Author's Note:Hi everyone! I'm soooo sorry for the long wait! I have been working a lot of extra shifts lately and have just had no energy to do anything but sleep. To make up for taking forever, this chapter is a little longer than normal ;) We get to meet a few new characters and I also dropped some important plot bunnies in between the antics and introductions, so keep an eye out! I hope ya'll enjoy it :)

To friccfrakk: I'm so glad you're enjoying it!

To Wishfull-star: Thank you so much :)

To Pikarosee1994: Looks like nothing came through for your review, but thank you for reading!

To hanging on something right now: Aw, thank you! Lol I've certainly taken my time XD

To Sabrina-nee: I'm glad you're enjoying it so far!

To 94Insane: More on Shanks to come in future chapters;)

To EliraMargaux: Here's an update for you! Sorry for the wait!

To Abehsi: Lol thank you so much for the compliments! I also need more Luffy drama...

To CookiesCrumb: Poor Luffy indeed! Look forward to more drama to come ;)

WARNINGS:

- Violence/blood

- Paint balls

- Thatch causing trouble


Luffy's first impression of the frozen yogurt store was that it was bright. The walls were covered with staggering colors, mainly blue. Even the floor was a checkerboard of white and pink that was an impressive contrast to the store's current occupants. Luffy eyed the lycans nervously, inching closer to Marco and Thatch.

The group that filled the majority of the tables were as loud as the clothes they wore and made sure the entire store knew they were having a good time. Most of them looked almost like bikers with leather jackets and fur coats (which was ironic considering they were lycans…hadn't his dad said something about most of them being vegan?).

Thatch put a reassuring hand on Luffy's shoulder while Marco began to walk towards the yogurt dispensers, leading them around the rowdy group. He watched in surprise as the blonde lycan nodded respectfully to one of the larger lycans, one with red hair. The man in question simply nodded back, acknowledging Marco, before returning to his conversation with a wolf in an intimidating mask.

"Curious?" Thatch whispered as they made their way to the far wall, "That lycan's name is Eustass Kidd, he's an alpha of his own pack like Ace. His territory isn't far from here so he's a frequent customer."

"But…he's not your alpha, right?" Luffy asked, somewhat confused. Thatch smiled at him with a soft grin.

"No, but he does technically hold the same status so we offer him respect. See…like this…"

He blinked in surprise when the wolf suddenly stopped next to the red head's table and bowed slightly, all while sending Luffy an expectant look. Realizing what the lycan wanted, he bowed as well.

"So formal today." The lycan, Eustass Kidd, stated with a smirk, "What's the occasion?" Thatch just laughed and straightened up.

"Just teaching Luffy here some wolf etiquette. How are ya, Red?"

"Fine." Luffy shrunk back a little when the lycan's golden eyes moved over to him. He instinctively pulled his sleeves down under the intense stare. "Who's the pup? A new pack member?"

"Not exactly…we're just here for some yogurt. Any good flavors today?"

Luffy was grateful that Thatch quickly changed the subject and directed the alpha wolf's attention away from him. Kidd had a different presence than Ace and it was…a little scary. Thankfully, he was soon distracted from the pack with promises of yummy yogurt. Thatch and Marco helped him pick out his cup size and showed him how to use the levers to dispense as much yogurt as he wanted.

He decided to go with a mixture of chocolate and strawberry with fresh berries sprinkled on top.

"Help yourself, yoi." Marco said while handing him a bright blue spoon, "I promise it's good."

Luffy nodded and brought a spoonful of the cold stuff up to his mouth. He immediately felt his ears perk up and his tail try to wag under his sweatshirt. It was delicious.

"Come on, let's sit down."

He didn't even really register being led over to a table by Thatch who also had a cup in his hand. The yogurt was just so smooth and yummy…he'd never had anything like it before!


As Kidd finished up his cup of yogurt, his eyes kept wandering over to the trio of lycans sitting in the corner. He knew Marco and Thatch, of course. Who didn't? The two were well-known commanders of Whitebeard's pack and fellow frequent customers of Ice Patch.

'…but who's the pup?' Kidd thought, eyeing the scrawny boy carefully. Discounting his odd attire, his scent was off and he acted like he'd never been in a yogurt store before.

