Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, One Piece or How to Train Your Dragon. All characters and their affiliations are owned by their respective creators. I am not making money off of this work of fiction. The characters Rock and Rain do belong to me.

A Family of Outlaws

Chapter Thirteen: Visiting

Luffy and Rain were still going over the letters when Shanks walked up to them. "We need to get going," he said. "It was great working with you and your crew, Straw Hat Luffy. You truly have made a name for yourself as a pirate." Shanks put his one hand on the top of Luffy's head. "I look forward to seeing you again." He then turned his attention to Rain. "It was a pleasure meeting you, 'Dragon Mistress'."

"Since when do you call her that?" Luffy asked.

"Since I read this morning's paper." Shanks held up a sheet of paper. "This just happened to be along for the ride."

Luffy read the spread on the paper when Shanks handed it to him. "Wanted: Dead or Alive. 'Dragon Mistress', real name unknown. Affiliated with the Straw Hat Pirates, 'Dragon Mistress' is wanted for the crime of trespassing on a Marine Base and stealing valuable Marine information. Bounty amount: Seventy-five million Beri."

"I have a wanted poster?" Rain asked.

"It gets even better," Shanks laughed. "You have a bounty under a false name and your face is completely covered. You could walk into that town now, without the helmet, and no one would be the wiser."

"That's a relief," Luffy sighed. "I don't want you to be as hunted as the rest of us are."

"It will happen eventually," Rain pointed out. "I'm a part of this crew now. Sooner or later a Marine is bound to see me with Darkess when I'm not wearing the helmet. I can't imagine they would hire someone too stupid to connect those dots."

"You never know," Shanks shrugged. "At any rate, this is a debate between you two love birds. I'll just be heading off now."

"Wait a second Shanks," Luffy called. "You promised me some information if we helped you."

"That I did," Shanks nodded. He closed his eyes and seemed to be deep in thought. "How about I tell you when everyone else is around. It does involve all of you. All the members of your crew need to hear this."

The three went back into the lounge. It was silent for a moment. Sanji opened his mouth to speak, but Shanks beat him to it. "My crew and I are getting ready to sail off," he said. "Before we do, I'll fulfill my end of the bargain. I think that all of you have a right to know what I'm about to say." He waited until he had everyone's attention. "Blackbeard has taken over Whitebeard's old territory. That's not all, he was also last seen in East Blue. He's been going around the islands and looking into the origins of the Straw Hats."

A dead silence filled the room. Hands slamming on a table startled everyone. Nami had stood, hunched over the table with her hair hiding her eyes. "Is that supposed to be a joke?" she asked. She turned tear filled eyes up to the front of the room. "If it is then it isn't very funny."

"I wouldn't joke about this," Shanks said. "Not about Blackbeard and what he's up to. I have as much dislike for him as the rest of you. I made a promise to Luffy to tell him what I knew of Blackbeard and his activities. I gave you the information, what you do with it is up to you. I wouldn't mourn the loss of Blackbeard if he were to suddenly go missing or something." Shanks turned and started to walk out. "Thanks for your help and hospitality," he said. "I hope that we will see each other again. Keep going up this path and it will be soon."

The Straw Hats all sat in silence for a moment. "We can't just sit here and do nothing," Nami finally declared. "We need to go and check up on our homes. The paddles on the docking system will get us there and back."

"How long will that take?" Robin pointed out. "That's just for starters. When we do get to East Blue, where should we sail to first? Where is Blackbeard now? If we run into him are we ready to face him?"

"Are you saying we leave our family and friends to suffer by him?" Usopp demanded.

"You have no way of knowing that," Robin continued. "All we were told was that he was gathering information. We have no way of confirming or denying that he actually did any harm to your homes."

"There is a way to find out," Kagome said. "It's a far simpler solution then what the rest of you think it needs to be. Rain, come with me please. A letter from the sister of the chief will carry more weight than the letter of his nanny."

Kagome starts to walk out of the lounge. Before Rain leaves, she turns to Luffy. "You might want to discuss with Law a slight pause in the plans. A week, at the most, is all you'll need." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and hurried after Kagome.

Everyone in the room sat in silence. They all turned to look at Dragon for an explanation. "I don't know what they have planned," he said. "I'm as much in the dark as the rest of you. I never could figure out the way my wife thought."

Rain sat with Kagome in the women's cabin. "So what would you like me to send?" Rain asked. "A formal request to post Riders at their villages or should we ask for a few riders to come pick them up and take them to their villages so they can check on them personally?"

"I like the personal touch," Kagome smirked. "Now the question is how many should we call for?"

"I recommend no more than three," Rain said. "I know that Luffy, Nami, Sanji, Zoro and Usopp all came from East Blue. I could take Luffy and two riders could have one person each. If my grandmother comes then she could have two ride with her."

"You're not counting Shadow and I?"

