Second to last chapter! It's verryyy long. 7,000 words long. I couldn't find somewhere I thought it was good to split up. So the length for the chapter makes up for the length of the next. Enjoy~

Update: A lot of people are curious about Ace and Luffy's relationship. There isn't one. Luffy was five, two years younger than it was that he met Ace. They are still related through Garp, they just never met before. I don't mention Garp much, but he is still related to Luffy, but even he can't get Luffy back after going to a Celestial Dragon. :( Shanks met Luffy when he was still very young, but even as a three/four year old, Shanks had influence on him. There's always at least one person you can remember from being very young. Shanks is that person for Luffy.

"I did it!" Luffy cheered as he held up a slightly sizzled rock. He'd finally been able to spark something with his lightning powers. The rock had a small scorch mark on it. It had been a few months of training with Luffy, and he was gaining some momentum of his improvement. He ran over to Katakuri and handed him the rock.

"Great job!" he said encouragingly and picked to boy up to toss him in the air. "Let's take a rest for the remainder of today. We can go to Pudding's and have her make a cake in celebration. How does that sound?" Luffy giggled and nodded, sat onto Katakuri's shoulder as they walked back into the house.

When the two walked into the large living room, Luffy jumped off of his guardian's shoulder and onto the couch. But he was lightly scolded.

"You know you aren't supposed to jump from my shoulder. You could get hurt, even if you have a logia fruit," Katakuri said seriously.

"Sorry…" Luffy replied. But he bounced back quickly, like always, when Katakuri got the transponder snail out. The one that connected to Pudding's home. He had dozens of the snails connected to certain members of the family.

"Hello?" Pudding's voice asked over the snail.

"Hi Pudding, Luffy -" Katakuri began, but was talked over by Luffy, who was on the floor at the big man's feet, so he had to shout to be able to get his voice to travel to the snail.

"Pudding, we want celebration cake!" he cheered. The two could hear the smile in her voice.

"Would you like to help me, Luffy?" she asked kindly. It had been awhile since anyone had seen Luffy due to his uncontrollable fruit. Katakuri still didn't want others to know about it. Flampe had told no one because she was still humiliated about being afraid of Luffy and whatever happened that night in his room.

"Yah!"

"We'll see you in a bit," Katakuri said in his gruff voice he talked to everyone but Luffy and Brulee with. After an affirmation from Pudding, Luffy hurried into his room to change and then ran back into the room to wait with Katakuri fro Brulee to come and transport them through the Mirroworld to Pudding's place. Brulee's Devil Fruit was truly convenient.

As the two waited, Katakuri read the paper while Luffy played with his figures. Whitebeard had gotten Fire Fist Ace back away from the execution and the military was in shambles after the crushing defeat. The government had lost a lot of marines in the war, including one of the admirals.

Whitebeard had been very injured, but healed just fine a couple months after the fight, around now. Then he was back to sail again in good health, besides the effects of his aging. Fire Fist Ace had been in hiding for a few weeks before he made an appearance again, destroying navy ships, probably still angered at being tortured in prison.

Blackbeard, the pirate who had turned in Fire Fist to the marines had been defeated at Marineford by Whitebeard. They didn't call him the king of the seas for nothing, after all.

So now things were a bit quiet compared to how crazy the paper had been during the time before and closely after the war. Katakuri couldn't help but be happy with that. With no problems out in the New World to potentially take care of for Mama, he was able to spend more time with Luffy.

Brulee walked up to the huge mirror on the wall and out into the living room. "Ready to go, Luffy?" she asked with a smile. The boy jumped up and stuffed one of his toys into his short's pocket and hurried over to her. Katakuri put the newspaper down and followed the two, heading for Pudding's house. Katakuri had been going with Luffy when he went to Pudding's house because he wanted to learn how to cook more for the little boy. He was very uncomfortable at first, but now it was just normal to go with him to learn how to make him sweets that he would enjoy. And healthy treats as well, which were few in totto land. How everyone weren't obese, Katakuri would never know.

"What's the celebration, Luffy?" Pudding asked as Luffy sat at the counter across from Pudding's large kitchen. She had a feeling he wouldn't answer, like always, but she really did want to know what he and Katakuri did out there at their far off home. Katakuri had never been a very social person and didn't go to family events besides the tea party, but besides when it was necessary to leave, he mostly stayed at home with Luffy, doing whatever it was they did.

"It's a secret. But it's a good secret cause I impooved," Luffy said happily as he swung his short legs off the bar stool.

