Disclaimer: One Piece and Godzilla are under the ownership of Eiichiro Oda and Toho Co. ltd respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, original abilities and original locations.
A/N: a few people are concerned with how the last chapter was too close to canon. Sometimes that's unavoidable, due to how there isn't much opportunity for Gian to create any different scenarios, especially this early on in the story. I want to stick to canon but not create something exactly the same, so because of this I don't think I'll be doing any of the filler arcs or movies (except for Strong World and Film Z since those two actually tie into plot rather well) mostly just to speed things up. I do have some original chapters just for Gian, and I have something of an original Arc planned out but that's not until much later. Gian would also be taking on other Kaiju-Zoan OCs I've planned out as well, so there should be a decent amount of freshness. Alright, rant over!
The Strawhats were able to escape thanks to the cover of smoke the cannon created. Nami walked on ahead, While Gian tottered slightly behind due to him having two carry-on luggage. They finally found a safe enough spot to rest for a bit, and Gian finally set down Luffy's cage as well as an injured Zoro.
"Package… arrived safely… sign… here…" The 23 year old panted. Sure his daily training has given him a well build figure and above average strength but carrying two heavy objects at once was not something anybody would want to do.
"I told you I could walk myself." Zoro hissed in pain as he attempted to stop his wound from bleeding.
"Yeah, and then you'll bleed out and I'd have to carry you to a hospital so might as well get it done early." Gian finally caught his breath and looked at Nami "Oh, and I don't believe I've introduced myself yet. Name's Gian. Short, sweet, rolls of the tongue. Ladies love it" he recited a quote from a character in one of Goro's television shows. "I really should've brought a recording of that series, it'll stave off boredom when I'm going to places. Shame that I didn't; it was a good show too…" he thought.
"She's our new navigator." Luffy called out, still inside the cage.
"I never agreed to that!" Nami snapped "Oh, sorry about that. My name is Nami, and technically I'm sort of responsible for getting him captured. I'll pick the lock or steal the key to get him out." The girl replied.
"I can just break the cage. Now that we're in a much quieter place that shouldn't be too hard. It wouldn't be so dangerous either."
"Hey a dog!" Luffy's voice interrupted their discussion. The 3 people turned to see a small dog sitting completely still in front of a pet store. "Awww… he's so cute!" Gian gushed uncharacteristically, which earned him looks from the others.
"Why isn't he moving?" Luffy pondered and stretched out an arm and began to poke the dog, much to the chagrin of Gian. And just like any other dog when you annoy it too much, it opened its mouth, ran over, and bit the captain in the face.
"AHHH GET OFF!" Luffy cried in pain, but the dog had a vice-like grip with his jaws.
"That what you get for annoying animals." Gian chuckled at his captain's ruckus with the mammal. Zoro found it hilarious as well but due to his injury he didn't have much energy to muster up a laugh.
"Dumb dog…" Luffy grumbled as he finally managed to dislodge the animal. It had been difficult to do anything in that cage!
"Here, it's about time we let you out" Gian smirked as he flexed his right arm slightly. Nami's eye's widened as a blue flame like substance began to coat the appendage. The youth then raised his arm before bringing it down hard on the side of the cage, shattering the stone. Luffy coughed the dust out and moved his joints around a bit, then grinned at his first nakama. "Thanks Gian!"
"H-how are you so strong?" Nami whispered in a mixture of fear and amazement.
"Oh you know, 10 % luck, 20% skill, and 15% concentrated power of will." Gian shrugged as if it was no big deal. Nami gave him a "are you kidding me?" stare. "Ok, it's mostly my Devil Fruit. Don't ask too much questions but it can increase my cell regeneration but it also increases physical strength by a big margin." This answer made a bit more sense to the cat burglar.
"So what's with the dog?" Zoro wheezed from his post.
The 4 had forgotten about that during Gian's little performance. They turned to see the canine had gone back to standing still in front of the pet store, not moving a muscle.
"It might be brain-dead…" Zoro deducted. At this Gian let out a mock cry of horror and cried out exaggerated tears.
"Ohhhh, you poor thing! Here I'll comfort ya!" before he can have any cuddle time with the mammal a voice rang out.
"HEY! You 4 stop bothering ChouChou!" the 4 turned to see an old man with grey curly hair wearing a suit of armor coming towards them.
"Woah, that's some sick weave!" Gian quipped. "Who are you old man?"
"My name is Broodle, I'm the mayor of this town." Upon seeing the semi-conscious Roronoa Zoro leaning against a lamp-post trying to stop a bleeding wound his gaze softened. "You need to get that treated. I'll take you to my place to get that patched up." The strawhats all nodded in agreement and Mayor Broodle walked Zoro towards his house.