"No offense on either of you, but I don't think you can handle another passenger. Seriously, who would want to ride on the same dragon as you and, well, Dragon. I saw the two of you last time. I nearly went blind."

"Okay, you've had your fun. Let's ask for three dragons and their riders. I'm sure that your grandmother will be one of them."

"Of that I have no doubt." Rain began to write her letter. She finished in a few minutes. "So I told Father the basic idea of the situation and that my new friends really want to check on their families and that they don't have a fast way to get there. It would be much faster if we could get the assistance of some riders. I do have another question though. Don't you think that Chopper and Franky will want to check on their home villages as well?"

"So far we've only received word that Blackbeard was checking on the villages in East Blue," Kagome said. "He might have already checked on those that came from the Grand Line before hand or it's his next stop."

"So we should check on them to make sure? Or do you honestly think we have time?"

"I think that if Shanks found out Blackbeard had been to Chopper and Franky's home he would have said something about it. I think it's a safe bet to say that they haven't been looked into yet."

"That's a relief," Rain let out a heavy breath.

"Let's get that request sent to your father right away," Kagome said. "The sooner we send Swift the sooner they will be here."

"I agree completely," Rain nodded. She went out to the deck and called for Swift. He came flying up to her, Darkess not too far behind. Rain quickly attached the letter to his leg. "It's important to get this to my Father Swift," she explained. "It's okay if you bring it to my grandmother, but you must absolutely not let Rock get a hold of it. He will most definitely take the request for help the wrong way. So avoid him at all costs." Swift gave a chirp of agreement and started to fly away.

"How long do you think before anyone gets here?" Kagome asked.

"Depends on how fast they can ditch Rock."

"Ah, minimum four days. Maximum, unknown."

"Exactly."

~ Law walked on to the deck of the Sunny. He spotted Rain and Kagome sending off the little dragon. He believed that its name was Swift. He continued on his way to find Luffy to discuss their next move. He found him and the other members of his crew in the lounge, some were in a panic and the others were trying to calm them. Luffy was off to the side, looking out a window. He had the appearance of being deep in thought.

"Straw Hatter," Law called out. He had the attention of Luffy and Zoro. "We need to talk about what our next move against Kaido will be."

"It will have to wait," Luffy said. "We're dealing with a big problem now."

Zoro walked up to the two captains. "It's not that big of a problem," he said. "If Kagome and Rain can manage to find a way to get you, Nami and Usopp to check on your friends and family then the rest of us can at least travel with Law towards our next goal. There will be enough of us on board to man the Sunny."

Luffy let out a humming noise. "Think about this Straw Hatter," Law cut in. "If you keep me waiting on our goal to take out the Yonko then you can consider our alliance over, you won't have an option this time. I will take my crew and we will leave you."

"It's the best option Luffy," Sanji came up. "Let those most worried about their family go and check. Meanwhile, those still aboard the Sunny will work with Law and his crew to reach our allied goal."

Luffy nodded his head in agreement. "It's the best option we have," he said.

"Except for one detail," Robin added. "You will have to take at least Zoro or Sanji with you. Even if neither of them wish to go, both can't stay here without Nami. They would get into an argument and the Sunny could likely find itself on the bottom of the sea."

"That's a good point," Dragon smirked. "I've seen the two of them bicker. When they started getting physical the only one able to stop them was Nami when she hit both of them on the head."

"Curly brow can go," Zoro said. "I haven't been to my home village since long before I met Luffy. A little longer won't hurt me. Besides, I'm sure that they wouldn't appreciate me showing up since I'm a pirate now. Someone needs to be here with Luffy gone."

"I would make a better choice to stay in that case," Sanji snapped. "You would get them all lost in the first five minutes of being in charge."

"It will be fine Sanji," Robin said. "He will not be the one steering the ship. Even if he were, all he would have to do would be to follow Law and his crew. We'll all make sure that the Sunny remains safe and on course while the rest of you are away."

"We don't even know how many can go yet," Usopp put in. "Trying to decide which of the two of them are staying is pointless until then."

"I guess we just wait for Kagome and Rain to tell us what they were up to then," Dragon said.

The two women choose that moment to walk in. Kagome went right up to Dragon. Rain, however, stopped short when everyone was looking at her. "So I suppose you all want an explanation," she assumed. "We sent a letter to my father. We asked for three dragons and riders to come and take three or four of the crew to East Blue. How many will come, we're not sure."

"So that settles that debate," Nami declared. "Zoro will stay on the ship under the supervision of Robin and Chopper." When Zoro looked to complain, Nami shot him a glare. "Under supervision," she growled.

~ Two days later, on a cliff island in the East Blue. A man with graying brown hair was checking on some of the foundations for the dragon stables when he was plowed over by a Terrible Terror. Once he got his bearings, he lifted the dragon off of him. "I didn't expect to see you back so soon Swift," Hiccup said. The little dragon looked around, checking the area. Once he was satisfied, he offered his leg with the letter to Hiccup.