"Killer…what do you think of him?" He muttered, drawing his beta's attention. Killer, of course, knew immediately who he was referring to and brushed some of his long blonde hair away from his face, mask slightly raised so he could spoon the delicious yogurt into his mouth without issue.

"I'm not sure. Perhaps a stray Whitebeard picked up?"

Kidd hummed. He suspected that was the case but something just wasn't right. There was something about the boy's nervous posture and too big clothing that screamed suspicious. Never one to sit back and muse, he stood and followed Marco over to the yogurt dispensers when he went to get seconds.

"What's the kid's story?"

Marco glanced up at him for a moment before returning his attention to the basic vanilla yogurt he was pouring into his cup.

"Why do you want to know, yoi?"

"Because I'm curious, why else?" Kidd answered honestly, making Marco crack an amused smile that lasted all of a few seconds. The red head frowned when the beta wolf sent a sorrowful look at the pup.

"We're looking after him for the day as a personal favor to Ace."

That actually surprised Kidd. He'd never met the elusive Portgas D. Ace in person but knew of him…knew his reputation. He ran a bar out in the middle of nowhere and only had one pack member but was said to be an impressive fighter.

"He took in a stray?" Kidd probed, wanting to gather a little more information. From what he knew of the alpha, Ace didn't seem the type to add a random pup to his already tiny and exclusive pack.

Marco huffed and turned away from the tables, like he wanted to keep the other wolves from hearing him.

"Ace and Sabo rescued him from a group of Shikari. From what they've told us, he was likely used as some sort of…lab rat. We're trying to help him heal and acclimate as much as we can, yoi."

Kidd's eyes widened in shock and immediately moved to the small pup. He was occupied with his yogurt, but he could smell the stress coming off him. It made sense, in retrospect. Anyone caught and tortured by the Shikari would need time and help to recover…as he learned from personal experience. Kidd growled lowly, wishing he could tear the humans who dared touch a pup limb from limb. He could feel Killer's steady gaze on him from across the room, warning him to stay in control.

…he appreciated the support but it grew more difficult to keep his rage under control when exposed to those who'd suffered under the same monsters as him. Especially young pups.

"I'd appreciate it if you kept this to yourself, yoi." Marco put in while decorating his yogurt with little chocolate chips, "I don't think Ace wants to draw attention to Luffy at this stage."

'Luffy? That must be his name.' Kidd mused while absentmindedly nodding to the blonde beta.

"You mind if I introduce myself?" He asked, wanting permission before approaching the ill-smelling pup. Marco shrugged.

"Knock yourself out. Just…try not to scare him, yoi."

Kidd followed Marco back to their little table, making the pup tense up. The boy eyed him with obvious caution and huddled closer to Thatch. All Kidd could think about was how easy it would be for 'Luffy' to overheat with how many layers he had on. He looked terribly uncomfortable.

"Yo." Kidd greeted while sitting down across from the pup, "I'm Kidd, it's nice to meet you."

"H-Hello…" Luffy answered, cautiously meeting his gaze before dropping his eyes down to his empty yogurt cup. Thatch sent him a curious look but didn't try to chase him away.

"Marco tells me this is your first time having frozen yogurt. What do you think?" The little pup's posture straightened slightly and his eyes brightened.

"It's good! I've never had anything like it."

Kidd cracked a smile at the young one's veiled excitement. He remembered his first time coming to Ice Patch with his sire as a reward for mastering his true form. There weren't many lycans who didn't enjoy the frozen treat.

"Right? What flavors did you get?"

"S-Strawberry and chocolate…" Luffy answered, wringing his hands together nervously like he was expecting Kidd to disapprove or something, "I like fruity stuff. Except cherries…they're gross." He laughed at that while Marco joined them, placing his cup on the table in front of them.

"I can respect that. So you're Luffy, right?" The pup nodded, suddenly shrinking back into his chair again, "…and you're staying with Portgas?" This seemed to confuse Luffy until Marco pitched in.

"He means Ace, yoi. His full name is Portgas D. Ace."

