Author's Note: Hey wonderful readers! I hope ya'll are having a good last week of 2020! *celebrates* Let's be honest, this year has sucked lol. Anyway, this chapter has lots of fluff in it to soothe your soul ;) I hope ya'll enjoy it!
To too addicted to fiction: Aw thanks so much! This world is so much fun to build :) Daddy Smoker is the best. You're very welcome and I hope you enjoy the update!
To BlueHeartNina: He really is XD Sweet Vivi is going to do such a good job, this is true.
To kronisfujo: Crocodile is indeed coming...we shall have to see what happens ;)
To Lucy Heartfilia 3000: I'm so glad you're enjoying it so far! Ace is trying his best, poor kid XD They will warm up to him eventually ;)
To Irene Sharda: Thank you so much for the compliments! This is definitely one of my favorite worlds. Yeah, poor boys :( They've been through so much. Better communication is coming soon and I agree that talking with Law would be good for them! Thanks so much for the review and I hope you enjoy the new chapter!
WARNINGS:
- Mentions of past imprisonment/torture
- Fluff and family bonding
- Job interviews are scary
- Racism/human discrimination
"Thank you for your time," Smoker said, waving the hunched-over woman out of the office, "…I will be interviewing other candidates." The female huffed and straightened her skirt before leaving the room, obviously displeased with his decision.
Well, what was he supposed to do when she almost stepped on Luffy and her previous 'pet sitting' experience was with wild beasts? Frankly, he was concerned she would try to put the boys in a cage or something when they got too rambunctious. Thankfully, there were still three other candidates for the position.
Hopefully at least one of them would be the right fit for the job.
"Ne, Ace…I didn't like her. She was mean."
"Yeah, seriously. What do you think they were talking about?"
"Looked like an interview to me." Sabo appeared to be talking to his companions about something while Ace held Luffy in his lap. The humans were huddled together in a clump against the side of his desk, watching the door warily.
The poor things actually jumped in surprise when Tashigi stuck her head inside to check on them, like they were worried the woman would charge back in with a vengeance.
"How did it go?"
"Not too good." Smoker replied with a sigh, running a hand through his hair, "Are the others here yet? I want to start the next interview as soon as possible."
"Of course, Sir, I will send them in."
Vivi grew more and more nervous the longer she sat outside of the Security Office. The other candidates would enter the room looking confident but would leave either incredibly angry or sobbing their eyes out. Was this how interviews normally went or was Captain Smoker just really harsh…?
She hugged her bag to her chest in an attempt to calm herself down.
"Um…Vivi Wednesday?" A female Lalphea called, opening the door not long after the last woman exited.
"E-Er, that's me!" Vivi answered, quickly standing to her feet and straightening out her dress. The Lalphea smiled at her before motioning for her to come inside. The blue-skinned woman appeared to be a soldier if her uniform was any indication. Did she work under the Captain?
"My name is Ensign Tashigi, I am the Captain's second-in-command." She introduced, closing the door behind Vivi, "You're the last interview…I wish you the best of luck."
"Thank you." Vivi replied shakily, eyeing the Captain's office warily, "Uh, should I just go in or-"
"Whenever you're ready." Tashigi interjected before stepping back to what had to be her desk to organize some papers. Recognizing she was on her own, Vivi gathered up all her courage and approached the door, knocking lightly.
"Enter." A gruff voice responded, prompting her to let herself in. Almost immediately, Vivi felt herself shrink under the Captain's stare. The soldier was broad, intimidating, and appeared very annoyed (likely because of the last three interviews). "Vivi Wednesday?"
"Y-Yes, Sir." She managed, meekly approaching his desk. It was then that she noticed the three sets of eyes staring up at her from the floor. They were young, as expected, and blinked at her without saying a word. "Ah, these must be your humans!"
"Yeah." Smoker affirmed, glancing down at the little ones with a certain fondness she had not expected from someone so…tough looking, "The taller raven is Ace, the blonde one is Sabo, and the smallest is Luffy."
"It's nice to meet you." Vivi cooed, foregoing the chair placed for her to kneel before the three younglings. She made sure to not lose her smile even when the kids flinched back at her sudden approach. "I actually brought some things for them…if that's all right?"
Smoker raised an eyebrow but motioned for her to go ahead.
With his permission, Vivi removed some snacks from her bag that she'd brought from her home planet along with a drawing pad and colored pencils. She figured the humans would be bored during the meeting and drawing had been one of her favorite past times as a child…so maybe they'd like it?
Surprisingly, when she offered them the treats, the littlest one (Luffy, she remembered) immediately padded forward to inspect them.
"These smell really nice! Are they for us?"
"Luffy, don't just take whatever food strangers offer you!" Vivi watched in surprise when one of the larger ones pulled him back, barring his teeth at her. "She could be dangerous!"
"Eh…but Mr. Smokey's right there and I think she's nice." Luffy seemed to disagree with whatever the elder said and looked to the blonde one with big eyes. "Sabo, tell him!"
"Well…I do think Smoker would've done something if they were bad-"
The youngest let out a cheer and wriggled free of his companion's hold, trotting back up to take a treat in his little hands. Vivi smiled down at the boy as he ate, pleased he seemed comfortable enough to plop down relatively close to her. However, recognizing the other two didn't want to approach, she placed the snack bag on the floor along with the coloring materials and retreated to the chair across from Smoker's desk.
"Your humans are very endearing." Vivi stated cheerfully, thinking a compliment was a good place to start.
"Yeah, I know, but enough about them." Smoker replied, leaning forward on his elbows, "Tell me about yourself, Miss Wednesday. Your application says that you're eighteen, from somewhere in the southern part of the galaxy, and that you have had no jobs prior to this."
Vivi swallowed nervously. She'd like to say she kept her application vague to protect herself and her mission, but the truth was, she didn't have any previous job experience (amongst the common people, anyway) and her royal duties weren't something she could put on paper so easily.
"Actually, I am from Alabasta." She found herself admitting, fidgeting slightly, "I-I have had other 'jobs'…but not…er, paid ones."
"Such as?"