Hiccup raised a brow in confusion. Swift had never been so secretive before. As soon as Hiccup had the letter, Swift hid in some nearby bushes. Hiccup could only ponder the odd behavior as he opened the letter. He quickly read it and stuffed it in his shirt. It was no wonder that Swift was trying to hide his presence. Rain didn't want Rock to know she sent a letter and with good reason.

Hiccup quickly found his mother and Gobber. He told them the situation and what was asked. Gobber left to go get the third rider while Valka went to pack some supplies for the journey. Hiccup had the unpleasant task of coming up with a viable excuse for three riders going missing to his son. It seemed odd he had to answer to his own son, but since he was the chief now he did have a say in who left the village. The only reason Rain was allowed to leave was because Hiccup still had some control back then.

Hiccup found Rock talking to some of the farmers and hearing them complain about the bugs destroying their crops. "I will see about getting some more Terrible Terrors for you," Rock was saying. "They should help you keep the infestation down to a manageable level."

The farmer thanked him and left the two men to discuss whatever it was that Hiccup needed. "Is there a problem Dad?" Rock asked.

"Not really a problem," Hiccup started. "Your grandmother and I have talked about going out and explore the surrounding islands. Get a feel for our surroundings and our neighbors. See who would be open to trade negotiations with us and who would only see as enemies. With the village secure, you don't need me here, breathing down your neck every time you turn around."

Rock thought about it for a moment. "It sounds like a good idea to me," he said. "How long do you think you'll be gone and who will be going?"

"Your grandmother and I will go, of course. I was also thinking of bringing Snotlout along. We'd be gone for a few days to a week. Maybe slightly longer."

"I don't think Snotlout is a good idea," Rock said. "I wouldn't peg him for the diplomatic type."

"He's not coming for diplomacy," Hiccup said. "That will be my job. Snotlout is coming for the firepower. If we get into a scrap that Toothless and Cloud Jumper can't out manuever then it will be good to have a Monstrous Nightmare watching our backs."

"Why not take Souta?"

"You tell Ruffnut why her husband left her just before she gives birth."

"Point made," Rock held up a hand in surrender. "I don't want to walk down that path. Okay, I trust you to make sure Snotlout doesn't start a war. Keep in touch with a Terror every few days."

"As usual," Hiccup agreed as he walked away. He met up with Valka, Snotlout and Gobber in front of the main hall. "We can leave at any time," he said. "We have the all clear for the three of us to leave. Gobber, make sure that he doesn't try to send a tracker after Rain. He's still on that kick."

"I'll sit on him if I have to," Gobber declared. "Well, I will have Grump sit on him."

"Are we ready to go then?" Hiccup asked.

"I have all of our rations packed," Valka announced. "I'm not packing your clothes though."

Hiccup nodded as he headed for his hut. "I'll go and do that now. You two should get your dragons and I'll get Toothless as well. We'll meet back here and then we'll be on our way."

"Where are we going?" Snotlout asked.

"Just be happy to know you get out of the village for a spell," Gobber said. "I'm sure that you'll be filled in on the mission before it starts."

"That doesn't tell me much," Snotlout muttered. He walked away to his own hut where Hook Fang was waiting for him.

Hiccup had changed into his flight armor and packed some spare clothing. He put his helmet on and walked out the door. It didn't take long for Toothless to spot him and coming bounding up, ready to go for a flight. The two went to the bushes where Hiccup left Swift. A quick glance showed that no one was watching. Hiccup scooped Swift from his place in the bush and shoved him inside of his pack. He then continued on his way to the main hall, Toothless following after.

"Is everyone ready?" Hiccup asked. He climbed on his dragon once everyone gave the affirmative. "Then let's go bud." Toothless was in the air with a mighty flap of his wings. Cloud Jumper and Hook Fang not far behind. The three dragons made their way North.

When the village was out of sight Hiccup reached into his pack and pulled out Swift. "What's Rain's Terrible Terror doing here?" Snotlout asked.

"We were asked for help," Hiccup stated. "I didn't want Rock jumping to the wrong conclusion, so I kept the mission and Swift hidden. Swift will lead us to Rain and we'll decide what to do from there."

"What is the mission?" Snotlout asked.

"We're going to help Rain's new friends," Valka answered. "They need a ride to check on their homes. The letter mentioned an enemy getting too close to their home villages."

"So we're not going to save Rain, but we're going to give a ride to a bunch of snot nosed kids?"

"You'll fit right in," Valka teased.

"I think it's a bit more complicated than that," Hiccup said. "There might even be the chance for a little fighting, you never know."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Snotlout urged Hook Fang forward again.

"Mention a fight and he gets riled up," Valka smiled.

"Hey Snotlout," Hiccup called out. "Swift is flying in the opposite direction. We have to follow him."

