said, her faith unwavering. "Your older brother will be no different."
Katakuri tilted his head, peering curiously at the brazen rookie captain that managed to land a hit on himself, the imperceptible sting of pain almost a forgotten foreign sensation on his skin. He lifted his right hand and beckoned with a twitch of his gloved fingertips, the gauntlet thrown, welcoming this invitation to play.
Did he honestly believe he could win? Katakuri wondered, what made this peculiar boy tick.
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Author Notes
Reason Katakuri CoO crashed when he saw Luffy wearing the straw hat, please read As a Charlotte Child/Family Album Ch9 Family Album- Spine Lettering (Katakuri). Luffy needed to land a hit to leave lasting impression, however pre-timeskip Luffy would not be fast enough to deliver a solid punch even when Katakuri's haki was down, so just a tiny scratch... which is more than anybody else did in years.
I love how protective Katakuri is of his younger siblings, I love how protective his younger siblings are of him just as much~!
Complete series can be found on AO3, including spin-offs with Explicit ratings.
