"No."

Luffy just smirked. "You'll have to join me if you want your swords back."

" Fucker." Zoro hissed, weakly fighting against his bindings. "I'll kill you when I get out of here!"

"You can try." Luffy offered with a shit-eating grin, not even bothered by the murderous intent Zoro was letting off. "The Marines took 'em, right?"

Zoro didn't answer.

An orange-haired harlot decided that it was a good time to run up to the duo, not even kicking up dust with her silent movements.

If Zoro wasn't pissed, he could've been impressed at the feat.

"C'mon Luffy, everyone is piled up on the roof for something—we should take this chance!"

Straw-hat looked disappointed at that. "But I wanted to kick all their asses… guess I can start from the roof."

The woman dragging him by the arm paused, blinked, then punched him on the shoulder. "Don't care, just do something and make it loud!"

Zoro shook his head.

Damn idiots.


Nami looked back at him after slinking through the window, expecting him to follow her till they split up at the staircase. Luffy only smiled back, then looked up with an excited giggle.

"See you in a bit."

Nami only got a chance to tilt her head with confusion as he dropped down, joints cracked and he disappeared with a gentle boom that she could feel in her bones.

It took her a couple of seconds to understand that he had jumped up to the roof.

She shook her head and rubbed her temples with one hand. Why can't even one thing about him be normal?


Helmeppo shuddered, taking shaky steps away from his dad, shuddering at the rage he was feeling seep from the marine with the steel underjaw.

"I never hit you cause you weren't even worth laying hands on, you utter waste of my genes."

The young man who had been terrorizing the town for months whimpered, his heart sinking and his stomach dropping painfully. Then his back hit the guarding wall of the roof, the sudden feeling of being trapped washing over him.

Then he noticed his dad raising his non-axe hand, cocking back for a vicious punch.

Helmeppo accepted his death.

Then someone whooped, stone cracked, and the statue the squadron had been trying to lift for hours shuddered.

All eyes slowly raised to look onto the sudden guest that had appeared on the chest of his fathers statue, squatting with his hands on his knees, casual as can be. His face stung at the sight and Helmeppo realized it was the man who had punched him into the wall at the bar.

The straw-hat smirked back at all the marines, eyes landing on him and staring into his soul with manic glee. "Oh hey there."

"Y-you," he whimpered, his father roared something, but it was lost as the man jumped forward, the marble statue cracking and crumbling under the force of his hop.

The brute landed silently in front of him, and Helmeppo noticed that he had gotten… taller? His eyes traveled up and down his body to see that his legs looked armored and…

Bent in weird directions, in a way that made his own knees feel weak.

His dad barked something, he could only register the words 'long leg tribe' while the straw-hatted teen was towering over him, still with that predatory grin on his face.

"How about you wait here for a second, and then give me a tour of the place, ok blondie?"

Helmeppo didn't get to deny him before he disappeared again, followed by the sounds of marines getting pummeled.


Nami shuddered as something big and heavy echoed throughout the base, followed by a sudden flash of darkness as something blocked out the sunlight from outside.

She stood there dumbfounded, before a miniature quake made the floor under her shudder, causing her to almost fall face first onto the ground. A massive cloud of dust rose from whatever had hit the ground.

Overachiever she sighed internally, smiling and shaking her head. My turn~

She grinned and pulled out her lockpicking kit from under her skirt, licking her lips at the sight of the doors to Morgan's office.


Zoro stared silently at the rising cloud of debris and dust as it washed over the courtyard, settling over his feet.

He couldn't see it properly from where he was, but he was sure he'd just watched the kid jump up to the top of the marine base with a single bound, then kick over the eyesore they had been pulling up to the roof the entire morning.

He blinked again, shaking his head and staring at his feet.

He kicked away a small chunk of marble that had landed by him after the crash, then gulped.

This is real…


"Oh my…"

Robin had to dispel an eye that was on the wall of the courtyard before the dust could get to it, smiling softly.

She had enjoyed the little break Crocodile had offered her in the form of trying to hire the so-called 'evil pirate hunter'. Which would've been easier if she had managed to track him down before he was tied up for ten days, but his movement patterns were way too chaotic to actually pinpoint.

That was until he had been pinned to the place by Morgan. She had to commend the captain for that. So Zoro's capture came with pros and cons.

But she had seen quite the show so far from the new arrival, and had ideas of her own. Maybe with someone that powerful on their side, Crocodile could speed the process up.

Her smile fell, and she sighed softly, pushing her mouth against her hand as she rested against her elbow. …Anything for true history…

She swallowed her woes, urging her compassionate side to hide once more. She couldn't afford to be like that. She'd learned that in the long years she'd lived as a fugitive.

She didn't have the strength to be compassionate. Nor the time.

She had to come up with a way to get into the good graces of the man wrecking havoc so effortlessly in the marine base.

I wonder what name you go by, Straw Hat boy…


"Oi."

Helmeppo looked at the piles of marines groaning and wincing around him, even his father was on his back, coughing and shuddering from an impact he had only managed to hear instead of see.

Straw Hat was looking down at him, looking more human than before, except his hand which glinted red in the noon sun.

