HAWK AXE!~ Good day everyone, a fresh chapter with many plot developments today, hehe, but knowing me, you won't see the meat of it until 30 chapters later XD.

Anyhow, I've received a lot of PM's regarding the teams for Jaune and Emerald when they get to Beacon, and to be honest, I have no idea who's going to be paired with who. I won't be sticking to the canon teams, that's for sure, but we'll have to wait and see until I come up with something. And the Hawkins siblings should be 10 years old now for those who are wondering.

Also, I'm planning on a nice Christmas special with all the fluff for Christmas. Hopefully, I'll make the deadline, but it might not come out until new years.

With that, cheers everyone and happy reading!


"Wow, you weren't kidding when you said the wreckage was massive, Adam." Yuma peered around the shore as debris of bent metal and splintered wood littered the sands of the shoreline.

"Still, it was dangerous for you to head out by yourself. You should have told someone that this was here." Fennec and his brother observed a cracked mast that was half-buried in the ground.

"Do you think humans are the ones responsible for this wreckage?" Deery put a finger on her chin and squinted at the leftovers of a large hull.

"I'm not too sure. This ship looks really old; see, it still uses iron gunpowder cannons as weaponry." Blake muttered and nudged a broken cannon with her foot.

"Why don't we check it out? Adam stepped forward but Corsaic gripped his shoulder.

"I'm not too sure Adam. We don't know what's inside those damp boards. Besides, it's getting late; we should head back with the coconut baskets before our parents get worried."

The bull Faunus' lips curled downward, and he pointed to a gathered clump of debris. Something shiny in the clutter, but a hiss and several snarls would deter the group from inspecting it. From the dark gaps and shadows of the destroyed ship, sets of beady red eyes and bone-white fangs made themselves known. A pack of Beowolves that numbered in the fifties narrowed their sights on a potential Faunus meal.

"A-Adam, we need to get out of here. We can't kill that many Grimm on our own, and Yuma and the Albain brothers don't have their weapons either!" Deery yelped, but Adam held his ground.

"A-Adam, please!" It was Blake who tried next, and this time the stubborn Faunus obliged. With the Beowolves almost upon them, Adma grit his teeth and unstrapped his basket of coconuts then hurled it at an incoming Grimm.

The basket crumbled under the jaws and ravenous claws of the Beowolves, but it bought Adam enough time to shout an order.

"Come on, guys, let's move!"

Adam allowed his friends to run ahead, seeing that he was the only one with a weapon to defend them, but the Beowolves were keen on pursuing easier and unarmed prey. One of the Grimm jumped over Adam, its eyes set on a girl with black cat ears.

"Damn monster!" Adam raised his blade and leaped to intercept the hungry Beowolf.

He forced his sword into its stomach, then hurled the shrieking Grimm over his shoulder and hurled it onto the ground. He finished it off with a slice through its neck, and a puddle of black oozed into the sand then evaporated into a murky mist. A satisfied smile stretched across Adam's face. This sword was worth stealing, and it's design suited his preferences.

However, the cries and sudden scuffle with voracious predators roused the conscious of the sleeping blade, and when Funkfreed came to, he was shocked that he wasn't in Jaune's possession anymore!

"Pao!" The elephant's cry drowned by howls of Grimm, Funkfreed writhed and jerked against the grip of his possessor.

"Hey, what the hell?!" Adam growled. The sword he held had somehow come alive and twisted his wrists to free itself. The sword's efforts paid off, and Adam released the blade to soothe his sore wrist. Still, Adam had grown to appreciate his new weapon and tried to pick it up, but the hands of a cat Faunus beat him to it.

"Come on, Adam, stop trying to fight these stupid beasts and run!" Blake shouted and forced Adam to chase after her despite his demands to return his sword.


"57% chance Funkfreed is in the east." Hawkins, along with Jaune and Emerald, treaded through the forest's thick plantations in search of their tusked friend.

When Funkfreed failed to return home before dusk, everyone decided to split up into teams to search for Jaune's sword. Sam, Carla, and Annabel searched the markets, while Fiona, Trifa, Vito, and Kuma checked around the docks and main streets.

