Authors' Note: Hey guys, hope you enjoy chapter seventeen! :)

Review Responses:

Yukino76: This is truth. Thanks for the review!

Shellina123: Just want to say, you're like, the nicest person ever. We always love your reviews, they make us very happy. :) Don't you worry, we'll be seeing Doffy and Law...and the rest of the Zoo Crew actually...very soon! And for the sanity of all it is probably best that Ace and Sabo are kept in the dark for now ;) You're wonderful and we love you! See you next time!

Final Syai Lunar Generation: Gotta love all the fluff, Katakuri was not expecting this to happen in his life but a little fluff makes your life so much better! As always, thanks for the review! XD

Warnings:

- Angst
- Past dubious intentions
- Kitten stalking
- Underground/illegal fighting
- Mentions of prostitution
- Luffy is an angel

KATAKURI'S POV

When Katakuri walked into his family's gym he was surprised to find he was not the only one awake at the...unfortunate hour of six a.m. There, attacking his personal punching bag, was Luffy, the last person he expected to be awake at this hour.

Katakuri found himself impressed by the boy's obvious skill and strength, expertly wrapped hands delivering precise blows that made the bag shudder. Luffy apparently didn't notice when the man entered the room, his attention focused completely on what he was doing. Katakuri watched for a moment, noting that Luffy had obviously been at this for a while if his sweaty hair and lack of shirt were anything to go by.

Deciding to get on with his original task, Katakuri adjusted his gym bag and went to begin his own morning routine, walking past the boy with a quiet,

"Good morning, Luffy."

The kid yelped in surprise and promptly face-planted as he missed the bag with his next swing. Katakuri chuckled,

"Very graceful." His eyes gleamed in amusement as Luffy picked himself up off the floor,

"Y-you, it was your fault! Kuri, you can't just interrupt a man while he's training!" the boy protested. Katakuri's eyebrows shot up,

"Man?" he asked, studying the boy's slight figure, "How old are you again?"

"I'm twenty." Luffy deadpanned. Katakuri frowned...that didn't sound quite right…

"Wait...I thought you were nineteen…" Luffy looked away, busying himself with unwrapping and then rewrapping one of his hands as he spoke,

"My birthday was a week ago." he admitted, "It's no big deal."

Katakuri immediately felt his stomach drop remembering very clearly what had happened a week ago. He felt he would likely be haunted for the rest of his life by the sound of tiny claws scratching at his door and distressed meows slowly becoming hysterical cries as a small body clutched at him desperately.

"I'm sorry." he said quietly, going through the motions to prepare for his own morning exercise as the awkward silence became more and more oppressive. Finally, he turned to face the boy again and cleared his throat. "So...I've been meaning to ask you for a while...would you mind telling me about your scars?" Luffy looked up at him,

"Only if you'll tell me about yours." he shot back. Katakuri reached up to run his hand over his scar, almost without realizing what he was doing.

"Deal." he replied, lowering himself to the floor to begin his stretches as he listened. Luffy, mirroring Katakuri's earlier motion, lifted a hand to run his fingers over the small, crescent-shaped scar under his eye.

"Well...I...stabbed myself...in the face." he began and Katakuri's head shot up,

"You WHAT?" he asked in disbelief. Luffy laughed,

"It's actually a funny story, I promise! I was about...five, I think…"

"How was a five year old able to get a knife?!" Katakuri wondered

"My godfather was making fun of how weak I was and I wanted to prove that I was brave like him. He was so mad!"

"I'm surprised your elder brothers allowed such a thing." Katakuri commented.

"Oh, I hadn't met them yet." Luffy admitted,

"Wait...really?" Luffy just laughed again,

"We're all adopted, well, at least Ace and Sabo are. My gramps took them in against their will actually…" he trailed off muttering, "y'know I don't know if they've forgiven him for that yet…"

"...maybe our families are more similar than I thought…" Katakuri mused as the boy continued, his fluffy tail swaying back and forth happily.

"I didn't meet Ace and Sabo until about two years later. Ace tried to kill me. He...really hated me. He threw me off a bridge the day we met."