"Oh…then yeah. Him and Sabo." Luffy muttered, looking anywhere but Kidd's face. Marco and Thatch sent each other a pitiful glance, clearly feeling sorry for the pup. For Kidd's part, he could tell that this whole situation was stressful and scary for Luffy. He didn't know what happened to him while he was held by the Shikari but it had clearly affected him deeply.

'I bet those clothes hide his scars…' Kidd mused, clenching his hand in anger under the table so no one could see. Maybe he could do something to cheer him up…?

"Hey pup, check this out." He put in with a knowing smirk, deciding to change the subject. Luffy leaned forward cautiously when Kidd pulled a few tools out of his belt along with one of his 'projects' he'd been tinkering with to pass the time. A few tweaks later and it was finished. Luffy's eyes widened when, after rotating its main cogwheel, the mechanical bird began to jitter across the table.

"Woah…" The pup breathed, smile appearing on his face as he followed the toy closely, "Did you make that?"

"Yeah, it's a hobby of mine." Kidd could feel Killer's approving gaze even as Luffy poked at the hobbling bird, chuckling when it 'jumped' into his hand.

"C-Could I…?" Luffy asked quietly, motioning towards the wind-up mechanism. Kidd nodded and the pup enthusiastically wound it up again.

"I didn't know you were crafty, Red." Thatch put in, smirking when Kidd's cheeks began to match the striking color of his hair, "You could probably make some extra cash selling 'em to the local kids."

"Eh, I really just make them to pass the time. Keep my hands busy, ya know."

The three lycans watched Luffy play with the little bird for a while in silence until Killer approached them and leaned down to whisper something into Kidd's ear.

"Trafalgar should be passing through this area on his way to the gala any minute. Should we get ready?" Kidd's smirk took on a more feral tint as he thought of Trafalgar Law, the annoying vampire who was his current target. They'd been in a 'feud' for quite some time, often destroying each other's property when the chance arose.

What could he say? Messing with the cocky vampire was way more entertaining than anything else in his life at the moment.

"Yeah, I'll be there in a minute."

"You know, if you poke a bear you might regret it, yoi." Marco muttered to him quietly with a glint in his eye. Kidd just shrugged, smirk still plastered to his face. "The Donquixote Family is not exactly known for their benevolence."

"It's all in good fun…most of the time."

"Who's T-Tra…T-Torao?" Luffy put in, surprising them. The pup heard that?

"He's a vampire." Thatch answered while making 'fangs' with his fingers as a visual, "You know, the kind that like blood and turn into bats." The lycan's answer seemed to surprise Luffy and he gently cupped the mechanical bird close to his body.

"R-Really? Are they scary?"

"Nah, not really." Kidd quickly replied while standing to his feet, "They're practically defenseless during the day anyway…which is why we're going to prank him now and not later."

"Prank?" Thatch questioned, leaning forward with a glint in his eye, "Oh, do tell."


Ace glanced back at their passenger while awkwardly straightening his tie. Trafalgar Law appeared to be very displeased with his current situation and hadn't stopped scowling in the back seat of the admittedly fancy vehicle Doflamingo had insisted they use. All the windows were carefully tinted, allowing the vampire to expose his skin to the sun without using the heavy cloak he had draped across his lap.

According to their employer, the gala Law was set to attend was meant to serve as a neutral meeting ground for the local Lords. They were held regularly and always during the day to lessen the likelihood of violence. The main difference with this particular gala was that some big shot was visiting and insisted all blood houses be represented.

"So…uh…" Ace tried, desperate to break the silence, "What's with you and Kidd?"

"Eustass-ya is a pain in my ass." Law replied, brow furrowing, "He seems to enjoy making my life miserable."

"How did you two meet?" Sabo put in, glancing over his shoulder for a moment before turning his gaze back to the road. Law huffed and shuffled against the custom leather seats.

"…I may have crashed one of my vehicles into his pack house."

"…really?" Ace questioned, turning around so Law could see how high his eyebrow was raised, "Just how wasted were you?"

"I assure you, Ace-ya, I was completely sober. Unfortunately, we vampires cannot get drunk on anything but blood." Law seemed honestly disappointed by that fact so Ace decided not to comment. "I simply lost control of the car, nothing more."

