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"HOLD YOUR HORSES STRAW HAT!" Pekoms yelled after Luffy as he ran to get Chopper... forgetting that he didn't know where to go.
"Hrm?" Luffy said spotting something green out of the corner of his eye.
He looked over to find Zoro setting on a bench just outside the door. His legs crossed, arms behind his head, and three swords by his side.
"Zoro!" He smiled. "You were here?"
Zoro opended his eye and looked up to his captain.
"Did you hear all that just now?"
"I did," he replied bluntly.
"You're probably...," he began with his big shut-eyed smiled. "All worried about Sanji! Aren'tcha?" He chuckled.
"Don't make me kick your ass. I told you to leave that idiot alone.
"NEKOMAMUSHI IS BLEEDING ALL OVER~!" Chopper yelled, his eyes bugging out of his head.
"They're this way," Law said to his crew before they could even see the Straw Hats, sencing their presents.
"You're going to introduce us to them right!" Shachi said excitedly.
"Yeah, yeah," Law said getting annoyed with their constant begging this whole way.
"Properly, right!" Penguin add. "We're allies now and if you and Black Leg are going to be seeing each other then..."
"I said I'd introduce you!"
"What the hell are you doing, you damn monster cat!" Zoro yelled, a lump now growing on his head.
Luffy couldn't help himself but laugh at the situation.
"Hrm?" Law said with a frown as they entered the small clearing, a drop of sweat appearing on his forehead. "What's this ruckus about?"
"WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH BLOOD! SOMEONE GO GET SOME BLOOD FOR ME, STAT!" Chopper ordered frantically.
"Yes, Doctor Chopper," Said the reindeer mink as she ran to fulfill his request.
Chopper gasped lovingly at the reindeer girl's response, "Th... Th... Thank... Tha..."
"What's wrong, Chopper...?!" Usopp yelled his arms thrown in the air as the concern filled his voice.
"GET YOUR ASS UP, MONSTER CAT! I'LL SKIN YOUR MANGY HIDE!" Zoro yelled clearly ready to explode.
"Alright, Settle down... he's still wounded!" Usopp cautioned the swordsman, raising a hand.
What the hell is going on with these idiots, now, Law thought with a sigh. Do they have no concern for Sanji's situation?
"Ahh! Tra-guy~!" Luffy said happily, waving a hand high in the air. "Is that your crew~?!
"That's right," Law replied looking to the ground and pointing over his shoulder with his bandaged arm. "I brought them here to introduce them. All twenty members of my crew!"
"PLEASE TO MAKE YOUR ACQUAINTANCE, STRAW HAT!" They said striking different poses. Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin standing in the front of the group.
"Yo!" Luffy waved smiling his contagious smile.
"We've got something to talk about," Law said disregarding what Penguin had said about 'properly' introducing them.
"Sure," Luffy replied.
"THAT'S IT!" Bepo said for the rest of the crew as his eyes popped out of their sockets.
"RUUUUUUDE!" They yelled each one giving him a thumbs down. "TOTALLY DISSING US, CAPTAIN?! RUUUUUDE!"
"They're nothing more then allies. You don't have any need to get along with them."
"WHAT ABOUT BLACK LEG?!" Shachi asked.
"WHAT ABOUT HIM?!"
"From what it sounds like, you've been getting along with him just fine!"
Luffy chuckled, "Sanji and Tra-guy are good friends! Law said so!"
Shachi and Penguin held a hand out to Luffy and gave Law a 'point proven ' expression.
Law sighed. "Crew, Straw Hat. Straw Hat, crew." He said pointing back and forth at his crew and Luffy. "There, happy now?"
"NO!"
"WOULD SOMEONE GET THIS MONSTER CAT THE HELL OFF OF ME! ...!... DON'T SUDATE HIM, CHOPPER!"
"WOULD YOU IDIOTS STOP GOOFING AROUND! SANJI HAS GONE TO BIG MOM'S PLACE! HOW THE HELL DID THINGS END UP LIKE THIS?!" He said as his last nerve with the Straw Hats' antics finally snapped. He then turnied to look at Nami, Chopper, and Brook. "HOW COULD YOU THREE LET THIS HAPPEN?! DO YOU NOT KNOW WHO IS THERE?! STOP TAKE HIS SITUATION SO LIGHTLY! NONE OF YOU UNDERSTAND A SINGLE THING ABOUT WHAT THOSE PEOPLE PUT HIM THROUGH!"