"Well, I'm glad you improved in whatever you are doing," Pudding replied nicely. Luffy's "helping" her bake were just him handing her ingredients and taste testing if the batter was ready. Pudding was making a red velvet cakes with chocolate frosting. She hadnt made it before for Luffy, and the two didn't really notice Katakuri casually watching what Pudding was doing, storing away the steps and measurements in his good memory.

Since the red velvet cake was big enough for many people, Katakuri and Brulee ate as well. For once, the big man liked a sweet Pudding had made. Neither he nor Brulee had tasted it before. Pudding smiled at her siblings that seemed so much happier with Luffy. She wished Katakuri had been as social with his siblings as he was with Luffy. And for some reason, he really favored Brulee over everyone else.

But no one would ask him such things. No one wanted his angry stare directed at them. It made everything feel cold and was downright scary. Only Smoothie and Cracker really dealt with the hard questioned when they were needed to be asked. Smoothie minded her own business well, while Cracker had to shut up most of the time when he was with his larger brother.

"Pudding, how old are you?" Luffy asked curiously.

"I'm sixteen," she answered. She didn't feel like a teenager, and she felt she didn't act like one either. Almost all of her family lost track on how old she was based on her behavior, though she could get very moody sometimes. But she only really acted immature when she was angry.

"Really? You don't look that young…" Luffy mused as he shoved another forkful of cake in his mouth. Katakuri stepped in, since Luffy had already had two slices of cake and chocolate milk.

"Luffy, no more cake, okay? You don't want your stomach to be upset for training tomorrow, right?" the man asked calmly. Luffy knew he was right, but frowned at the leftover cake in the middle of the table. He put his fork down and pushed the plate a few inches away.

"Don't worry, Luffy. You can take the rest home with you to eat tomorrow after another day of training." Pudding didn't know what this training was, but she played along for the sake of Katakuri not having to repeat himself or have a sad Luffy later sometime because he wanted sweets he'd missed out on.

"Cool! Thanks, Pudding," Luffy said and then yawned. Despite just eating a lot of sugar, Luffy was tired from training that day. It was only late afternoon, but Luffy wanted a nap. "Can we go home, Koori?" Luffy asked. "I is tired."

Katakuri pushed his chair away from the table and took the cake Pudding had just put in a cake box. "Time to go, Luffy," Katakuri said and picked Luffy up by the scruff of his shirt to plop him down in the boy's vest pocket. "Goodbye pudding," Katakuri said over his shoulder as he and Brulee left for the Mirroworld.

Later, once they were home with the food put away for later, Luffy naped in Katakuri's scarf, which was in a pool on the floor in front of the couch he was reading on. The rest of the day was quiet, until the man got a call on his transponder snail. He froze but quickly answered the ringing phone so as not to wake Luffy with the noise. He just mumbled in his sleep and turned over.

"Yes, Mama?" Katakuri asked as he walked into the hallway. What he heard next made him frown. Time for another job. He'd been lucky to have not be saddled with any for awhile.

"Yes, there is unrest in one of my islands, and due to that they have told me my candy won't be ready. Go get the candy and kill whoever gets in your way," and then the phone was hung up. Katakuri sighed. What a stupid job. Why would he need to waste time doing something like that? He'd much rather be training with Luffy so he could…

Wait... This sounded like an easy job. One that shouldn't take too long. And when this had happened before, on the same island, once one of the Charlotte children had gone there, everyone had acted normal. Of course, right after they pirates left, the unrest broke out again. But after having what they had come for, no one gave any thoughts to what would happen on the island afterwards.

He walked back to the living room and looked at the pile of scarf and child. Luffy would be ecstatic. And Katakuri would have Brulee on standby if Luffy needed to be brought back home through the mirror. This was great! Luffy would love it. And with the rate he was improving at, he wouldn't be able to go on any jobs for a long time. But this one was relatively simple and easy, easy enough for Luffy to have fun, but be safe at the same time.

Besides, no one ever attacks Charlotte Katakuri unless they wished to die a painful death. So, if he kept Luffy on him in his pocket or something, no one would get to him, even if they wanted to. And Luffy had the added safety of Katakuri being able to see into the future and protect the boy if it was deemed necessary.

He'd leave the killing of those in the Yonko's way of her candy to his crew and the others who would go with him. He'd save the good stuff for just him and Luffy.

Dinner time came and Luffy woke up to the smell of pasta and yawned, hurrying into the kitchen and seeing Koori at the stove. The little boy climbed onto his kitchen chair to wait for food. Though he hadnt made a sound, even a person without observation haki could tell he was there.

