GOMU GOMU NO!~ Alright, I know I promised 5,000 words, but I ran out of inspiration for the chapter a tad early QQ.

So, on a quick note, yes Hawkins' ship name is the Grudge Dolph on the wiki, but when I first found out the name of Hawkins ship I got it from a Tekking101 video and he called it Grudgedorf, so my bad on that part.

Anyhow, I have received a few PM's in regards to when Jaune and Emerald will be sent off to Beacon and I promise you that this current arc will be the last before the next time skip. I know the Menagerie arc is probably the weakest line of chapters that I've written, so I'll be sure to improve for the next ones to come.

With that, cheers everyone and happy reading!


Alone on the outskirts of Menagerie, Sienna Khan took it upon herself and stood proud in front of the prison doors that held Hawkins' most dangerous cohorts, Kuma and Vito. Fiona and the others were stuck in cuffs and ropes on another part of the island, where a few of Saber's best men kept watch.

The tiger Faunus chose this role not because she wanted to, but because she felt it was necessary to prove that she was on her fellow Faunus' side and not on that of her supposed human friend. Heaving a sigh, the moon shined brightly with the stars twinkling innocently. The sounds of thunder, rain, and wind did pass, but it was far enough not to draw any concern from Sienna.

"Ms. Khan?" Sienna lifted her gaze from her post and curled a brow when a young Faunus with small deer antlers approached her. All the citizens of Menagerie were gathered in the market square, even the kids and local staff decided to attend Captain Saber's rally. So why has this little one strayed from the group?

"Why are you here girl? Shouldn't you be with your parents?" Sienna sighed.

"U-Um... My name is D-Deery." The girl twiddled her thumbs and veered her eyes toward the ground.

"Don't test my patience girl, I'm not in the mood for any folly." The tiger Faunus growled.

"Th-The human..." The child choked on her tears and she stumbled down to her knees.

"That is a sensitive topic girl, if you've come to spout insults then do so with your friends." Sienna scoffed.

"A-Adam, Yuma, and the Albain brothers? Th-They went to join the mob." Deery squeaked.

"Mob?" Sienna said nothing and gestured for the kid to continue.

Deery's eyes filled with tears, she gathered her courage and screamed at the top of her lungs.

"T-The human saved us from a horde of Grimm when we went into the forest to gather coconuts!"

Sienna blinked. No one other than her was around to hear the child's cry, but what she said bewildered the tiger Faunus.

"I'm sorry, say that again Deery?" Sienna kneeled and cupped the trembling child's cheeks. They were swamped with salty droplets, but there was an ember of conviction that glistened in her brown pupils.

"N-Not even my own parents will listen to me!" Deery bawled and pushed herself forward for a hug.

"I-I don't think this Hawkins man is a b-bad person!"

Sienna felt disturbed at this sudden declaration. What nonsense was this girl spouting? It was already proven that Hawkins made an attempt for Blake's life. This was nothing but a random plea of a single child. Could there be any truth in her words? Maybe she created this lie to cope with the rush of negative emotions that were consuming the island.

"Dear, I don't think..."

"It's true!" Deery clenched her teeth and balled her hands into fists. She stared right into Sienna's amber pupils and shouted her statement until her voice went raspy.

"I-I'm scared, Ms. Khan! I don't want to live in a place like this with scary Faunus!"

Sienna comforted the child the best she could and pulled her tighter against her chest. She could feel Deery's thumping heart as it's pulse raced through her veins. Sienna turned to the prison that she guarded. The Faunus wore a mixed look of conviction and confusion as she stood herself up and took Deery's hand. With a quivering shove, Sienna opened the steel doors and walked down the empty hallways to meet the man who seemed the most chatty of the prisoners.

"Vito?" She asked the slumped shadow who leaned against the wall.

"Eh? A visitor-rero?" The gunslinger coughed behind his iron bars.

"I'm here... to talk," Sienna grumbled.


"So you all think Hawkins is the culprit who assaulted the chief's daughter-rero?" Vito chuckled in the chains that bound his arms and legs. His body racked by scars and bruises, he still managed a thin smile as he greeted his unexpected visitors.

"All evidence points to it. We all saw him on the Belladonna's mansion roofs in that monstrous form. Once he was alone with Blake, he decided to commit his evil deed and be done with it." Sienna snapped.