"HEY! DON'T GO BLAMING THEM FOR WHAT THAT IDIOT COOK DID!" Zoro yelled finally free of Nekomamushi.
"THAT IDIOT CARES ABOUT ALL OF YOU MORE THEN YOU THINK! AND THAT INCLUDES YOU, YOU STUPID MOSS HEAD! CAN'T YOU SEE THAT HE'S TRYING TO SACRIFICE HIMSELF?!"
"YOU WANNA GO?!" Zoro said in response to the 'Moss Head' comment.
Both of them began to draw their swords.
"FIGHTING WITH EACHOTHER ISN'T GOING TO DO US OR SANJI ANY GOOD!"
Law took a deep breath before placing Kikoku back in its sheath, "Your right Cat Burglar."
"What the hell does any of this even matter to you? Other then the fact that he picked a real lousy timing to get involved with another Yonkou."
Zoro caught a glance of Shachi and Penguin looking at each other with a huge grin.
"CAPTAIN'S IN LO~" Bepo began as Shachi and Penguin's smils faded and they jumped on Bepo. One held him in a head lock while the other held his mouth shut.
"Shut up, Bepo!" They growled in his ears as he tried to break free of their grip.
Robin chuckled at the three before walking up to Law and placing a hand on his shoulder, "Tra-guy..."
"Yeah... I know... It's time I break my promise...," he said sadly, disappointed in himself for not being able to keep his prince's secret any longer, though he knew it wasn't his fault.
"You don't have to tell us all of it... just the important parts."
Law nodded once, his eyes glued to the ground as he gestured for the Straw Hats to fallow him back into Pekoms room where Chopper and Usopp had managed to take Nrkomamushi. Shachi, Bepo, and Penguin fallowed close behind their Captain.
Luffy climbed up onto Nekomamushi's stomach and sat down cross-legged. Pekoms stared at them unsure as to what was going on.
"What the hell were you two talking about, Robin? Do you know something we don't?"
"Sort of... Law knows more about it then I do... but what Law knows is the important part... however I get the feeling that we have learnt some of it already, between what you three told us and whatever you learned from Pekoms."
"Then spill it. What the hell else is that Shitty Cook keeping from us?!" Zoro replied turning to Law. "And what was that crap about him caring more then I think?! If he did he wouldn't be such a pain in the ass!"
"Did you ever think that maybe he sees you as a brother but doesn't know how to react because the brothers he does have always treated him worse the shit?"
"Brothers?" Nami repeated.
Law nodded, "he has two older brothers and one younger, as well as an older sister."
"Why the hell would he tell you this and not his crew?"
"He didn't tell me. I've head my suspicions about it for a long time... But Straw Hat was the one that confirmed it."
Luffy tilted his head while cocking a brow, "me?"
"When you said that Sanji was from the North Blue..."
'Sanji! Tra-guy's from the North Blue too! That means you two should become good friends, right?!'
'NO IT DOES NOT!'
"How does Luffy saying he's from the same ocean as you confirm that he has three brothers and a sister?!" Zoro said.
"That's not what I meant!"
"I think Captain means that Straw Hat confirmed who Black Leg is and not the number of siblings he has," Shachi said.
"You all now know... so I don't think I'm going back on my word to him if I tell you what it means to be a Vinsmoke..."
"So then, Sanji-San really is a member of the Vinsmoke family?" Brook asked.
"You know them?"
"I know of them. The very name sends a chill down my spine..."
"And for good reason. The Vensmokes are pure evil."
"Pekoms told us they're a family of assassins," Nami replied.
Law nodded, "they are, of a sort. This would be quicker if you could tell me everything Pekoms told you before I go on. Then I can fill in the blanks."
Luffy and Nami nodded.
"I'M SITTING RIGHT HERE!" Pekoms finally jointed in on the conversation. "I can repeat it all myself!"
"Alright, then please, repeat yourself..."
"Black Leg's marriage has absolutely nothing to do with the Straw Hats. It is a political marriage to unite the bloodlines of the the Charlotte family and the Vinsmoke family. Once the marriage is complete Black Leg Sanji will no longer be a member of the Straw Hat Pirates."
