Exception

Characters: Bepo, Heart Pirates. Rating: K. Warnings: None

Bepo was weak-willed. To the Heart Pirates, that was simply how things were. Excepting anything to do with navigation, because the mink was the undisputed authority when it came to that, even over their captain, Bepo's suggestions were often quickly overruled. This was particularly true when it came to Penguin and Shachi – while Bepo declared authority over the many newer nakama, he still submitted quietly to the pair on most things. Law, too, of course, but their captain rarely chose to execute any sort of authority over him.

"Sorry," was a common word out of the mink's mouth, often immediately countered by a complaint from Penguin or Shachi (or, commonly, both of them in unison) about his inability to stand up for himself. It was a point of fond amusement with the crew that they did that even when it was them he had caved to.

When it was the crew, it was okay. Whatever they said, Bepo's opinions were highly valued and respected, even outside of his navigation specialism, and while they might poke fun at him for his frequent apologies, it was entirely in jest and Bepo showed no signs of taking it to heart.

Outside of the crew, however, was an entirely different story. Aside from two notable exceptions, no-one had ever got away with sending Bepo into his apologetic state. Penguin and Shachi, despite appearing to be the worst culprits within the crew, forgave no-one for upsetting Bepo. The rest of the crew would assist, of course, but it was those two that would make sure they dealt the final blow.

No-one upset their navigator and got away with it. There were only two exceptions to the rule, times where they'd been unable to teach the offender a lesson.

First had been at Sabaody. Marines picking on Bepo for being a 'talking bear' was hardly unusual (you'd have thought that by now the message would have got through that picking on the mink was a first-class ticket to pain but apparently not). That upset Bepo not because he was being ridiculed, but because not one Marine ever took the time to identify him as a Mink.

Usually, the offending Marine learnt their lesson quickly and harshly, courtesy of Penguin and Shachi, but at Sabaody they had had no choice but to let it slide. With an Admiral bearing down at them and none of them, not even Law, capable of going toe to toe with one even if Eustass and Mugiwara hung around to fight too, they had to grit their teeth and flee, listening to Bepo cheer himself up by declaring his superiority over an accepting Jean Bart.

The second occasion came hot on the heels of the first, a week later on their frantic escape from Marineford with Mugiwara's semi-dead body and Jinbei's not much better form in the security of the Polar Tang's infirmary. Boa Hancock's uninvited presence on their deck when they finally resurfaced was already a cause for concern, but then she went and called Bepo a beast, sending him into one of his depressed episodes. With the woman on their own ship, and showing absolutely no intention of leaving, a conflict would have been suicide.

And of course, there was the fact that she was the Pirate Empress and while the whole 'Pirate' title still didn't impress them all that much, the stories about her beauty had not been exaggerated and they found themselves switching between apprehension of her presence and something a little too close to fanboying for Law's liking, judging by the swat he gave the pair of them once they were out of sight of the Empress.

Regardless, those two exceptions aside, the Heart Pirates, Penguin and Shachi in particular, never let anyone escape after insulting and upsetting Bepo. It was one thing as nakama, friendly banter that Bepo brushed off in a matter of seconds (sometimes accompanied by his famous bear-hugs).

It was a completely different matter when it wasn't nakama.

The only people allowed to tease Bepo are the Heart Pirates.

Thanks for reading!
Tsari