Meanwhile
"I'm alive *cough cough!" A head bursted out of a pile of rubble. It was none other than Buggy the Clown, who managed to get out of the explosion relatively unscathed. "Those brats dare use my own weapon against me?! It's clear that they're declaring war on me! Well I have just the answer to that! Oh Mohji! I have a job for you!"
As soon as those words were said a large lion appeared. On top of the carnivore was a man wearing a fur suit and furry hair. This man was 'Beast Tamer' Mohji and he along with his pet lion Richie is the First Mate of the Buggy Pirates.
"You want me to take out Roronoa Zoro and those others right?" the man asked.
"Gyahahahaha! That's right! Make sure you get it done! You know what will happen if you don't!"
"Of course." The man nodded as he and his pet bounded away to hunt for their prey.
Back with the Strawhats
By this point the mayor had patched Zoro up and have him rest at his place. He then went back to the pet store to tell the rest of them the news.
"He's lost a lot of blood. I told him I'll get a doctor for him but he said he just needed sleep." The mayor informed them.
"Thanks old man!" Luffy said in gratitude. Gian gave his thanks as well.
"So why is Chouchou the only living thing in this town aside from the pirates?" Nami asked. Earlier she had told them why she was here and how Buggy's arrival had caused all the residents in the town to run away.
"Chouchou has been guarding this pet store for quite some time. I come by every once in a while to feed him" Mayor Broodle explained as he held out a box of dog food.
"Awww… aren't you a good little guardian!" Gian cooed as he bend down and began petting the little mammal. To every one's surprise, instead of biting his hand the dog was rather enjoying himself and even licked his hand a few times. "You're gonna keep it nice and safe for-" he then noticed the stares "What? I like dogs."
Broodle smiled at this "The store belonged to an old friend of mine. He and Chouchou had many memories here. I usually come to visit them." The mayor said sadly.
"Why is he still guarding it? Isn't everyone in a safe place?" Nami asked again.
"The owner of the store died 3 months ago due to illness unfortunately. But even then Chouchou refuse to move from here." The mayor continued. "People think he's still waiting for his master to return but I think otherwise. He probably is already aware of his master's passing and is guarding it for a different reason."
"He thinks it is his treasure." Gian concluded. "It's the only thing that reminds him of his late master. That's why he's willing to endure so much."
"Aye, that's the reason." Broodle affirmed "I tried to get him to budge many times but he just wouldn't." This made the 3 see the roughed up dog in a new light.
"I rest my case, you are a good little guardian!" Gian grinned as he gave the canine some more scratches behind the ear. The little dog woofed contently as it snuggled against his leg "What did humans do to deserve dogs…"
"He likes you a lot." The mayor smiled along with Luffy. Even Nami couldn't help but feel her lips curl upwards at this scene.
"Well, a dog like Chouchou is something special. I have my own treasure as well" Gian answered and his thoughts drifted to both his surrogate family and his new found nakama. "Let's both work hard to protect the treasures we care about, alright?" he asked the dog.
"Woof!" Chouchou barked in agreement.
Suddenly a roar alerted the group. Everybody looked up in alarm as a lion and its rider bounding towards them.
"Oh no! It's 'Beast Tamer' Mohji!" Broodle shouted. He then turned and dragged along Nami into a nearby house. Only Luffy and Gian were left to face the fearsome feline
"Well, Well, Well… looks like your friends have abandoned you! You guys have caused a lot of trouble for Captain Buggy with that show back there. I'm gonna have to teach you two a lesson!"
"Dude, the furry convention is that way…" Gian grimaced and pointed in the direction the pirate came from.
"Know that I am the first mate to Captain Buggy! I have the ability to tame any wild animal and make it do my bidding!" Mohji declared as he pointed to Chouchou "Now watch as I tame this beast!"
Mohji walked up to the dog and held out his hand "Shake!" he commanded. Unfortunately for him, instead of doing what he was told the dog leapt up and bit the man on the arm. Mohji yelled in pain as he tried to dislodge the canine while Luffy and Gian were rolling on the ground from laughing.
"Here, let me show you how it's done." Gian snickered as he held his own hand up "Shake!"
Chouchou casually raised one of his paws and "shook" hands with the 23 year old. "Guess I'm the winner." Gian said casually. Luffy cheered while Mohji was seething.
"Grrrr… you made me mad! I'd kill you all right now but I'll ask you a question! Where is Roronoa Zoro hiding? Answer and I may spare you!" the man demanded.
"With your mom" Gian snorted as he and his captain once again erupted into laughter. Even Chouchou was giving his own little doggy laughs.
"THAT'S IT! GET EM RICHIE!" the man shouted angrily and the lion was too eagar to comply. It pounced towards the duo with claws outstretched, only for them to easily side-step out of the way. Richie roared in frustration and pounced again but was met with the same result.
"You missed!" Luffy called out. Mohji gritted his teeth in frustration, then smirked.