Sabo and Ace glanced at each other in disbelief until the former seemed to have an epiphany.

"Trafalgar…do you not know how to drive?"

This query made the vampire tense up.

"O-Of course I do!"

Ace smirked, making Law huff and bring a hand to his face as if to hide his shame.

"My license is…er…expired. Cora-san insisted I be driven around by chauffeurs after crashing my first car in the 20s and I haven't been behind the wheel until a few months ago. Vehicles change after one hundred years. How was I supposed to know how to stop it!?"

Sabo and Ace chuckled softly before settling down facing the road once again. It seemed that Trafalgar had gotten tired of being 'punished' and tried to take a car out for a joy ride that didn't end well.

"Why did they buy you a bunch of cars if you weren't allowed to drive them?" Sabo asked, making Law scoff.

"Because my Uncle is a jerk, that's why. Pretty sure he bought them for himself-"

Law stopped short when something began to pepper their car, causing Sabo to swerve slightly in surprise. Ace frowned and looked out the window, noting the pellets that a group of people were shooting at them. He quickly determined they weren't bullets from the sound and penetration…but what they were doing?

A flash of red caught his eye.

"Eustass-ya, that bastard!" Trafalgar growled, moving so he was looking out the window. The lycan Ace could now see was Eustass Kidd waved and then casually flipped them off. However, that wasn't what pissed him off. It was the other more familiar people in the crowd. One in particular had a pompadour and seemed very happy to shoot at them.

"What did he do?" Sabo questioned while Ace motioned for Law to cover himself with his cloak. Once the vampire was suitably protected, he opened the window and took a look at the side of Doflamingo's shiny, very expensive vehicle. It was covered in little spots of color that were clearly from paint balls.

It looked like a rainbow threw up on them. He quickly made note of a few dents in the once perfectly smooth exterior.

Ace closed the window.

"…this car insured?"

Law groaned while he motioned for Sabo to turn around. Marco and Thatch had some explaining to do.


"Yeah, that's right!" Kidd cackled, "That's what you get!"

"Whooooo! I. Love. Paint balls!"

Luffy watched with big eyes as Thatch cocked his paint ball gun again and playfully pointed it at Marco who stood next to him. The lycan swiftly turned it elsewhere after a hard stare from the blonde man. For his part, Luffy couldn't believe they'd shot huge rounds of paint at a passing car.

…wasn't that, like, illegal or something?

Yet no one seemed to care. Even the employees of Ice Patch just continued with their work, not giving the rowdy lycans even a curious glance.

"How'd you know that was the right car, yoi?" Marco asked while tearing the paint gun from Thatch's hands and passing it to the masked lycan. Thatch just pouted like a chastised child.

"We've been tracking Trafalgar and his vehicles for a while now. They're pretty easy to spot." Kidd explained while brushing hair out of his face, "I mean, come on…tinted windows, black paint. It's like vampires want to stand out."

"…he certainly will with that paint job, yoi."

It was then that Luffy noticed the painted car coming back towards them. He quickly tugged on Marco's sleeve, prompting the lycan to get Kidd's attention. The red-head frowned at the sudden appearance of the vehicle but didn't seem too worried. He simply motioned for the rest of his pack to stand back. Luffy watched curiously as a cloaked individual angerly jumped out of the car.

"Do you have any idea what you've done!?" The figure snarled, eyes flashing red in the shadow of his cloak. Luffy quickly deduced that this must be 'Torao', the vampire. He stepped a little closer to Marco. "When the others see this-"

"Oh, are you worried about your reputation? Typical vampire." Kidd teased before taking a shot at the vampire, nailing him on the right shoulder with a red splotch of paint, "It's all in good fun, Trafalgar."

Torao's snarling deepened but before the two could rush each other, two other people exited the vehicle and Luffy's stomach immediately dropped. Marco and Thatch seemed just as surprised to see Ace and Sabo, the latter paling considerably.

"You two have got some explaining to do." Ace managed through gritted teeth. The alpha was clearly angry and Luffy wasn't sure what to say to him. Thatch sauntered up to them sheepishly before bowing like he had to Kidd.

