The chapters following this will also be longer now that I have those pesky intro chapters posted! Anyway hope you enjoy and as always give love to Charizgrovsion who made this chapter (and story) possible.

Why thank you.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own one piece, I'm still not that cool.

Sanji's P.O.V

Walking out the door that separates the stairway and the deck, I couldn't help but begin scrunching my hands into the pockets of the shirt and hunching down, trying to make myself look smaller, suddenly feeling very insecure. Looking around, I see the curious gazes of the Whitebeard Pirates and suddenly feeling a spark of defiance, I glare at them, watching in satisfaction as most flinched and turn away. I looked back in front of me to see Ace staring at me in amusement at the top of the stairs that separates the lower deck from Whitebeard's platform. Hastily jogging up to him, I gave a sheepish smile, feeling more comfortable with Ace than anyone else I had met on the ship.

Looking away from Ace, I glance at the captain and do a double-take when I notice his sheer size.

He sure looked a lot smaller when I was delirious with pain and panic.

The man seemed to notice my surprise as he let loose a booming laugh. "Gurarara! Kid, you sure are ballsy to glare at my crew. Mind explainin' how you and your green haired friend currently mooching off of my infirmary came to be here?"

I froze, not knowing what to say. I remember what had happened and all the experiences I had been through and the captain's reaction to said information was an unknown variable to me, instinctively making me wary of the man.

"How would I know your reaction to the information you currently want? Like you said, my brother and I are not part of your crew, so trust isn't very high on my expectations of you at this particular moment." Well that isn't very true – for some weird reason I'm very calm with Ace and the pompadour haired man.

"You don't really have much of a choice," he replies gravelly, "What other place do you have to go?"

I'm staring at the ground in frustration now. He was right.

"Hey," the soft call comes from Ace. "You trusted us to bring you here right?"

"Why would we bring you to a dangerous place?" the pompadour joins in.

A hand came into my peripheral view, heading for my shoulder. My breathing hitches slightly as I begin leaning away from it. The limb freezes and is removed from my line of sight. "You can trust us, honest," says the fire guy with that shitty smile again.

I sigh. "Fine, but it's not a pretty story…"

There was blood on my hands again. I stared at it in a daze while I waited for my buyer to collect me. Some was congealing under my fingernails.

The harsh screech of the rusted cage door scraping across the stone floor startled my gaze from the thick liquid to the large man that now stood at the exit. "Get up." I wordlessly did as commanded and followed him through the tunnels until we were climbing upwards to fresh air.

Outside in a dirty, reeking and deserted alley in the city we were currently in, I was temporarily blinded by the sunlight peeking over the piping on a nearby rooftop. My buyer led me to the edge of the city, where it joined the forest.

I couldn't take my thoughts away from what my life had become. I was forced to hurt so many people, I was injured daily with the wounds having almost no time to heal before the next one was inflicted, I was being starved.

My feet had stopped crunching over the leaves and my buyer made it evident that he didn't like the fact I had ceased following his lumbering frame. A fist solidly collided with my face, throwing me back. "What do you think you're doing?!" he yelled, picking me up and slamming my back into a tree. A grunt slipped past my lips and my hands latched onto his surprisingly thin wrist.

Demeaning.

"You obey me, and only me! So do as I say!" His breath stank of alcohol.

Disgusting.

The fact that I was being domineered by a drunkard who spent all of the money he gained from my purchase on cheap drink set something off inside of me. Next thing I knew, was that I was snarling in this bastard's ugly face. Missing teeth, pointed nose, scraggly beard – downright vile.

He didn't like my action and growled at me, increasing the pressure on my neck. "You are only a beast I purchased for my gain! I am your Master!"

That did it. I bitterly laughed in my mind. He wanted a beast? He could have one.

Without any more ado I transformed and swiped at his bulging stomach. To my great surprise he sprang back, showing amazing agility for his size and drunken state. I followed, charging after him. He whipped out one of the guns at his hip, firing directly at my face. Ducking, I changed tactics, swinging around a tree and leaping at his side. A spinning fist knocked me off course but I did not stop rolling after my impromptu meeting with the dirt, dodging the wild bullets.

I stood and glared when he stopped, switching guns. A short second of stillness, then we both roared, one primal and furious, one guttural and filled with rage.

A bullet punched through the thinnest section of my tail before I swept the gun from his hand. My claws sank into his torso and through fat, burying themselves in his slimy intestines. He was screaming now, but I didn't care. Nothing but a mass of scaly fury at the one who had further ruined my existence, I shot flames at his open mouth.

…

There was still blood on my claws when they found me. People from the slave rings. I fought them too, but was exhausted. The blood didn't bother me as I stared at it in my new cage. This was good blood from a horrible human. It was good because I had spilled it in vengeance.

3rd person P.O.V

Luffy bounds down the hall, curious about the green haired guy that came in with the cool dragon guy.

Arriving at the doorway to the infirmary, he launches himself through it, but soon after slides to the floor when his face collides with the suddenly closed door. "Mmph!"

