Author's Note: Well, after like twenty years, I'M BACK! I won't bore ya'll with the details of my busy life but I did want to thank you guys for continuing to support me :) I've had a lot going on lately. This story seems to be in pretty high demand so I'm going to focus on it for a while as I try to finish some of my works lol. I may also put out some short stories/drabbles as I work through some writer's block. Anyway, I hope ya'll enjoy the chapter and are staying safe out there~

To friccfrakk: Thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoy the update!

To Wishfull-star: Thank you so much :)

To Sabrina-nee: Aw, you're so sweet!

To Abehsi: Lol, answers will come in time ;) Gotta wait for that backstory!

WARNINGS:

- Blood/violence

- Implied death/torture


Luffy sat curled up in a little ball in the back of Marco and Thatch's car, holding a cloth to his injured head. As promised, the blonde lycan had immediately procured a first aid kit and, with permission, removed his hat to treat the wound. Luffy recalled how Marco's eyes had widened in shock but he hadn't said a word, instead focusing on briefly cleaning the blood from his face.

"We shouldn't stick around, yoi…let's finish this elsewhere."

Now there was an awkward tension between them, and Thatch kept glancing back at him, making Luffy draw even more into himself. On his first day without Ace and Sabo, he'd already messed everything up…why couldn't he do anything right?

"You okay there, buddy?" Thatch asked, likely when he heard Luffy sniffle, "Your head hurt?"

"Mn." He replied with a small sound in the back of his throat, unsure of what else to say. The brunette wolf's expression softened to one of sympathy.

"Don't worry, we're almost there. Marco will get you patched up."

A few minutes later, they pulled into the parking lot of a small, unassuming building on the edge of town. It was well-maintained and had a simple sign that read "Clinic" over its front door. Luffy peered up at it curiously until the car moved to the alley, obscuring his view.

"What is this place?"

"My office, yoi." Marco answered with a small smile, "I'm a doctor."

"Oh." Luffy replied, feeling a bit dumb for not figuring that out earlier, "Won't…won't people see us though?"

"That's why we're going in through the back." Thatch put in with a grin, motioning towards a well camouflaged door hidden underneath a stairwell that seemed to lead to an apartment of some sort on the second floor. "No one should be here today…but it's better to be safe than sorry."

Luffy nodded in understanding and gingerly stepped out of the vehicle, following the two lycans inside the clinic. It was a bit different than the medical offices he'd been to before, not nearly as stark. The walls were a warm beige and there were even nice pictures of nature scenes on the wall. He eyed the examination table warily, grateful when Marco simply motioned for him to sit in one of the nearby chairs.

"How bad is your pain right now?" Marco questioned while gently removing the cloth so he could see the injury.

"It just kind of throbs." Luffy explained, wincing when the wolf dapped something on his forehead. Thatch hopped up on the counter nearby while sending him an understanding look.

"You took a hard hit, pup. Sorry I couldn't get there faster."

"I-It wasn't your fault." He muttered, looking down slightly so Marco could affix a bandage to his head while avoiding his annoying, fluffy appendages. "I shouldn't have run away…"

The blonde wolf finished securing the bandage silently before moving to the sink to wash his hands.

"Do you mind if I ask how all this happened, yoi?"

Luffy bit his bottom lip and looked away, prompting Thatch to place a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay to not want to talk about it right now. Why don't we wait until Ace and Sabo are done with their job?"

He nodded immediately, ears still slumped sadly against his hair. Though he knew this conversation had to happen now that Marco and Thatch knew about his secret, Luffy was afraid. What was going to happen to him now?


Ace found it very hard to focus on guarding Trafalgar while at the gala. His thoughts were swirling around inside his head, trying to figure out what they were going to say to Marco and Thatch about Luffy's 'features'. Maybe they should've just left Luffy at home…

He was brought back to reality by a jab to the ribs from Sabo, the blonde sending him a worried look.

"You okay?"