"Did you find anything Minty?" Jaune called from behind a bush.

"That's the eighth time you've asked me in the past five minutes, Jaune." Emerald deadpanned.

"S-Sorry." Jaune whimpered.

There was a 65% chance of Grimm inhabiting the forest, so Hawkins made sure to keep his children within shouting distance. He didn't have to worry about Emerald too much, as she had her weapon, Thief's Respite, but Jaune was a whole new conundrum. The boy still refused to use his devil fruit powers, and this was an issue Hawkins needed to resolve before he found himself incapable of protecting his kids.

This thought would have to wait, as a disturbance in the nearby shrubbery caught the magician's attention.

"Pick up the pace, you guys; the Grimm are gaining on us!" A bat Faunus shouted.

"Can't you fly us back home Yuma? You have bat wings, for Oum's sake!" Shouted a girl with deer antlers.

"I can't carry all of you and I mostly use my wings for gliding, not flying!" He snapped back.

"Now's not the time for petty arguments! Just keep running!" Yelled a pair of twins with foxtails.

The frantic group of Faunus blitzed past the bushes and trees, but in their panic, Deery accidentally ran into the trunk of a tree. Or so she thought. Her gaze flicked to a blonde man with pale skin and crimson eyes, and the second her brain registered the stoic presence, Deery let out a shrill scream.

"Aaah! It's the menacing human!"

Yuma and the Albain brothers all froze when they were met with another possible problem. They already lost track of Adam and Blake, but they knew those two were the most capable group. Now, they had to focus their attention on the stoic blonde who stood before them.

Despite his cold outlook, Hawkins couldn't care less about these tykes. The pack of Grimm behind them; on the other hand, was a problem he had to deal with post-haste.

"Get behind me and run back to your homes." Hawkins sighed, and surprisingly the children did as they were told, but a boy with brown hair and bat wings proved a tad stubborn.

"Why should we trust you?" He huffed.

"I don't give a damn if you want to get yourself killed. But my children are also in this forest, and I don't want them to become Grimm food." Hawkins shot back in a harsh tone.

With the sounds of Beowolves drawing near, the bat Faunus reluctantly accepted the circumstances and joined his friends behind a nearby tree. Hawkins drew out what energy he had to manifest his devil fruit with his breaths heavy and stance wavering. He produced two long and lanky arms of straw with iron nails for hands. Hawkins slashed and stabbed his enemies with several fast and consecutive sweeps, leaving nothing behind but bone plates and black blood.

The few who witnessed this event were stunned, but more importantly, they were terrified.

"What are you still doing here?! I said flee you brats!" Hawkins shouted.

"I-I think we should do as he says, you guys." Deery stammered with quivered lips.

With a free passage to safety, the Faunus group jumped to their feet and ran back to the city. Though, a passing set of curious amber and light blue eyes hesitated for a moment before trailing their fleeing friends.

As Hawkins continued to hack and slash the incoming Grimm horde, the distant whisper of a faint voice echoed through the trees and into the magician's ears.

"Cap... Captain..."

Hawkins slowed his attacks, which gave a Beowolf the chance to sink its teeth into his shoulder. Hawkins winced but threw off the Grimm and impaled its throat with his nails.

"That voice, where did it come from?" Hawkins muttered but pushed those thoughts aside to finish off the rest of the present Grimm.

Meanwhile, in another part of the forest, a pair of siblings found themselves dealing with the excess Grimm who strayed from the main pack.

"Waah! Shoot it, Minty!"

Jaune ran across the sand with a hungry Beowolf in pursuit. Without his sword, all Jaune had at his disposal was his bare fists. Sure, the young blonde could take on a Beowolf one on one, but six was a suicide mission.

"Damn it, Jaune, run to the left!" Emerald remained on the sidelines and shot up the Grimm, who chased her brother.

With her lessons from Vito, the girl had become quite the sharpshooter. While she wasn't as strong as her older brother, she was the nimbler and more agile of the two by far. The head of a Beowolf exploded over Jaune, and he ducked into a barrel roll and landed beside his sister.

