Smoker growled as the boat rocked mercilessly in the raging water. He didn't know when had happened, but the sky had suddenly turned gray and rain came pouring down. Lighting, thunder, and wind raged along with the water. Smoker gasped when his back hit the side of the boat, he took in a bunch of sea water, coughing it out into the boat that was already flooding. He noticed that he was shrinking.

"What the...?" he muttered, looking around at how big the boat now was compared to him. He managed to save himself by jumping onto a stray piece of wood as the boat capsized.

Smoker kicked his way back with a lot of effort. He looked around, noticing he was in some sort of sewer. In this moment of distraction, he went under again, having to kick his way back to the surface for the second time, slightly relieved when he found that he was still in the same place. He felt some ripples in the water, and looking to the side, he saw someone swimming a little ways off.
"You there! Boy!" Smoker yelled, then began coughing again.

Mouse was, once again, on his way to school. He glared harshly at the path way in front of him.

"When's the last time I had a break from school?" he grumbled, spitting out water in annoyance.

Flashback

Luffy and Mouse sat in the midst of animals. Bunny, Rat, Squirrel, and their teacher Mr. Owl talked on and on about things Mouse didn't care to listen to. He looked to the soaked girl. She was drifting in and out of sleep. Mouse nudged her.

"You dry yet, Miss Luffy?" he asked quietly. Luffy shook her head.

"I'm as wet as the sea," she hissed softly.

"What was that?" The owl had stopped to stare at the two in the back.

"I'm as wet as the sea! This lecture isn't drying me at all!" Luffy shouted. The teacher was taken back.

"Oh, that is strange. Well, class dismissed for now, I suppose." The class cheered as the teacher flew off.

Flashback end

Mouse chuckled at the memory.

"You there! Boy!" Mouse heard a yell and then some coughing from a little ways off, he stopped, kicking his legs and looking around. He heard some splashing. He turned in the direction of said noise and saw a man with white hair bobbing up and down in the water.

"Me?" Mouse said, looking around.

"Yes, you! I'm drowni -" The man went under.

"Oh, for Christ's sake." Mouse dove under the water, swimming around for the man.

Smoker came up coughing. Feeling an arm under his, he looked to see a boy with dark gray hair, tan skin, a black nose, and brown eyes there were staring at the Marine Captain in annoyance.

"Thanks, kid," Smoke said, unsure if he should say "kid" or "mouse."

"Hn," the boy grumbled, swimming to a ledge. With a few grunts, he tried to pull the pair out. Smoker felt the boy slip and fall under the water along with him. Smoker took in even more water as the two struggled in the river. Smoker's vision faded and he blacked out.

Mouse panicked when he came up alone.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit..." He dove back down, barely making it in time to grab the man before he hit the bottom and drowned. He dragged the man to the ledge and slammed a fist in his chest, water shooting out of the man's mouth like he was a cartoon. He saw a name tag of some sort. He read it over. "Smoker? What a weird name." he chuckled. "You know, this reminds me of..." Mouse laughed. "Yeah, her."

Flashback

Mouse was on his way to school one day. He had just jumped into the water, swimming the rest of the way to class when he felt the water rippling in unusual patterns."Hey! Help! Please!" A girl was yelling, causing Mouse to turn to look at her. "Yeah! Mouse! Help, I can't swim!" she yelled. Mouse rolled his eyes and swam over to her.

"Really? How old are you, Miss?" Mouse floated next to the flailing girl.

"Help! Please!" Luffy yelled. Mouse rolled his eyes again and grabbed the collar of the girl's dress, dragging her to dry concrete.

The girl panted while Mouse tapped his foot impatiently. She looked to her savior. Mouse was about her age, with a black nose, tan skin, brown eyes and a grayish hair color, making him look older than he was.

"How old are you? How can you not swim?" he asked.

"I-I ate a Devil's Fruit when I was really young. I never learned how to swim," the soaked girl panted, shaking water from her dark hair.

"Well, you're on your own next time, Miss..."

"Luffy."

"Miss Luffy. You're on your own next time! Anyway, you may call me Mouse." Mouse folded his arms over his chest and decided to take pity on the dripping girl before him. "You know, you can come with me. I'm on my way to school and my teacher's lecture should dry you up."

"How can words dry you up?" Luffy asked.

"Trust me." Mouse looked at her in amusement, a grin on his lips. "This is the driest lecture you'll ever hear." With that, Mouse helped up Luffy and led her into a small hole in a nearby wall, Luffy dripping water all throughout the walk.

Flashback end

Smoker woke up in a haze. He coughed, water flying out of his mouth, he looked up at the boy who had saved him

"Who are you? In fact, what are you?" he coughed out.

"I'm Mouse. I'm pretty sure my name says it all," the boy, Mouse, replied with a small amount of rudeness that definitely wasn't good-natured. Smoker glared at him, trying to make words through the large amount of liquid in his lungs.

"Little smart-ass," he grumbled, coughing up more water.

"Smart enough to swim," Mouse retorted. Smoker was silent for a moment. Mouse smirked.

"I ate a Devil's Fruit," Smoker said, sitting on the ground, legs crossed. He still felt the draining of the sea water. He wasn't completely dry, he guessed. Mouse's eyes went wide, then grinned a small grin.

"Ahh. You too, huh?" he asked softly enough for the white-haired man to not hear him. He chuckled dryly.

Mouse was leaning against the railing, Smoker noticed, while glancing at him as he coughed up more of the river. The mouse-boy chuckled, drawing Smoker's attention.

"What's so funny?" Smoker growled, pissed off.

"You can't swim. You ate a Devil's Fruit." Mouse chuckled again at his inside joke.

"What's that got to do with anything?" Smoker asked angrily, ready to punch the smaller boy at this point.

"It's just so nostalgic." Mouse looked up, then laughed at Smoker. It wasn't a chuckle like before, either – it was full-blown, obnoxious laughter. Smoker was done with the boy's attitude and struggled to stand, his legs wobbly.

"What?" Smoker asked, a bit confused, standing and slowly feeling his strength coming back to him. Mouse pointed at Smoker and let out another laugh, making Smoker grit his teeth in annoyance.

"You're just like that pitiful girl I met a few days ago!"