"Well that's a stark difference from the two overprotective demons I met."

"Eventually, they warmed up to me and we became sworn brothers."

"What about your other scar?" Katakuri asked, attempting to get Luffy back on their original subject. He noticed instantly that the boy's tail stilled and lowered a bit before he opened his mouth to speak,

"This one...I don't really like to talk about…" Luffy admitted, "It brings back a lot of bad memories…"

At this point, Katakuri stopped all attempts to continue with his usual routine, giving the boy his full attention and silent support as he struggled to begin telling his story.

"Not long after Gramps adopted Ace and Sabo, we all...well...Ace didn't feel very comfortable in such a big house, even if we were pretty much alone, so we moved back to one of his old hideouts. We had to make money because we weren't gonna use Gramps'...so Ace began...er..reconnecting...with some of his old contacts." Luffy paused briefly to take a drink of water before continuing, "After a while he started working for a gangster named Bluejam...I never knew exactly what he did for him, Ace always refused to tell me."

"I remember him...he was just a petty criminal playing at organized crime, though he did do some damage in the slums. He preyed on children, using fear to control them. Any true crime boss knows how disgraceful it is to use children to do their dirty work."

"Eventually, Ace got in too deep...they even made him take their mark. He tried to leave, began refusing jobs even...but they wouldn't allow him to get away that easily. One day, we all took off running to the other end of the city hoping to get away from Bluejam and his people...he didn't like that…"

Luffy unconsciously curled in on himself as he spoke, ears laying flat against his head, "In an attempt to make Ace come back, he had his men kidnap me and Sabo and take us to a warehouse on the outskirts of town." he paused, pulling his tail close to himself and stroking it a bit, anxiety making his fingers tremble.

"What Ace didn't know," he said finally, "was that Bluejam planned to have both of us killed as punishment for trying to get out. He set...he set the building on fire...with us trapped inside. I..er...I don't remember a lot of what happened...it..we were in a really small room...it was dark, mostly...I...I couldn't find Sabo...I was alone, yelling, trying to find a way out...some..something fell on me...that's where I got the scar...apparently whatever it was was on fire or just really hot so it nearly burned a hole in my chest...I don't remember getting out...apparently the warehouse just so happened to belong to the Whitebeards. Marco was the one who found us and dragged us from the building. He saved our lives."

"I've heard good things about the Whitebeards," Katakuri commented quietly, "They seem to be very honorable men." That earned him a soft smile from the boy, Luffy releasing his tail and looking up from the bit of floor he'd been staring at for most of his story,

"Yeah," he whispered, "they're my family."

"Family protect their own," Katakuri said knowingly. Luffy gazed at him for a moment before saying,

"I think it's your turn, Kuri, I can't do all the storytelling." Katakuri huffed and nodded,

"Alright, alright. There's really not much to tell. There was this rival gang and Mama wanted me to take them out. Apparently they were...well...they were pissed when I started killing them in the street and decided to take out their anger on my sister, Brulee." Katakuri's eyes hardened and his voice briefly went cold as he growled, "No one harms my sister." before continuing in the same tone as before, as though the entire event wasn't really a big deal, "To avenge what happened to Brulee, I stormed their base, killed all of them, and scattered their entrails across the ground. Their leader put up more of a fight and split my face before I gutted him as well. Unfortunately, Mama was very conscious of her funds, back in the day, so my wound was not properly stitched, resulting in most of the scarring and the unfortunate need to have the stitches replaced every six months."

Luffy gaped at him, obviously as uncertain of what to say as the man had been earlier.

"Uh...wow...that's really...you must be really...really strong! How old were you?"

"I believe I was ten or so." Katakuri admitted, unsure where he was going.

"Wow!" Luffy exclaimed, "That's amazing, Kuri! You've gotta teach me! I wanna fight using a cool stick too!"

"A...a cool stick?" Katakuri asked, looking up at the boy in disbelief, "You mean a trident?"

"Yeah!" Luffy nodded enthusiastically, "The cool stick with three pointy bits!"

"Ah...I don't think that's the right weapon for you, Luffy…"

"Aw, but I'm pretty good with a pipe! Surely it's not that much different...just a pipe with points!" Luffy argued, pouting.