"Richie, you're hungry right now aren't you? Well there's a pet store right there! Go and have a snack!"
The lion grinned and leapt towards the pet store. Luffy and Gian's eyes widen in shock as they realize what would happen.
"Arf! Arf! Arf!" Chouchou stood bravely to protect the store.
"Chouchou get out of the way!" the horrified mayor shouted from inside another building. But Chouchou stood his ground as he sought to protect the only thing that matters to him.
"Crap, Chouchou is gonna get killed at this point!" Nami thought from beside the mayor.
"ARF! ARF! ARF!" Chouchou continued to bark with determination.
"Little pest, what are you trying to do, preventing us from entering the store?" Mohji sneered. Chouchou was swatted away by the much larger feline. He skidded across the cobblestone. But to Mohji's surprise, the dog forced himself back up and barked at the lion once again. He then opened his mouth and bit Richie on the leg. The lion roared in pain and smashed the little dog against the wall.
"Alright Richie! Get rid of the mongrel." Mohji demanded.
Richie growled and saw Chouchou charging a 3rd time. This time, the lion swung his forearm up, knocking the poor puppy into the air, then slammed his paw down hard as he was falling down.
"Time to take care of this store once and for all." The beast tamer decided.
"No!" both Luffy and Gian raced towards the lion but was swatted aside as well. Mohji smirked as he and Richie entered the pet store. A few moments later they stepped out, with Richie having box of pet food in his mouth.
"Guess Roronoa Zoro's not here." Mohji muttered before mounting his lion turning to leave. As he did so, the pet store lit ablaze.
"AROOOOOOOO!" the howl of Chouchou could be heard. The dog was covered in wounds, its eyes were bleary as he witnessed the destruction of his dear master's property; the only important thing to him. The dog whined in sorrow.
"That store, it was his treasure…" Luffy was gritting his teeth, he turned around to follow Mohji but found that a hand was blocking his way.
"Gian?"
The taller man had a dark forcast hungover his eyes, and Luffy could hear audible growls that sounded more like rumbles emitting from the youth. Then Gian looked up, and his sclera had turned into an all too familiar color of amber.
"Luffy… he's mine…" the determined snarl gave no room for arguments.
Luffy smiled at this "I got it" he replied simply; no more needed to be said.
Gian staggered over to Chouchou as the little dog head was down staring at the burning ruins of the store. He bent down and softly petted the dog behind the years. Chouchou looked up with a sad look and saw that Gian's eyes were full of fire.
"You're a brave little boy" Gian smiled softly, "I'll make sure to finish the job." Chouchou gave his hand a lick as he stood back up. Gian then powered up his leg guards and with a single leap, bounded to the sky to dish out some rightful retribution.
"Don't worry" Luffy said beside the dog "Gian won't leave something like this unpaid for."
As Mohji was riding down the path he felt something whistling towards him. Looking up he was shocked as he saw a rapidly approaching shape falling. It landed with a loud "CRASH" which formed a dust cloud. As the dust settled, Mohji's eyes widened as he saw Gian glaring at him.
"You and I, we need to have a little talk…" Gian's eyes never left the 'Beast Tamer's'.
"B-back for more punishment from Richie I see?" Mohji's expression turned back to a spiteful sneer "didn't you learn your lesson?"
"Oh… back there I didn't want to give the kids a bad image of me, but now that we're alone I'm gonna make you regret burning down that store! You better hold onto that kitty of yours, because I really need a new lionskin coat..."
"You think you're tough shit? Trying to avenge that mongrel are you? You're stupidity will be your death! Get em Richie!"
The lion roared and pounced towards Gian with paws outstretched, ready to tear the man apart. Richie collided heavily with 23 year old and knocked him to the ground, its claws raking lines down the man's chest, shredding his vest. Just as it had believed it won, Gian smirked and delivered a kick to its abdomen sending the lion flying with a pained yowl. Mohji's eyes widen in shock as he saw that the wounds inflicted were closing at rapid speed, even the vest was!
"H-how are you-"
"You're out of your league here, the Goji-Goji no Mi's super regeneration heals wounds within seconds!" Gian smirked. "In other words, don't waste your time, I'll just heal everything that you deal to me. Now it's my turn."
Richie roared in frustration and leaped with his jaw gaping, but Gian would not give him any more opportunities to attack. He leaned backwards and delivered a snapping flip kick that sent the lion flying straight up into the air. Gian then did a powered up jump which brought him level to the airborne lion and clasped his legs around the lion's midsection. Cocking his fist back he delivered a series of radiation enhanced punches as the two began to fall. With one final punch he sent the lion sprawling into the cobblestone, its body slightly dug into a crater. Richie was knocked out instantly.