"I helped look after orphaned children in our village and…uh…" Vivi scrambled through her thoughts, trying to think of something that would sound good, "I have experience taking care of spot-billed ducks."
Smoker blinked at her.
"…ducks?"
"Y-Yes, that's correct."
The Captain huffed and flipped the page on her application, making her stomach drop. This wasn't going terribly well.
"What skills do you have that would qualify you for this position?"
"Well, I can sow, cook, keep house…" Vivi rattled off, making sure not to leave anything out. Thankfully, her Mother had insisted she learn basic skills at a young age despite her status, "I can perform first aid and know basic self-defense." Smoker hummed, as if considering her answers.
"All good, but what I really want to know is what an Il'ur such as yourself is doing on G8." He met her gaze steadily, "Your people aren't known to travel much."
Vivi straightened at the question, mouth going dry. If Smoker knew of her race, then there wasn't much point in fabricating a lie about her people being nomads or something (like she'd planned). No, she'd have to come up with something much closer to the truth.
"Well…my father sent me here." Vivi managed, brushing a strand of hair from her face, "He's worried someone is doing some shady deals under his name and asked me to perform a long-term investigation. However, as I'm quickly discovering, I need money to support myself so…here I am."
"What does your father do?"
"He's a…public servant."
"And he thought it wise to send his eighteen year old daughter across the galaxy to investigate possible illegal activities occurring in his organization?" Smoker questioned, looking more and more suspicious by the minute.
"W-Well, you see-" Vivi stopped short when she felt something tug at her dress. When she looked down, she was surprised to see the little human, Luffy, standing there, a wide grin on his face.
"Those were really good, lady!"
"Say, 'thank you', Lu."
"Thank you!" The little boy chirped, smiling up at Vivi in a way that made her want to pinch his cheeks. The other two had taken to her drawing pad though she couldn't see exactly what they'd drawn.
"Did you like them, sweetheart?" Vivi asked softly, gently carding a hand through the boy's soft hair, "I'm glad! What about your friends, hmmm? Did they have some to?"
"Shishishi, her hand is so smooth, Ace! Come feel it!"
"What!? I'm not gonna touch her hand, that's weird!"
The three seemed to have a conversation about something and soon, Vivi found herself surrounded by the little humans (after a big eyed, pouty look from the smallest one). At his insistence, Vivi lifted Luffy up into her lap and allowed the blonde one to carefully examine her calf, running his fingers up and down her skin. The dark-haired one was the most cautious but did eventually reach out to touch her arm, appearing interested in how it felt.
It tickled a little but she didn't mind. If it helped them become more comfortable with her, then it wasn't a big deal.
'This is a surprise…' Smoker thought, watching closely as the boys interacted with the Il'ur. Even Ace had approached her, which was a miracle in and of itself. Honestly, he hadn't been considering Vivi as a candidate due to her lack of job experience and somewhat vague description of her father's 'business', however… 'If nothing else, she cares about the boys, that much is obvious.'
The more he watched Vivi interact with the humans, the more he could see her doing well as their caregiver. Though he was somewhat concerned about her lack of experience, youth, and unknown background, it was clear that she had no intention of harming the boys.
And frankly, she was his last (and best) option. If Smoker didn't hire her, he doubted he'd be able to find another suitable sitter willing to look after three rowdy humans for minimal pay.
"I'll contact you about the job in a few days." Smoker explained, earning a nervous yet hopeful look from Vivi, "Thanks for coming in and bringing stuff for the boys."
"No problem, Sir. Thank you for considering me."
Once she'd successfully detached Luffy and said goodbye to the older two, Vivi excused herself, leaving Smoker alone with the humans. He'd have to do some serious pondering (and possibly additional background checks) before he made his final decision.
"Come on, brats. Time to go."
Sabo sat in front of the glass door that led to the backyard, watching the rain fall. Not long after leaving the military base, it had started to rain, prompting Smoker to scoop all three of them up and rush home. They'd gotten a little wet, but they had plenty of dry clothes to choose from.
The blonde boy glanced down at his shirt, still confused why the alien had bothered to buy them such nice things.
Behind him, Ace busied himself with the drawing pad the crystal alien had given them, likely continuing his drawing of him beating up Smoker, while Luffy dozed on the couch. The little boy yawned and snuggled further into the large alien's side, definitely feeling the exhaustion of the day despite it only being the afternoon.
Sabo was feeling a bit worn out himself. He deduced that the military base was where Smoker worked and he hoped they wouldn't have to go there very often. There were just…so many aliens there. It had been scary.
Another thing that was on his mind was the fact that the second they'd walked in the door, Smoker had once again removed their collars.
'I wonder if that means we don't have to wear them when we're here…' Sabo mused, reaching up to touch the delicate skin of his neck. With a huff, he returned his gaze to the weather outside, shivering slightly at the sound of the storm's wind. Deciding it would be warmer by the fireplace, the blonde boy stood to his feet and padded over to Ace who had his back to the crackling blaze, warming his toes.
"You okay, 'Bo?" Ace questioned, looking up from his picture and pushing himself up off the floor a bit using his elbows. Sabo nodded and sat next to him.
"I'm fine, just a little cold. How are you?"
"Good, I guess." His brother said with a shrug before adding another blood splatter to drawing-Smoker's face, "Why do you think he was talking with all those aliens? You said it was probably an interview, but for what?"
Truth be told, Sabo had a few ideas of what the alien was up to but had no way of knowing if he was on the right track or not. If only he'd been able to pick up a few words or something…
"Who knows. I mean, we know pretty much nothing about alien society, so maybe that was just a normal meet-up?" Ace hummed and returned to his picture, tongue sliding out of his mouth slightly as he concentrated.
On the couch, Luffy had fallen asleep, his cheek plastered to Smoker's thigh after sliding down his chest. The alien, to his credit, simply adjusted him so he was curled comfortably on his lap and went back to whatever he was doing. Smoker seemed greatly invested in scrolling through some sort of holographic document that had all sorts of symbols and pictures on it.
Sabo thought he caught a glimpse of a picture of the crystal-lady, but he couldn't be sure.
