Chapter 1: Welcome to the Family

I do not own One Piece! That will always belong to Eiichiro Oda! I only own my OCs. Back in 2009, I created Arlong's brothers, Tarlong and Garth. I finally decided to tell the story of their life.

Drake Swordblade and his partner arrived at the marine base at Montoro Town, where the two were escorted to the base's captain. Drake stood 7'1/2" tall with a muscular build with long dark brown hair, with a beard and mustache that was the same color. For a man who was in his early fifties, he was still good-looking. He wore a black hooded poncho with brown stripes over a tan short sleeve shirt. He wore faded old stonewash jeans and western-style boots.

Drake's partner was a tiger sawtooth Fishman hybrid named Breaker. Breaker was a shortnose sawtooth with golden brown skin with black jagged stripes, and his short hair was a greyish-white. He was half a foot taller than Drake and wore a denim vest and baggy black knee-length shorts, which held up with a dark grey wide canvas military-style belt. With him being a Fishman, Breaker wore no shoes.

The bounty hunter with his partner stood before the base's captain one Buford T. Justice. Captain Justice was a man who needed a diet and a uniform that would actually fit him. "What brings you, boys, here?" he said with a heavy southern drawl.

Drake pulled a folded piece of paper from his back pant's pocket, placing it on the captain's desk, sliding it toward the man. "Here's a list of all the bounties we brought in two days ago."

"Is that so?" Buford said as he picked up the paper, unfolding it to read. "A total of six million beli worth in bounties, eh?"

"Yeah," Drake replied.

"Now, why should the government pay such an outrageous price?"

Breaker growled as his green eyes narrowed at that man. "Did you not read some of the names on the paper? They were big bounties, and we got them."

"True true," Buford muttered. "Some of them boys indeed up in the morgue, though."

The shark hybrid growled his frustration, and Drake calmly placed a hand on his friend's chest. "It can't be helped if they decided to be uncooperative."

The marine captain said nothing as he scratched at his fat stomach. He looked at the paper again, and before Drake and Breaker's eyes, he tore the paper up. He threw the torn pieces at Drake, laughing while he did it. "Why you fat lazy-," Breaker said with a snarl, his fists raised.

"Go right ahead," the marine captain said, raising a pistol he had hid in his desk drawer. "And I'll kill ya right where ya stand."

Drake struggled to hold Breaker back, knowing that his friend would get killed. "Please, old friend," he said. "It's not worth it."

The shark man glanced at him. "Those bounties...doesn't this idiot realize how long it took us," he said.

"Drake, I suggest you get your pet out of here before I kill me a lousy stinking fish."

Drake almost had to drag Breaker out of the captain's office before the Fishman lost all control. The bounty hunter was seething with silent rage. He hated Buford with every living fiber of his being. He had yet to be paid for the bounties from a year ago. 'Curse that man.' Drake thought angrily. 'I'm surprised that marine headquarters has not removed this bastard yet. He cheats not only us but his own marines out of money.'

~~.~~.~~

"Rotten bastard cheating us out of our money." Breaker growled.

Drake said nothing as they walked back to the town they lived in. He was not looking forward to telling Mary that Buford refused to pay him the reward for all the bounties once more. 'What am I suppose to do now? I need that money so we can survive."

"Isn't that old Meadowbrook with Bo and Cledus?" the hybrid Fishman said as he jerked his head to the wagon that was sitting by Drake's home.

Meadowbrook leaned against the back horse-drawn wagon smoking his pipe while his helpers, Bo and Cledus, carried what appeared to be a baby crib. "What is going on here?" Drake asked, his eyes staring toward the front of his home.

"You best go and ask your wife." the old ex-pirate said with a chuckle. "Breaker, do you think you could kindly carry those two big chests inside."

Breaker and Drake looked at one another before the bounty hunter hurried inside. "Mary?" he could out. "What is going on?"

Mary, Drake's wife, was a plump woman who stood 6' 5" tall with red hair in a braided ponytail with warm chocolate-colored eyes. She wore a checkered button-down shirt with rolled-up sleeves under a red vest and chestnut color pants tucked into heavy work boots. "Drake," she said, taking hold of her husband's hands, and there was a big smile on her face. "I'm glad you're here."

"Really?" Drake looked at her and wondered was what she was up to. "Love, can you please tell me why Meadowbrook and his boys are here?"

"I'll show you." his wife led him to the spare bedroom, which would have been the nursery, and over to the crib.