The door opens once more with a whoosh of air, Doctor Kurietia Shinku in the frame. She glares at the interruption to her work. "What do you think you are doing Luffy?"

His face pops up from the wooden floor. "I want to see the new guy!" he exclaims with a large grin.

"No," she replies flatly. "And he's not the new guy – he's just a stray the two douchebags picked up."

Luffy instantly understood who she meant, knowing the two douchebags prank everyone, earning their nickname. Luffy, not being one to give up, suddenly grins wider, making the poor woman uncomfortable. "Shishishishi! Well I'll just tell Izou about your little crush, who will gossip it around this ship faster than the cold travels on a winter island!"

Shinku sighed, dropping her head in defeat against the little rubbery fucker. "Fine, but! If you tell anyone anything –" she suddenly had a demonic look in her eyes, shadows appearing around her figure and making her seem bigger and her tall stature easily making her tower over Luffy "- I'll have you by the balls."

Knowing that if he spoke any longer, her considerably large tolerance would run dry, he rushes past her and into the infirmary just as the doors close, remembering last time. Walking away to get a nurse, Shinku catches the tail-end of a sentence: "We are going to be great friends!" She shudders.

This ship is going to be turned upside down.

Ace's P.O.V

There is silence on the deck of the Moby Dick. I myself feel a trickle of dread travelling down my spine.

"- and that was only the beginning, so all of you who don't enjoy stuff above PG, I suggest you stop listening," Sanji bitterly finishes for the time being. Even I could see the shame and resentment of what happened in his past in his noticeable clenching of teeth and the narrowing of his eyes.

I was worried when I saw drops of blood dripping from his clenched fist, but right now those details were white noise in the back of my head. My thoughts narrow in on the description of the – I sneer – buyer. Apparently Whitebeard noticed it too. I snapped out of my musing at my captain's dark voice.

"Did this man ever tell you his name?"

I looked to Sanji worriedly, having only heard that tone twice in his days on the Moby Dick. I could only watch as Sanji's defences went up, knowing that the fate of him and his brother depended on what he said next.

"No, but I heard one of the gatekeepers say his name was Teach."

"Oh shit," I hissed, "Marshall what have you done?"

"I share your sentiments." I jumped when Thatch mysteriously appeared behind me. "I'm worried about the kid Ace, with the look Whitebeard's currently sporting, I don't think he's taking the news well. We all knew Marshall was a little shady, but you know how Oyaji is with us sons."

I was about to reply but was cut off by the loud bang of Whitebeard's staff connecting with the deck of the ship and breaking it. The shadow of his bandanna obscured Whitebeard's eyes, making the sharp edges of his jaw and chin stand out. He towered over Sanji with a look of pure, unadulterated rage, but there were no tremors wracking his frame, he stood tall and proud, a truly intimidating sight to see.

Then he swung his staff, directing a shockwave in Sanji's direction. The air crackles and the ship rocks wildly with the waves as Thatch and I were diving out of range. I hear a startled yelp and look back in time to see the blond jump backwards. Oyaji pursued him, still swinging his staff at his slight figure.

How the hell is he doing that in his condition?!

Sanji is ducking and avoiding every infuriated swing before Whitebeard changes tactics. Our captain sends one last swing in the boy's general area, and seeing him leap back in response, I feel the sense of dread increase exponentially. I had seen this strategy before.

Oyaji slams his staff onto the deck again just as Sanji touches down. He is sent flying back and crashes into the mast behind our captain's chair.

Whitebeard doesn't stop. He walks slowly towards where the blond lay, each step being punctuated by a crack. Sanji holds his middle as he sits up, rolling forward onto his knees and other hand, staring at Oyaji before looking back down.

I was going to call out but the sounds of ripping clothes and feral snarling filled the air, battling the crackling in volume. Whitebeard paused and took in the dragon we were all seeing. Then the two clashed. The dragon – Sanji – charges but changes course at the last second when our captain swings his staff, pouncing on Whitebeard's exposed side instead and knocking him over. A massive elbow connects with the beast's shoulder and he tumbles off of Oyaji.

Even then it doesn't stop. Whitebeard just regains his footing and uses his staff like a bat, crashing it into Sanji's side. Luckily it was only a graze as Sanji scuttled backwards from the strike, but the seismic wave had evidently dazed him a bit.

Whitebeard was charging at him, weapon raised high, when Sanji shot flames at him. I heard a yell from Oyaji, then another as the dragon tore through his muscular bicep with his claws. It wasn't deep, but it would leave another scar, I dimly noted as Thatch and I kept the rest of the crew at bay with difficulty.

The fierce fight ended when claws met staff and a boom resonated across deck. Whitebeard stumbled back and Sanji was sprawled on the deck on his side.

Then Oyaji's fist rose into the air. I was gaping – it had gone too far. He couldn't kill him! Sanji is just dazed and lying on the wood in an exhausted state. I turned to fire and placed myself in between the punch and downed dragon. "Oyaji stop!"