"You okay, Sabo?" He jumped in surprise when the alien called his name, eyes questioning as his gaze moved away from the hologram. The boy gulped, worried he was in trouble. Maybe he'd stared for too long? At his lack of response, Smoker simply observed him for a moment before grabbing a blanket off the back of the couch and tossing it to him. "Don't catch a cold, brat. I can see you shivering from here."
Surprised at the sudden appearance of the blanket, Sabo almost dropped it, but managed to maneuver the soft fabric around his shoulders. He sighed contently at the warmth and wasted no time joining Ace on the rug in his new cocoon of heat. It was honestly impressive how quickly Smoker was able to grasp their body language and adjust for their lack of verbal comprehension.
But that didn't mean he was giving up learning their language. Even if Smoker was okay with where they were at now, Sabo wasn't. With a yawn, he dozed off himself, cuddling up to Ace for both protection and extra warmth.
He always felt safer knowing his brother was there to watch his back.
After reviewing Vivi's application for the fourth time, Smoker finally felt like he could make a decision. Despite her shortcomings, the Il'ur was without doubt the best candidate for the job and the only one who seemed to get along with the boys.
'I'll call her tomorrow.' Smoker decided, closing down his tablet while doing his best not to jostle the tiny bundle in his lap. Luffy had fallen asleep quickly and Sabo had followed suit not long after, curled up in a ball next to Ace. The little blonde human had definitely been cold and Smoker was pleased he hadn't rejected the blanket.
Ace, surprisingly, was still awake. He'd been working on his picture for a while but looked up from his work periodically to check on Luffy and Sabo. Just like he'd noticed from day one, Ace was definitely the protector of the group (and likely the oldest). Smoker would bet money the boy was fighting sleep so he could watch over his companions.
When he felt his gaze, Ace glared up at him before aggressively coloring red all over the figure Smoker recognized as himself. With a huff, the soldier curled a hand around Luffy's back and turned his head to watch the rain. He supposed he should be grateful Ace wasn't physically attacking him. If he wanted to vent his frustrations on a drawing, Smoker wouldn't stop him.
After a long day of interviews, it was nice to sit back and relax. Plus, with two out of three boys asleep, Smoker didn't have to worry about entertaining or feeding them.
Just as he was falling asleep to the calming sound of rain, a knock sounded at the door. Smoker looked up with a frown, wondering who it could be. He wasn't expecting any guests and his subordinates should be doing their job. Unfortunately, the loud knock woke both Luffy and Sabo, the latter yelping with fright at the sudden noise.
The tiny one hugged Smoker's arm and wiped sleep from his eyes.
"What was that…? Is somebody there?"
"Sorry, brat, I need to see who it is." Smoker whispered apologetically, gently placing Luffy on the soft rug with his companions. Careful not to step on any of the humans in the dimly lit room, he made his way to the door. He certainly hoped it wasn't one of his superiors or someone from the base considering he'd immediately changed out of his uniform into sweats and a t-shirt.
Not exactly 'professional' attire.
With a sigh, Smoker unlocked and opened the door, letting some rain and cold wind inside the house. However, when he recognized the two standing in front of him, he quickly forgot the storm raging outside and his eyes widened.
"Hey, Chase…sorry to drop by unannounced like this."
"Jimbei?" He questioned, taking in the fishman's large form. Smoker hadn't seen the older soldier in what felt like years! But what was really surprising was not Jimbei, but the one who stood just to his right, red skin wet and dripping with water. "T-Tiger…? Is that really you?"
"Yeah, in the flesh." Tiger replied with a tired smile, "It's been a while."
Smoker nodded numbly, eyes scanning the slimmer fishman for injuries and evidence of the torture he'd no doubt endured on the Dark Planet. As expected, he had bandages wrapped around his head, arms, and one leg. He most likely had more hidden under his clothes.
"Er…do you think we could come in? It's really coming down now."
"Of course." Smoker quickly muttered, stepping aside so the two drenched fishmen could cross the threshold. He unconsciously exhaled sharply when the door was closed and the cold shut out. "Let me get you two a towel, don't move."
With that, he rushed into his bathroom, glancing at the boys as he went. They were all wide awake now and huddled in a clump in front of the fireplace. Poor things were scared…
"You were pretty hard to track down, you know." Jimbei teased when Smoker returned and passed the towels to them, "We couldn't believe it when we heard you'd been transferred."
"Yeah…it was sudden."
"Nice place though." Tiger put in, wrapping the towel around his shoulders, "You have it all to yourself?"
"Not exactly." Smoker answered, lowering his voice, "Listen…I know we have a lot to talk about, but I'll preface with this: the reason I was transferred was because I picked something up on the Dark Planet…during the invasion." Tiger frowned at that, motioning for him to continue.
Smoker turned his head towards the living room, causing the fishmen to follow his gaze. Though they were partially hidden behind the couch, it was easy to tell that the little ones were there, watching them with big eyes.
"Are those…humans?" Jimbei asked, shock clear on his face. Tiger said nothing, simply observing the kids with a disturbingly neutral expression. Smoker eyed his old friend, watching for any signs of frustration.
He'd suffered under the hands of humans. It was completely understandable if he didn't want to be in the same room as them.
"Why?" Tiger finally asked in a whisper, turning his attention back to Smoker.
"They would've died." He explained, deciding to keep it simple, "I couldn't just…leave them."
"I see." Tiger murmured, lips curling up into a shaky smile, "Well, why don't you introduce us to the little ones? I imagine they're feeling a bit anxious after we showed up so suddenly!" Smoker blinked in confusion at the fishman's change in mood, eyes flicking to Jimbei for an explanation. The blue-skinned fishman simply shrugged, apparently unsure what was going through the mind of his brother.
"Tiger…are you sure? You don't have to push yourself-"
"It's fine." He interrupted, gently wiping a towel across his face, "Don't worry."
Seeing he wouldn't change his mind, Smoker led his guests into the living, sending the boys scrambling for the other side of the couch. Directing Jimbei and Tiger to take a seat, Smoker knelt down and beckoned for the frightened humans to approach.
"Hey brats, it's all right. These are my friends…no need to be scared."
Ace and Sabo looked between Smoker and the two strangers with caution, making no move to approach them. Sandwiched between them, little Luffy appeared more curious than anything and managed to wriggle away from his companions at Smoker's urging, padding forward to place his tiny hand in his much larger one.
