Author's Note: Good evening, everyone! So, this chapter is a bit of an interlude or a 'calm before the storm', if you will. We're going to take a look at some of the other citadels and the preparations for Kidd's big meeting that will take place next chapter. I've also sprinkled some important plot points in ;) Anyway, I hope ya'll enjoy it!

To FrwydChykn: Lol definitely XD

To BlueHeartNina: There will definitely be more Ace and Luffy bonding! I love those brothers too much to not provide more fluff.

To Irene Sharda: I'm so glad you're enjoying this story so far! It's really fun to write the opposing sides and the complicated politics going on with both of them. Lol 'just turn Luffy and be done with it' XD I'm sure Ace would be happy about that! Yeah, poor Acey is the only one in the dark, but it won't last long ;) Thank you so much for the sweet review and I hope you enjoy the update!

WARNINGS:

- Vampire/humans relations

- AKA Slavery

- The Vinsmoke family sucks

Luffy popped a piece of fruit into his mouth and hummed happily at the taste, his plate of pancakes now empty. He'd made sure to take his time since he wasn't sure when he'd be getting more. With the vampires in control of his whole life (and diet), there was no telling what they'd bring him for each meal.

Ace stood at the end of his bed, looking down at the courtyard. The vampire seemed troubled by the strange activity of the last few hours and had gently moved the curtains back so he could get a better view of the front gate.

"Looks like things are going back to normal…" His brother whispered, eyeing the retreating vampires below. "Wonder what happened."

Luffy followed Ace's movements as he backed away from the window and took his plate from him with a fond smile.

"Thanks, Ace."

"No problem, Lu." He replied, placing the dish on the floor so he could ruffle Luffy's hair, "It's good to see you feeling better."

"Yeah…I do feel a little better." Luffy admitted, thinking back to their earlier conversation. It felt good to finally talk to someone about what happened to him. Plus, he finally felt like Ace was more of a brother and less of a captor, which really helped to reduce his stress levels.

'Though I'm still a prisoner.' The boy thought with a sigh, bunching his fist in the soft blankets around his waist. No amount of good food and brotherly bonding would give him his freedom back.

A knock at the door startled Luffy back to reality.

"Apologies for the wait." Torao said, entering the cell with a surprisingly relaxed expression on his face. Luffy drooped slightly when the door was closed behind him. "Things got a bit…hectic."

"What happened?" Ace questioned, crossing his arms, "Looked like we were prepping for an attack or something."

"Eustass-ya ordered a drill." Torao explained while putting medical gloves on, "Don't worry, it was nothing serious."

Luffy tensed at the name, picturing the scary vampire Lord in his mind. The last time he saw the red-haired creature, he'd accused him of horrible things. Hopefully he wouldn't see him again anytime soon…or at all. The boy swallowed nervously when Torao sat on his bed and gently lifted his chin, so he could get a better look at his neck.

"Now…how are you feeling, Luffy-ya? You gave us quite the scare."

"Okay, I guess." He muttered, glancing up to Ace for support. His brother smiled softly at him, nodding in encouragement. "I-I…I'm sorry…I just couldn't stop myself." Torao hummed and lightly rubbed on the bandage around his neck, reapplying its adhesive.

"It's all right, we don't blame you. If anything, it's Eustass-ya's fault for dredging up bad memories from your past. Marco-ya gave him quite the earful."

"He did?" Ace put in, eyebrow raised in surprise. Torao chuckled lowly at his question.

"Believe it or not, Ace-ya, your sire works very hard to ensure the health and safety of all humans under our protection. There's no way he would stand by while Luffy-ya was pushed to harm himself." The boy bit his lip at that statement, hating how it sounded. Torao pulled off his gloves and fixed Luffy in place with a firm stare. "I want you to rest for the remainder of the day. It will take a while for the sedative to completely wear off."

Luffy nodded numbly, big eyes finding the discarded collar laying on the dresser across the room. He didn't want to wear it again…even if it meant forgoing his outside privileges. Law followed his gaze and quietly made his way over to the device.

"Don't worry, Luffy-ya," The vampire said in a surprisingly gentle tone as he picked up the collar, "You will no longer be required to use this."

"What? Really?" He questioned, surprised his captors were discontinuing the device so soon after it was first introduced.

