"I don't even know what to freak out about first!" Usopp screamed.

"Stop yelling," Zoro groaned.

"I can't! I can't stop yelling! There is a monster… a huge fish monster…" Usopp panicked. "And it's right there. Like, uh, anyone else see any freaking movies ever?!"

"He seems like a cool guy," Luffy insisted, folding his arms over his chest. "You're cool right, Jinbei?"

"Right," the massive humanoid agreed, smiling a toothy smile.

"The monster you should be afraid of is this fat ass right here," Law muttered, kicking at the bench Teach was lying on.

"Don't call me fat," Teach rumbled, struggling to sit up. "I will eat your friends."

Law gestured with his hand, carefree, "They aren't my friends."

"You're only saying that to throw him off and protect us, right?" Usopp whispered, leaning in to Law.

Law made a face, speaking dryly, "Of course, that's what I'm doing…"

"Focus!" Zoro barked. "Back to the topic at hand. Teach isn't coming with us?"

Teach laughed boisterously, "Maybe if you'd brought along the blondie, I'd feel more like coming."

Zoro and Luffy shared a look. Luffy licked his lips and cracked his knuckles, "Teach doesn't want to come."

"Then leave him," Zoro said simply.

"Thank you!" Teach retorted with a nod of his head.

"We can't just leave him here alone…" Law explained with emphasis, "with…the…islanders…"

"Ah, come on," Teach chortled, "I won't really eat them. So long as I have food to eat, I'll be good."

"See now," Usopp spoke quickly, "That would be comforting except for the fact you do consider people food… so, uh, not very convincing. I'm not convinced."

"Who are you and why does your opinion matter?" Teach barked, looking Usopp up and down.

"The islanders are under my protection," Jinbei interjected firmly, straightening up. He was an enormous, sprawling man-like creature. Teach wasn't sure who was stronger but he didn't fancy finding out either.

"Fine," Teach snapped, irritated. "I'll leave the islanders alone. Scouts' honor."

"Yeaaah, don't trust 'im," Usopp murmured, pursing his lips skeptically. "Nope."

"There won't be a boat here for another, what was it? Three months?" Zoro remembered. "We sure as hell don't want to spend three months with this guy…"

Law stuck out his tongue in a gagging gesture, "Oh, please no."

"You can wait here until the boat arrives," Luffy decided, nodding his head. "But when it leaves to go to the big island, you're on it."

"Oooooh," Teach teased. "So authoritive."

"Well you're really gonna tingle after this next part," Luffy said, "The entire island is rigged to blow. Courtesy of the Revolutionary Army. But if you touch one hair on another islander's head," Luffy warned, "I'm gonna shove every last explosive up your ass and detonate it."

"Explosives?" Jinbei asked, his voice gruff. "What army?"

"Don't worry, uh, Mister Monster Thing Sir," Usopp explained quickly, "We've got a team out there right now locating the devices…"

"My name is Jinbei," Jinbei repeated, still (somehow) maintaining his patience with the young man.

"Yeah, uh, Jinbei," Usopp corrected, "We've got some guys working on it."

"If by guys you mean a one-armed man and a reindeer of indeterminate pubescence, then yes, we have guys working on it," Law added.

"The same people running this compound were going to blow up the island?" Jinbei questioned, his brows furrowed deeply with worry.

"Oh, no. No. There are more bad guys," Law chimed, smiling ironically. "These were different bad guys."

"And… back to me," Teach sighed, scratching his belly. "You assholes were deciding things for me, 'member?"

"I want you off the island," Jinbei decided.

"Oh, he's leaving," Luffy agreed, staring Teach down.

"I'll leave, fine," Teach snapped, his smile twisting menacingly, "But the minute I have a chance I'm gone. I don't want to spend an eternity with any of ya. I'd rather get gutted a hundred times over…"

"The feeling is absolutely mutual," Law sighed, his finger pressed against his cheek.

"So, send a car to pick me up, eh?" Teach chuckled, shaking his head, "when the boat gets here."

"Is there a canoe big enough for him or does he have to walk the long way around the island?" Law taunted.

"You need to pull up your pants, I can almost see your dick," Teach shot back, laughing loudly. "Those pants are too tight. It's making you a cranky bitch."

"You should start walking now," Law replied, tugging at the waistband of his pants. "So you're not winded when you arrive in three months…"

"Emaciated Toothpick Motherfucker…"

"Agh!" Luffy exclaimed, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. "Knock it off!"

"They are children," Jinbei decided, nodding his head. "They look much older."

"Let's leave them both," Zoro said, pushing Usopp ahead of him. "Let's go."

Law made a face, "You and your friends are way too dumb for this sudden superiority complex you've got going on…"

"We'll be back," Zoro announced, waving stiffly at Teach.

"So do you live with the islanders or like just kinda visit occasionally?" Usopp asked Jinbei with interest, walking to the beached boat.