"No, Lu! They could be dangerous!"
"But I wanna be with Mr. Smokey…" Luffy pouted before scampering onto Smoker's forearm, clutching it like a primate. "Maybe the fish-guys have food!"
Smoker huffed and gently adjusted the little one so he was held in his arms (like a normal child) and straightened up, causing Ace and Sabo to immediately move closer, eyes on the youngest. They were obviously distressed and worried that something would happen to the child.
"Easy, easy…he's fine." Smoker soothed, slowly carrying Luffy back to the couch, the elder two right on his heels. When he sat down and placed the youngest on his lap, Sabo surprised him by clambering up next to him and taking a seat right next to his thigh.
"B-be careful, 'Bo."
"Yeah…I will. I just want to be close to Lu."
"Chatty little things, aren't they?" Jimbei said with a chuckle, eyeing the children with a fond expression, "Do they have names?"
"Yes, this here is Luffy." Smoker introduced, placing a hand on the tiny one's head, causing him to look up and babble something, "The blonde is Sabo and the growling one is Ace." The elder raven's glare deepened upon hearing his name, no doubt plotting how best to murder Smoker in his sleep.
"Did you give them those names?"
"No." Smoker replied, addressing Tiger's question, "Their names are their own, given to them by their sires I imagine."
"…you took them during the invasion, correct?" Tiger asked, intelligent eyes moving from one boy to the other, "Would you tell us about it? Your experience and how the battle went?"
Smoker spent the next thirty minutes recounting the events of the invasion and the fall of the Dark Planet. He told them how the humans were routed like insects, unable to fight back, and how it was cut short due to the Celestial's premeditated plan to enslave the planet's inhabitants. About halfway through his tale, Luffy started to droop again and even Ace looked close to falling asleep.
"Were you rescued at that time?"
"No…we did not receive any aid from the Celestial Alliance." Tiger stated, causing Smoker's stomach to drop in shock. "Me and my fellow prisoners put our heads together and managed to escape a few weeks before the invasion. By the time the alliance arrived…we were long gone."
"T-That's…" Smoker muttered, fury building inside him, "Surely they knew."
"Yeah, they knew. We contacted them the first chance we got."
'And yet, they still went through with the invasion.' He thought angrily, fist clenched. It was becoming more and more apparent that the Celestials could care less about the 'prisoners' and were only interested in capturing humans for their own entertainment. Bastards.
"I'm so sorry, Tiger. As a soldier of the Alliance, I apologize-"
"It wasn't your fault, Chase." Tiger waved off, "Honestly, we'd given up hope of rescue long before then and had been working on an escape plan for a while. It all worked out."
'That doesn't make it okay.' Smoker thought with a huff, petting Luffy's hair to calm himself down. They sat in silence for a few seconds until Jimbei cleared his throat.
"Anyway, you didn't get to the part where you picked up these three."
"Oh, right. I came across them by chance." Smoker explained, recalling the event vividly, "They were scared of me and accidently trapped themselves in a destroyed part of the settlement. I was originally going to leave them but then I heard that the Celestials wanted to debride the area. If I'd left them, they would've died horrible deaths."
"I see." Jimbei hummed, flashing a smile at Ace who sat on the rug not far from them. The boy recoiled slightly and scooted closer to Smoker. "In a way, they were lucky to have met you."
"Maybe, but now they're stuck living the life of a pet." Smoker continued, watching Luffy yawn and nuzzle against his chest, "They're such intelligent beings…and yet-"
"Do you pity them?" Tiger asked, expression serious. Smoker met his gaze firmly, unconsciously pulling Luffy closer.
"I pity any race that becomes a victim of the Celestials." He replied, choosing his words carefully. Tiger took a few deep breath and closed his eyes, prompting Jimbei to place a reassuring hand on his shoulder. When he opened his eyes again, they were full of sorrow.
"Forgive me, old friend. I did not mean to bring negative thoughts into your new home. It…it is just difficult for me to forgive humans." Tiger exhaled shakily and reached out to cup Luffy's cheek, causing the boy to look up drowsily, "I often find myself thinking that they deserve it, this enslavement. After all, they did terrible things to me and my fellow prisoners."
Smoker frowned and gently removed the fishman's webbed hand from Luffy.
"Even so, these three are children and do not deserve this life. Don't punish them for the sins of their people."
"You're right…you're right." Tiger muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers, "Once again, I ask for your forgiveness. It was not my intention to insult your younglings."
Smoker watched his friend with sympathy, knowing he must be in so much pain right now. Tiger had always been such a kind man, but now, that characteristic would be challenged by the many humans soon to be circulated across the galaxy. There was a good chance he'd give in to his desire for revenge which, despite its allure, wouldn't bring him peace.
"Why don't I make us something to drink?" Smoker interjected, deciding a change of subject was needed.
"Something warm, please." Jimbei answered, nudging Tiger, "Same for him."
Smoker nodded and stood to his feet, placing a sleepy Luffy on the couch with Sabo. Maybe he should get them some snacks while he was up…?
Sabo observed Smoker closely as he walked into the kitchen to mess with some of the strange machines placed on the countertop. Suddenly nervous again, he clutched Luffy to his chest, not caring that the kid was mouthing his shirt in his sleepy state. Though the two new aliens had yet to do anything particularly malicious, Sabo's heart almost stopped the second the red one touched Luffy.
Thankfully, Smoker had protected him, which Sabo was extremely thankful for.
"Hmmm…what did he say your name was…Sabo?" He gulped when the blue one said his name. "Poor thing, he looks terrified."
"Are you surprised?" The red one whispered something, prompting Sabo to call for Ace, feeling very unprotected without Smoker there. Almost immediately, his older brother was there, placing himself between the aliens and them. "I imagine you seem like a giant to them, brother. Adults are not nearly so small."
Sabo was grateful when Smoker returned, passing steaming cups to the strange aliens. When he sat back down on the couch, Sabo wasted no time scooting up to the large alien's thigh. If anyone could protect them, it was Smoker. Even Ace seemed okay with the change in position, settling himself on their other side so Sabo and Luffy were snuggled between them.