"Nyororororo! And here I thought you Faunus considered yourselves an intelligent people!" Vito's chest heaved and his chains rattled.

Deery tightened her hold on Sienna's hand but remained silent.

"Go on, I'll let you speak your piece." The tiger Faunus huffed.

"Y'know, Hawkins was reluctant to visit Menagerie right from the get-go. He knew he wouldn't be accepted here, even if he meant no harm."

"You expect me to believe that? And where are you going with this?" Sienna scoffed.

"You don't know how powerful Hawkins can be. If he really wanted to, he would have torn apart and decimated your peaceful island. Ask Kuma, he's been on the receiving end of Straw Man Branwen, and he was hurt so bad it got his brain to start thinking again-rero!"

"You're not making any sense! How does any of this prove that Hawkins isn't guilty?!" Sienna growled in annoyance.

"Ahem."

Sienna and Deery jumped at the low toned interruption.

Before Vito could answer, Kuma decided to include himself in the conversation. Due to his size, the warlord wasn't allowed the pleasure of a cell, instead, all his limbs were tied down by dozens of thick iron chains and whatever weights and ropes the citizens could gather. Usually, such restraints were pointless against a man as large as he, but Monet and Vergo made sure to damage his inner circuitry to the point where only 1/4 of his already weakened strength remained. Positioned on the floor near Vito's cell, he turned his head to meet the puzzled stare of Sienna and sighed.

"Hawkins freed me from slavery in the Vacuo mines. If it weren't for him, I'd be pulling minecarts for the tyrants of the SDC beneath the earth. Never to see and feel the warm rays of the sun ever again."

Sienna's bit her lip and widened her eyes.

"Hawkins also has many admirers-rero!" Vito chirped.

"Why, if you call any of the numbers on his scroll you'd find plenty of people who'd speak on his behalf in a positive note-rero!"

"But he attacked the chief's daughter! You can't deny that!" Sienna shouted.

"Is that so? If he wanted the kid, Hawkins would have swung his club instead of reach out a hand for her don't you think-rero?" Vito snapped back.

The woman bit back a snarl, he wasn't wrong, but she didn't want to admit it.

"The question you need to be asking right now Ms. Khan is why was Vergo around when Hawkins' supposed assault on the chief's daughter occurred-rero." Vito licked his lips and used the tip of his tongue to dab a fresh cut on his forehead. When his gaze flicked back to Sienna, he grinned at her muddled expression.

"Vergo was there, but he protected Blake," Sienna muttered.

"Is that so? Tell me, if Vergo is Monet's partner, then why wasn't he at the white fang meeting too? It's a little suspicious isn't it-rero?" The gunslinger's comment finally forced the stubborn gears in Sienna's skull to turn.

"B-But Hawkins was there too!"

"Yes, but he had a reason to be there. It was to get his son's sword back. Did Vergo at least give you a reason for his sudden visit-rero?"

Slowly but surely, the woman began to deliberate the facts. What could have happened to the Belladonna's if she and Saber weren't present? Would someone like Vergo and Monet really commit an act of cold murder?

"Not to mention you said you were a friend of Hawkins. What do you think the citizens of Menagerie will do to you once their initial rage towards the magician, his family, and his friends subsides?" Kuma hummed.

"You're lucky Hawkins is innocent in this case. I bet if you and the citizens of Menagerie settled down and looked past the fact that Hawkins is a human, you'd see the true terrors that lurk in your island's shadows-rero."

Worry, doubt, and a plethora of other troubling emotions thundered in Sienna's mind. What was she supposed to do with this new information? She declined Vito's and Kuma's plea to be released but left to meet with Monet and Vergo for answers. Her weapon unraveled, Sienna hurried Deery out of the prison then made a be-line for the city square. Though in her state of panic, she failed to notice Deery slipping Vito a pair of lockpicks.

When Sienna arrived at her destination, she was shocked to see a steady line of blazing torches headed for the forests.


"I found the human!" Yuma screamed over the crowds and planted himself on the roof of a market stand.

"Yuma?!" Saber raised his voice, but his words were drowned by his fellow Faunus who begged for the magician's location.