"Please tell me you have more ammo." Jaune gulped. There were twelve Beowolves left, but by the empty clicks of Emerald's revolvers, Jaune knew she was dry of bullets.

"Your weapon can fold into a dual pair of swords, right?" Jaune chuckled nervously.

"You expect us to chop through that many Grimm? Why don't you use that damn Genie of yours, Jaune? Now would be a perfect time to use it!" Emerald scolded.

A bead of sweat dripped down Jaune's chin. He whipped his head around in search of their father, but by the howls and screeches of Grimm, it was clear Hawkins had his hands full. The life of his sister at stake, Jaune took a gamble and rubbed his stomach. Instead of the regular jolly blue, a surge of grayish and black smoke poured from his belly button and swirled into the air.

"Yeaaah!" The genie screamed in delight.

"Looks like you need me to kill something for you Jauney-boy!" The maniacal grin on the genie's face drew a concerned expression from both children.

It had been some time since Emerald laid eyes on the mystical entity, but it was clear that something was amiss. When she turned to her brother, Emerald gasped at his paled visage. The life in his eyes faded and his posture slumped as he was forced to a knee.

"J-Jaune?" Emerald placed a hand on his shoulder and shook him. When Jaune stumbled to the ground flat on his face, his sister's mind worked into a frenzy.

"Yeah! Come on, Jaune, give me that aura!" The genie roared and rampaged through the Grimm like a wild animal tearing apart and slicing whatever dared to approach it.

The blonde's body reacted to the cruel demand. A bright white light emanated from Jaune and bolstered the genie's body. However, the more aura he poured, the more the genie's color scheme changed.

"J-Jaune, that's enough; call off your genie already. It's starting to scare me!" Emerald pleaded and turned her brother over to slap him awake.

"Just a little more aura Jauney-boy and you'll have nothing to worry about!" Grimm corpses lay broken and bloodied beneath the genie's figure. It's wicked smirk begging for blood, he turned to his master with a dripping bisento in hand.

"Y-You're supposed to protect Jaune aren't you genie?!" Emerald wailed.

"Not anymore!" The genie cackled in triumph as the last of Jaune's aura reserves were depleted. The genie raised his blade with intent to kill, and nothing the green-haired girl said would deter him.

Emerald screamed in fear and covered her brother with her body. If she was going to die today, she could at least go out like her brother would, protecting what he cared about no matter what.

"Straw Sword!" Hawkins dashed through the trees and shot a line of straw coated in haki. It landed dead center of the genie's head, and with a sickening screech, the smoke manifestation faded into nothingness.

"D-Dad! Jaune needs help!" Emerald ran toward her father and jumped into his arms; her cheeks drenched in tears, she pulled the magician toward her unconscious brother.


"So what is it that's got you so riled up about this Hawkins man? Sure he's a bit rude and silent, but he doesn't seem like the kind of man who lives for violence and murder. Besides, he has that polite Vito fellow and Kuma as his brothers." Kali sighed.

"You mean to tell me those three are related?" Ghira said with furrowed brows. He wasn't against the fact, but the blonde man and his Faunus cohorts looked nothing alike.

"I never said they were bound by blood. Hawkins told me that he liberated Kuma from his slavery in Vacuo, and he's been with him ever since. Now tell me, does that sound like a bloodthirsty criminal to you?"

Ghira shook his head and put down his fork. He pulled out the wanted poster Monet had given him and placed it in front of his wife. Kali pursed her lips and bit back a snarky retort. That was Hawkins' face without a doubt, and he looked more menacing than your standard criminal. However, it was the number that was posted underneath his name that piqued her interest.

"Someone is willing to pay 249,000,000 lien for one man? What terrible crime did Hawkins commit that would earn such an amount? Hold on a minute, who has that kind of money anyway? The only kingdom that I can think of would be Atlas, but Hawkins never mentioned that place when I talked to him."

"That's why I'm suspicious, Kali. Monet's supposed magician spoke of a hardened pirate who wanted to decimate our home and loot it for plunder. Not to mention he was a cunning schemer, but did Hawkins give you that sort of impression?" Ghira questioned.