He flinched slightly when Smoker pet over his short hair and handed him something. Before he could even register the fact that it was food, Luffy was on it, stuffing the salty snack in his mouth.
"Make sure you share with the other two." Smoker passed the next treat to Ace, who accepted it reluctantly. Sabo did his best to hold Luffy back while his other brother nibbled on the snack.
"Ne, can we have more?"
"Let's not make him angry, okay Lu?" Sabo chided, making the boy pout, "He'll give us as many as we are allowed to have."
"They are adorable little fry, but how do you get them to do what you wish? They do not speak Common, correct?
"No, they don't." Smoker passed another snack to Luffy, who chirped a 'thank you'. "So far, I've been getting by with just their names and body language but…"
Sabo looked up when the red alien sighed and stood to his feet, looming over them. Even with Smoker there, the blonde boy found himself shrinking back in fear. What did he want? The alien moved off the couch and sat on the rug so he was a little bit closer to them, under Smoker' watchful eye.
Luffy tilted his head at the new alien, licking salt from his fingertips.
"Who're you, mister?"
"He can't understand us, Lu." Ace hissed, crowding closer to his brothers. Suddenly, the red fish alien cleared his throat and began to speak.
"Er…I…not speak, well. Hello."
The boys froze at the familiar words.
"Ace, Sabo, he can talk!" Luffy exclaimed, pointing out the obvious. Sabo's mouth went dry as he nodded, immediately thinking back to the helmeted alien on the train. This one didn't seem to speak English nearly as well, but the fact that he could speak at all was astounding.
"You know their language!?" Smoker all but yelled, startling Sabo, "What did you say to them?"
"I let them know that I can't speak very well and said 'hello'. I believe they're surprised that I know their language."
"I can see that much…"
"I Tiger." The alien said, pointing to himself and then to his companion, "That…Jimbei. You good, yes?"
"Yeah…we're okay." Sabo found himself replying, once again finding it a bit scary to speak to an alien in their language. "Um, if you don't mind me asking, why are you here?" Tiger, the red alien, frowned at the question and crossed his arms, as if considering it. Did he not understand?
"What did he say?"
"I'm…not sure. Sorry, Chase, but my English isn't that great. They did say that they're 'okay', though. Must not be as scared with you right there."
"'English'…is that the name of their language?" Smoker and Tiger were talking about something (though he did pick up the word 'English'), making Sabo feel a bit left out.
"It's one of many human languages. Honestly, I wasn't sure they'd understand it at all seeing as there are many humans who can't even understand each other. Looks like you picked these three up in the same region where I was held. Hang on, let me try something else."
The boys looked up when Tiger cleared his throat again, preparing to address them.
"Hungry, yes? No?"
"Yes!" Luffy chirped, leaning forward, "I'm still hungry!"
"Okay…let's see…hungry, HUNGRY, yes?"
Sabo's eyes widened in shock. Tiger was…teaching them a word in the alien's language!? He immediately exchanged glances with Ace before looking up at Smoker. Their plan was to learn the language in secret because they were certain their kidnapper didn't want them talking, but this was…
Would he allow it?
"Chase, say 'yes'. It means 'yes', in Common. It'll let them know that this is okay."
Sabo and his brothers all looked up at Smoker, who seemed a bit uncomfortable but spoke anyway.
"Yes. Ace, Sabo, Luffy…it's fine."
To hear something familiar besides their names come from Smoker's mouth was something of a surreal experience and almost made the alien appear more human than he was, which was terrifying in its own way. Sabo swallowed hard and mused on the unfamiliar words the aliens had spoken.
"Y-Y-Yes…hungry." Sabo said clumsily, hoping he pronounced it correctly. Almost immediately, Smoker's eyes lit up and a treat was shoved into his hands. Was he…pleased?
"Yes, yes, Sabo! Damn that was good. Did you hear him!? He picked it up so fast!" Smoker almost sounded…proud.
"Yeah, your fry are very smart."
"Very impressive, Chase!" The blue one, Jimbei, exclaimed, clapping softly with a grin, "You should do some more, see what they can learn." Smoker turned to Tiger expectantly and talked very fast, motioning down towards the brothers.
"Sabo…this is…" Ace whispered, eyes wide.
"Yeah, I can't believe it." Sabo replied, holding Luffy tighter. If Smoker actually wanted them to learn the language, their escape plan might not be so long-term after all.
Jimbei and Tiger ended up spending the majority of the day at Smoker's house. After a somewhat tense start to their conversation, it became much lighter when Tiger began to teach the boys basic words in Common. As expected, Sabo picked it up the fastest with Ace not far behind. The taller raven struggled with some of the more complicated words and tended to slur his consonants.
'…and then there's Luffy.' Smoker thought, listening to the boy attempt 'goodbye' for the fifth time. Tiger said it was likely due to his age, and Smoker was inclined to agree. Ace and Sabo were at least a few years older, so it was understandable. Learning a new language was not an easy undertaking.
"Chase, could I have a moment?" Jimbei asked, coming up beside him in the kitchen. He nodded, doing his best to hold back his amusement at Luffy's 'goo-bye'. The kid was cute even when he failed. "I'm sorry about my brother. He…has not been the same since his time in captivity."
"Don't worry about it." Smoker replied, turning to face the old soldier, "I didn't expect him to recover so quickly. Are you going to return to Ryugu? I imagine being home would do him some good."
"Yes, that is the plan, though…I don't think he will be returning to the military." Smoker closed his eyes, knowing that was coming. "In fact, he's actually brought up attempting piracy, if you'll believe it."
Smoker's jaw dropped at that.
"Are you serious?"
"Yeah, and he's even come up with a name already…The Sun Pirates." Jimbei then reached up to tug his shirt down, revealing a massive (and new) sun tattoo, "I've determined to join him, at least for the time being. Perhaps some time sabotaging Alliance trade routes will help distract him from the surge of humans being brought in."
"…but pirates. Jimbei, you know how I feel about pirates." The fishman laughed.