"I was gliding over the nearby forests when I spotted him. He's taken refuge in the wreckage that washed up on the shores not too long ago. If we all hurry we can surround him in an hour or less!" Yuma said triumphantly, though he hesitated and the action did not go unnoticed.

"What's wrong Yuma?" Asked a tall Faunus with lizard scales.

"Well, it's not really a wreckage on the beach anymore, it actually looks like a ship..." The teen said and rubbed the back of his neck.

"We must wait for the chieftain's orders before we do anything!" Saber yelled atop a pile of crates stacked in the center of the square and garnered the attention of all Faunus present. Their hateful cries begging for retribution and justice against the human menace who plagued their utopia, they were on the verge of committing their own list of crimes for Oum's sake! And spilling the blood of his own people to maintain peace was a resort Saber didn't even want to consider.

It took most of Saber's troops to secure the perimeter, and prevent more outcries from spawning. He felt bad for leaving Sienna to watch over the prisoners, but it was a must to maintain order. However, now that he thought about it, Sienna seemed a little enthusiastic about her dangerous chore. The captain shook his head. Now was not the time to ponder about such a trivial thing. His priority at the moment was to keep the peace, though he had to admit he was failing miserably.

"Why can't we go after that blasted human?! He attacked the chieftain's daughter and nobody here can overlook such a fact!" Screamed a Faunus with a pig's tail.

"She's right! None of us are safe while that human menace still breathes!" A womanly voice shouted.

Saber's neck snapped to a slim and curvaceous woman with long green locks and amber eyes. Snowflakes pittered around her sneakers with every step and the crowds separated to allow her passage as she approached the captain's makeshift podium with a haughty smirk.

"Monet?!" Saber sputtered.

The woman ignored the captain's questions and turned her attention to the anxious and riled citizens of Menagerie. With her devil fruit powers, Monet created a stand made of snow that dwarfed that of Saber. With all eyes on the woman atop the frosted pile, Monet nodded to Vergo who was hidden in the crowd with a bright lantern in hand.

"I understand your frustration and grievances my fellow Faunus! For I too have suffered under human tyranny! I've seen humans commit acts that would leave you broken and depressed!" Monet raised her arms exasperatedly and shredded fake tears.

"It's true! Before I came to this island my family and I were scrutinized for our looks and spat upon!" Roared a Faunus with a pair of bear ears.

"My only son perished in a dust mine in Mantle, and only luck saved my dear daughter and me from slavery!" Cried a mother with a giraffe's tail.

Outbursts of oppression and abuse sprouted through the gathered crowds like wildfire. Each Faunus having their own traumatic experience to share. All the while the malevolent glint in Monet's eyes beamed with satisfaction.

"Yes, so you see that humans only exist to torment those who they deem beneath them! They never have to worry about starvation, they're allowed to settle and migrate wherever they see fit! Those monsters wouldn't understand what tortured pasts our shadows carry!" Monet shouted in giddy delight. The gazes aimed toward her burned with righteous fury.

"But this time, we can exact our revenge that we've been deprived of for so long! The blonde human who has plagued our island will finally receive the consequences for his people's cruel nature!"

Saber and his men observed the scene with paled faces. This wasn't a unified people, this was a mob rally!

"Hold on! This isn't how a civilized populace should act! If we shed blood for our own desires without a fair trial, then we are no better than the Grimm!" Saber dashed around Monet's podium and pleaded with the people he was sworn to protect.

The captain's speech was cut short by an abrupt sucker punch to the gut that broke through his chest plate and armor. Vergo stood over the gasping gerbil Faunus as he clutched his stomach and gasped for air.

"My cohort is giving a motivational speech. It's rude to interrupt." Vergo scoffed.

Saber's guards stepped forward to protect their captain but were stopped by a set of swift fists and kicks. One by one the Menagerie guard fell at the hands of Vergo. Those who were lucky enough to remain conscious were dragged to the base of Monet's stand and tossed on one another to form a pile of wounded soldiers. The citizens were shocked at Vergo's violent act, but Monet's voice clarified her cohort's intent.

"Please don't think lowly of my partner! But instead, see this as an example to those who would speak on a human's behalf! If Saber was truly a character who would fight for his people, he wouldn't protect the human's despicable allies who are locked behind bars!" Monet screamed in dismay.