"I'm sorry! I had no idea you two were in the car!"

"Luffy was not involved, yoi." Marco swiftly added, putting a hand on Luffy's shoulder, "Thatch, however, has a weakness for stupidity." The other lycan didn't object to this and bowed lower. Ace continued to scowl at them but Sabo motioned for Thatch to raise his head.

"I won't condone this behavior but I'm glad no one got hurt."

"Not yet." Torao snarled, eyes never leaving Kidd's, "This is the third car you've damaged and I expect you to pay for the repairs."

"Ha, like hell I will." The red-head shot back, claws elongating slightly, "You just need to do a better job of protecting them." This seemed to be the last straw for Torao as he wasted no time lunging for the humanoid wolf and tackling him to the ground in a whirlwind of scarlet and teeth. The sudden attack made Luffy instinctively step back in shock while the other lycans attempted to pull them apart.

"You two need to calm down!" Ace growled while attempting to pull Torao away. Sabo and Marco (who'd thankfully stepped in as well) tried to wrangle the smirking Kidd. It was then that Luffy realized something: most of his 'caregivers' were busy. His eyes moved towards the alley that led behind Ice Patch.

Now was his chance!

Taking a few quiet steps, Luffy slowly backed away from the brawl. Once he was far enough back, he turned and ran into the alleyway, leaving the lycans (and vampire) behind. If he could just figure out what part of town he was in, maybe he could get back home and find his Dad!

However, after winding through a few side streets, Luffy only found himself getting more and more hopelessly lost. He spun around yet another graffiti filled alley way, suddenly feeling less confident. Maybe he could find someone to ask for directions? Just as the thought crossed his mind, two people entered the narrow side street.

Luffy felt his ears perk up underneath his hat.

"Um, excuse me?" He called, drawing the attention of the two men. They observed him closely as he made his towards them. "Could you tell me how to-"

"You're…Monkey D. Luffy." One of them suddenly said, interrupting him. Luffy's friendly smile dropped at his name and he immediately felt his tail fluff up in caution. Instinctively, he took in their scent but it was one he didn't recognize.

"H-How do you know my name?" They sent a subtle glance at each other before the second man spoke up, a cold smile appearing on his face.

"We work with your father, Dragon. He's been worried sick about you, boy."

"H-He…has?" Luffy managed while taking a tiny step backwards, prompting the two men to step forwards menacingly.

"Yes…and he sent us to collect you. Why don't you come along and-"

Without even thinking, Luffy turned tail and ran from the two men, hearing pounding in his chest. He didn't believe for a second that these men were his Dad's co-workers. But, when one of them skillfully jumped in front of him, boxing him in…suddenly he wasn't so sure. They moved similarly to how Dragon taught him.

"Where do you think you're going?" The one behind him sneered while pulling out a gun, "Dogs like you should know to obey orders from your betters."

"I'm not a dog!" Luffy managed to fire back before getting into a defensive position. The one in front of him laughed.

"Whatever you say, brat…but that fur of yours says otherwise." Luffy gasped and tugged his sleeves lower, trying desperately to hide the fur that had been unknowingly exposed. Taking advantage of his panic, the first man charged him and smashed his weapon across Luffy's temple. He cried out in pain as he was flung into the nearby wall and held there by his attacker's hand.

Luffy could do nothing as the hat was pulled away, exposing his ears. It was all he could do to catch his breath with the man's fingers around his throat.

"The boss will be pleased." The second one said as he approached them, chuckling at Luffy's sad attempts to escape, "Apparently he's ready to hang Dragon from his own noose and having his son as evidence to his betrayal is sure to help. Did you bring the silver rope?"

"Yeah. Let's get this done."

Luffy felt frustration and fear build up in his throat when the men began to prepare to restrain him. This wasn't what he wanted…not at all. Was it too much to ask for his freedom back? He tried to call for help but a gloved hand clamped over his mouth, smothering all sound.

"Shhhh…wouldn't want any of your little doggie friends to hear you, now would we?"