"Yes, I know. Don't worry, I've actually already decided to pursue a Warlord position. Having such a status would be good for our little planet." Smoker considered that for a moment. The Warlord program basically allowed certain pirates free reign of the galaxy in return for their assistance of getting rid of other, non-legal, pirates. There were almost always seven, but currently, there were only six. He supposed it was a good time to try for it, and it was better than straight piracy, but…
"I'm not sure this is a good idea."
Jimbei straightened his shirt.
"I believe it will be good for Tiger. This symbol…the sun." Jimbei caressed the mark gently, "He got his to cover the prisoner numbers the humans seared into his skin. It represents freedom. How could I possibly keep him from pursuing that?"
Smoker sighed and pulled out a cigar, lighting it almost immediately.
"Just…keep him out of too much trouble. I don't want to have you arrest you two." Jimbei smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder as they both watched Tiger animatedly try to get the boys to understand a new word.
Unfortunately, Jimbei and Tiger weren't the first to leave the Alliance. The Celestials were bastards and the benefits weren't great. Smoker had known friends at the academy who'd dropped out, unable to balance the pros with the cons. For him, it was about justice and protecting the people. He knew the evil pirates could do and someone had to protect the citizens, even if the Celestials didn't particularly care.
Smoker was drawn out of his thoughts when Luffy trotted up to him, a bright smile on his face.
"Mr. Smokey! Yes foo! Food…g-goo!"
'Unsurprisingly, his favorite word so far is 'food''. Smoker thought, reaching down to ruffle the kids hair in encouragement.
"Yes, Luffy. Very good, just need to remember the 'd' on the end there."
"They're doing surprisingly well." Tiger said, joining them in the kitchen, "Like you said, they're smart for their age." At his feet, Ace and Sabo followed behind him, both saying words to each other in their language and Common. Smoker was pleased they were getting into it.
"Foo, foo! Luffy foo!"
"Lu, you forgot the end of the word again. It's 'foo-d', understand?"
"Mhm, that's right. Foo…ood. Did I say it right, Sabo?"
Sabo appeared to have corrected Luffy, helping the little one say the word correctly.
"Well, I think it may be time for us to retire." Jimbei stated, chuckling softly at the tiny human's demands for food, "Thank you for your hospitality, Chase."
"Don't mention it." He replied before turning to Tiger with a serious expression, "Jimbei told me what you're up to. Be careful and don't break too many laws."
"I can't promise anything," The fishman replied, kneeling down to pet Ace and Luffy's hair (prompting the former to jump in surprise), "but I will say you've convinced me that these little ones are not too bad. Rambunctious…but not bad. It was wrong of me to judge them simply based on their race."
Smoker inclined his head in appreciation.
"Just wait, I'll have a bounty before the month is out."
"That's nothing to be working for." Smoker shot back, ushering the two fishmen out the door, "Tch, honestly…you're both excited about becoming criminals." Tiger laughed and mock-salted him.
"Wish us luck!"
"Get out, idiots."
Jimbei stayed behind for a moment when Tiger took off towards town. Thankfully, the rain had subsided, leaving a pleasant smell in the air.
"If anyone needs luck, it's you…going from no children to three." Smoker shrugged, he was getting used to it. "Raise them well, and if you ever need anything, let us know."
"Like I'll need help from a pirate." Jimbei smiled at him, leaning to the side to wave to the three little boys watching them leave.
"You never know. Not all pirates are scum, just like not all humans are evil."
Smoker blinked at that, not expecting his own sentiment to be thrown back in his face. With that, Jimbei bowed slightly in farewell and set off after his brother, leaving them in silence.
'He's really something…' Smoker mused, ushering the boys back inside he house. He imagined the Sun Pirates would definitely do more good than evil, but he still had a hard time coming to terms with it, especially as a member of the Alliance.
Most of the pirates he'd come into contact with were the epitome of evil. They had no problem pillaging, kidnapping innocent people, killing…and he knew they enjoyed it.
"Come on," He said, earning the humans' attention, "let's have dinner. All this talk of pirates is making me hungry."
"Hungry." Sabo affirmed when he heard the word, hands wringing together nervously in front of him as he obviously sought positive reinforcement.
"Yes, that's right…hungry." Smoker repeated with a nod. Luffy babbled next to the blonde, occasionally saying a few familiar words here and there while Ace just…stood there. When their eyes met, the human sent him a devious smirk.
"Bastard."
Smoker's eyebrow twitched.
He was going to kill Tiger.
The day after her interview, Vivi found it difficult to relax. Though it'd only been a day, she was constantly checking her communicator for messages and had the alarm on so she wouldn't miss a call. Unfortunately, though she desperately needed the job, the interview hadn't gone terribly well and she was reluctant to get her hopes up.
Just as Vivi sat down and moved to take a drink from her mug, her communicator rang, causing her to yelp and almost spill the hot substance all over herself. The Il'ur scrambled for the device and swiftly answered it.
"H-Hello?"
"Miss Wednesday? This is Captain Smoker."
'This is it…' Vivi thought, swallowing hard and doing her best to keep her voice from shaking.
"Good morning, Sir! It's wonderful to hear from you."
"Same to you. Listen, about the job…" Vivi tensed, preparing herself for the worst, "You're hired. I want you over at my place in an hour to observe the boys' daily routine." Her mouth dropped open and she quickly stood to her feet in excitement.
"O-Of course, Sir! Thank you so much for the opportunity!"
"Don't be late."
With that, the Captain hung up, leaving her rather dumbfounded. She had to go…observe the children? Vivi glanced at the time, noting it was still rather early. Perhaps Smoker intended for her to become familiar with what the humans did in the morning since that was part of her new job.
Seeing she still had some time before she had to leave, Vivi moved around her small apartment, organizing and unpacking some of the things that she hadn't gotten to yet. It certainly was a change from living at the royal palace, but it would have to do until her mission was complete. In fact, in just a few days, she was due to check in with Igaram…hopefully his infiltration of Baroque Works was successful.
Her loyal guard refused to allow her to directly come into contact with Crocodile's agents, but she'd demanded to be close enough to help and watch over him as a 'normal citizen'. From their research, they'd discovered Mr. 0 had a major base somewhere on G8, and she was determined to find it.