"I guess…just worried about Luffy."

"He's going to be fine." Sabo answered quietly, bright eyes taking a moment to scan a vampire who approached Trafalgar to shake his hand, "Marco and Thatch are good people, they'll keep their word."

"I hope so." Ace all but hissed, dreading the news that Whitebeard had somehow discovered their predicament and wanted to 'help'. In an attempt to keep his mind off more stressful things, he let his gray eyes sweep over the crowd.

There were a lot of vampires present, likely at the Eastern Elder's insistence. In fact, it seemed like nearly every coven in San Faldo was in attendance, or at least represented. The good news was that with the Elder's 'inspection' of the covens looming, vampires were going to be on their best behavior for a while (which tended to be good for everyone, but especially humans). Ace sidled closer to Law when the noble he'd been speaking to slunk off, sending the younger vampire a snide glare.

"You're really good at pissing people off, aren't you?"

Law just sighed and straightened his coat collar.

"Damn aristocrats…all they care about is getting on my uncle's good side, nothing else. Our city would be better off without them."

Ace chuckled softly but went silent when a powerful scent accosted his nose. He immediately frowned and watched carefully as the Eastern Elder began to walk towards them. Sabo kept a careful smile on his face but moved to stand closer to Law. Though vampire Lords were strong, Elders were in a league of their own.

The Elder of the East, 'King' Alber, as he'd introduced himself on stage earlier, was an enormous being that easily dwarfed them. His long white hair was striking against his dark skin and scarlet eyes, with one section shaved to reveal a tattoo that rested on his temple. Ace's knowledge of the Elders was limited, but he did know that each continent had four and they were not to be underestimated.

"Trafalgar Law, yes?" King asked in a deep voice, prompting Law to straighten up slightly, "You are here representing the Donquixote Coven."

"That is correct, my Lord." Law answered respectfully, even going so far as to bow to the larger vampire, "Welcome to San Faldo."

"Thank you, though I am surprised Doflamingo did not come himself."

"He wished for me to gain valuable experience by coming in his place." Trafalgar replied smoothly, improving his posture so he could match the Elder's scarlet gaze with his golden one. "I imagine you would like to discuss a timeline for our coven's inspection?"

At that point, Ace tuned the two vampires out. He wasn't particularly interested in the 'when' and 'how' the Elder's visit was going to go. However, unlike him, Sabo seemed very interested in the conversation, soaking it all in with rapt attention.

"Your cooperation is greatly appreciated. Please give your uncle my regards."

"Of course." Law gave King one last bow before the Elder stepped away, choosing to approach yet another terrified, groveling noble. Ace eyed the dark-haired vampire when he almost seemed to deflate, breathing out a deep sigh.

"You good?"

"Yeah…just a bit winded. Entertaining Elders is quite draining. If you're ready, we can head back to the car. There is nothing else I need to do here, and I have no intension of spending more time with these fools."

Ace nodded in understanding and appreciation. He wanted nothing more than to finish the job and go check on Luffy.

"Let's go then."


Later that day…

As the sun was going down, Mihawk unlocked the front door to his home and immediately removed his coat. The attire he wore when on the job was much too formal ("stuffy", as his daughter called it) for relaxing indoors. His ears immediately picked up Perona's humming and some music from the living room.

"Oh, welcome back!" The pink-haired girl called when he stepped out of the entryway. Perona appeared to be making one of her 'videos' and had all her lights set up, making Mihawk squint slightly. He simply did not understand how she found dancing and lip syncing to random songs fun. "How was work?"

"Fine. Did you find-"

"I did! Zoro wasn't any help though…" Perona answered, interrupting him with a pout as she curled a strand of hair around her finger, "I don't know what's gotten into him!"

Mihawk frowned at that.

"Where is he?"

"In the backyard practicing, I think."