Drake's eyes widen when he saw what was lying there, something he never thought he would ever see; two baby sawtooth boys. "Where did they come from?"

"Meadowbrook said they were on one of his ships that came in today," Mary said.

Breaker hearing them, came in and blinked when he saw the infant boys. "I have never heard of babies being abandon." It was then one the boys moved his tiny arms, and the shark hybrid saw the reason. "His right hand is malformed."

"What." Drake looked and saw his friend spoke true. The boy with the malformed hand was a dark grey in color, while his brother was silver in color and had yet to make a sound. "Breaker, are you saying that their mother abandoned these two?"

Breaker looked at his friends with sad eyes. "Yes," he said. "It is a good thing that they were found."

"Why?" Mary asked.

"They're less than two days old, and they would have perished soon."

Hearing that, Mary fussed over the pair. "Oh, my poor baby boys." she stroked their arms. "My sweet little angels."

"Mary, we can't keep them, let alone raise them," Drake said.

"Drake, how can you say that?" she looked at her husband. "These poor babies need someone to look after them, and who cares if they are different."

"Buford did not pay for those bounties we brought in." Breaker said.

"Why does that not surprise me?"

Drake, Mary, and Breaker looked to see Meadowbrook leaning in the doorframe. "That man has one hell of a death wish, and he may yet get it."

Drake looked at the old pirate before he sighed. "Meadowbrook, you know, saying something like that could get you in serious trouble."

The old pirate laughed. "Maybe, but we all know how well the good ole' captain is loved," he said with a nasty grin. "We all know there is plenty of people who would love to see that man dead. Enough talk about the base trash. I rather we focus on your little ones."

"Our little ones?" Drake shook his head. "Mead, I know you mean well, but I do not have the money to raise them."

"That is where you are wrong, Swordblade," Meadowbrook said. "I have taken care of that for you."

"What do you mean?" Mary asked.

"Please come out to the kitchen, and you shall see."

In the kitchen, sitting on the floor, were the two large chests Breaker had carried in. Meadowbrook motioned for his helpers, Bo and Cledus, to open the chests, and Drake, Mary, and Breaker all gasped at the sight of the treasure within, from gold coins to different gems that varied in sizes and colors. Meadowbrook stood smiling like he was the legendary Gold D. Roger. Drake recovered first as he looked at the man who just bequeathed them a great gift.

"Why?" he asked. "Why are you doing this? We have done nothing to"

Meadowbrook held up a hand. "I know you and Mary have wanted a family for so long that I believe the gods, no matter who they are, decided that those poor little innocents deserved to be found and given a chance to live. So I have made sure that their future is secured with parents who will love them and raise them right."

Breaker shook his head. "For a human, even if you were once a pirate, know the purity of the hearts these two have."

"Words could not have been more well-spoken, loyal Breaker." the old pirate said. "I have not forgotten you and you undevoted loyalty as well as friendship to Drake and Mary. I have made sure that even you shall be well."

The Fishman gave a short gasped. "Why would you even do that for the likes of me?"

"As I said, my friend, you have been loyal to Drake and his wife, and you deserve to have a share of my acquired wealth."

"Why are you doing this?" Mary asked not that the woman was ungrateful for Meadowbrook's generosity.

Meadowbrook did a sweeping bow. "I will be leaving this island, and I am making sure that those who are in need, no matter who they are, are taken care of."

"What of your business?" Drake asked.

"Meadowbrook left that to us," Cledus said with a grin. "So we'll still be good all the good stuff in."

"We'll pretend that we all did not hear that." Breaker said, knowing full well that the good stuff was everything illegal no matter what it was.

"Now that is taken care of," Meadowbrook said. "Breaker, let's us stop at your home and unload your wealth."

~~.~~.~~

Drake and Mary stood in the nursery looking at their sons, both wondering if all that just happened was a dream, and yet they knew it wasn't. "So, have you idea what we should name them?" Drake asked.

"How about we each give them a name?" Mary suggested.

Drake nodded to the idea. Why not? It was only fair to do so. He looked at the boy whose right hand was malformed and pondered a good name. "What do you think of Tarlong?" he asked, resting a hand on the back of the baby's head.

"I like it," Mary said. She looked at his silent brother and knew in her heart what name to give him. "His brother will be called Garth after my dear father."

"It is a good name, my love," Drake said. He reached down and scooped both boys up into his arms, smiling down at them. "Hello, my sons. Welcome to the Swordblade family."

So begins the story of Tarlong and Garth. Rember to Read and Review.