"I knew that," Snotlout covered. He and Hook Fang changed course and began to fly after Swift. Hiccup and Valka shared knowing looks and followed.

~ Luffy and Rain are hardly ever seen apart these days. The only time anyone sees them not together is at night, when it's time to sleep or when they're doing their personal business. The relationship has Kagome, Robin and Nami excited.

Sanji has also decided to play a hand in his captain's relationship. Every night, at sunset, he set out a candlelit dinner on the aft deck of Sunny. Brook is threatened into playing something romantic on the violin and not a slow version of "Bink's Sake". Of course, Sanji's goal had its selfish intentions as well. He was hoping that if Nami noticed how much he was supporting Luffy that she would warm up to him more.

During one of these dinners, Shadow and Darkess both looked up into the sky suddenly. With no warning the two of them were in the sky. A roar ringing through the air caused quite a panic on the Sunny and Law's ship. Brook, Chopper and Usopp started running around, declaring that a sea king was close. "There's no need to panic," Kagome yelled out. "It looks like our help has finally come."

"That's right," Rain agreed. "That roar was just the Alpha calling to Shadow and Darkess." Rain blinked at her own statement and started to get pale. Within seconds she was pacing the length of the ship. "This isn't good," she was muttering. "If the Alpha is here then he's here. If he's here, surely the other followed. No way is Luffy going to get out of this without a fight." She was pacing so quick that Franky was a little concerned she would ware out the wood.

Luffy couldn't take the worry coming from Rain. He started to pace after her. When Rain turned around she bumped into him. Luffy put one arm around her waist and the other behind her head. "It will be fine," he said. "I can handle anything that comes. I won't let anything take you away from me." He kissed her lightly on the forehead.

"Now I'm glad I managed to convince Rock it was just a diplomatic mission," a male's voice said.

The Straw Hats and Law looked up the main mast of the Sunny. Half on the roof of the lookout and half hanging over the side was a black dragon nearly twice the size of Darkess. On it's back was a man dressed in armor nearly identical to Rain's. Usopp, Chopper and Brook froze in terror. Nami was hiding behind Robin.

Rain gently stepped away from Luffy and moved to face the new arrival. "I'm so happy that you came," she said. The dragon jumped to the deck of the Sunny. The man got off and removed his helmet. "It's so good to see you, Dad."

That statement was like a signal to the rest of the crew. Knowing that the man was Rain's father, the tension immediately eased. Rain walked up to Hiccup and gave him a hug. A pressure against her leg alerted her to the dragon. "I'm happy to see you too Toothless." She gave the older dragon an affectionate pat on his head. Once finished, Rain faced the rest of the Strawhats. "Everyone, I would like to introduce you to my father. Hiccup, former chief of Berk and the first Dragon Trainer. This is his Dragon Partner Toothless, he's Darkess' father."

Two other dragons landed on the deck. One was Valka, who everyone recognized. The other was a Monstrous Nightmare which most thought was Inferno, carrying a man who wasn't Souta. Rain went up to the Nightmare. The massive dragon let out a thrumming sound and nuzzled her. "I've missed you too, Hook Fang," she said. "I'm glad that you came." She then looked up to his rider. "It's also good to see you again Snotlout."

"Are you serious?" Usopp asked. "His name is really Snotlout?"

"You've got a problem with that long nose?" Snotlout demanded.

Shadow and Darkess returned to the deck of the ship, between Snotlout and Usopp. The action effectively stopped any further altercations. Hiccup could only shake his head at Snotlout, he wasn't surprised that the surly viking was trying to start a fight. Valka came up and gave Rain a hug in greeting.

Hiccup turned away from Snotlout, shutting out any more complaints from the over loud male. His attention was now focused completely on Luffy. "So you're the one that has caught my daughter's interest?" he asked. "My mother has told me much about you. So you're the captain?"

"I am," Luffy answered.

Rain moved to stand next to Luffy, however she was stopped by Valka. "Trust your father," she said. "He's not like your brother when it comes to these things."

Hiccup extended his hand out to Luffy. The two men shook hands for a moment. As they were still shaking hands Toothless came up and sniffed at Luffy. He sat back and looked very pleased with himself. Hiccup also released Luffy's hand with a smile.

Swift chose that moment to come out of the saddle bag on Toothless' saddle. He went up and snuggled up to Luffy upon seeing him. Hiccup had always trusted the instincts of dragons. Hiccup nodded and patted Luffy on the shoulder. "I can see that you're a good man," he said. "Now we just have to figure out how to get Rock to let his little sister be with you."

"Dad, are you sure that Rock is still on Berk and didn't follow you?" Rain was wringing her hands together in nervousness.

"We first gave him the excuse of going on a diplomatic mission, looking for neighbors and allies. Just before we left I put Gobber in charge of keeping him in Berk. He'll sit on Rock to keep him there if he has to."

"Pardon my intrusion," Sanji walked up. "Is Rain's brother really as bad as you make him out to be?"