Leaving his daughter to finish her video, Mihawk made his way towards the back door. He had a good idea of why his son wasn't acting himself. Dragon's boy Luffy was one of his friends and he'd simply vanished. It was natural to be worried. As he slid the door open, Zoro brought his kendo sword down with good, if aggressive, form. The teenager's brow was soaked with sweat, indicating he'd been practicing for some time.

"Zoro." Mihawk called, drawing the green-haired teen's attention. He could immediately tell that something was bothering him. "Come inside, I want to speak with you about something."

"Okay…" Zoro replied while wiping sweat from his forehead, "What about?"

He didn't reply and simply motioned for the teen to follow him. Zoro put up his sword and silently stepped inside the house behind him. When they entered Mihawk's office, he closed the door, shutting off Perona's obnoxious music and singing.

"You didn't tell me about Luffy."

Zoro's eyes widened slightly at his blunt statement before gritting teeth and looking away.

"You heard about that?" His son's voice was full of regret. "It looks like his dad figured out what we were doing because I stopped by his house and it's been completely cleared out…like no one even lived there. Now Luffy won't answer my texts or calls so I guess they moved away. We shouldn't have encouraged him…"

Mihawk's expression softened, recognizing Zoro felt responsible for Luffy's sudden disappearance.

"Actually, that's not exactly what happened. I spoke to Dragon today."

Zoro looked up in surprise.

"You did?"

"Yes, and it appears your friend did not move away…he is currently missing."

"M-Missing!?" Zoro stuttered, shock clear on his face, "What happened?"

"Before that…" Mihawk stepped around his desk and Zoro followed, eyes moving up to the tall bookshelf placed there. The teen frowned when he removed a book with the Shikari's symbol emblazoned on the front. "You recall what my job entails, yes?"

"Yeah, you hunt monsters." Zoro replied, eyes full of confusion, "What does that have to do with Luffy?"

"I doubt you realized considering Luffy wasn't aware either, but Dragon is also a Shikari. The Monkey family specializes in hunting lycanthropes and have for generations."

"You mean…werewolves!?"

"Yes, and they are quite different from vampires. All those places Dragon warned Luffy away from were popular lycan gathering points." Zoro's eyes grew even wider.

"I-I had no idea. So, you mean…we put Luffy in danger?"

"Possibly, but there's no use in applying blame now. From what Dragon told me, Luffy is likely still within the vicinity of San Faldo, and he asked me to help ascertain his well-being since he is unable to."

"Why not?" Zoro asked, prompting Mihawk to place the book in his hands.

"It's…complicated. For now, if you want to help your friend, research lycans and practice diligently. I have a feeling things are going to get rather chaotic very soon."


"They're back at the bar." Sabo told him as they drove home after dropping Law off. Doflamingo was apparently quite displeased with the damage to his car but thankfully did not blame them. He said they fully intended to have Kidd pay for it so none of the expense would come out of their paycheck. "Marco says that Luffy's fine, just a bit sore."

"I guess that's good." Ace answered while swiftly taking their exit, hands gripping the steering wheel tightly, "…what are we going to tell them, 'Bo?"

"The truth." His brother replied, "At this point, there's no avoiding it."

After what felt like ages, they finally arrived at the Happy Rabbit Bar and wasted no time all but leaping out of the car. Marco, Thatch, and Luffy were on the porch waiting for them. The pup was all bundled up in his clothes again and his head seemed to be securely bandaged.

"Welcome back, yoi." Marco called, smiling slightly as Ace rushed up to them, "Everything go okay?"

"Yeah, it went fine. Luffy, how do you feel?"

"Okay…" The pup answered, looking tired and weary, "Can we go inside now?"

"Of course."

They all entered the building silently and made their way upstairs at Sabo's insistence. Though there likely wasn't anyone lurking around, they didn't want to take any chances. After they'd all settled in the small living quarters, Thatch cleared his throat awkwardly.

"So…looks like the cat's out of the bag. Or pup, in this case." Marco sent the brunette lycan an annoyed look when he chuckled at his own joke. "Why don't you two start at the beginning?"