"I will not condone the use of equipment that causes you more harm than good." Torao continued, pocketing the infernal thing so it was out of sight, "That being said, I recommend you take care to behave. There are other instruments I could try…should it become necessary."

Luffy paled, recognizing the statement as a veiled threat.

"I-I understand. I'll be good."

Torao inclined his head, seemingly pleased with his answer.

"Glad to hear it." The vampire then turned to Ace. "Now, what do you say we give your brother some time to recuperate? He's had a long and difficult day." Ace made a sound of agreement and bent down to pick up Luffy's food tray.

"You need anything else, Lu?"

"Not right now…thanks for asking though." Luffy replied, smiling tiredly up at his big brother. Ace winked at him and followed Torao out, locking the door behind him. Once he was alone, the boy nuzzled down into the soft pillow and exhaled slowly, enjoying the silence.

The following day, the citadel bustled with activity, everyone doing their part to prepare for the meeting. Marco stood on his balcony overseeing the work, pleased with how quickly everyone forgot the tension of the prior day. In a way, it was like a great burden had been lifted now that they didn't have to tip-toe around the purebloods anymore.

Though…the idea of having to sit in a meeting with their neighboring Lords didn't exactly appeal to him, especially after their recent falling-out with Upper Yard.

"How's it look?" Kidd asked, not looking up from whatever project he was working on. Marco sighed and turned to the younger vampire.

"Good, though you have yet to answer my question as to why you're in my room."

"Wanted to kill two birds with one stone." He said, sticking part of his tongue out as he drew a thin line on his blueprints, "…how're the D's? I haven't seen Ace around much today."

"Ace is probably asleep somewhere, yoi." Marco chuffed, recalling how his fledgling had a habit of 'needing rest' when there was work to be done, "As for Luffy, Law says he's doing fine at the moment. His wounds, new and old, are healing quickly."

Kidd hummed and frowned down at the parchment in front of him.

"Have you had any contact with the Charlotte? About…you know."

"Yes, I spoke with him this morning." Marco continued, "Katakuri will seal the boy as soon as the meeting is concluded, yoi."

While he was glad the pureblood was willing to perform the seal, Marco dreaded having to explain to Ace why it had to be done. From experience, he knew that sealing ceremonies were messy, long, and very painful. In a way, he felt sorry for the child…having to endure such a painful ritual at his age.

'But it's for his own good.' Marco thought, passing his hands through the sleeves of his kimono. Sealing Luffy early would allow for him to live out the rest of his life as a mostly normal human, and they wouldn't have to worry about his powers ever developing into something dangerous. Ultimately, it was the best choice for everyone involved.

"We gonna keep hiding all of this from Ace?" Kidd asked while neatly folding the parchment, "From what you said, it sounds like his memories are coming back pretty quickly…why not just bite the bullet and tell him?"

"Because there's a good chance he'll try to kill us, yoi." Marco answered calmly, eyes catching sight of Ace down in the courtyard, slinking out from behind one of the stables with a yawn. Frankly, if he could have his way, he'd rather not tell Ace at all, but there was no stopping his memories from returning now that he'd reunited with Luffy. "If we tell him, it will be after this meeting and in a controlled space where he won't be able to do as much damage."

"Geez, you really think he'll turn on you like that?"

"Yes, yoi. He will." Marco added in a soft voice, eyes softening for a moment. Kidd only knew Ace as he was now. He'd never met the angry, violent, extraordinarily powerful young D who'd come hunting for the Whitebeard clan all those years ago.

The boy who hated vampires more than anything and most certainly hadn't joined them willingly…though he didn't remember that.

"All right, well, we can talk about it later." Kidd continued, waving off his statement and standing to his feet, "First things first…"

"Would you care for my honest opinion?"

"Sure."

"I don't think this meeting is going to go smoothly, yoi." Marco stated, looking over his shoulder at the retreating form of their young Lord, "Even with Katakuri there, you are gathering some very powerful and opinionated vampires into a small room. There's bound to be conflict."

"Yeah, I know…and I'm looking forward to it."

Marco sighed as Kidd left the room. The pureblood's confidence in himself was commendable but negotiating was not an easy skill to master. Hopefully he'd at least keep them from going to war…or killing each other.

Luffy stretched his arm out above his head, whining as his spine elongated. He'd had a good night, actually, and was feeling pretty rested after the events of the day before. The boy was currently curled up on the couch in his 'room', desperately needing a break from being in bed.