Luffy, like usual, downed his first serving of food in record time, immediately asking for seconds. Katakuri was used to this by now and ate after Luffy got his second serving. Then he didn't have to get up in the middle of him eating his own food.

Luffy sat at the table, waiting to Koori to finish his food so Luffy could have some cake for dessert. He really liked the cake.

"So, Luffy. Did you still want to go on a mission with me?" Katakuri asked conversationally, looking forward to Luffy's reaction.

The little boy gasped. "YAH! I WANNA GO ON A ADVENTURE!" he shouted very enthusiastically. "Can I go, please please please?!" he begged with a very wide grin. Then he furrowed his brows. "But… you said I can't go till I strong enough," he pointed out, slightly confused though he wanted to go anyways.

"Well, it's going to be a simple job. We will just go to an island and pick up some special candy," Katakuri explained, leaving out that the candy was for Big Mom and this was a mission from her. "You should be safe with me in my pocket. No one bothers me. I'm too strong," Katakuri said with a smile to Luffy.

"With your big fork and mochi," Luffy replied with a nod, then taking a big gulp of his milk. "When can we go?" asked the boy, bouncing on his raised seat a bit. He couldn't wait to get back on the sea. Being a pirate was fun! Especially with Koori and his friends.

"We can go tomorrow. It shouldn't take too long to get to the island. I have to call my crew though and alert them of the job we're going to do." Luffy cheered and exclaimed that he was going to go to bed so tomorrow would come quicker.

"Brush your teeth before bed," Katakuri called as Luffy ran off as he did the dishes and put the cooking supplies away. He smiled to himself as he listened to Luffy hum excitedly as he brushed his teeth from the hall bathroom. He heard Luffy shut off the water and his feet pounding down the long hallway to his room, slamming the door shut and snuggling into his bed. Katakuri knew that from his observation haki.

Katakuri packed some things in a bag for both of them while they were on the ship. He called Brulee and informed her that he and Luffy would be gone for a couple weeks at most. She could always see them through the mirror, but she was secretly a bit bummed about not being able to be with Luffy for a while. Even if it was a little while, she truly enjoyed the boy's company and what he had done for her brother.

Katakuri collected Luffy's toys strewn about the carpet and put them in the little backpack for him. He had to pack his clothes tomorrow morning. The man was looking forward to going someplace new with Luffy. He was sure Luffy wasn't entirely happy only being at home, besides when he traveled through the Mirroworld.

He'd make sure Luffy had fun and he got the job done. Regardless of how much effort he actually puts into retrieving the candy. But really, it shouldn't be too hard. He would not kill anyone in front of Luffy, but he was positive no one would mess with him. There had been scuffles going on on islands before but candy was retrieved easily by those sent to do so.

But wow, this island had balls to let a war compromise all of them from the wrath of the emperor. By not sending their own merchandise, it was threatening both sides of whatever disagreement the island had. But it wasn't his problem. There was something really good about being in his position. No one gave him bullshit, and he was mostly left alone by others. He liked the quiet, and now was content for Luffy to fill the noise.

Katakuri dialed all of his crew members, who were all scattered on his island, and told them to be ready tomorrow morning at the docks. They were to have the ship ready. Though Katakuri was more compassionate since Luffy, he was still the captain and his crew would do what he wished them to.

Luffy dreamed of having a tea party, though it was much nicer than Big Mom's. He was surrounded by the family who he liked, but sat at his own table with Koori and his toys. He had candy and cake and all sorts of meats laid out in front of him. Then, suddenly Koori was at the coast calling for Luffy to come to the ship.

The boy suddenly had tons of heavy bags with him full of toys he wished he had and leftover food that he would really eat all in one sitting. Katakuri quickly came over to picked up Luffy and all of his baggage to go on their adventure.

The sea was made of chocolate milk and Luffy was allowed to eat some of the ship, which was made of peanut brittle. And Katakuri didn't get mad about it at all. Over all, it was a dream with so much sugar an average person would vomit.

"Luffy," Katakuri said gently, waking up the sleeping boy so he could pack his things and they could go on the mission. "Time to wake up." Luffy just mumbled and rolled over, wanting to sleep longer. But when Katakuri said, "Don't you want to go on an adventure?" Luffy jumped up immediately and fell out of bed in his hurry to get ready.