"Nothing of the sort dear, in fact, Monet told me that the whole debacle against Hawkins was nothing but lies and myths. That Faunus is an odd one isn't she?" Kali rubbed her temples and plopped a piece of grilled fish into her mouth.

With their meals finished and their heads muddled from recent events, the Belladonna's would receive yet another conundrum. Still, this one would be delivered by none other than their adorable kitten. Blake treaded as quiet as a ghost down the long hallways of the mansion, with the sword Adam had stolen earlier that day. Why did she have such a thing? The simple reason was Adam had convinced her to hold onto his new possession until the boy could coerce his parents into allowing him to have a weapon. Until then, Blake promised to guard the sword in her house. Though the idea sounded a lot better on paper now that she thought about it.

"Blake, is that you honey?" Her mother's voice made Blake's heart skip a beat. She couldn't afford to be caught now, but where would she hide the sword in an open hallway?

"Ah, there you are. Did you and the others have fun today?" Her parents turned the corner and froze when they saw their child with a sharp and dangerous weapon.

"Care to explain, Blake?" Ghira said and crossed his arms.

"U-Um..." The child sputtered and bit her lip when her mother spoke.

"I'm not against you learning the ways of the sword Blake, but if you really wanted lessons, I'm sure Captain Saber would have been delighted to have you under his tutelage." Kali shook her head.

"Come on, give me that sword and you can explain all of this tomorrow morning."

Kali reached for the blade, but her daughter shifted it behind her back. This made the doting mother rather cross.

"Blake Belladonna, you know the rules. Now give me that sword." Kali scolded.

"Y-Yes, mother." Blake's ears drooped and her amber eyes veered to the floor. She wanted to say that it actually belonged to Adam, but she decided against it for fear of getting into more trouble.

"Alright, off to bed, Blake. We have a very important day tomorrow, and we can't afford to miss it." Kali patted her girl on the head and took her hand. Then gave the sword to her husband.

The chieftain nodded and accepted the sword.

"I'll find a safe place to store this for the time being." Ghira hummed and went to his study room.


"Jaune," Hawkins grumbled.

His son woke up in a sweaty start. His bedsheets drenched, Jaune fumbled in his blankets and rolled onto the floor. To his surprise, he was back in the room Annabel had rented him, but now was not the time to let his eyes wander.

"D-Dad?" Jaune gulped.

His father's crimson eyes narrowed on his person, Jaune stood himself up, but his legs buckled and he was forced to a knee. Hawkins shook his head at his son's pathetic state. If this happened every time Jaune used his devil fruit powers, then there was a key element Hawkins must have missed.

"D-Did you find Funkfreed?" Jaune whimpered.

"There's an 83% chance that Funkfreed is in safe hands so that that topic can wait." Hawkins crossed his arms and gestured for Jaune to sit down.

The boy crawled back to his bed and sat himself up as straight as he could. With the questioning glare in his father's eyes, Jaune could guess what his dad wanted to hear.

"Jaune Faust Hawkins."

The boy winced at his full name. He knew he was in trouble, but what punishment would the magician come up with this time?

"Why didn't you tell me your devil fruit acted like that?" The tone, his father, used, it sounded... hurt?

Jaune's eyes widened, and his jaw slacked. This was not what he expected.

"I-I um..." Jaune twiddled his fingers and veered his head toward the floor.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you, Jaune," Hawkins grunted.

"I-I figured the emotional drawback of using a devil fruit power was the reason why you always looked so stoic, so I thought it was just something I would have to cope with..." The boy shivered.

"When did all of this start?"

Silence filled the room, and Jaune's heart hammered against his chest. Should he spill the beans about his secrets now? Well, there wasn't any point in hiding it anymore; both his dad and sister witnessed what happened after all.

"D-Dad?" Jaune stammered.

"Yes?" Hawkins curled a brow.

"Does using your devil fruit power make you sad?"

Hawkins shook his head.

"No, it doesn't. Does yours?" The blonde man knew this was a rhetorical question, but he wanted Jaune to open up and describe the situation in his own words.

"W-Well, at first, when I started using the genie, I thought it was the coolest power in the world. But whenever I used it to fight off Grimm and do other tasks, I was always left with a feeling of dread and a nightmare when I went to sleep." Jaune said glumly.