He gulped and fought desperately against the trembling in his bowels. "P-please don't kill me."

The man blinked, grabbed his own hat and leaned back, moving it back and forth on his head, effectively scratching his scalp. "I just need you to tell me where you bastards put Zoro's swords."

Helmeppo was on his feet before he realized he was even getting up, already rushing to the door.

"Right! Follow me this way, sir!"

Straw Hat laughed from behind, following close at his heels.

Helmeppo slowly understood that even if he were to run with all his might right now, he wouldn't lose the man behind him.

Somehow, that realization was scarier then the sight he had left behind on the roof


Who the FUCK is Buggy!?

Nami wished Luffy was there so she could vent some stress out by punching the dumbass in the chest. God knew he could take it without issue.

She almost shredded the parchment in her hands, her hands still trembling with rage.

"Ah, there you are!" Her erstwhile companion suddenly appeared, walking in with an arm full of swords and the man from the bar gripped by the collar in his other. "Did ya find what you were looking for?"

She paused, breathed in and turned with a flirty smile.

Don't fail me now sex appeal

Nami walked up to him with an exaggerated sway to her hips, accentuated her low-rise skirt and casually stamped down on the blonde bastard's head. Hooking her arms around her taller partner's shoulders.

"Luuuuuffy~" she purred with all of her womanly charms behind it, looking deep into his dark eyes. "Can ya do me a solid?~"

He didn't react as much as she was used to seeing when she turned the charm on, but she knew he was not like any other man. The way his eyes locked onto hers told her that she had hooked him in, anyway.

"Sure, what is it, Nami?"

"Can we go beat up some pirate named Buggy?~" she begged, fluttering her eyelashes with a pout she knew was adorable.

Luffy laughed. "You didn't need all the theatrics!" Then he shot her a charming smile that made her forget her woes for just a second. "But I liked it; sure!"

She rolled her eyes, and punched him weakly on the chest. "Should've kept your mouth shut then."

She poked her tongue out to him, walking away with a sway in her steps. "Would've done it every time I wanted something~"

"Ah." He hummed, punching his own palm. "Right."

She couldn't help but giggle under her breath. "Dumbass."

"Meh, it's better if you want to do it rather than think you have to, no?" he asked, in the straightforward and direct way that left no real room to counter.

Nami, true to her thoughts, turned around walked up to him, and slapped him in the back of the head. "Stop it already, let's get out of he-"

"MEN!"

Both froze as they heard a booming voice ring out from the window facing the courtyard. Luffy was already moving by the time Nami registered where it was coming from.

Before she really understood what was going on, she heard Luffy say 'hold tight' and the next thing she knew, she was gripping onto his red cardigan for dear life, shooting through the air faster than a cannonball.

She could hear bones crack and joints pop as the arms holding onto her shifted and grew bigger. Her eyes squeezed shut with fear.

"FIRE!"

"I can't die yet!"

Guns rung out, a deadly orchestra hammering in her ears as she was reminded of things she wished to forget.

Part of her was glad it was all going to be over…

Then, she realized it wasn't, as she heard multiple pangs of metal ricocheting off a harder surface.

"Ironclad." A deep bellowing voice boomed out, shaking her to her core.

For a moment everything was silent, and Nami slowly opened her eyes, looking up at her current partner in crime.

Gone was the somewhat handsome face of the straw-hatted young man; instead, a black, armored mask resembling something between an insect and a knight peered back, sunken eyes shining with a simple yearning for adventure across the compound lenses.

She gasped softly, still not letting go of the cardigan that had managed to stretch and accommodate his swollen torso. His back stretched out and a collar jutted up like a shelf to protect his neck from behind. Log-sized arms held onto her with the same ease as when he had first grabbed her before jumping out the window.

Her breath finally settled comfortably back in her lungs, eyes widening with the realization. "Luffy?"

"The one and only!" he cheered, slowly letting her down to look back at Zoro and the pink-haired kid he had dragged along. "Hey you two, did I stop 'em all?"

"...the fuck are you?" the swordsman gasped, still looking up at the bug-man, his eyes almost bulging out of his skull.

"Currently? Ironclad beetle-human Hybrid." Luffy responded, not caring as Morgan gathered his troops and ordered them to attack again. "Looks cool, right?"

Zoro made a choking sound and gargled on his own breath.

Nami on the other hand was still trying to figure out how she managed to get roped into a boat with a guy that could just do that.

The lighthearted exchange was cut short as multiple swords crashed into Luffy, some shattering on impact while others simply bounced back, the Marines holding them falling onto their asses.

Nami heard Luffy let out a insect-like chitter that sounded close to a click of a tongue, annoyance showing clear as day, even without a face that could emote at all.

He turned around, backhanding multiple Marines with enough force to send them flying to the far wall of the courtyard. "It's not fair to attack from behind!"

And just like that the tension fell apart again, Nami feeling her shoulders slump and the breath she'd held wheeze back out. Her lungs couldn't handle much more of this.. You're the last person to talk about things being fair, you monster!

But the effect was unmistakable as the morale of the Marines shattered, all of them barely holding onto their weapons, legs shaking like twigs in the wind.