"He's as steadfast as a rock in his views," Valka put in. "He was certainly named appropriately. Rock reminds me of my husband, Hiccup's father, before he passed. His name was Stoic the Vast. He was just as unmovable in his views as his name suggests. It will be hard to convince Rock that his little sister doesn't need him to protect her. We've tried to convince him for a few years now, ever since Rain has been considered an adult."

"So how do we manage to convince him?" Nami asked.

"The whole village will have to help us in getting him to change his mind. The village already understands that Rain is an adult. It's hard to get Rock to follow those same views. If the village rallies as a whole then Rock will have no choice but to follow the majority vote. He might not be happy about it, but the people of the village and their views come before the wants of the chief." Hiccup explained patiently to the crew.

"How do we go about that?" Usopp asked.

"We beat Rock into submission," Snotlout announced.

"Let me know how well that works out for you," Rain spoke. "You haven't been able to beat Rock in a match since he was a child."

"First things are first," Valka cut in. "Your message said that a few of your friends needed to travel to check on their families?"

"We do," Nami shouted out. She went up to Valka. "We were told that one of our enemies is checking out our families and friends, trying to see if they can find out more about us. We need to make sure that no one is hurt or if the enemy was even there at all."

"I think that we can manage that," Hiccup said. "So how many want to go?"

"I have to go," Nami said. "My island has already been through so much because of pirates. I can't sit back and let it happen again."

"I have to protect Kaya," Usopp declared. "I'm definitely going."

"Let Curly Brows go," Zoro said. "He'll only be getting in the way here if he stays."

"You'll get in my way if you stay," Sanji charged back at Zoro.

"I take it that the two of them fight a lot?" Hiccup asked Luffy.

"All the time," Luffy agreed.

"Who has the most reason to go?" Hiccup asked.

"Sanji left the man that raised him and his restaurant to travel with us," Luffy explained. "Zoro has admitted on more than one occasion that he doesn't really have anywhere left to return to. Sanji has more of a reason to go to East Blue than Zoro."

"That settles it then," Valka claimed. She put her hand on Nami's shoulder. "The two of us will head to Nami's home town. Who lives the furthest away from here?"

"That would be Usopp," Nami said. "But Sanji lived on a restaurant boat. It travels all over the East Blue. It would not be in the same place as where we first met."

"In that case, Sanji should ride with Hiccup. He and Toothless are the fastest flyers Berk has." Valka's statement caused Darkess to let out a growl. "No offense girl, your father is just more experienced. His wing span is also longer."

Rain leaned down to whisper to Darkess. "It's just a polite way of saying he's old."

"What does wingspan have to do with it?" Usopp asked.

"The larger the wingspan the bigger the wind displacement and thrust," Rain explained. "Dad, would you and Toothless care to give a demonstration with Darkess and I?"

"What would you suggest?" Hiccup asked.

Rain looked up into the sky. She stopped and pointed up to the clouds. "The largest cloud, first to circle around it and land back on deck wins."

"It's a deal," Hiccup grinned. He put on his helmet and got on Toothless. He waited for Rain and Darkess to be ready for the race.

Once everyone was clear of the two dragons and riders Valka called out, "Start!"

The two dragons took off. The action caused the Sunny to pitch back and forth. Luffy stared closely at the two ascending dragons. The larger dragon was edging his way to the front. He was already a length ahead of Darkess when they were rounding the cloud.

The race was over in just a few seconds. Toothless landed on the deck first. Shortly after, Darkess landed next to him. "So do you all understand how the larger wingspan is the faster?" Rain asked.

"Doesn't Cloud Jumper have four wings?" Usopp asked. "Does that mean he's the fastest flyer?"

"Cloud Jumper doesn't have as sleek a body frame as Toothless or Darkess," Valka said. "Night Fury breed of dragons have evolved for maximum speed and stealth."

"Are you all done?" Law asked. "The faster that you leave the faster you can come back."

"The broody one has a point," Valka joked. "We need to leave if we're going to help you're families."

"Sanji needs to ride with Dad," Rain said. "Since there's no telling where the Baratie is now he needs to be with the fastest team. That leaves Usopp to ride with Snotlout."

"Are you kidding me?" Usopp demanded. "There's no way I can ride with this guy."

"It's the only way to get you to see your friends and family," Valka said.

"I could always ride with Rain," Usopp argued.

"Not a chance," Luffy denied. "I'm riding with Rain to Foosha Village. From there, we'll meet everyone back up in Berk."

The entire crew fell silent. "Are you crazy?" Usopp cried. "You want to go to the place where Rain's brother, a man who potentially hates you, is?"

"I have a lot of people that don't like me," Luffy pointed out. "The entire navy being one of them. I'm not looking to make an enemy anyway. I want to meet Rain's brother."