"I'm..I'm not sure whether to be insulted or...what…" Katakuri thought, sighing as he stood.

Five minutes later, a very reluctant Katakuri was showing Luffy the correct way to hold a trident while attempting not to get stuck himself whenever the boy forgot exactly what he was holding.

LUFFY'S POV

"I'll get him this time!" Luffy thought, tail twitching in excitement as he rocked back and forth, preparing to pounce the second he saw his target.

The refrigerator he was using as a perch shook as Brulee opened it to retrieve a jug of milk.

"So, Luffy…" she said, watching his ears perk up in alarm as she spoke, "What are you up to this morning? Trying to take him by surprise again?"

"Shhhhhhh!" Luffy responded, "I'm not here!"

He could hear Kuri's footsteps coming closer and he readied himself for the attack, watching the door closely. The second he glimpsed the man's magenta hair, he leapt straight for the mob boss's face...only to fly straight past him as Kuri ducked out of the way and continued into the kitchen. Luffy, having missed his target, flew through the air...and straight into the trash can, receiving a face full of last night's catfish…

"Good morning, Brulee." Katakuri said as though nothing had happened, "This coffee is wonderful, did you get a new blend?"

"Yes, actually," Brulee replied happily, "So glad you noticed!"

Meanwhile, Luffy, in his attempt to get out of the trash can, had managed to fall out of the thing and spill more trash on himself in the process, the smell of old fish beginning to permeate the air. He stood and stalked over to the two siblings, pouting the entire way.

"Kuriiiiiii!" he whined, "Why'd you do that?" The man took a sip of his coffee before reaching over and picking Luffy up by the collar, sniffing discreetly.

"You reek, Kid." he said, completely ignoring Luffy's questions, "Go take a bath before breakfast."

"Nooooooo," Luffy protested, thrashing in Katakuri's hold, "...don't like water!"

"Well, if you don't want to take a bath, there's a hose in the backyard that will work just as well." Luffy gasped and went still,

"You wouldn't!" he spluttered, "I-it'd be so cold though!" Kuri raised an eyebrow,

"You don't think I'll do it? Besides, it's warm enough outside."

"...I...can...can I take a bath in Kuri's bath instead?" Luffy asked, slumping in defeat.

"You may, only if you remember to wash your hair as well." Katakuri said sternly.

"Okay…" Luffy reluctantly agreed as the man gently lowered him to the floor.

BRULEE'S POV

After watching Luffy scamper out of the kitchen, Brulee turned to her brother, a questioning look in her eyes.

"You know...he's been attacking you multiple times a day for an entire week." she said, "Why not just let him spar with you?" Katakuri snorted,

"Have you seen him?! I could snap him like a twig!" Brulee merely smiled and took a sip of coffee,

"You may be pleasantly surprised, Brother. You know what family he comes from," she reminded him, "Maybe he's not quite as weak as you think."

"...perhaps…"

KATAKURI'S POV

"Why did I agree to this?" Katakuri asked no one in particular as he faced Luffy on the sparring mat.

"Because the rest of us are tired of being used for target practice!" Cracker growled. Brulee stifled a laugh,

"Go on then," she called, "Luffy's ready."

Katakuri glanced over at the cat-boy, who looked very excited to be there. He sighed and got into a ready position, fists raised. Almost immediately, Luffy's posture and presence changed. It felt almost like he was being hunted.

In the next second, Luffy charged. If Katakuri had blinked in that second, he would have thought the boy disappeared, only to reappear within striking distance and deliver a swift punch directly to the man's gut.

Katakuri was surprised to say it hurt. A lot. The kid was apparently far stronger than he appeared. The man recovered quickly and lunged forward to return the blow only for Luffy to dodge and, in the split second that Katakuri was still crouched, launch himself over the man in an impressive aerial. This earned applause from Brulee and Cracker who found themselves enjoying this fight much more than they had anticipated.

The larger man growled and went in for another attack. This time, Luffy went into a handstand, locking his legs around Katakuri's neck and using his momentum to flip him over.

