Moon
Characters: Bepo. Rating: T. Warnings: SPOILERS for chapter 888; blood.
Never look at the full moon. Bepo had no memories of his homeland, could not describe it if asked, but the warning was as crisp as the day he first heard it. There's no face to go with the voice, no name, but as a cub Bepo was easily cowed by the words. He didn't know why he couldn't look at it, not when the humans around him oohed and aahed at the vision, piquing his curiosity every time.
It was a crutch, in a way. Of Zou, of his homeland, it was the only thing he had to remember it by. Over the passage of time, even his brother's face had faded, blurred beyond recognition with only a name and emotions attached. A crutch to cling to, when the wide world got too much with its humans and giants and everything except furred minks everywhere he went.
That didn't mean he understood the warning. No other species feared the full moon, averted their gaze when it rose high in the sky. The small scared cub underneath the layers of fur and fighter and pirate never dared to peek, even when Penguin and Shachi, in their well-meaning but ignorant way tried to get him to look up – "isn't it beautiful, Bepo?" "look, there's even a ring around it!" – for fear of disobeying the voice.
Even Law didn't understand it, although he left it well enough alone once he realised Bepo wouldn't look. The captain's ability to know when to press and when to stop was one of the many things Bepo came to first appreciate, and later love, about him. Despite Penguin and Shachi's lack of understanding, he came to appreciate their enthusiasm, and love them for the gentleness he eventually found buried under the tough exterior they gave off.
It was that love, a pure untainted devotion, that one day destroyed his crutch.
An ambush, late at night when only he and Penguin were on deck – Law sick in the infirmary and Shachi watching over him – by marines seeing and fearing the black flag, left them off kilter and horrendously disadvantaged. For all their prowess, he and Penguin were not enough to win, the noise of the battle summoning Shachi and later their sick captain, but the sheer numbers overwhelming the four of them.
That night was a full moon. Bepo had always been aware of the full moon, even if he'd never seen it. Something about it raised the fur at the back of his neck, a tingle of electro running down his spine without conscious command. That night, though, it pressed against his mind, reminding him in a way it never had before. Coaxing him to turn his gaze skyward.
Never look at the full moon, the voice reminded him, but another softer, silkier presence pushed it aside.
Do you want to save your nakama? it asked, a subtle caress of his mind. Bepo didn't dignify it with a response as he slashed down another marine only for three more to take their place. He would do anything for his nakama. Then look. He did, glancing around the deck to see the pale Law stumbling backwards as his Room flickered, struggling to remain present. Penguin and Shachi fought side by side, as always, but their clothes were torn and both were limping badly. They were going to lose.
Look at me, the presence coaxed, drawing his attention up towards the moon. Look, and save them.
Never loo-
The old saying washed away as Bepo straightened his back, reaching his full height and startling the marines enough for them to take a step back.
"I'm sorry," he murmured, apologising to his past, to the voice, to his crew.
Then he looked.
The full moon was as bright and beautiful as Penguin had always told him, a halo of washed-out colour crowning it as Shachi had always claimed. Beautiful.
Dangerous.
Rage. Bepo knew no more as his body grew, flickering with non-stop electro. Enemy. Destroy. Enemydestroy. Enemydestroy.
His vision cleared abruptly, to a vision of carnage. He wasn't on the Polar Tang any more, but rather a bloodied chunk of debris that bore the green and blue patterns of a marine hull. Around him floated other chunks, some bloodier than others, some with bodies, or just body parts.
His own claws were dyed red, and he looked at them, trembling. A fearful glance to the sky showed daybreak blooming, the full moon safely tucked away for another lunar month.
Never look at the full moon.
As Bepo looked around, seeing a distant speck of yellow heading his way and a shipwreck full of bloodied corpses, with no recollection of what happened, he thought he understood why.
So, who else was psyched at chapter 888? Sulong looks amazing and I can't wait to see more of it (why isn't chapter 889 up yet dammit). As we don't know much about it yet, I've kept this pretty vague. From what we have been told, it requires training and the mink has to look at the full moon, so here's what I've gleaned from that. I'm sure I'm going to revisit the Sulong idea later once we know more - I already have ideas, I just want canon to give me a few more details...
Thanks for reading!
Tsari