This was news to Hawkins. He liked to think he understood the basic components and rules of a devil fruit, but this whole spiel had him questioning his knowledge.

"It's true that emotions can play a role in a devil fruit's growth, but it should never leave an emotional scar after being used. Promise me, Jaune, that you won't use your power until I've done some research. Understand?" Hawkins narrowed his gaze and waited for his son's reply.

"O-Okay, dad, but can we go back to looking for Funkfreed? I don't want to lose a friend before we go back home." Jaune's eyes lit up at his father's answer.

"Of course Jaune. Funkfreed has done us many services. It would be wrong to abandon him."


Flying over Mistral's buildings and streets, a man with short blonde hair, red sunglasses, and a pink feathered coat landed at the doorstep of the sheep's house mansion. The guards were quick to allow him access and opened the main doors.

"Master Carmel! Doflamingo-san has arrived!" Shouted a guard.

The house owner sighed and ordered a servant to lead the troublesome warlord to her dining table. It wasn't every day that Doffy decided to visit, but today was a special exception.

"Ah, Carmel, your servants are well trained, I'll say that much." Doflamingo planted himself on a chair and picked up a red wine bottle then took a long swig.

"You don't have to threaten my guards every time you come by; I prefer order and peace in my household, thank you very much." Carmel huffed.

Instead of her usual nun attire, Carmel adorned herself in her huntress outfit. A set of silver spaulders and gauntlets with gold lining covered her shoulders and arms, with a firm chest plate that bore the mark of the Arc household. A velvet sash around her waist served as a holster for her sword and sheath and lastly a pair of thick leather thigh-high boots. Her golden hair was also tied up in a neat bun.

Doflamingo chuckled and waved off the criticisms. He was in a hurry today, but this was a stop he needed to make as it was business-related.

"I assume you're here to see the progress of your experiment?" Carmel sighed, and a servant pulled out a chair for her.

"How perceptive you are Holy Mother. To put things simply, I wanted to see if I could witness the results in person. It would be fascinating to see a human turn into a Grimm." The warlord laughed and slammed his wine bottle on the table with a slight frown on his features.

"Not to mention you gave away the only prototype that actually works. Now Merlot has to make a new artificial devil fruit from scratch and that could take years. The scientist does have a brain I'll give him that, but he's not acquainted on the subject of devil fruits like Ceasar was."

"Hmph, last I checked this was a combined and even investment from both our parties Doffy. Besides, without my help, the idea of SMILE fruits would be nothing more than an idea on paper." Carmel retorted.

"Of course, but I have to know, who did you use as a lab rat for the powers of SMILE?" Doflamingo leaned in with a threatening grin.

"I happened to meet him by chance on my hunt for those spirits Salem is always pestering me about. Would you believe that a former pirate with a 249,000,000 berry bounty has become a father?"

The blonde man took another sip of wine and furrowed his brows.

"249,000,000? That number does ring a bell, but I can't remember who's bounty that belongs to."

"It doesn't matter who he was. The only thing you need to be concerned about is that it's his son who's consumed the artificial fruit. I do plan on seeing his father in the 'soul' world soon, but until then you'll have to be patient." Carmel smirked at the disappointed visage of the warlord.

"Fine, but let me make something clear." Doflamingo stood himself up and adjusted a few strings around his right hand.

Without warning, he lunged for Carmel with intent to kill, or at least leave a nasty scar.

"Crocea Mors." Carmel said sharply, and the blade around her waist sprung to life.

"Yes, mother!" It shouted and unsheathed itself to intercept Doffy's attack.

The sound of string grating across steel shook the room and rattled the windows. The food and wine bottles on the long dining table rolled off, and the servants and guards who stood by fled behind the pillars for safety.

"If you ever decide to make a hasty decision like that again, I won't hesitate to give you a piece of my mind." Doflamingo smirked.

"Same goes to you Doffy. I lost quite a bit when you and Lucci destroyed that dust factory a year back. Do you know how hard it was to cover your tracks? If you ask me I would say you are indebted to me." Carmel giggled as the tensions in the Sheep's house mansion escalated.