Katakuri chuckled and picked him up to set him straight. "Time to get dressed and pack some clothes. I've already packed your toys," the man said. Luffy nodded vigorously and bustled around the room, changing his clothes quickly and pulling out random shirts and shorts from his dresser. While he did so, Katakuri picked out a few picture books to bring with them to help Luffy fall asleep. There was no doubt he'd be so excited sleep would be difficult out on the short voyage.

Luffy's backpack was full of toys, books and stuffed animals while Katakuri's pack was full of clothes and other various necessities. His was much bigger, so it fit more stuff. Luffy was wearing his jean shorts, a while shirt and a black hoodie that matched Katakuri's vest. They walked side by side, Katakuri walking much slower than usual for Luffy to keep up with his infinitely shorter legs.

Brulee was waiting for them at the dock with the ship ready to go from his crew already being there. Luffy bounced on his toes as the ship came into view. He hadnt been on it in a very long time. He could already feel the sway of the ship even though he was still on the dock.

"Will you stay near the transponder in case there's an emergency and we need your power?" Katakuri asked Brulee and Luffy ran to the ship with the man's permission.

"Of course. Have fun and be careful, okay?" Brulee asked.

"I will. don't worry about us. I'll tell you when we are on our way back. Please don't let Mama know I'm taking Luffy with me. If anyone asks where he is, say you are babysitting him and he's sick so no one can come over. Alright?" he asked, adjusting his scarf to make sure to cover all of his mouth. It really was strange now to cover his face when he spent the majority of his time without it at home.

"I will." Katakuri bid his sister goodbye and walked to the ship and up the plank. The sails were lowered and the ship sailed away towards their destination.

To say Luffy was excited was an understatement. He could not stay still. It was like he'd drunk a gallon of coffee and all the candy in Totto land. It was slightly ridiculous, but Katakuri wasn't going to spoil his mood. He just made sure to keep his observation haki focused on Luffy as he zoomed around the ship excitedly.

Games broke out between him and the crew, though Katakuri didn't take part in much of them. It was one thing to act fatherly and playful at home with just Luffy or Brulee there, too, but he just couldn't bring himself to be sappy and optimistic with Luffy in a more public setting. Thankfully, Luffy seemed to understand that, though he still spent time with his Koori by just sitting in his lap talking to him or lounging in his pocket after eating.

Luffy had been told not to run around or be extremely active after a big meal, though the boy still had trouble with not doing so when he was being a pirate again! He was taken up to the crow's nest by the person closest to being the first mate on the ship to keep watch for any enemy ships.

If one was spotted anytime, there was no doubt that the ship would either not approach them, or the "battle" would be over with immediately by Katakuri just taking the easy way out and using his Conquering haki to knock them all out and move on without any sort of violence. The big man did not want to expose Luffy to the side of Katakuri the boy was never meant to see. The sweet commander did wonder sometimes how Luffy would react to it. He was quite unpredictable after all.

But he didn't want to risk ruining Luffy's innocence and blissful ignorance about most things. Luffy spent the time he wasn't being overly active or with Katakuri just watching the sea. He seemed to be more happy about being on the sea than he was about going someplace new. Looked like Katakuri had a future pirate on his hands. Hopefully a good natured pirate. Well, that was up to Katakuri by raising Luffy. He had a big responsibility, and he would carry it out as best as he was able.

"Koori, I saw a big snake in the water!" Luffy cheered from the railing he sat sitting with his legs swinging through the bars and over the side of the ship. "It's over there!" he pointed off into the distance.

The man walked to Luffy from his chair on the deck and looked the way Luffy had been pointing and saw nothing for a moment before the head of a large sea king popped up. Katakuri picked Luffy up and away from the railing a bit just for safety reasons and said, "It's called a sea king. They're monsters of the sea and cause a lot of problems for both pirates and marines alike. They taste good if cooked right, though.

"You must be careful around them and not get eaten," he explained.

"Wow…" Luffy whispered. "It's so big! Is that the biggest ever of them?" the boy questioned.

"No, there are much larger ones. And there are giant whales and dolphins in the sea. Below the surface has a lot of scary and amazing creatures. That's why people must be careful in the ocean, especially Devil Fruit users, like you and me."

Some of the crew watched the two discreetly from other parts of the deck, smiling softly. They'd never voice it, but the two were very cute when they were together. They had been there when Katakuri first bought Luffy. He'd thought Luffy was a hassle at first, and he'd bought him because he saw potential in him as a fighter for the family.

Now, however, it was clear Katakuri had adopted the father role for the little boy. They wondered how things would work out.

"Koori, what other pirates like? There lots, right?" Luffy questioned as he sat in the folds of Katakuri's fluffy scarf.