"M-monster…"

"We can't beat that…"

The captain roared, raising his axe arm over the few standing close to him. "Who dares to speak like that in my presence!? All Marines that wont fight will be court martialed and shot immediately!"

Joints cracked, something squelched and Nami glanced at Luffy again. The Straw Hat was now standing before the captain, body shrunken down to his normal height and bulk, but his arms still thick and covered in the white and black gauntlets. A look down revealed legs longer than normal, and angled in a way Nami knew human legs could not bend in.

Even with the grotesque physical changes, the rage pulsing visibly off the young man was scarier than the inhuman sight he had become.

"You're right." He hummed, as Morgan was still reeling from his sudden appearance in front of him. " You haven't fought at all yet, have you?"

In a blink, Luffy's fist met the steel casing of Morgan's lower jaw, denting the thing as the man stumbled back with the impact, gripping it with one hand and shaking off the concussion.

To his credit, the Marine Captain managed to gather his bearings and raise his axe-arm high, gripping onto the handle jutting out from his elbow and bringing it down hard enough to split the earth itself with a deafening roar.

"I WON'T STAND FOR THIS TREASON!"

But, he was just too slow for the devil fruit user, Luffy had already dodged, turned to his side and raised his leg, joints folding in with precise angles. "You won't stand at all, for a bit."

Then his leg exploded forwards, heel slamming into Morgan's temple and taking the captain off his feet, crashing into some of his men and rolling onto the dirt.

"STOP!"

Everything paused as a shrill voice cut through the one-sided fight, Luffy grabbing onto his hat and facing the blonde he had dragged along to find those swords earlier.

Nami gasped, noticing the gun next to the pink-haired kid's head.

"D-don't move or I'll shoot!" The captain's son warbled out, almost biting his tongue and looking like the gun was about to kill him instead, the hand holding onto it jittering and shaking like a leaf.

Luffy looked unimpressed, even as Morgan shifted and started to get up.

"L-Luffy-san!" the midget managed to bark out, smiling through tears. "Do-don't worry about me! I- I don't want to get between you and your dream!"

Luffy's other arm started to morph into something new, a smile blooming in his face, even as Morgan raised his axe one last time. "Well said Coby!"

"I- I said don't m-" Whatever else the blonde bastard was gonna spout got stuck in his throat as multiple hands bloomed into existence all over his body, gripping his arm and forcing the gun away from Coby's head and into the sky, grabbing his head and pulling back, joints groaning at the sudden twist before the pressure and pain of it all knocked him out.

Luffy blinked at the sight, the shift in his arm fizzling out and the limb returning to normal, still not paying any heed to the axe about to come down on his head.

With a flash of steel, it was over.

Nami blinked at the sight of Zoro, now holding onto three blades taking a step away from Morgan as the captain fell to his knees, Luffy grabbing the Marine by the head, slamming his nose against the dirt with a satisfying crack announced the end of the skirmish.

"Fine," the swordsman grumbled, taking the white blade out from his mouth, turning to face the straw-hatted man. "I'll join your crew. But-"

Nami was surprised the man still had the gall to point a sword at Luffy's throat as a threat. "I'm going to be the greatest swordsman in history. If you get in my way, I'll cut you down."

The dumbass laughed, a hearty laugh filled with joy straight from his soul. "I'd expect nothing less! Nami! Meet our new crewmate, Zoro!"

Getting swept up in the moment, she waved at the swordsman weakly, before realizing that there was still a base's worth of Marines surrounding them. "Uh- Luffy, what about everyone else?"

The man blinked, Zoro pulled his sword back and pulled out his white blade once more, but before he could attack, a cheer of relief and happiness broke out from the ranks of the Marines, men tossing their swords down and hats up with joy. "He's gone!"

"They defeated Morgan!"

A cackle escaped Luffy's throat, his eyes landing on Nami's again.

"See? Simple."


"So…" Nami broke through the sounds of eating, gently tapping her glass with a finger. "I think I get what your Devil Fruit lets you do… but what was with the arms?"

Luffy stopped shoveling food into his mouth, munched everything still in there and gulped, staring back at her. "That wasn't you?"

"...Dumbass, I didn't even know Devil Fruits existed before you came along!"

"Ah, riiiiight" Zoro added, gasping for air after managing to swallow a bite that was a little too big. "Those things- that's why you can turn into that bug thing, right?"

"Yeah! I ate the Moho moho no mi! I'm an imitation human!" He explained, grinning from ear to ear. "I can copy any animal I've ever seen!"

Zoro hummed with a simple 'neat', returning to his meal.

Nami stared at him for a little longer, rubbing a finger along the edge of the glass "Any?"

"Yeah!" he nodded, excitedly leaning towards her. "Though the better I understand them, the easier it is!"

"Huh… but then, the arms?"

Zoro shrugged. "I'm just glad I wasn't imagining them this time."

A gentle cough cut Nami off before she could question what Zoro had just implied, all of their eyes turning to face the new guest standing over their table, features obscured by a hooded cloak.

"That would've been me, hope you didn't mind the help…" the figure offered, voice feminine and a little husky.

"Would you care to help me in return?"