"Too late for that." Luffy looked up in surprise when a familiar voice called out to them in the darkness of the alley. He almost cried when he recognized Thatch. The lycan looked more serious than he'd ever seen him and his eyes almost appeared to glow an eerie silver. "Shikari should know better than to try and kidnap a pup in this territory."

"We can do whatever we wish." One of them replied, holding the gun level to Thatch's head, "If you know what's good for you, dog, you'll turn around and leave. Otherwise-"

The man didn't have a chance to finish. Thatch almost seemed to vanish and re-appeared directly in front of the man, making him tense in fright.

"Or what?" Luffy gasped for air when the man was viciously kicked away from him, flying almost ten feet before skidding on the dirty stone. The other man backed away from Thatch, eyes big with fear.

"W-Who are you?"

"Someone who's out of your league." The lycan snarled, "Now, I suggest you run before I decide to do Red a favor and leave your corpses in the street." Thankfully, Luffy's two attackers took Thatch's advice and ran like the devil himself was on their heels. For his part, Luffy slid down the wall and hugged his knees to his chest in an attempt to calm down. He didn't even register that his ears and fur were out for all to see until Thatch gently put a hand on his head, causing the appendages to twitch under his touch.

"Luffy, you…"

He sniffled, afraid of what the lycan would say, until Thatch removed his hand and sat down next to him with a huff.

"You know what, that's not important right now. Are you okay?"

"I-I think so." Luffy managed, glancing up at the lycan who'd saved him, "I'm s-sorry I ran, I-I just-"

"You don't have to apologize, pup." Thatch answered with a kind smile, "I think I understand a little more of why Ace and Sabo are so protective of you. Do you, uh…have a tail too?" Luffy nodded and re-positioned himself so he could remove the sweatshirt covering the fluffy feather duster. Thatch's eyes lit up and he gently poked at it.

"Cute…u-uh I mean, totally not a big deal."

"Do you want to kill me now?" Luffy asked, making Thatch's face fall, "Ace and Sabo said I have to keep hidden or people w-will…" The lycan shook his head and put an arm around his shoulders.

"Of course I don't want to kill you, pup. If anything, this makes me want to protect you even more. Come on, let's get you out of here. We need someone to look at that wound." Luffy had honestly barely noticed the blood streaming down his cheek and allowed Thatch to replace his protective garments.

Would Ace and Sabo be mad at him?


Upon their return to the frozen yogurt store's vicinity, everyone immediately locked eyes on him and stopped fighting. Ace and Sabo rushed up to him, the former taking his face gently in his hands.

"What happened?"

"A couple Shikari attacked him." Thatch explained while Sabo began to dab at Luffy's face with a handkerchief, "I scared them off but…"

"Which direction did they go?" Kidd asked, sharp teeth extending. Luffy winced when Sabo pressed slightly harder on his wound.

"Towards Main Street, I think."

Kidd nodded and growled to his pack, mobilizing them immediately. He sent one last look at Torao (as if promising the vampire that their fight wasn't over) before approaching Luffy with a surprisingly soft look on his face.

"We'll take care of it. Get him home."

Ace nodded in appreciation to the red-head, all earlier animosity gone. Soon, the entire pack vanished into the back streets, apparently tracking Luffy's attackers.

"I hate to interrupt…" Torao put in after taking a few steps forward, straightening his cloak (like he hadn't just attacked someone like a rabid beast), "…but we do have a gala to attend."

"Yes…we do." Sabo answered while standing to face Marco and Thatch, "I'm sorry to say we do have an obligation to finish this job. Would you two mind terribly…?"

"He's in good hands, yoi." Marco assured with a nod, "We have a first aid kit in the back of our car." Ace didn't seem convinced and sent the two lycans a harsh glare, crossing his arms. To his credit, Marco did not flinch. Sabo broke the awkward silence by putting a reassuring hand on his alpha's shoulder.

"Ace, they did save Luffy just now…I think we should trust them. We can talk about everything else later."

This seemed to convince the raven-haired lycan but he clearly wasn't happy about it.

"All right, but one more screw up and we're never doing this again."

"Understood." Thatch swiftly replied, taking a moment to sidle up to Ace while Marco gently led Luffy to the vehicle to sit down, "I…uh…Luffy's hat might've fallen off during the scuffle. Could we maybe talk about that later to?"