Katakuri sat down on the deck as they both continued to face in the direction the sea king had appeared, but left. "Well, all of the family are pirates. And Big Mom is called a Yonko. An Emperor of the New World, which is where we live. There are other Yonkos. Shanks is one of them." Luffy perked up at the mention of Shanks, the man Luffy remembered as being fun and nice. "There is also a Yonko named Whitebeard. He has a very large crew, and he calls them all his sons. He's quite old, but is called the 'king of the sea' due to his strength."

"Even stronger than Big Mom?" Luffy asked curiously.

"Well, they are probably equal in battle strength, but Whitebeard has a power he could destroy the world with. He can create sea and earthquakes. He's a fiercive force. Then there's one more Yonko, named Kaido. He is not like Akagami Shanks or Whitebeard, and does not treasure his crew as the others do. I've heard his crew uses artificial Devil Fruits. It's very interesting.

"Then, there are the seven warlords of the sea. Those are pirates that the World Government elects to help out if there is a war of some sort. There was actually a war not long ago. The marines are in shambles after Whitebeard's crew defeated them and saved one of his sons.

"There are many types of pirates out there. Ones who bring hatred and harm to others, and then the more minority types that travel for the fun of it," Katakuri finished.

"Like Shanks?" Luffy asked, extremely interested in all of this. He wanted to be the Pirate King because being a pirate sounded fun by what he could remember of Shanks and the stories he told Luffy.

"I would assume so. He doesn't seem like the type to pillage and destroy like I have heard. He's the only Yonko without a Devil Fruit."

"Wow! That's so cool! I can't wait to be a pirate," Luffy said with a loud giggle. "I wanna go on adventures."

"I'm sure you'll be a strong pirate when you grow up. But you have a long ways until then. I'm sure if we keep training you'll be able to depart some time in your late teens. You have to be ready when the time comes, though." Luffy pouted a bit. He didn't want to wait that long!

"Did you always wanna be a pirate?" Luffy asked suddenly.

"Well, I didn't really have a choice. The Charlotte family are all pirates. I don't know if I exactly wanted to be a pirate, but it was all I knew, so it seems pretty normal," Katakuri replied. Luffy frowned a bit.

"Do you not have fun?"

Katakuri frowned. Did he even like being a pirate? Sure he was a pirate a lot, before Luffy came, but now? Honestly, it felt like a hassle when he had to go out to sea and do his job as a pirate under Big Mom. Would he be happier not being a pirate? He didn't exactly enjoy killing, but he didn't hate it either. It just was what is was.

He enjoyed staying home with Luffy more than boring jobs. If he was able to go anywhere he wanted, would he like it more? He didn't really think so. There was no real place he wanted to visit after all.

"Well, the jobs I go on are not exactly fun, but they aren't terrible either. I don't really pick where I go, Big Mom does. But, I accepted this job so I could take you someplace other than Komugi Island," Katakuri explained. Luffy was about to protest about going if it was just to help Big Mom, but another sea king popped up not that far away from them and Luffy was completely distracted.

It was strange to Katakuri to just sit with Luffy so quietly while he was absolutely enthralled with waiting for something to pop out of the sea ahead of them. Usually Luffy was a ball of energy, but he had become as tranquil as the sea was at the moment. Barely rocking the ship or making any sounds. The only sounds was the seagulls flying around the pirate ship.

Line…

The island the crew was heading towards was really not far from Totto Land compared to how far some other islands under the Yonko's name were. This was good, for Luffy was becoming very impatient. He got bored of the ship only three days after they set sail and kept asking the navigator "when will we get there?" over and over. Eventually, Katakuri had to tell him to please stop and they weren't going to get there any faster than nature wants.

Despite the cold, Luffy camped out on deck at night, wanting to look at the stars. Even at home there were some lights, but out here you could see so many more stars clearly.

Katakuri, wanting to make Luffy's adventure as fun as possible, camped outside with him, too. The sweet commander slept propped up against the mast with Luffy fallen asleep on his shoulder buried in the scarf. It really didn't look like the most comfortable position for him, but Katakuri didn't wake him once he passed out on his shoulder.

"Luffy, a storm is coming. Time to go inside," Katakuri instructed calmly as they sailed forward, into dark clouds. Luffy frowned and ran back inside. He'd never liked storms. Despite being made of lightning, he didn't like the thunder. And he was afraid of falling off the ship, or Koori falling off the ship. He went to the kitchen table and crawled under it into a ball.