Katakuri landed on his back, breath whooshing out of him on impact as he found himself blinking up at the ceiling in disbelief.

"Okay...he's a lot stronger than I thought."

"Do you need a hand Big Brother?" Cracker called from the sidelines. Katakuri sent him a death glare before he stood and faced his opponent once again.

The small boy stood there, bouncing slightly as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Katakuri found the look on his face...disconcerting. Unlike the Luffy he'd come to know, this version of the boy lacked all emotion, sharp eyes focusing on his every move. The man decided it was time to end this fight.

The next few hours were a blur, neither of them knew how much time had passed, focusing solely on the fight at hand. That is...until Brulee interrupted them.

"Alright you two, it's a draw." she said from the doorway, "You'd better catch your breath and wash up for supper."

That got Luffy's attention and he looked up from his current goal of keeping Katakuri in a headlock,

"What? Food?" he asked, excited. The tired mob boss used this opportunity to throw the light boy over his shoulder with a very satisfying smack as his back hit the mat.

"Okay...we'll...we'll head up." Katakuri replied, panting. Brulee smiled at them and left the room.

Luffy sat up, a huge grin on his face as he exclaimed,

"Wow Kuri! That was so much fun! You're so strong!" Katakuri glanced over at the boy,

"Thank goodness he's back to normal." he thought, then replied,

"Where'd you learn to fight like that?" Katakuri had expected Luffy to tell him about his brothers training him or something like that, so he was a bit surprised when the boy looked down instead, fiddling with the hem of his shirt as he said,

"A-around…"

"Around? Could you be more specific?" Katakuri pressed, now a bit concerned. Luffy glanced up at him uncertainly and mumbled something too quietly for the man to catch.

"What was that?"

"...underground fighting rings…." Luffy mumbled again, a bit louder. Katakuri tried (and failed) to hide his shock.

"Ah...what?!" the man exclaimed, "Which one?!"

"...um...Colosseum…" the boy admitted. Katakuri merely stared at him, unable to even begin to respond to that. The Colosseum was the biggest and best fighting ring there was in this city...illegal of course. He'd never taken part in the competition mainly because the place was owned by Doflamingo, but he knew that only the best of the best were permitted into the ring.

"Well, back in the day we needed the money," Luffy continued, "It was either fighting or...working the streets…" At that Katakuri found his voice again,

"You didn't do that, right?" he asked, relieved when the boy shook his head.

"No, I was good enough to make money fighting. I never told Ace and Sabo about the other option," Katakuri leaned in closer,

"Your brothers actually allowed you to take part in these fights?" he asked incredulously,

"Well...at first they weren't so happy about it. They actually tried to kill Zoro for introducing me to it in the first place. It's not like I could have gotten out of it anyway, the contract I signed was...extensive."

"You...signed a contract?"

"Um...yeah...I didn't find out 'til later that they didn't plan on letting me go after my contract was fulfilled. Apparently, I was quite the crowd pleaser. There were all sorts of underground agencies wanting to get their hands on me."

"Pretty famous huh?" Katakuri teased, "What'd they call you?"

"Lashaka. I always thought it was pretty cool 'cause it was from some myth about the wolf king. It was certainly better than some of the other names I heard."

Now that name was very familiar. He'd heard of that fighter, never seen him since he only fought in the Colosseum, but everyone in the city had heard of his ferocity. He'd never imagined that Luffy would be him...though, after fighting him for so long he didn't find it as hard to believe as he would have before.

"Right before I turned eighteen, Ace and the Whitebeards got me out by force. I used some of the money to get my GED and I'm using the rest of it to pay for college."

"So...you're loaded." Katakuri commented and Luffy laughed,

"Not really. Ace and Sabo took a portion of it and I gave away most of what I didn't need to the local animal shelter."

"What the heck...he gave his illegal money...to charity...to help the animals...I...I feel so proud…"

Katakuri was jolted out of his thoughts by Luffy jumping to his feet and exclaiming,

"Food's waiting for us, Kuri! I call the bathroom first!" he ran out of the room leaving Katakuri to stare after him as he muttered,

"...but there's...there's more than one bathroom…"