He hadn't had a good opportunity to truly explore the space until now and was grateful the vampires had thought to give him some of the softest pillows and stuffed animals they had. Luffy hugged a stuffed dog to his chest, smiling to himself.

He was probably too old for these kinds of things…but whatever. He was a prisoner and this was what they gave him to entertain himself, so he was going to cuddle with it.

Luffy hadn't seen Ace, Sabo, or Torao yet today and he was starting to get lonely again. Hopefully someone would stop by soon…

Just as the thought crossed his mind, the guards began to speak to someone outside the door, indicating someone was about to enter. Luffy immediately perked up and swung his shackled feet over the edge of the couch. Who was it? Did they have food?

However, his good mood vanished the second he registered who his visitor was.

"Yo, glad to see you're up and about."

"Y-You-" Luffy managed, curling into himself in fear. It was Eustass Kidd, the current Lord of the citadel. What did he want? The vampire held up his hands placatingly while slipping a bag off his shoulder.

"Relax. I'm not gonna do anything to you." The Lord huffed and took a seat in front of the couch, crossing his legs, "Actually, I'm here to apologize."

"Apologize?" Luffy echoed, still hugging the toy puppy with all his might, inwardly praying his brother or Sabo would come save him. Kidd nodded and leaned on his right hand, piercing eyes examining Luffy's trembling body.

"That's right. I was wrong to say those things to you and wanted to give you a peace offering, if you'll accept it."

Luffy blinked in confusion as the vampire began to dig around in his bag. What was he saying? Vampires didn't ask for forgiveness from humans. Well, he knew some of them were nicer than others, but this was a Lord, and he was nothing but the citadel's prized pet.

After what felt like forever, Kidd pulled out a folded piece of parchment and tossed it to him, causing Luffy to yelp in fright and barely manage to catch it.

"Take a look."

Luffy gulped nervously as he worked to unfold the paper. He certainly hoped it wouldn't involve reading…

When he finally managed to open it and examine the drawing, his eyes widened in shock. There, expertly drawn in dark ink, was a schematic for what could only be described as a robotic arm. Its design was sleek and made Luffy's heart rate speed up in excitement.

"T-This is…"

"One of my originals." Kidd explained with a smirk, "Figured it would suck to go the rest of your life with half an arm. What do ya say? Interested?"

"Yes!" Luffy exclaimed, fingers crumbling the parchment slightly, "I-If that's okay?"

"Sure it is, I designed the damn thing with you in mind." Luffy met the vampire's gaze in surprise. He was willing to create something like this…for him? A human? "I just have to get a few measurements, okay?"

Luffy nodded and placed both the stuffed animal and schematic on the couch, allowing the vampire to approach. While Kidd wrapped a measuring tape around his residual limb, the boy attempted to process what was happening. He was going to get a new arm? A metal one?

"Why? I'm just a human." He found himself asking, causing Kidd's gaze to flick to his for a split second before going back to his arm.

"Cause I'm not good at this kind of thing…you know, apologizing. It's easier for me to make something and call us even."

'I thought you did a pretty good job.' Luffy mused, looking down at the tape when it was held against the inside of his arm. Once he was done measuring, Kidd murmured numbers to himself and typed them into a device hanging on his belt.

"All right, I'll come back when I have it done."

Luffy reached out his hand towards the vampire when he turned to leave, catching his attention.

"I-I…thank you."

"No problem. Be good, yeah?"

The boy inclined his head and watched the pureblood leave, excitement bubbling up in his chest.

A robot arm?

Freaking epic.

He couldn't wait to tell Ace. His brother would be so jealous.

Germa

Sanji hummed happily as he packed his bags for the journey ahead, thrilled he finally had the opportunity to get out of the hell hole he (unfortunately) called home. For once, being seen as completely useless came in handy.

"This isn't a vacation you know."

"It is for me." Sanji shot back, glaring at his sister who never bothered to knock, "In case you haven't noticed, living here isn't exactly a pleasant experience for us failures. Father is probably hoping something goes horribly wrong and I don't make it back."

"Oh come now…" Reiju cooed, walking into his room with hips swaying, "Don't talk like that. I'm sure, deep down, he cares."