The chef took pity on the boy and gave him some chocolate milk, telling him the storm wasn't going to hurt them. It would just be noisy for awhile. Katakuri was a skilled pirate and could control the crew seamlessly. Luffy just nodded, slowly drinking his milk while still underneath the table.

Luffy wasn't one to cry much, but the claps of deafening thunder and the violent tilting of the ship side to side was making him extremely distressed. Everyone was taking cover in the galley after they'd done everything to keep the ship and themselves safe from the storm. The moment Katakuri entered, soaking wet from the downpour, Luffy latched onto his leg, burying his face into the black leather.

Katakuri immediately picked him up and cupped him in his hands to make him feel secure. The boy was curled up between Koori's big hands. He knew Luffy so well and hadnt even needed to ask him what to do to make him feel safe and comfortable.

The man walked with Luffy to their shared room and tucked Luffy into his little mattress, wrapping him in a blanket like a cocoon.

"Better?" Luffy nodded. He was a bit embarrassed about how scared he was of it. The truth was he'd never really been in a storm like this. Even after he was first bought by Katakuri, the ship had met no weather troubles, despite being in the New World, on their way back to Totto Land. There had been a few storms back at home, and those made Luffy uneasy, but being out on the sea in the middle of one made him 100 times more uncomfortable with it.

But thankfully, the storm did no lasting damage to the vessel, and Luffy was asleep by the end of the rocking ship. The ordeal had drained him emotionally. Katakuri left him in the bedroom while he left to tell the crew to weigh anchor and that they would be stopping for the night since the storm had dissipated and the sea was calm for now.

Katakuri did sleep with his scarf on just in case, since he was not in the safety of home where he and Luffy were the only ones around. But he found it hard to sleep that night. Something was bothering him. They were quickly approaching their island destination, but he was feeling uneasy about it. He really should have done more research about the "unrest" on the island. That could be anything to Big Mom.

Well, they'd see either tomorrow or the day after. He was looking forward to getting rid of the suspense he was feeling. Plus, Luffy's "Are we there yet?"s were getting on everyone's nerves. Well, hopefully he'd be appeased soon.

Luffy bounced on his toes while holding onto his backpack straps, which was full of toys and snacks. Katakuri was sitting against the railing, watching Luffy in amusement. They had glimpsed the island a little under an hour ago, and it was slow getting there. Luffy hadnt sat down since they saw first saw it.

There was no sort of smoke coming from the island, or sounds of a war. It was relatively calm, so Katakuri wondered what the "unrest" really was about. As long as there was no fighting, Luffy should be fine. He wouldn't want to have to, but if there was war, Katakuri would probably just take the easy way out and go around whatever was happening. The candy factory was near the middle of the island, which was the only thing keeping Big Mom's protection over it.

They got closer to the harbor, and there were many ships, like usual. Only many of them were in disarray, ropes tied together in a mess. It looked like no one had set sail from the harbor in a very long time. Katakuri's eyes narrowed.

"Luffy, go inside for now," Katakuri said seriously. Luffy didn't protest and scurried inside, though he tried his best to see out of the porthole to the island they were visiting. But he stayed inside as they approached the docks. By now, the other crew members were uneasy with the captain's behavior. Was there something wrong with the island?

They finally pulled up to the docks and dropped anchor. Everyone waited for what the sweet commander was going to do. But he just stood there in silence, staring at the island in front of him. There was no movement, and he felt no one with his haki. But there was this horrible smell he was getting.

"Hello?" he called loudly. Luffy watched through the galley door window he was standing on a chair in front of. No answer. So Katakuri stepped off the ship. "Hello?" he asked again, growing incredibly uneasy.

Then he saw the first body on a ship across from docks on another ship. "Everyone, get the ship out of here!" he called. The body he was was not bloody, but it looked terribly sickly. Damn Big Mom! There was no unrest, there was some sort of illness that killed everyone off! That was the only explanation for the smell, dead body, and complete absence of life found in his observation haki.

He pressed his scarf to his mouth and nose as a filter and hurried to help his crew get the ship as far from the island as possible. Luffy was confused, and hurried outside to ask why they were leaving. Luffy hadnt even seen anything!

"Koori, what about the adventure?" he asked in confusion.