"In that case we should get going Sanji," Hiccup called out. "We'll find your restaurant and then head everyone off to Berk. I'll need to talk to a few people about all the guests we'll be having." Sanji got into the saddle with Hiccup and Toothless was in the air. "Not to mention that I will need to tell Eret that he needs to stick closer to Rock in case he decides to attack Luffy."

The rest of the dragons were up in the air. This included Kagome and Dragon. Shadow veered off towards the Revolutionary Island. The other four dragons started going in the direction of East Blue. The eight travelers spent the night on an island just inside of East Blue. They set out again the next morning. They split up, each intending to reach their goal that day.

~ "I'm not saving you if you fall off LongNose," Snotlout declared. Usopp refused to sit too close to Snotlout. That left him in a vulnerable place on Hook Fang. He was struggling to keep his balance. If a strong wind were to come up then he would definitely plummet into the ocean.

"If you don't save me then the eight thousand pirates under my command will avenge me."

"If you think I'll fall for that then you have another thing coming," Snotlout said. "You're just a coward that doesn't know how to fight. Even if you do have that many men, if they're all like you, I could take them all out with both hands tied behind my back."

Before Usopp could say anything his island came within sight. Snotlout didn't listen to him when he told him to land near the ocean, away from the village. Instead, Snotlout landed right in the middle of the village. It caused a panic within the village.

Three children with hairstyles that made them look like various vegetables edged their way closer. They were threatening to call their eight thousand pirates to attack the monster.

"It's alright guys," Usopp called. He jumped off Hook Fang. "I just wanted to see how you guys are doing since I left."

The three children stood there, tears streaming down their faces. They suddenly bolted for Usopp and tackled him to the ground. "I'm happy to see you too," Usopp laughed. "Have you been keeping an eye on Kaya?"

"We've been keeping an eye on Kaya," Carrot answered. "Right now she isn't here though. She was called to help another doctor on the neighboring island."

"I'm glad to hear that she's safe," Usopp sighed. "Have there been any strangers on the island?"

"Now that you mention it," Pepper said. "There has been two strange-looking people hanging around the town. They left only two days ago."

"What were they after?"

"They were asking weird questions about you," Onion answered. "Like if you were born on this island, if you've been gone long or if you've come back to visit. They also were asking if you had anyone special. No one told them anything about you or how you like Kaya."

"Okay, listen up guys," Usopp took in a breath. "There are some pirates out there that are trying to hurt the pirate crew I'm with. We've just received news that they're trying to get information on us. I came back to make sure that the rest of you are fine."

~ "It's so wonderful," Valka was grinning. "You have to tell me all the details."

Nami let out a laugh. "When Rain got back from her little adventure in the Marine town Luffy started following her like a lost puppy. Once she turned around and bumped into him he held onto her and wouldn't let her go. That's when Luffy confessed his love for Rain."

"Oh I wish I could have been there," Valka said. "I can just imagine the look on Rain's face."

"You should have seen her face when he pulled her into a kiss," Nami laughed. "She was so shocked at first. Then she just melted into his arms. It was so romantic."

"You're tempting me to join your crew just so that I can see the rest of this relationship develop."

Whatever Nami was going to say was stopped when she spotted her island. "Land in that tangerine grove outside of town," Nami informed. "My sister should be there this time of day."

"What's your sister's name?" Valka asked.

"Nojiko," Nami informed.

There was no one around when the two landed. Nami jumped off Cloud Jumper and headed over to the house in the middle of the tangerine grove. Inside, drinking from a steaming mug was Nojiko. She looked up when Nami opened the door. "Nami," she stood up immediately. The two sisters shared an embrace. "What are you doing here?"

"I was worried about everyone," Nami said. She then told Nojiko about what was going on with the Blackbeard pirates. Nojiko reassured Nami that there had been nothing out of the ordinary.

"That's a good thing," Valka said. She was standing in the doorway. "That means that they haven't been here yet and you can build a defense. At the very least you could spread false information."

"What type of information?" Nami asked.

"An example would be that the town hates her because she joined the pirates."

"We don't hate her," Nojiko said. "She tried so hard to save the town from pirates."

"That would make hating her the perfect excuse," Valka countered. "If you give them information about hating her then they would have no reason to linger here. They wouldn't take it out on the villagers." The two women finally agreed and they set out about coming up with a plan.

~ Sanji was a little frustrated. The wind was going by so fast that he couldn't keep a flame lit long enough for him to have a smoke. He had told Hiccup stories of Luffy's adventures. Hiccup wanted to get more in depth information on the man that was getting into a relation with his daughter.

Hiccup interrupted the story at the time. "I'm sorry to stop you," Hiccup said. "Didn't you say that the restaurant you worked at looked like a fish?"

Sanji looked over Hiccup's shoulder and Toothless' head. Just ahead was a ship that looked like a blue fish. "That would be it," Sanji said. Toothless landed on the deck of the ship, opposite of a passenger ship tied to the Baratie.