"Yeah, right." Sanji scoffed, turning his attention back to his bags. His Father, the great Vinsmoke Judge, didn't have time for beings with feelings or a sense of morality. Sanji had witnessed firsthand his cruelty and superiority complex.

It was the reason he often found the company of humans to be so refreshing.

Even caged like animals, they were kinder to him than his family ever was. There were a few in particular (most of whom were dead now) that came to mind. They'd accepted scared little Sanji when he needed a place to hide from his brothers and told him stories about things that seemed impossible.

Honestly, he'd expected to be rejected and hated because of his status as a pureblood vampire, a member of the group that oppressed them. And yet, he quickly discovered that if he treated them with respect, they would return the favor.

"I don't know when I'll be back." Sanji said, throwing his bag over his shoulder, "Hopefully not for a long time…or at all." Reiju hummed and stepped forward so she was directly in front of him. He sighed when the vampiress straightened his collar.

"…be careful."

"I will." Sanji replied, gently pushing her away. Out of all his siblings, Reiju was the one he hated the least. She at least had some feelings and possessed the ability to be kind, though she often hid it behind a mask of indifference.

As he walked out of his room, he stopped to examine himself in the mirror. His usual suit was stored away for the trip, replaced by a thick leather coat and tall boots that would protect him from the harsh environment outside their walls. The outfit was a bit uncomfortable but necessary if he was to survive the journey to the Moby Dick.

Before he made his way to the garage, he turned, heading out into the back courtyard, one of the only green places left in the citadel after his father last 'expanded' his lab. Currently, it was used as a graveyard. Sanji plucked a flower from one of the mounds where the bodies of unknown and unnamed humans were buried from centuries ago and walked to the largest gravestone in the area.

"Hey, Mom." He whispered, placing the flower on the stone, "I'm finally leaving this awful place, just like you told me to. It's not exactly how I imagined I'd go, but it'll work."

Sanji chuckled lightheartedly, picturing the blonde women in his thoughts. She'd always been so good to him and hadn't deserved the death she'd suffered.

"Anyway, I just wanted to come say goodbye. Hopefully Reiju will keep your grave looking nice while I'm gone. Wish me luck." With that, he stood to his feet and wandered over to the far corner where a mossy stone was haphazardly placed, Sanji's attempt at a proper stone for of the humans he'd befriended years before.

She was a fierce women and had fought bitterly until the end, always trying to escape so that she could get back to her brother. Sanji had actually attempted to smuggle her out but failed, ultimately causing her more harm than good. She'd died at the hand of his brother, Niji, while he was forced to watch.

'I'm so sorry…' He thought, resting a hand on the little round stone, 'If only I was stronger, maybe you would be leaving with me.'

Furrowing his brow in determination, Sanji stood to his feet and walked to the garage with purpose, sending low-ranking goons scurrying out of his way. Though he didn't use it often, his bike was still in good shape and would serve his purposes well. He coughed when he pulled the tarp off it and began to secure his bag to the back.

"Oh…look who's finally leaving. The failure." Sanji grimaced at Yonji's voice, the annoying bastard. A glance over his shoulder revealed that all three of his tormentors had gathered to see him off. How nice.

"What do you three want?"

"Just thought you might want to have a little bite to eat before you left." Niji taunted, throwing a human at Sanji's feet. He growled at the action, recognizing the female as a newcomer his brothers had taken a liking to. She was covered in bruises, bite marks, and barely any clothing.

"M-M-Master Sanji." She stuttered, swiftly crawling up to him so she could hide herself behind his leg. The poor girl's name was Cosette (not that his brothers had bothered to learn it) and Sanji often slipped her food and allowed her to rest in his room during 'feeding times'.

"What did you bastards do to her!?" He snarled, eyes turning red as he rested a protective hand on Cosette's light brown locks. If there was one thing he hated more than anything, it was seeing women mistreated. The fairer sex was to always be cherished like the jewels they were and the knowledge that his brothers laid a hand on Cosette made his blood boil.

"I don't know why you care so much, Sanji." Ichiji put in nonchalantly, "It's just a human. Besides, whether we like it or not, you're going to be representing our family at this conference and it wouldn't do for you to drop dead before then, so drink up. We're kindly offering you sustenance…don't turn your nose up at it."