"WELL THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!" Law yelled. "That's not the kind of detail I was looking for..."
"He also told us that Sanji's father is head of the mythical evil army Germa 66 and is infamous in the underworld. And if he doesn't attend the tea party he will receive a gift... the gift bing the head of someone he knows," Nami continued.
Law's face grew dark.
"Be it one of us, or someone from the Baratie, more then likely Zeff, or someone from the Kamabakka Kindom were he trained for the past two years."
"Is that it?"
Nami nodded, "Yeah, that, and everything we told the others about what happened the other day, is all we know."
"Well, you all might want to sit down for what I'm about to tell you... Sanji wanted to tell you himself... he never wanted to hide anything from you and he even claims to have dropped hints in the past... But no matter what he did he just couldn't work up the nerve or even courage to think about his past long enough to tell you all," Law began as everyone currently not sitting down took a seet. "Where is Cyborg at?"
"That's a good question... We haven't seen him in awhile," Nami replied.
"Nor have we," Robin answered.
"Never mind then. We can just tell him later... Germa 66... is a kingdom affiliated with the world government... Sanji's father is Vinsmoke Judge... and Germa's King... Making Sanji a Prince."
"WHAAAAAAAAAA~?!"
"Wait! If he's dropped hints... then that means...!" Nami began.
'Hey, don't give Nami-San any dangerous weapons, Usopp! Nami-San and Vivi-Chan don't need to fight... cause I'll protect them! Just call me Prince!
'Prince.'
'Shut the hell up dammit!'
"All the times he made jokes about being our 'prince charming' he was..." Robin continued.
'Who the hell are you...?!'
'Me...? I am... Mr. Prince.'
"SERIOUS!"
"That bartered! Keeping something like that from his crew!" Zoro said.
"I already told you he didn't want to! Not to mention he said that himself!"
"Well technically he said that he didn't mean to hide anything from us," Nami replied.
"Same thing really... When I asked him about it he said he wasn't hiding it. Or at least he wasn't trying to anyway. It's just something he doesn't like to think about and it's never came up. He said he just wasn't ready for people to know."
"The hells that supposed to mean?" Asked Zoro.
"It means he'd rather die then let the government find out about his relation to the Germa and the Vinsmokes. As Cat Burglar and I have already said Germa is evil. They're feared throughout the North Blue... Sanji doesn't want people running for their lives the second they see him. Not to mention he was afraid that you guys would view him differently if you knew, and that you knowing would put your lives in danger."
"Well I could careless about his past. I'm going to go bring him back! And I'm going alone because like Robin said if we all go it could start a war and we don't have time for that right now."
"You will care if I told you how his family treated him... Did you know he freaks out if he feels like he can't fight back?"
"Hmm? What do you mean, freaks out," Nami asked.
"He has flashbacks to his time at Germa... that then causes him to have panic attacks... He's weak to his family... They terrify him... He's afraid of what they'll do to you if he doesn't comply to his father's wishes... He may have said he'll be back... He may have said that he needed to go and sort things out to put an end to this... but he's not strong enough to face them by himself... They're going to get to him and make him feel like the only thang he can do is defect from your crew and go along with this marriage... Germa is Sanji's hell... It's his cage... If we don't get to him soon he'll decide he can't come back, that you'll be better off without him... Hell he already thinks you'd be better of without him."
"SANJI'S NOT WEAK!" Luffy said.
"I know he's not... That was a poor choice of words... He's not weak to them, they just make him feel like he is."
"But why would he think that?!" Chopper asked.
"Yeah! If it wasn't for him we all would be dead by now! He's our strongest swimmer, (This was conferred, Sanji said something about it on Punk Hazard when he had to jump into the lake to get Kinemon's torso... although Jinbe will be taking that spot soon (but he'll still be the strongest human swimmer.)) I can't tell you how many times he's had to save our devil fruit users after falling into the ocean."
Not to mention all the times he's saved our asses in fights... Remember Enel?" Usopp reminded.
"And the banana crocodile things... or were they alligators?" Luffy added.
"He's saved us all more times then we can count. So why would he think we'd be better of without him?!" Chopper cried.