"Wait for me here," Sanji said. He started walking for the entrance as he lit a cigarette. "This shouldn't take too long."

Hiccup watched as Sanji disappeared inside. He and Toothless were just settling down to wait when the sounds of fighting came from inside. The sounds died almost as soon as they started. It wasn't long before Sanji came sauntering back out. He had his hands in his pockets, smirking. He pulled out one hand to take hold of the nearly burnt out cigarette and tossed it into the ocean.

"We can go now," Sanji declared. He climbed back onto the back of Toothless.

"Do you mind if I ask what that was all about?" Hiccup asked.

"I just told them not to tell anyone about me or else," Sanji said.

"Then what happened?"

"They chose the 'or else'."

~ Luffy's arms were tightly wrapped around Rain. His chin was leaning on her shoulder. "We're close to the island where I grew up," Luffy informed.

"You don't sound too happy about that," Rain pointed out.

"I would have to give up my hold on you," Luffy smirked. Rain let out a laugh at that. Luffy squeezed her just a little tighter. "There's the island over there." Luffy was pointing off to the side. "Land towards the center, that's where I spent most of my childhood. I need to talk to the people who live there."

"Are those the people that raised you?" Rain asked.

"In a way," Luffy said. "I was mostly raised by my older brother Ace. We would explore the wild, training by fighting bears and tigers."

Darkess maneuvered to land towards the center of the island Luffy pointed out. The dragon landed in front of a log cabin. "Stay on Darkess," Luffy informed. He got off of the dragon and started for the cabin. "Dadan," he called out. "Are you guys home?"

The door burst open and a large woman came out. She reminded Rain of the typical viking female warriors back on Berk, except she looked more like a male. She had curly red hair. "My Luffy," she called out. To Luffy's surprise, Dadan burst into tears and ran for him. She pulled him into a tight hug. "I'm so sorry about Ace. Thank goodness that you're alright."

"That was two years ago," Luffy said. He glanced at Rain, in a way telling her how long it's been since he lost his foster-brother. "A lot has happened since then."

Dadan pulled away from Luffy. She then stared pointedly at Rain and Darkess. "It would seem that way. Who are these two?"

"Have you been keeping up with the wanted posters of my crew?" Luffy asked.

Dadan looked sharply at him and then back to the dragon and rider. "Are you telling me that this woman is the 'Dragon Mistress' in the wanted poster?"

"The one and the same," Luffy grinned.

Dadan stared at him closely. She noted that Luffy was keeping himself between his partner and the cabin. "What else?" Dadan asked.

Luffy grinned and took a step closer to Rain. "I think you already know what else," he said. Dadan smirked and took a hold of Luffy. She put him in a head lock and started giving him a noogie. "That-a-boy," she cheered. "I knew that you always had it in you."

Dadan let go of Luffy and looked over to Rain. "Get off of that bird with teeth and let me get a good look at you," she ordered. Rain looked towards Luffy who nodded. Rain got off of Darkess and slowly moved closer. Dadan took a hold of Rain's chin and moved her head from one side to the other, looking her over. Once the inspection was finished Dadan nodded and let go of Rain. "You don't seem like you see a lot of hand to hand combat," she commented. "Although, you do have a build of a fighter."

"I train often with my family," Rain said. "My whole village is full of warriors. We also fight on the backs of our dragons. It's most effective against those that don't know how to fight anything airborne."

"It sounds like you know your combat situations," Dadan grinned. She then surprised Rain by pulling her into a hug. "I'm glad to hear that you know how to carry your own weight," she said. She finally let go and stepped back. "So now, what brings the two of you here? I know Luffy enough to know that he won't stop any of his adventures before he's finished to come here for a casual visit. Since there's been no news of you becoming the King of Pirates I'm assuming that there's something going on." Luffy and Rain told Dadan about what was going on with Blackbeard. "No one has been out this way," Dadan said. "Of course, your grandfather made sure that absolutely no one knew of your existence let alone location before you could take care of yourself."

Luffy then nodded in understanding. "Then there's no need to worry about you," he declared. "We'll be heading to Foosha now. I need to make sure that Makino and the Mayor are fine."

"While you're down there, say 'hello' to your grandfather," Dadan ordered. "Since he's been retired he's lived in the village. I know that he's just as worried about you as the rest of us." Luffy nodded solemnly and motioned for Rain to get on the back of Darkess. "We'll be heading over there now."

Dadan watched the two of them get on Darkess. When Luffy put his arms around Rain she had devious smirk. "You two better let me know when the wedding is."

Rain's face turned beet red and Luffy smirked. "Don't worry Dadan," Luffy said. "I'll be sure to send a message or at least a ride to the wedding."

"Luffy!" Darkess started laughing as she took off into the sky.

In a few minutes the two were on the outskirts of the village. Darkess landed next to the burnt foundations of Kagome's home.