Ace tensed and cursed under his breath.

"Later, okay?"

"…you got it, bud."


About an hour later, at the gala…

A single figure watched the vampire gala unfold beneath him. From his perch on one of the many ceiling beams, he had quite the view. As usual, all the haughty nobles arrived late while the lesser vampires crowded around the buffet tables. He didn't usually observe the galas but he wanted to see who their 'special guest' was and discern if they would be a threat to the people of San Faldo.

So far, no one stood out to him.

He did make note of Donquixote Doflamingo's nephew, Trafalgar Law, when he arrived. The flamboyant Lord controlled one of the most powerful covens in the area and yet he chose not to attend the gala…odd. The young vampire was accompanied by two lycans which wasn't unusual. Most of the vampires in attendance had hired lycan body guards of some sort.

'So why am I still uneasy…' The man mused, silently stroking his manicured beard. Tapping into the listening devices he'd placed all around the hall, he tried to catch pieces of conversation from various vampires.

"Did you see Trafalgar's car? Ha, disgraceful."

"Who cares about his car! We need to make a good impression or…"

He adjusted the sound slightly when it cut out for a moment, filling his ears with static.

"Yeah…I can't believe he came all this way. San Faldo is quite a ways from St. Poplar. I hear he's visiting all the towns in this region."

'St. Poplar…interesting.' He thought, bringing everything he knew about the town to the forefront of his mind. It was easily a day's drive from San Faldo, around 10 hours by train. It was a beautiful place to visit in the fall and was known for its stunning forests full of poplar trees, the name sake of the town. But from what he'd heard, whoever this guest was, they were simply passing through…why?

He leaned down when the vampires below him went quiet and someone stepped up onto the stage.

"Thank you all for gathering here today. As you know, we have a very special guest with us who wishes to greet you all personally. Please give a warm welcome to the Elder of the East!"

'Ah…now I see.' The man thought as he watched the stoic, white-haired vampire approach the stand. If an Elder was visiting, it was sure to cause a stir. There were four Elders per continent, one for each cardinal direction. If he remembered correctly, the Eastern Elder was well known for being the youngest appointed Elder (by a surprisingly slim margin)…and also the most ambitious.

"Thank you all for coming." The vampire began, eyes scarlet, "As you know, I am the Elder of the East…also called Alber, the King. I have come here for one reason only: to personally observe how each coven is fairing and bring report back to the Elder Council. Naturally, I expect each coven to fully cooperate."

The man in the rafters chuckled softly when all the vampires broke out into panicked whispers. Ah…so that was it. The Elders intended to inspect the covens to ensure all laws and regulations were being observed. It was a rare occurrence but happened more often now that the Elders were taking a more progressive stance with regards to feedings and co-existing with the other races.

'I'm surprised King decided to complete the inspections himself.' The man thought, tilting his wide-brimmed hat down slightly as he recalled the Eastern Elder's preferred name, 'Well…I suppose this makes my job easier.'

So long as an Elder was in town, the local covens wouldn't dare step out of line or risk disbandment.

While King continued his speech and gave instructions to the coven representatives, the man's phone vibrated softly. He sighed and pulled it out, recognizing the name. He told them not to call him unless it was an emergency…

Nonetheless, he went ahead and answered.

"Dad, I can't find the tartar sauce."

He sighed again and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Perona, now is really not a good time…just ask your brother."

"He doesn't know where it is either! I can't have fish without tartar sauce. It's a crime!"

Sometimes, Dracule Mihawk wondered if his life would've been easier had he decided to remain married to his now estranged ex-wife. Perhaps then his children wouldn't be calling him while he was on the job.

"Check the back of the fridge. Now I really have to go, okay? Let Zoro know I'll be home late."

"Eh, but Dad-"

Mihawk hung up and turned his attention back to the gala. Unlike the majority of Shikari, he chose not to hide his profession from his family. Secrets were nothing but a hassle that would become troublesome later on. That being said, his situation was probably a little easier than most seeing as neither of his children were remotely interested in following in his footsteps.