Mohji let out a horrified yelp as he saw his now unconscious pet, and his fear escalated when he saw Gian rise back up and trudge towards him. He tried to back away but tripped and landed on his butt and soon found himself being picked up by the helm of his shirt and brought to eye level with the amber eyes of the Goji-Goji no Mi eater.
"W-WAIT, NO! PLEASE! I'M SORRY!" the 'Beast Tamer' begged as Gian raised his fist again.
"Oh is that so? You're sorry? Heh, if I knew better I'd say you just shit your pants! Tell you what, I understand that pirates destroy things to strike fear into their enemy's hearts and show people whose boss, so I understand why you did it." Mohji was slightly relieve to hear that, that is until he saw that Gian's gaze only grew harder and his fist was gaining a flickering aura of blue fire. "However, what you took away was not just a piece of property, it was someone's treasure, something that meant the whole world to them. I will never forgive you for that! And even if I did, they never will! ATOMIC FIST!"
Mohji barely had time to let out a scream of mercy before Gian's blazing punch crashed into his face and sent him tearing through the air, crashing into his pet lion and sending him flying into the distance as well.
"…" Gian looked on wordlessly before noticing a box nearby; it was some food that was selling at the store. Gian picked up the box before making his way back to his captain.
Back with Luffy
The pet store was now just a pile of ashy grey burnt wood. Chouchou continued to bark at it, the people around him clearly noting his distress.
Nami on the other hand was boiling with anger. How can anyone do something like this?!
"You pirates… you're all the same… destroying people's dreams and taking everything from them… it's unforgivable!" her glare then snapped to Luffy, "he's probably just like all others.." she thought, letting her anger get the best of her. Luffy was not paying attention to her and was staring intenstly at the wreck along with the dog. Wordlessly she formed her staff and marched towards the strawhat captain, intent on bludgeoning him with it.
"Miss, please stop!" it was the mayor trying to hold her back.
"Why should I? Pirates like him would probably hurt more innocent people in the future! He's probably no different than Buggy!"
"Say, where did the other one go? You know, the tall guy with the black hair that's always telling bad jokes?"
"Everybody's a critic…" the voice caught the surprise of Nami and Broodle as they looked up to see Gian walking towards him. Luffy smiled as his nakama came back, which signified that he's finished with what he meant to do.
Gian walked straight to Chouchou as he brought out the box of pet food. The canine looked downcast until he saw the food, which made him look up.
"Sorry, I think this is the only one left…" he said as he placed the box in front of him. He then looked towards the smoldering pet store. "What a shame huh, that was a really good looking store…" his words made the dog a bit depressed once again but Chouchou was surprised when Gian placed a hand atop his head.
"But don't you think for one moment that your treasure is gone. Even though physically it is far away, at the same time it is closer than anything else. As long as you keep it cherished" he then pointed a finger at the little dog's chest, where his heart would be "Right here."
Chouchou stared a while before nuzzling the man's hand, causing Gian to chuckle. Luffy grinned at his nakama's words and the mayor smiled warmly as well. Nami, who was previously angry at the pirates, felt her rage slowly dissipate as the scene unfolded.
Chouchou then picked up the box of dog food and began to walk off but not barking at the two pirates one more time.
"Yeah, you keep at it too!" Gian waved.
"Bye doggy!" Luffy waved as well.
"…God what I said was clichéd…" Gian muttered sheepishly "I hope Chouchou didn't mind that." This made Luffy laugh.
"I think it meant a lot to him" Mayor Broodle smiled "You have a kind heart Gian, it's a shame your choice of humor is a bit iffy." Gian just snorted at that.
All this time Nami was watching with a soft smile on her face. She certainly learned something there. Her belief of pirates had always been that they were the lowest of the low and evil incarnate, and to an extent, that's still the case.
"But Gian just…" she thought. It was hard to believe that a pirate would do something like that just for a simply dog.
"Maybe I was wrong about them" Nami said to herself "Maybe not all pirates are the same…"
A/N: 7 chapters in and I really had to thank you all for the continued support. I honestly didn't think i'd have this much support in this story! This chapter was supposed to be out yesterday as I had planned to finish the rest, however I'd received some unfortunate news that day. My grandmother, who's honestly one of the wisest women I've ever had the honor of knowing, passed away at the grand age of 85.
It was a pretty sudden blow, even though her health had been on the low for the last two years it was still unexpected. Because of that I lost all motivation to continue writing that for the rest of the day. If it weren't for my friends and other things that kept me grounded, I probably would've lost more motivation on this entirely.
But that's enough sad stuff. Reviews are visible again! Thank you for all the feedback, especially you Vergil Leonidas, since you've kept track of this story ever since you decide to favorite it. Orange Town arc should wrap up in 2 more chapters, after that I'll be able to bring in Usopp and I am seriously looking forward to that, it's just not the Strawhat Pirates without him!
Anyways hope you all enjoy the story, and Review please!