"He's never had to save me," Zoro said.
"You Lier! You were in that cage with us at Crocodile's casino!"
"But why would he think that?!" Chopper repeated again.
"It seems to me that he has a poor sense of self worth thanks to his family... And it seems to have gotten worse sense we formed this alliance... Maybe if I hadn't confronted him about it and let him know I knew..."
"Don't blame yourself, Tra-guy... But what exactly did they do to him? And if he's a prince then why was he working at a restaurant in the East Blue when we meant him and not in his kingdom in the North Blue?" Nami asked.
"Vinsmoke Judge is obsessed with science... to the point that all Sanji is to him is... a failed experiment... He resents Sanji..."
"What do you mean 'failed experiment'?" Usopp asked.
Law looked to Chopper, "If you didn't like Caesar doing experiments on those kids, you're really not going to like this... Bepo were is our Submarine docked?"
"We tied it to the right hind leg. But if your wanting that, Shachi and Penguin brought it ashore with us."
Law nodded before holding up a hand. "Room... Anyone got a rock or something?"
"Here's one, Captain," Shachi said tossing the rock to Law.
"Where are they?"
"On the table in the building we came from," Penguin answered.
"Shambles."
The rock vanished and was replaced with a wooden box. Law handed the box to Bepo and flipped open the two latches.
"Straw Hat, do not touch these... They are the first additions and in mint condition. I will not have them destroyed because of you, do you under stand!" Law said tacking out a thin paper back book. "Niko can hold them for you, I trust her with books."
"You've. Got. To. Be. Kidding. Me," Nami said realizing what the contents of the box was. "How many of those do you have?!"
"All of them...," Law said bluntly. "Well except for the newest one. I've been kinda busy to go buy it. This is volume 33 when we get to see the Vinsmoke siblings back stories."
"Wait, there's books about these people?!" Zoro said.
"Well comics... They're the antagonist... The protagonist is Sora of the Sea," he replied flipping threw the pages. "Ah, here we are." He added before turning the book around for everyone to see. This is the number one of Germa 66, Sparking Red, Ichiji."
"Ichiji? Isn't 'ichi' 'one'? Chopper asked. "So that means 'san' in 'Sanji' actuality means three?!"
Law nodded. "The number two of Germa 66, Electric Blue, Niji. And the number four of Germa 66, Wench Green..."
"Let me guess," Nami began, "Yonji."
"Let's just say, it's a good thing this man didn't have anymore kids, especially sons... five through seven would have been named Goji, Rokuji, and Nanaji... Yeah he's got a problem..."
"YOU FORGOT THE NUMBER ZERO!" Shachi and Penguin said. "POISON PINK, REIJU!"
"I WAS GETTING THERE! The number zero, and only girl, Poison Pink, Rei~"
"The beautiful, Princess Reiju!" Shachi and Penguin interrupted. "But she's still Germa... and we hate the Germa..."
"So the comics don't have a number three?" Brook asked.
"No, they do... in the comics anyway... I'm not sure if the writers just made him up because it would have looked stupid skipping from two to four or if Judge actually told them what Sanji was supposed to be, but there is a number three."
"What Sanji was supposed to be?" Luffy repeated, cocking his head.
"He's the coolest, power wise anyway..." Penguin said.
"But a lot of fans think Sparking Red and Poison Pink are the coolest," Shachi added.
"But we think it's number three. Captain likes saving him for last because of that," Bepo finished.
"I prefer Sora...," Law glared at them.
"Not from what we heard," Shachi muttered teasingly, his voice getting slightly higher with each word.
Law took Kikoku and hit Shachi on the head with it.
"Hey! That hurt!"
"It was supposed to... but number three is not important right now so we'll skip him for now."
"WHAAAAA! BUT WE CAN'T SKIP HIM!" They cried.
"I said 'for now'! Kind of trying to do this quickly!"
"Okay," they sighed.
"Besides technically speaking his name hasn't been mention in the comics, I'm only assuming it's Sanji... But it is a pretty safe bet that's his name. Anyway!" He said flipping the page. "As I said before, Judge the Garuda is obsessed with science... to the point that he actually did experiments on his five children... Not only after they were born but before they were born... giving them powers most could only dream of having... I say most because if you think about it their powers seem to have been inspired by devil fruits..."