"Not to mention the weakness in your chieftain's character! While Ghira's wisdom is exceptional, he doomed his family the moment he allowed the human to set foot on this island! Tell me, are you willing to follow such a soft ruler and have your loved ones suffer a similar fate like Blake's?!" Her momentum on the rise, the riled emotions of her audience blinded them from reason.

"Saber has also displayed his shortcomings! He failed to protect his chieftain's daughter, and now he's disappointed us as a populace! Now is not the time to hide behind weaklings who claim to be strong! Now we must take it upon ourselves to bare our fangs and show our own strength and resolve! If you won't take up arms for yourselves, then do so for our dear Ghira and Kali who are too distraught for their daughter's pathetic state to take action! This time, it is we who strike first against the BEAST of Menagerie!"

"YEAAAAH!" The surge of screams and roars echoed through the city and went past the wildlands. This was no longer a civilized people, instead, it was a gathering of bloodthirsty animals!

"DEATH TO THE HUMAN!"

"WE WILL PROTECT THIS ISLAND THAT'S RIGHTFULLY OURS!"

"KILL THE HUMAN BEAST!"

"That's right! Hawkins is only the first of the many humans who will fell our righteous wrath!" Monet yelled.

"YEAAAAAAAH!"

Monet jumped from her position and slid down her chilled podium as if it were a ramp. Planting herself next to Vergo in the middle of the mob, she took her partner's lantern and threw it on a nearby pile of straw and lumber. The lantern exploded and produced a blaze that ignited the raging hearts of her fellow Faunus and blocked out the peaceful rays of the white moon with its opaque smoke. Faunus broke apart fence lines and sharpened the ends to create jagged spears. The knocked-out bodies of Saber and his men were looted, and the citizens armed themselves with their swords and bows.

Satisfied with her foolish troops' preparations, Monet sucked in a deep breath and led a chorus of enraged Faunus with a wicked voice that sang through the island.

We're not safe until he's dead!~

He'll come back for Blake at night!~

Set to desecrate our city for his evil appetite!~

He'll wreak havoc on our island then our beloved community!~

So it's time to take some action lads!~

It's time to follow me!~

As Monet led the mob down the wide and dusty roads, Vergo passed out torches and the citizens greedily snagged one for themselves. The children were led away by the elderly, but the young ones cheered for the adults and teens and wished them a successful pursuit. One by one, a torch was set on fire and joined the many massses of snarling Faunus.

Down the streets!~

Past the trees!~

Through the darkness and the shadows!~

With the cries of blood and death, burning in their eyes!~

Say a prayer!~

Then we're there!~

On the gangplanks of a pirate!~

And within a hurt magician lurks inside!~

He's a beast!~

With red eyes!~

Deadly sharp ones!~

Limbs of straw!~

Iron nails used to reap!~

Hear him cry!~

See him bleed!~

But he won't have mercy!~

'Til he's dead!~

Good and dead!~

Kill the beast!~

Monet skipped along the narrowing paths, the bright flames of her fellow Faunus behind her, the citizens could not see the devilish smile plastered on her face. When the mob reached the entrance to the forest, Monet rubbed her eyes to produce fake tears and shifted her toothy grin for a scowl. She turned around and held up her torch for all of them to see and pointed toward the wide and sandy roads, but a frantic tiger Faunus broke through the crowds and blocked their view of Monet.

"Stop! You're making a mistake! Stop following this woman and think for a minute!" Sienna screamed at the top of her lungs and lashed out her personal weapon named Cerberus.

The steel whip's dust enhanced blades broke off the chain and exploded. This blew a thick cloud of dust into the air and when the dust settled, all eyes were now on Sienna. The crowd faltered at the genuine tears that streamed down Sienna's cheeks. Her conversation with the island's prisoners smoldering her hatred, she pleaded for the mob to see reason and consider the facts. However, a past fib led to Sienna's downfall.

"Wait a minute! You're friends with that human aren't you Sienna?!" Shouted a Faunus with bluegills on her cheeks.

"Please, let me explain!" As the crowds spiraled into further madness, Monet used this opportunity to freeze the rude Faunus who interrupted her fun. Held down by a yolk of snow, Sienna was dragged away by the same people she called her friends and thrown aside.