"Hey!" Teach called after the embarking group. "What about food? Is someone gonna bring me something to eat or what?!"

"Or what," Jinbei shot back in reply.

"What the fuck am I supposed to eat?" Teach shouted angrily.

"Bananas? Jack Jack fruit?" Zoro shrugged, "I dunno, pick a tree and eat."

Teach growled angrily, "Don't you walk away from me when I'm talking to you! I need meat! I'm a man! I need real food!"

"Here's some meat," Law turned, cupping his crotch in one hand and gesturing rudely with the other, "Bon appetit."

"It's your fault when I go after the islanders then!" Teach laughed harshly. "Dumbasses."

Luffy practically hopped from the shore to the boat, Zoro's arm held out to him for support. Luffy smiled, pulling Zoro into the boat with ease. Luffy glanced at Teach for a moment before replying to the threat, "There's plenty of food if you come with us. There's plenty of food just hanging around the place. The choice is yours, Teach. But if you hurt the people here," Luffy paused, chewing on his fingernails out of habit, "I really will beat the hell outta you."

Teach's rage-filled face suddenly broke into a smile. He shook his head and chortled, "Alright. Okay. You win, Luffy."

"Three months, give or take," Luffy said simply, bumping against Zoro as the boat began to move. Zoro grabbed his shoulders, steadying him without a word.

Teach nodded, flashing a sly smile, "Three months."

"Is he a danger to the islanders?" Jinbei asked, rowing impressively fast.

Luffy sat down, folding his legs beneath him. He shook his head and frowned, "Nah."

"What about all those bodies we saw?" Usopp questioned nervously.

Law sighed, his long legs scrunched together in the restricted space, "Those people didn't look eaten, did they?"

Usopp thought back with a shudder, "No, uh, I guess not."

"He didn't kill those people." It was Luffy who spoke this time. Teach had already walked off but he still gazed fixedly on the spot where he'd stood.

"Then what happened back there?" Usopp wondered.

"D Foundation started cleaning house," Law theorized, "Probably liquidating since everything was going to shit and no one was going to get paid…" Law removed his jacket, absorbing sunshine into his beautiful, bronze skin. "Someone made a mistake, let Teach out, or perhaps tried to kill him, and he just killed them all first…"

"And then he ate them?" Usopp gulped, covering his eyes.

"Is anyone else rowing?" Zoro asked, sharing a look with Jinbei, also rowing, who simply shook his head.

"He didn't eat anyone," Law replied impatiently. "He can't."

"He won't," Luffy corrected with a shrug.

"What do you mean?" Usopp whispered, leaning in closer.

"I mean what I said!" Law snapped. "He isn't receiving any injections. He isn't having bad resets. He's fine. He's not going to go crazy and eat people unless he receives the T serum…"

"Then what the heck was all that about then?!" Usopp demanded, pounding his fist into his palm. "Ya'll were just talkin' 'bout eatin' islanders and-"

"Even Ds have pride," Law explained. "Should we beg him to escape his last known location? Should we convince him he deserves freedom? Should we promise him a life on the run isn't as scary as it seems?"

Usopp's face dropped in surprise, "Ah, well, I…"

"We know he isn't eating islanders. He knows we know he isn't eating islanders…" Law continued. "That bickering back and forth was nothing more than him saying he didn't want to leave."

"And us telling him he didn't have a damn choice," Luffy added.

"Then why didn't he just come with us?!"

"Oh, we weren't joking about hating each other," Law said, letting out an involuntary laugh.

"We reallyyyyy don't want to be stuck with him until the boat arrives," Luffy agreed with a nod. "Trust us."

"I thought you were humans," Jinbei admitted, the oars held naturally in his large hands, "but you're not all human. Are you?"

"It's complicated," Law murmured, closing his eyes and enjoying the sunshine and salty breeze. He leaned back on his hands, cracking his back loudly.

"We're humans," Luffy decided, thinking hard. "Just different." He looked at Jinbei and grinned from ear to ear, "And what the hell are you?"

Jinbei returned the grin. He busied himself with rowing for a moment before confessing, "I am not human."

"Are there more of your kind?" Luffy asked, leaning forward curiously.

Jinbei nodded, beaming proudly, "Of course."

"Ah, yeah," Usopp nodded slowly. "Are there any big apes on the island or is it just aquarium creatures?"

"Do I look like I'd fit in an aquarium?" Jinbei asked, dropping the oars in his lap. "Well, do I?"

Usopp sputtered, "N-No. Oh n-n-nooo. No. No. Not at all…"

Jinbei laughed heartily and began rowing again, "Your face, frozen in panic, priceless!"

"Ah. Ah-ha-ha," Usopp laughed nervously. "Yeah, I bet."

"The islanders call you the Same Akuma," Law began, his eyes still blissfully closed. "Why?"

"Shark Demon," Jinbei said, laughing again.

"Shark?" Luffy's eyes twinkled in delight. "You're a shark?"