"Luffy, get inside now!" Katakuri shouted. He did not want Luffy exposed to anything unhealthy, even if it was from a distance and the disease might not be airborne. Luffy clearly took Katakuri's panic as anger and ran back inside, tears in his eyes. He hadnt meant to be annoying. Koori never yelled at him…

The sweet commander realized how his voice had come across, but he would go and clarify with Luffy when they were good and far from the island. "Unrest" my ass, Katakuri thought angrily. Because Big Mom had been very unclear and had not taken whatever the citizens had told her over the phone a couple days ago, Luffy could have gotten ill with whatever had killed the people on the island. Big Mom would get contaminated candy even if Katakuri had gone inland.

Katakuri might have been fine, who knows, but he was not going to go anywhere near anyone sick, dead or alive, when Luffy was with him. He felt bad for him. It wasn't exactly the best adventure, but at least he hadnt seen any of the bodies, for the state of the one Katakuri had seen was horrible.

Once the ship was sailing away, Katakuri called everyone into the galley after he went in to talk to Luffy. The boy was sitting in his seat at the table with a deep frown. The captain crouched next to Luffy's seat.

"I'm not mad, but there was a sickness on the island I didn't want you to catch," he assured the little boy. "I was just concerned for your safety." Then he turned to everyone else who had gathered. "We are not stepping foot on that island. Everyone is gone, and I don't want any of us getting sick."

The unasked question hung over them uncomfortably. What would he tell Big Mom? Would she care? Or would she have expected Katakuri to fetch the candy anyways? He himself didn't know what he would have done if Luffy was not accompanying him on this job. The smart part of him would have not attempted, but the stubborn and impatient part of him might have risked it just to not deal with Mama being upset.

Luffy frowned. Was everyone dead? What would they do now? Just go back home? He didn't like the thought. He wanted to go somewhere else! "Can we go someplace else?" he asked with big eyes, looking up at Katakuri.

"Well, I don't know if that would be a good idea," Katakuri said, frustrated with Luffy's disappointed frown. He wasn't frustrated with Luffy being disappointed, for he couldn't blame him for that. He was frustrated that he couldn't just decide for them to go on an adventure together. Go visit some place fun not on Mama's orders. But this was how it was. And he couldn't do anything to change it at the moment.

But Katakuri made a decision. "I'm pretty sure there's another island nearby who's special sugar cane is almost ripe. Do you want to go check and see?" he asked Luffy nicely.

"Yah!"

Line…

Katakuri was in the galley with the main transponder snail in front of him. He had to tell Mama about the island and her lost candy. And he had to be very careful not to show his anger at her though his voice.

"Katakuri! How is my candy?" Big Mom's voice ran out through the galley, extremely loud in the otherwise silent room.

"There has been a problem in the plan, Mama. The island has been ravished by some sort of disease. Everyone was dead. I couldn't step foot on it and your candy would have most likely been contaminated. I'm heading to collect the maple sugar cane as a replacement." Mama was quiet on the other end. Katakuri honestly didn't know what to expect.

"Did you inspect the island before leaving? I really am craving that candy," she said in a dangerously light tone of voice.

"I did not. When I spotted the first dead body along with the absence of life and stench of corpses, I did not inspect. I didn't want to risk being sick," Katakuri replied. He gulped, and was angry that it was audible. It gave him away.

"Was that the only reason you didn't go? Hmm?" the Yonko asked in a sickly sweet voice.

"No. That is not the only reason I didn't inspect further. I took Luffy with me, and did not want him to get sick. That's why I am getting you the other candy in the place of the last factory." Katakuri waited nervously in silence. He hated this. Walking on eggshells about the most important person in his life. Having to walk this very thin tightrope to keep Luffy safe from his mother's wrath about ridiculous things.

"Did his safety come before my command?"

Katakuri didn't know what to answer. The truth? It would anger her greatly. But she would probably know he was lying if he did. "Yes. I wanted to keep him safe. Along with you and the family. If Luffy had gotten sick, he could have infected everyone, including yourself and me."

"If he had gotten infected, you would have killed him before bringing him back-"

"NO. I would not have killed him. If he got sick, I would take him to the doctor's before bringing him back," Katakuri said sternly.

"... I have put up with him long enough Katakuri. You told me face to face that he would not interfere with your work in the Big Mom Pirate's family. And here he has stopped you from completing a mission! I want him out," Big Mom practically screamed. "FOR GOOD."

"No, Mama. You may not care for the wellbeing of your children, but I do for mine. If you won't let him come home, then I won't be coming back either. Make your decision," Katakuri said darkly. His own eyes widened in panic at what he'd said, before his resolve hardened and he realized that this was going to happen sooner or later.

Then Luffy walked in.

"Koori, I had a bad dream-" he muttered, wrapped in a blanket with a stuffed bear in his hand. Katakuri looked at him and furiously shook his head and put his finger in front of his lips. Luffy understood and became silent.