"This place feels familiar," Luffy spoke softly.

"I'm not too surprised," Rain said. "When Kagome and I started the search for you this was the second place we stopped. She told me that was the house where you were born."

Luffy slowly got off of Darkess and headed for the burnt house. He started to walk through the ashes. He ended up in the room towards the back. "This is also where my mom was taken from me," Luffy whispered.

"How did you know that?" Rain asked. She stood just outside of the foundation to give Luffy his space.

"I don't know," Luffy said. "It just feels like it's the right answer." Luffy stopped, took a deep breath and made his way back to Rain. He kissed her lightly on the lips and hugged her. "If it wasn't for that then I never would have met you." Rain returned the hug, her head tucked under Luffy's chin.

Luffy leaned back and smiled. "Let's get going," he said. "I don't want to be out here when it's dark." Luffy took Rain by the hand and led her towards town. Darkess was following close behind them.

The sun was just setting when they reached town. The bar Makino owned was filling with customers. Luffy had a huge grin on his face as he headed into the building. He entered the room quietly and moved to sit at the bar. Luffy took the seat where he used to always sit as a child. It didn't take long for Makino to notice him. "Luffy!" Makino leaned over the bar and gave Luffy a hug. "It's so nice to see you," she said. She then looked over to the seat next to him. "Rain, it's so good to see you again too. Is Kagome with you?" She then looked to Luffy and back to Rain.

"Luffy and Kagome have met," Rain assured. "The two have spent a bit of time together."

"I'm glad to hear it," Makino smiled. She looked behind the two and smiled bigger. "I see that the Mayor wants to talk to you Luffy."

Luffy looked behind him, when he did the Mayor motioned him over. Luffy put his hand on Rain's shoulder and kissed her when she looked at him. "I'll be right back," he stood up and went to the Mayor.

Rain turned back to Makino to see her giving a knowing look. "I'm glad to see that Luffy has found someone reliable," she said.

Rain blushed and gave a nod. "We didn't come here to just visit," she admitted. "We received word that someone has dug into everyone's past from the East Blue. We were worried about everyone. Has there been anyone new or strange to the village?"

"As a matter-of-fact," Makino started. "There was a man who was poking around the docks. He was heavy-set, missing teeth and had a black beard."

Rain winced at the news. "What happened after that?" she asked.

"Garp got involved," Makino said. "He recognized Blackbeard right away. He called the marines and it wasn't long before a ship docked just off shore. The sight scared him off. I don't doubt that he might try to come back though."

"How long ago was that?" Rain asked.

"Blackbeard left two days ago," Makino said. "The Marines left yesterday." She nodded sympathetically when Rain let out a groan. "There's a chance someone could report Luffy being here and it won't take them long to show up."

"Then we need to wrap things up," Rain said.

"I don't think that it will take too long," Makino agreed. "I do have a question for you though." She then pointed to the wall where she was mandated to post wanted flyers. There was a fresh poster of a woman wearing a mask with a false name under it. "Do you have any idea who that 'Dragon Mistress' is?" Rain's blush came back once again. "I thought so," Makino laughed.

Luffy showed up that point. "It's time for us to go," Luffy said. "We need to go talk to my grandpa really quick and then leave."

"You kids play it safe now," Makino waved. Rain blushed even more so and Luffy just had a look of confusion. "Get going you two."

Luffy and Rain walked towards the house that was owned by Luffy's grandfather, Monkey D. Garp. Luffy barged into the house without knocking. Rain stopped at the door, not sure if she should follow or not. The decision was taken from her when Luffy stretched his arm out and pulled her in after him. Once Rain was tucked into his side Luffy ducked the both of them sharply. Rain felt a breeze pass over the both of them. When they stood up straight Luffy blocked another attack for his head. He then moved so that the arm was pulled passed them. With a heavy thud the attacker was then on the floor. "Nice to see you too Grandpa," Luffy said.

The man on the floor slowly stood up. A light clicked on as the man reached above him and turned on the table lamp. He then slowly turned to face the two in the room. He froze when he finally saw that Luffy had his arm wrapped around the woman that was with him. "You must be the famed Vice-Admiral Garp," Rain broke the silence.

"Former," Garp announced as he approached. "I retired when the Marines started to target my grandson with undue prejudice." Garp stared at the two of them for a moment longer. "Who might you be?"

"My name is Rain," she announced. "I'm a friend of Kagome's since during the time of her disappearance."

"You look the same age as Luffy," Garp commented. "I can sense a different story here."

"Kagome saved my life," Rain said. "I was an infant when my mother died. If Kagome hadn't taken the responsibility to raise myself and my brother until she could return to Luffy I, at the very least, would not have survived. Is there anything else you would like to know Mr. Garp?"

"Nothing else," Garp said. "There is one thinkg I would like from you though." He looked pointedly to the arm that Luffy still had around Rain's shoulders. "From now on, you can call me Grandpa."