Chopper's eyes widened much like when he found out about Caesar's experiments on the children as he looked at the frames on the page of a woman going threw surgery and having drugs injected into her abdomen.
He flipped the page. "Their childhood consisted of constantly training, tests and getting more drugs injected into them. In the comic, the purpose of this was to creat super solders to defeat his arch enemy, Sora... But because Sora is the hero, he always wins... However in reality the oldest two sons are strong enough to end a war between countries, that has gone on for years, with in the corse of a few hours. End they do... They are probably the wealthiest Kingdom in the North Blue because of it... They take the money from the side that can pay the highest price and when the war for them. Hints the reason Pekoms said they are assassins."
"So... Sanji-kun... was... a science experiment...," Nami said quietly
Law nodded once, closing his eyes. "He and his brothers were born on the same day... but apparently, for some reason, he never developed his genetic enhancements like the others... But the experiments done on him aren't the worst of his childhood. I don't know the details, but I do know that because he never developed his enhancements, his brothers bullied him for being week. They were stronger then him and they never let him forget it... And I can guarantee that the second they see him again they're not going to take any time at all to remind him," Law added darkly.
"Well Sanji can handle them... he's really strong," Luffy said confidently.
"Did you even listen to a word I just said!"
"Yeah, Sanji has a mystery family..."
Law gritted his teeth at that.
"Tra-guy, this is Luffy... He does this every time someone tries to explain something to him. Don't let it get to you," Nami said.
"Well, like I said! I'm going to bring him back right now! So could you just kinda hang on a little on the fight with Kaidou?"
"Hang in there Nekomamushi!" Chopper said as he frantically treated
"Whether we wait or not, it's only a matter of time before Kidou himself comes after us!" Law said placing his comic back in the box and closing the lid. "We were supposed to be able to hide ourselves here on Zou for awhile... but it seems our location here has been discovered."
"Hrmmm..." Luffy said thoughtfully... or as thoughtfully as Luffy will get.
"And that means next they'll be coming after us! If it gets attacked by them again... just what do you think is going to this country?!"
Shachi and Penguin, as well as Robin, gave him a look that said 'tell him how you really feel!'
"He's so kiiind~!" The gorilla mink cried.
"Garchuuuuuu! Are you guys really pirates...?!"
Everyone turned to the windows to see all of the Minks standing outside listening to the conversation.
"On top of saving us, they're even looking out for us! Thank youuu!"
"Huh? Did Pekoms get hurt?!"
"Ah, oh well."
"ALRIIIIGHT! LET'S PARTY!" Nekomamushi said having woken up from Choppers seditive a few minutes prior. "BRING THE BOOZE AND FISH!"
"ARE YOU FRICKIN KIDDING NEKOMAMUSHI~?!" Chopper yelled.
"IT'S OOOON!" Luffy replied exitedly.
Robin had began to leave the party, used her devil fruit to get Shachi, Bepo, Penguin's attention and gestured for them to fallow as she walked up to Law.
"We need to talk," she said grabbing him by the arm and dragging him away from the party.
The five of them walked deeper into the forest, away from the noise.
"What the hell was that?!" Robin said turning to face Law.
"What?"
"You and I both know that was common sense talking and not you!"
"Yeah, Captain. We can wait to fight Kaidou. We already agreed to that!" Shachi said.
"Did you think we were joking when we said we'd meet you at Wano?" Penguin added.
"Captain, if you want to go help Black Leg, then go... I don't want anything else to happen to this country either... but if we go on to Wano and lay low there until you get there... this country should be safe..., shouldn't it?"
"Hypothetically speaking, yes, Bepo, it should... but you saw what happened when one person they were looking for wasn't here... Just what do you think When twenty plus people their looking for aren't here? I know I said I would, but there's no way I could leave my crew to save a member of someone else's crew."
"You love him don't you," Shachi said with a faint smile.
Law looked away, unable to look them in the eye, "don't use that word so lightly."
"Go save that idiot," the three Heart Pirates smiled.
Law's head snapped up, "but~."
"We'll be fine!" Penguin said.
"We can take care of ourselves!" Added Shachi.
"We are the Heart Pirates after all!" Bepo smiled.