He knew his brother was referencing his continual refusal to drink directly from humans without their permission. Well, jokes on him, he'd been given blood by a very kind elderly women just a few hours before, bless her heart. One of the many humans he looked after since his father refused to.

"You're all scum." Sanji growled, wasting no time removing his jacket and placing it around Cosette's shoulders. The girl looked up at him with veiled gratitude, fear coming off her in waves. It pained him to know that she was still afraid of him.

While his brothers laughed (or threatened him, in Yonji's case), Sanji dug around in his bag and pulled out another jacket, slipping it on over his long-sleeved shirt. Once he was once again properly protected, he knelt down and zipped up Cosette's jacket, causing her to jolt in surprise.

"It's okay…I'm going to get you out of here." He whispered, gently cupping her cheek, "Trust me, you won't be harmed."

Cosette nodded numbly and didn't fight when he picked her up and placed her on his bike.

"Oi, oi, what do you think you're doing?"

"This is what you wanted, right?" He said, wrapping his scarf around his face and flipping Cosette's too big hood over her hair, "I'm taking a snack for the road."

Sanji ignored his brothers' protests and slipped goggles over his head, securing them around his face. Once he was ready, he stepped onto the bike, wrapping a protective arm around Cosette's too thin waist. The ride would be hard on her, but anywhere was better than this hell.

"Later losers." He yelled over the sound of his bike's engine, pulling out of the garage at intense speed. Sanji smirked under his scarf at his brother's response, all of them attempting to run after him. Just before he made it to the exit, he flipped them off, causing them to yell something nonsensical back to him.

Oh yeah, totally worth it.

Once he made it out the front gate and into the wastes, he was immediately hit in the face with a face full of hot sand, which was surprisingly refreshing. At least out here, he could feel alive. The ride to the Moby Dick would take a while but he should arrive by the following day, just in time for the mysterious meeting the other clan's new Lord had called.

'Hopefully the Whitebeards will take her in…' Sanji mused, grip tightening around the poor human in front of him. She would be much better off with them than with his horrible family. He'd failed so many times to save humans…the least he could do was save this one. 'Watch over me…Kuina.'

Rain Base

Crocodile puffed on a cigar, watching the wastes go by out the window of the vehicle that was currently transporting him across the desert. Unfortunately, the journey from Rain Base to the Whitebeard's citadel was long and tedious, which meant more time spent in transit than he would prefer.

"More blood, Sir Crocodile?"

"No thanks." He replied, turning to face Nico Robin. The vampiress was watching him with an amused glint in her eye. "What is it? Do you have something to say?"

"Not at all," She stated, taking a sip from her own cup, "I am simply curious to see how you will interact with the Whitebeards after so long. Did you bring any tribute for them?"

"Why should I?" Crocodile said with a snort, "They call a meeting out of nowhere and expect me to come sniveling with gifts?" Robin chuckled.

"I jest, Sir Crocodile. I doubt they expect anything from you."

Crocodile took another drag, annoyed with the woman's pestering. Frankly, he was annoyed with many things, first and foremost the fact that he had to leave the comfort of his citadel and traverse the damned desert to attend a meeting about who knows what.

'However, it could prove entertaining.' He mused, thinking to the business he'd heard about with Upper Yard. Crocodile enjoyed being witness to the latest gossip and drama amongst the clans. The Lord looked down at his goblet, lukewarm blood shuddering within.

Though he'd love nothing more than to bring a few of his pets along for the ride, it was considered extremely rude to bring humans marked by your citadel to another. To do so was to insinuate their humans weren't good enough and ran the risk of insulting your host.

Crocodile was many things, but he was not uncivilized.

"Did you hear who was moderating the discussion?"

"Yeah…Dogtooth." He answered, lips curling up into a smirk, "Should be interesting."

"Indeed."

Totto Land

Katakuri stood apart from his siblings during the Tea Party, lost in thought. Naturally, he was honored to be called by Marco as a moderator, but he couldn't help but think about the other reason he was attending the conference.

'Monkey D. Luffy…' To think that scared little boy was a D. Honestly, it was hard to believe. The kid had been so traumatized by whatever happened to him in that hole it was difficult to convince him to eat let alone fend for himself. Katakuri supposed he should've checked harder for the pendant he no doubt had at that time, but he hadn't thought to look.