Perona was always on her phone and dedicated to becoming an 'influencer'…whatever that was, and Zoro only had eyes for kendo.

A quick glance below him revealed that the gala was proceeding smoothly and that King, the Elder, was now meeting with each representative, likely to plan when he would visit the coven. Deciding there was nothing more for him to do, Mihawk packed away his many weapons and stealthily exited the grand hall.

Seeing how he'd already rescued the humans held captive in the back room…his job was done for the night.

Mihawk decided to return to headquarters, for once, startling the young lady at the front desk. Though there were many Shikari 'outposts' throughout San Faldo, their main office was located in an inconspicuous building on the outskirts of town. It was nothing like what the larger cities had but it worked just fine for the needs of San Faldo.

People got out of his way as he moved through the halls, whispering gossip about him as they usually did. Mihawk knew he had a reputation and found that he enjoyed the wide birth most people gave him. He'd earned the space after hunting vampires for almost two decades. Though he was tempted to simply submit his report and leave, Mihawk had another reason for gracing the building with his presence.

He wanted to visit Monkey D. Dragon.


Slumped against the cold wall of his cell, Dragon had never felt more miserable and useless. Aside from being questioned (interrogated) regularly, he hardly had any visitors and could only muse about his failures. Had he made the right decision when he gave Luffy up to that young lycan? Was his son okay?

Was he…still alive?

Dragon sighed deeply and brushed his unkempt hair back. While Garp had tried to advocate for him, the higher ups made their intensions clear. They intended to frame him as a traitor to the Shikari for his 'stunt' at the lab. They'd already stripped him of his rank. Deep down, Dragon wasn't surprised. He knew that Akainu had always hated him and now that he was in charge of all the Shikari in their region, he saw his opportunity and he took it.

Honestly though, Dragon didn't care about his situation all that much. He just wanted to know if Luffy was okay.

"You have a visitor."

He looked up in surprise when the tiny slot in his metal cell door opened, revealing the eyes of his guard. Seconds later, the slot was closed and the door unlocked, revealing a familiar face.

"Dracule?" Dragon questioned, unsure if his eyes were deceiving him after being in the dark for so long. The other Shikari didn't speak as he approached him, golden eyes appearing eerie in the dank light. They'd known each other for quite some time, often working together on cases that involved both lycans and vampires. "What are you doing here? I thought you hated crowds."

"I do, but I was curious why Akainu saw fit to throw you in here."

Dragon huffed and shrugged.

"You know how he feels about my family…it was only a matter of time." When the vampire-hunter said nothing, Dragon cleared his throat and continued. "I may have put a few of my subordinates in the hospital."

"Why?"

"Because…" Dragon started, suddenly unsure how to respond to that simple question. "My son, Luffy, was in danger. You've met him, I think."

Mihawk nodded.

"Yes, he's friends with my son, Zoro. So…what happened?"

"It's difficult to explain." Dragon answered, eyes moving up to the camera in the corner of the room, "I know this is a strange thing to ask, but would you mind doing me a favor? I-It's important." The golden-eyed man raised an eyebrow but nodded.

"I'm listening."


Meanwhile, outside of town…

"We should arrive in San Faldo tomorrow." Benn said softly, barley glancing over his shoulder to his alpha. He knew the red-haired lycan heard him. Shanks had barely slept at all since receiving word of Luffy's location. Turning his attention back to the road, Benn glanced into the rearview mirror when Shanks leaned on his hand, looking pensive. "Something on your mind?"

"…do you think he remembers me?"

"Honestly, I doubt it." Benn answered honestly, not missing the look of disappointment on Shanks' face, "He was a toddler…kids usually don't remember much from that time of their life."

Shanks hummed while Benn's thoughts turned to that fateful day. If Luffy did remember what happened it was probably a source of trauma for him…he'd nearly died after all.

"Let me know when we arrive." The alpha commanded before settling back against the seat, "I'm going to try and sleep."

"As if you wish." Benn replied, stepping on the gas. This caused the train of cars behind him to speed up as well, "You know…if Whitebeard figures out we lied to him, we may have a war on our hands." Shanks simply shrugged.

"Let him come. I won't let anything stand between me and my pup."