"For her treachery, Ms. Khan will share the same fate as Hawkins' underlings!" Monet jeered and the mob agreed with her wholeheartedly.

"You're making a mistake..." Sienna whimpered before a thick boot to the back of the head knocked her unconscious.

"We'll take her back Ms. Monet!" A set of twins with foxtails and a teen with bat wings declared and took it upon themselves to carry the supposed Faunus traitor back to the city.

"Adam, come on, it was a mistake to get mixed up in all of this." Beads of sweat trickling down his forehead, Yuma grabbed his friend by the wrist, but Adam shook him off and raised his torch at him.

"That despicable human hurt our friend! Don't you guys want to hurt him too?!" Adam roared and rejoined the mob.

Yuma glanced at the Albain brothers, but it was clear by their horrified expressions that they had their fill of hatred and they wanted out. Quiet as mice, the group carried an unconscious Sienna out of danger, but how long they'd be able to do so was a question that racked their minds.

"Now where was I? Ah yes," Monet giggled and turned her attention back on the forest paths.


Raise your torch!~

Take your spear!~

Screw your hatred to the sticking place!~

We're counting on Monet to lead the way!~

On the sands!~

By the shore!~

Where within a sunken wreckage!~

The magician's counting down his final days!~

He's a beast!~

One as tall as a scarecrow!~

We won't rest!~

'Till he's good and deceased!~

Sally forth!~

On we go!~

Grab your swords!~

Knock your bows!~

Praise lord Oum and here we go!~

Kill the beast!~

The mob reached the end of the forest and a clear plan of white sand lay beneath their feet. In the distance, a large ship held together by bent nails, splintered planks, and rusted metal came into view. Monet's sickly smile stretched from ear to ear and she picked up her pace as the cries behind her begged for blood.

We don't like!~

What we don't, understand!~

In fact it scares us!~

And this human is mysterious as least!~

Wave your guns!~

Get your knives!~

Grab your children and your wives!~

We'll save Menagerie and our lives!

We'll kill the beast!~

This was too good to be true, not only had Monet managed to sway the citizens to resent Hawkins, but many of them wished to join her after she left Menagerie as well.

"Doffy will be very pleased." Monet chuckled haughtily.


From the decks of the Grudgedorf, Trifa peeked over the wooden railings in horror. Closing in on her location was a cluster of torches and the Faunus who held them burned with hatred and disgust. Trifa ran across the upper deck to warn Hawkins and his kids, but they were useless in their current state.

Hawkins was out cold. The rags used as bandages drenched in blood, the powerful magician was in no condition to fight a horde of angry Faunus. As for Jaune, his recent outburst of negative waves had taken their toll and after expelling his old fake devil fruit for a new one, he was down for the count and Emerald was definitely out of the picture after her strange elemental outburst. This left Trifa, and a tired Funkfreed to take charge. However, the duo would receive a third unexpected aid.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Grudgedorf shouted.

Trifa yelped and tilted her head with curled brows at a small glittering and hooded figure on her shoulder.

"I failed my captain once, and I'll never do it again! So come one, if it's a fight they want that's what they'll get!" Grudgedorf declared and ran toward the rows of cannons and gunpowder. As the song and tunes of the mob drew closer to the ship, Trifa, Funkfreed, and the fairy found themselves joining the roaring songs with worried expressions.

"Loot whatever treasure you can find, but remember, I want Hawkins alive!" Monet cheered as she fabricated a log made of snow that the most muscular Faunus picked up to ram and break down the cracked hull of Hawkins' ship. Of course, Monet and Vergo could complete the task with ease, but having the angry Faunus join together to eliminate their common enemy served as a better way to get them under her thumb.

Raise the sails!~

Hoist the flag!~

The Grudgedorf's back in service!~

To protect its loving captain and his kids!~

There's the break!~

Here we come, we're fifty strong!~

And fifty Faunus can't be wrong!~

Let's kill the beast!~

Kill the beast!~

KILL THE BEAST!~

With the shrill cries of murder and self-proclaimed justice booming across the sands, little did the citizens of Menagerie know their gathered cluster of hatred and anger had awoken a real slumbering monster beneath the disturbed waves lurking in the nearby ocean...