No…he and his brothers had simply kept him from dying and then left him at a nearby 'watering hole'. Katakuri had been tempted to keep him, but Oven disagreed, convinced the boy would die before reaching Totto Land. Thankfully, a group of humans came by and took the child in. He didn't know what happened to him after that, until he came across him completely by chance a few weeks before.

'And the next time I see him, he loses an arm.' Katakuri mused, picturing the horrific scene in his mind. Would he be even more traumatized when he finally saw him again? The poor thing couldn't catch a break.

Still, being sealed would open up opportunities for a peaceful life. He'd be able to live with the Whitebeards without worry and would be well taken care of. Hopefully, little Luffy would understand.

For many D's, to be sealed was the ultimate humiliation, but the boy's abilities had yet to fully develop. From what he heard from Marco, Luffy was likely not even aware of its existence, but it was smart to snuff it out before it became a problem. Katakuri already had a plan in place to ensure the process was as stream-lined and painless as possible.

All he needed was a quiet room where he could concentrate, clean linens, bandages…what else?

"Not going to join the festivities, brother?" Brulee asked, leaning against the wall next to him with a cup of fresh blood in her hand.

"Too much on my mind."

"About that meeting at the Moby Dick?"

Katakuri nodded. Hopefully he'd be able to keep the Lords in line and seal the young D without any issues…but deals between vampires were notoriously chaotic.

Who knows how it would go…

Upper Yard

"Oi, hurry the hell up! I don't have all day!" Enel roared, causing his subordinates to yelp in fear and speed up the process of loading his transport vehicle. It was large and had plenty of space for both him and the group of humans he was bringing with him.

No way was he drinking blood from any of the Whitebeards' filthy horde.

Besides, he had every intention of insulting them in every way he could and this was a damn good place to start. There was no way he would let them get away with the humiliation he suffered during their last interaction.

"Come find me when the preparations are complete." Enel ordered one of his subordinates before re-entering the main building of his citadel. If it was going to take so long, he would wait inside his home in comfort. Eventually, he found himself on a balcony high above the little worker ants who served him.

Oh how he enjoyed looking down on others. The feeling of being in control and having servants who worshipped the ground you walked on was simply intoxicating.

"Enjoying the view?"

Enel immediately straightened up at the unfamiliar voice and turned to glare at whoever who stupid enough to invade his personal space. It was a vampire draped in a black cloak, his face hidden except for a greasy, black beard that poked out underneath.

"And who might you be? Speak quickly, and I might make your death painless."

"I'm someone like you…someone who hates the Whitebeards and everything they stand for."

"Oh…?" Enel muttered, inwardly debating how best to kill the intruder. He so hated to have his musing interrupted. "And why have you come to see me? Too afraid to confront them yourself?"

"Not quite." The stranger said with a smirk, reaching up to push his hood back. Enel's eyes widened with shock at the vampire underneath. He recognized the man! But he had been missing for so long…where had he been hiding!? "As I'm sure you now realize, I've done my fair share of damage to that clan, and I can offer you the ability to reveal their secrets to the world."

"Why should I trust you?" Enel questioned, "You, the man who betrayed his Lord like it was nothing and look like your body is about to fall apart. No offense." It was true, the vampire had pieces of flesh and puss falling off his body like he was diseased. No doubt a side effect of devout discipleship to the Empty King, part of the reason Enel had never gotten involved.

He would never give up his perfect body (or bend a knee to another).

"Unfortunately, I lost my panacea a few years ago…" The vampire admitted sheepishly, flicking a dry piece of skin from his face, "but I fully intend to get him back."

"You haven't answered my question, knave."

"Feel free to kill me, if that's what you want." The vampire said with a shrug, "But if you do, you'll lose your chance to hit the Whitebeards where it hurts."

"You'll have to get a bit more specific." Enel commanded, disliking the vague answers of the other. The filthy creature laughed, showing off his checkerboard teeth. Only his fangs remained in decent shape.

"Tell me…how many D's do you think they're hiding in that citadel of theirs?"

Enel swallowed instinctively and the newcomer smirked deviously.

"More than one, I assure you. And if the council finds out-"

"They'd be ruined." Enel finished, suddenly getting very excited, "So, what you're saying, is that you have a way to lure them out for all to see?"

"I do." He answered, stuffing his hands in his pockets, "Interested?"

Enel chuckled darkly to himself.

Damn right he was.