'Maybe Captain Smoker will have some useful information…' Vivi thought, feeling bad that she intended to use her new employer's position to her advantage. But…it had to be done. She would earn his trust and, hopefully, gain access to Navarone's criminal database. That way, Igaram wouldn't have to be in danger for longer than necessary.
Steeling herself, Vivi began to pack supplies in her bag, preparing to go meet the Captain's humans once again.
When she arrived at Smoker's address, the sun was just starting to warm the planet with its rays, creating a very beautiful sunrise across the ocean waves. Vivi took a moment to admire the picture before walking towards the front door of the only home in the vicinity.
It looked like a fairly new build and she quickly noted the single light on inside the building. Considering the Captain had already called her, she figured he must be an early riser, just like her. Knocking lightly on the door, Vivi waited, busying herself by wiping the mud off her feet onto the mat.
The rain the day before had created quite a mess of sludge outside.
A few seconds later, the door opened, revealing Captain Smoker in much less formal clothing than the last time they'd met.
"Good morning."
"M-Morning…" She stuttered, bowing to him, "You have a beautiful home."
"Thank you, now come inside. There's a few things I want to go over before the boys wake up."
"Of course." Vivi answered, following him inside. The home wasn't terribly large and there were some boxes around that indicated he was still in the process of moving in. She noticed the door on the right side of the house was cracked open, leading her to believe that must be where the humans were. Smoker motioned for her to sit at the table where he joined her.
"All right, here's what's going to happen. I'm going to help the boys get ready, and I want you to watch." Smoker explained, prompting her to nod, "They're very smart, but need help with certain things like getting into and out of the bathtub. Feel free to take notes or whatever you want…because you'll be doing everything starting tomorrow."
"T-Tomorrow?" Vivi managed, mind racing. She hadn't thought she'd be starting so soon!
"Yeah, apparently there's a meeting I have to attend, so you'll be in charge of the boys while I'm gone. I won't officially return to work for another three days, so I'll be here to support you for a little while." Vivi released a sigh of relief at that. "Feel free to ask any questions you have. Now…are you ready?"
"Yes…I'm ready." Vivi whispered, reaching into her bag to pull out her tablet. If Smoker expected her to take notes, then that's what she'd do! The Captain nodded and stood to his feet, immediately making his way to the cracked door. Leaving her bag next to the entrance of the home, Vivi straightened her ponytail and followed him, curious how Smoker handled so many humans by himself.
Was he strict? Demanding? He said the boys were smart…maybe he didn't have to do much at all.
When they entered the humans' room, Vivi was struck by how nice it was. She'd expected some sort of pad on the ground or something more…for pets. This room had furniture and individual beds for each human.
The first thing Smoker did was open the curtains so the room was bathed in early morning sunlight, bringing some muffled groans from the small lumps still trying to sleep. The human in the bed closest to the window was the tiny one, Luffy, Vivi recalled. He blinked tiredly up at Smoker before nuzzling back into his pillow, obviously attempting to fall asleep again.
"Come on, brats, time to get up." Smoker muttered, moving over to blonde human who's bed was on the other side of the room. The older human sat up, wiped his eyes, and watched Smoker closely, tensing up a bit. "Good morning, Sabo."
"Y-Yes. Good." The boy said, making Vivi's eyes widen in shock. The humans knew Common!?
"A friend of mine taught them some words yesterday." Smoker explained, motioning for the blonde one to go get his companions up, "It's not much, but it's a start." Vivi nodded numbly, honestly unsure what to say to that.
A few minutes later, Sabo returned with his companions at his side. Ace, the taller one, didn't look happy to be awake and sported a nasty bedhead while the youngest clutched the blonde's shirt with one hand, whining softly as he yawned. Vivi couldn't help but smile. They made a very cute bunch.
"This is earlier than they normally wake up." Smoker explained before motioning with his head for them to go to the dresser. The humans seemed to understand what he wanted and started to open drawers, pulling out what appeared to be clothing. "They're completely capable of picking out their own clothes and generally don't need help putting them on."
Vivi nodded, jotting that down on her notepad.
"Ne…why's the pretty lady here?"
"I don't know, Lu. Maybe we should ask?" Sabo held his bundle of clothing tight to his chest and walked back to them, appearing somewhat nervous as he pointed at Vivi.
"New…yes?" She blinked at the strangely worded question, turning to Smoker for clarification.
"I think he's wondering why you're here."
"Can you explain it to him?" Smoker hummed.
"I don't think so…they don't know too many words. Let me try this…Vivi. Vivi. Understand?"
"Vivi?" The blonde human echoed, dropping his hand. At this point, his companions had caught up to him, both holding piles of clothes less neatly folded than Sabo's. "Um, apparently her name's Vivi. Come here, Lu…say 'hello'."
"Hello!" The little one chirped in slightly accented Common, flashing a bright smile, "Did I say it right, Sabo?"
"Yeah, good job!"
With that, Smoker ushered them into the bathroom where they began to undress. Vivi frowned at the bandages wrapped tightly around the older two. The youngest had a few as well, but not nearly as many as his companions.
"There was an incident on the way here." The Captain whispered, eyes softening in sorrow for a split second, "They tried to escape and got stuck in a freezer. They're still recovering from frostbite."
"I-I see." Vivi answered, writing that on her pad. Poor dears must've been terrified.
"I have to change their bandages, especially Ace's, every few days." Smoker continued as he moved to turn the water on and get the tub filling up, "I'll go ahead and do it now since they're going to be getting them wet anyway."
Vivi watched anxiously as Smoker wrangled Ace into his lap and began to remove the bandages. She grit her teeth at the practiced ease with which he handled the rowdy human. If she had to do that…would she be okay? The Captain was significantly stronger than she was and obviously knew exactly how to hold him to make the process go as smoothly as possible.
"Bastard! Bastard!" Ace yelled, making Smoker sigh.
"Unfortunately, my good friend thought it would be funny to teach him that word." Vivi chuckled softly, holding a hand to her mouth to hide her smile. She supposed it shouldn't be amusing, but it really was. When his bandages were off, Ace scrambled away from Smoker, growling as he went.