"What do you do for the islanders?" Law wondered.

"There are more oars, guys," Zoro interjected, squinting in the searing bright sunshine.

"I am the 7th Same Akuma," Jinbei spoke softly. "My duty is to protect the island, the islanders, and the people below."

"The people below?" Law, Luffy, and Usopp murmured in unison.

"My people," Jinbei explained. "My kind."

"Wow," Luffy leaned over the side of the boat, peering into the crystal clear water. "How come I can't see anything?"

"We live beneath the island."

"Holy shit," Usopp whispered. "All my fears are probably true." Usopp wiped his sweaty face, "Zombies, Merfolk, Werewolves, King Kong, Vampires, Republicans," Usopp shook his head. "This world is a nightmare realm."

"Do you remember hearing about WWII?" Jinbei asked, rowing like a machine.

"Of course," Usopp confirmed.

"The Japanese invaded, colonized, imprisoned, enslaved, murdered," Jinbei explained. "It was a hard time for the islands."

Everyone looked at Zoro and he grunted, "Wasn't me."

"Now, do you remember hearing about the Hordy Jones Rebellion?" Jinbei questioned.

Usopp made a face, "Uh, no. When was that?"

"You've never heard of it. Any of you," Jinbei answered pointedly. "Because only humans affect everyone else with their bullshit."

"Ohhhh," Usopp drawled, making a guilty face.

"So yeah, monsters exist," Jinbei finished with a nod of his head, "And we are all afraid of your kind."

"Jinbei, if I may," Usopp whispered. "I'm black, I'm a brother. So if anything, I can relate…"

Jinbei pointed to Usopp's rifle, "Still human, brother."

"Does anyone else wanna fucking row or what?" Zoro demanded, tossing his oars to the bottom of the boat. He shrugged his sweat-soaked shirt off and stood. "I'm swimming back."

"Wait, Zoro," Usopp whined, realizing he would be rowing.

"Nope," Zoro said simply before diving into the crystalline seawater.

He breached the surface and smiled wide, "See you at the beach, Luf."

"See ya," Luffy said, hugging his knees to chest.

"You want to go with him," Jinbei realized, a small smirk turning up the corner of his mouth.

Luffy made a pouty face, "Yeah, but I can't swim."

"You can't swim?!" Jinbei asked in horror.

Luffy shrugged, "I have a real phobia of water and I'm pretty sure I passed out the last time I-"

When Luffy came to he was lying down in a thatched roof hut. He sat up, rubbing his eyes, adjusting to the unexpected darkness. Zoro was beside him, dozing off while sitting up. There was a plate of food set beside his bed and Luffy immediately tore into it, leaving nothing but the bones.

"You awake?" Zoro asked, stretching sleepily.

Luffy grunted, scratching his bare belly. He looked down, realizing his clothes had been changed. He squinted hard in the darkness, trying to recall the last thing he remembered. "How the hell did I end up in here?"

Zoro sighed, "There was an incident on the way back from the compound."

"Oh yeah? What kinda incident?" Luffy wondered, licking the plate clean of the crumbs.

"Jinbei tried to teach you to swim," Zoro explained, "It didn't go well."

Luffy made a face before snickering, "Man, I told him."

"He feels really bad," Zoro said with a laugh. "Like bowing down and everything."

Luffy pushed himself onto his knees. "How long was I out?"

Zoro shrugged, "About three hours, maybe…"

"Hey," Luffy whispered, scooting closer to Zoro.

"Yeah?"

Luffy smiled, a strange little smile, "No one is trying to kill us."

Zoro laughed, "Nope. Not right now."

"And we're alone," Luffy pointed out, his voice deepening.

Zoro's face and ears flushed scarlet. He licked his lips, "We are."

Luffy stared at Zoro wordlessly. And then he placed his hand on Zoro's and squeezed. He turned Zoro's hand over and kissed the back of it sweetly. He kissed it again and again. Finally he bit Zoro's flesh, just enough to leave a mark.

"Hey," Zoro whispered, "I thought you didn't eat people."

Luffy snickered softly and kissed the small red spot he'd left behind. He looked up, his large, round eyes staring into Zoro's, "I'll eat you up, I love you so."

"Oh, I understand," Zoro murmured softly, his heart pounding. "You're a Wild Thing."

Luffy grinned, "The moment I heard Franky reading the story, I knew it…" Luffy licked his lips nervously, "I-" Luffy's words were swallowed up by the kiss. Zoro ran a hand through Luffy's hair, his other hand brushing his soft cheek. He kissed Luffy with an urgency they both felt. His hands dropped lower until he cradled Luffy's body against his.

"I love you, Luffy," Zoro breathed, resting his forehead against Luffy's.

Luffy closed his eyes, "One more time."

Zoro smiled, "I love you, Luffy."

Luffy sighed dreamily, hooking his arms around Zoro's neck, "I love you too."