"You would choose that little brat over your own mother?" Luffy's eyes widened when he realized Koori was on the phone with Big Mom. And she was mad. He watched Katakuri's eyes as they hardened and glanced to Luffy. Luffy's mouth opened when he heard what the man said next.

"Yes. I treasure Luffy more than I care for or respect you." Luffy smiled shyly when Katakuri looked to him with crinkled eyes, unable to see his smile due to the scarf, clearly making sure Luffy had heard his words and knew he meant them. "I've played your games long enough, Mama. If your going to treat Luffy like garbage, then you no longer get to call me part of the Charlotte family."

And he hung up.

He just stared at the sleeping snail for a moment, shocked at what he'd said, but not regretting for he knew now it was always going to end up like this. And he had little time left.

He immediately called Brulee until she answered sleepily. It was late at night. "Come to the ship's mirror now." Brulee heard the urgency in his voice, and was in front of the man in the mirror in minutes. "Luffy, I'll be back in a little bit. Just stay calm, okay? Try and go back to sleep," Koori said kindly before hurrying through the mirror and running off with Brulee towards the mirror leading to their old home.

Luffy looked at the sleeping snail in shock. Koori chose him over his own mama? He grinned, content tears spiking in his eyes. But then he realized he probably won't go back home. Where would they go? Would he get to see Pudding again? Was Brulee coming with them? He knew Koori liked her, so many she'd go with them, wherever they were going now.

The snail suddenly rang again. Luffy just stared at it. He knew he shouldn't answer, but maybe she was gonna apologize? Probably not. But he made the decision to answer it anyways, though he didn't speak. He wondered what Big Mom would say.

"You will regret this, Katakuri! You will get sick of that little twerp and by then, you will have no family left!"

"No! Me and Brool are his family. Not you! You is a mean person, who is mean to your kid. We will be happy without you!" Luffy shouted and pulled the machinery off of the snail, his heart beating quicker than it ever had before, even when using his lightning powers at full force.

He worried about Katakuri and Brulee, so he waited nervously in front of the massive mirror.

Line…

"What's happened?" Brulee asked as she and Katakuri sprinted through the Mirroworld to get to Katakuri and Luffy's house.

"I back talked to Big Mom and am probably now on her hit list. It was going to happen sooner or later," Katakuri said in a hard voice. "Will you come with us?"

"Of course."

When they got to the former sweet commander's former home, he just ran around the house picking up toys and stuffing them in his pockets, pulling framed pictures off the walls of Luffy, along with the transponder snails that connected to Oven, Smoothie and Pudding. The rest could just stay, and he could hear some going off that weren't those three. No doubt Mama was throwing a tantrum and everyone knew by now.

Brulee pulled out all of the cash in Katakuri's drawer and some more clothes of Luffy. Neither had anything in any bags. Objects were shoved in pockets or in bundles in their arms. Katakuri didn't hesitate to quickly light a candle and set the place aflame. They were never coming back. It made him sad that his first house with Luffy was gonna be gone, but wherever they went now, it would be up what they both wanted. Though he knew it would be dangerous probably, a life away from the Big Mom Pirates was starting to sound nice.

But he realized he'd probably doomed his crew. Well, none of them really had any family to go home to. But he'd give them the option to stay or just go on their own ways or return to Totto Land. Katakuri didn't exactly need a crew if he was no longer a pirate.

Katakuri said goodbye to his home one last time by shattering the mirror behind him after he and Brulee entered the mirroworld. Katakuri and Brulee set the man and boy's things down and hurried to Brulee's place before hers was raided and it would be too late for her to get anything.

Luffy backed away from the mirror when the two adults walked through with massive amounts of clothing and random objects in their arms. Katakuri set down the three transponder snails he'd kept on the kitchen table, where the other snail was just sleeping, the machinery off and strewn about.

"What now?" Luffy asked curiously.

"First, we get far away from Totto Land," Katakuri said before crouching down and giving Luffy a big hug. "Now we don't have to live with Big Mom making me do things we don't want to," he said with a smile.

"But, what about everyone else? Your family?" Luffy asked in the hug.

"The Charlotte Family was pretty crowded to me. Now we're our own little family. I do have an idea of where we can go. Or at least aim to go. Someplace Big Mom would think twice before going to. Then we can live how we want there. How's that sound?" Katakuri asked Luffy as he sat on his shoulders. There was no way he could sleep now.

"Yah!"

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