It was strange, at times the humans appeared almost civilized, but then they went and acted more…animalistic. What odd little creatures they were.
"Ace, remember what we talked about?" Sabo chided, apparently displeased with Ace's behavior.
"I know, I know…but I still don't like it."
Smoker had no difficulties removing Sabo's bandages and Luffy trotted over as soon as he was finished, clambering into his lap. The Captain took a minute to check the little thing over, removing his miniscule dressings as well before passing him back to his companions.
"Come on, brats. Bath time." Smoker picked them up one at a time and placed them in the warm water. Vivi swiftly noted how little Luffy curled up above the water, clutching at Smoker's forearm in fear. "For whatever reason, Luffy's scared of water…or baths. Honestly, I'm not sure which one."
"Is that right…?" Vivi muttered, filing that piece of information away.
"Generally, he's okay so long as the other two are with him."
Over the next few hours, Vivi learned a lot about the Captain and his three pets, the first being that Smoker didn't treat them like pets at all. They were given their own room, beds, clothing, and toys, many of which weren't cheap. Her employer pointed out the collars but said he didn't make the humans wear them when on his property.
As for the boys themselves, they were very different from each other.
Ace, who Vivi assumed was the oldest, tended to be the most aggressive and was very protective of his younger companions. He was always nearby, ready to throw himself into the fray if need be (not that Smoker ever required such wariness…if anything, the Captain was more protective of them than Ace). That being said, she'd witnessed him smile while entertaining the tiny one and he always put his toys away when he was through with them.
Sabo, the blonde human, was very smart and tended to be the first one Smoker went to when attempting to get the boys to do something. After only one day, he'd picked up basic pronunciations of Common and always did as he was told. Though, Vivi found herself concerned about him sometimes, especially seeing how he'd cower or flinch when Smoker approached him. In a way, Sabo was the most timid out of the three.
Luffy, the youngest, was a ball of playful energy. He was always babbling something to his companions or Smoker and sported a bright smile almost all the time. The little one was also very affectionate and enjoyed touch more than the other two, often climbing into Smoker's lap and hugging his legs. Luffy also ate significantly more than Ace and Sabo, which was apparently one of the Captain's main concerns.
'I'll have to make sure we always have snacks around…' Vivi mused, making a note of that on her pad. For Luffy, eating between meals was a way to curb his metabolism, but for Ace and Sabo, it was to give them more nutrition to supplement their miniscule eating habits. Smoker was hopeful their diet would improve with time but it would definitely take some work and patience on their part.
"So, what do you think?" Smoker asked, joining her at the table. The humans remained in the living room, playing around with a toy train. "Do you have any questions? Concerns?"
"Not at the moment…I believe I have all the preliminary information I need." Vivi responded, saving her very long note so she wouldn't lose it, "I will do my best to ensure they are well cared for in your absence. As for teaching them our language…I have a few resources in mind that may help."
"Good. Just make sure you don't use translators, those are illegal, apparently."
"So I've read…" Vivi replied, honestly interested in why her employer wanted to teach humans to speak in the first place. It wasn't exactly normal for a pet owner, but she supposed Smoker didn't really see them that way. She'd learned that much just watching him interact with the children. "Once again, thank you for taking me on. I look forward to seeing the boys tomorrow."
"Yeah, thanks."
"Eh…are you leaving?" Little Luffy pouted something, holding his stuffed bear close. Vivi smiled down at him while she gathered her things.
"Goodbye, Luffy. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" The human's eyes brightened at the first word.
"Goo-bye, Vivi!"
"It's 'Goodbye', Luffy."
Vivi laughed when Ace stepped in, correcting Luffy in Sabo's place. They truly were adorable.
As she walked back into town, the Il'ur found herself looking forward to the coming day. Though the job would no doubt be difficult, who wouldn't enjoy spending time with such cute and squishy creatures? So engrossed in thought, Vivi didn't notice someone watching her, subtly taking pictures.
The being smirked and stuffed the device back into their pocket, pleased they now had solid evidence to present to the boss.
Meanwhile…
"So, what's the plan, Captain?" Penguin asked, prompting Law to get up from his chair and approach the holographic map displayed before them. He'd gathered his crew for a meeting the second he'd learned the human distribution had begun.
With his resources, it hadn't taken long for word to reach him of both legal and illegal organizations advertising human pets, which meant it was time to act.
"We'll hit Alliance transports first." Law ordered, expanding the hologram slightly to give them a good look of the projected flight path the military would most likely take from Earth. "Any humans we rescue, we'll send to Ohara, as previously planned."
The people of Ohara had very kindly (and secretly) agreed to become a haven for any race targeted by the Celestials. They'd already sent word to their supporters that they were ready to receive refugees from the Dark Planet. The remote position of the planet in the outer rim allowed for utmost secrecy and helped them fly under the Alliance's radar.
"Boarding protocol?" Jean asked, making Law smirk.
"Just the usual. Kill any hunters or soldiers that try to stop you."
"What about the humans who're being smuggled through the underground?" Shachi questioned, crossing his arms, "I mean, we all know Doflamingo has a transport out there somewhere. Should we try and find it?"
"No, not yet." Law replied, voice tight. As much as he wanted to interrupt that monster's trade routes, Disco hadn't given them enough information to act, and Law never did anything without a plan. Especially against Joker. "I imagine he'll send some directly from his main processing plant, but we need to be smart about this. If we do too much too soon…he'll be onto us."
"Understood."
"Good, prepare for lightspeed. Set our course for Jupiter." He ordered, causing his crew to eagerly salute and begin to rush around the ship making preparations. Law huffed and leaned on the table in front of him, feeling worn out, as usual.
Law's tail swayed behind him lazily as his thoughts swirled through his mind. There was so much to do…so much to plan. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the device that housed a certain picture, one that represented his leverage over the Wild Dog, Chase Smoker.
With a press of a button, the little boys were displayed before him. Ace, Sabo, and Luffy. Law wanted nothing more than to pay them a visit and start the ball rolling, but he couldn't…not yet. There were so many other humans out there that needed his help now.
Yes, he needed to be patient. Doflamingo's downfall would come.
Right now, Law had work to do.