"Well, you already know most of it." Sabo began while wrapping a soft blanket around Luffy's shoulders, "We rescued Luffy from a Shikari base after hearing him howl…we didn't realize the extent of the damage until he changed into his human form."

"I didn't need rescuing." Luffy put in under his breath, making Ace huff in frustration. The boy was clearly still in denial.

"Here's the bottom line: whatever drug they used on him has compromised his human form." Ace stated firmly, motioning for Luffy to remove his hat. The pup did so reluctantly, revealing the fluffy ears hidden beneath. "It sounds like his father was administering them to him regularly in an attempt to stop the change. When he missed just one dose…this happened. We've been trying to keep him hidden until we figure out what to do."

"I see…" Marco muttered, bringing a hand to his chin in thought, "Have you been able to change into your true or hybrid forms, yoi?" The question was directed at Luffy, making his ears perk up slightly upon being addressed.

"True form…you mean the wolf one?"

"Yes, the one we found you in." Sabo added, jumping into the conversation, "We thought that maybe teaching him to control his forms and about his Moon Cycle might help so Ace has been bringing him in and out of his true form using his authority as an Alpha."

"Do you know who his sire is?" Thatch asked with a curious glance at Luffy's still covered neck, where his turning mark was located. "They might be able to help." Ace shrugged and Sabo shook his head.

"No idea. Sabo thinks he was turned over a decade ago so there's no lingering scent left." Marco and Thatch's eyes blew wide at that.

"A-A decade!? You're not serious!"

"I believe so…you can take a look if you'd like."

Soon all of Luffy's extra layers were removed, leaving him in the clothes Sabo had prepared for him that morning. He seemed nervous but did bare his neck so Marco and Thatch could get a closer look at the mark. The former straightened up with a hum, brows furrowed deeply.

"You're right, it does appear to be very old, yoi. How troubling…"

"I-Is that bad…?" Luffy asked, ears back against his head and tail falling limp.

"Well, it's generally not okay to turn kids." Thatch explained while running a hand through his hair in a nervous gesture, "Especially ones as young as you probably were…I mean, you're what? Fifteen?"

"Sixteen." Luffy corrected, bottom lip trembling as he placed a protective hand over his mark, "Dad said I got this scar when I was a baby…d-do you think…?" The four lycans were silent at the question, unsure what to say. The thought that someone would turn a literal infant made Ace bristle with anger.

"It's hard to say, pup. Sorry." Thatch replied, voice quiet with both frustration and sympathy, "Anything else that might be important to know?" Ace made to shake his head but stopped when Sabo chimed in.

"Oh yes, we can't forget the fact that a pack tried to kidnap Luffy. A couple times, if I am not mistaken." The boy nodded to affirm the beta's statement. "We have not been able to identify them yet, unfortunately, but I suspect his sire may be among them."

"Maybe, yoi." Marco said before turning to face Luffy again, "Have they tried again?"

"No, not since he's been here."

"I'm not too worried about whoever they are." Ace put in, crossing his arms, "Sabo and I can protect Luffy. What I am worried about is Whitebeard finding out about this." Thatch and Marco sent each other a look before turning back to face them, faces serious.

"Ace, I really think Pops' knowledge could be helpful-"

"No. Either you two agree, right here and now, to not mention a word of this to him, or I'm banning you from the Happy Rabbit." Luffy seemed surprised at his seriousness while Sabo simply stood quietly, sending him silent support. Marco huffed and let his hands fall down to his sides.

"Very well, yoi. We will honor your wishes, but know that the longer Luffy is here, the more likely it will be that others will discover his secret. Whenever you're ready for more allies…just let us know. Okay?"

"We appreciate your offer." Sabo replied with a respectful bow in Ace's place, "Thank you very much, you two. For everything." The beta sent him a pointed look, making him sigh and scratch his face awkwardly.

"Yeah…thanks for taking care of Luffy."

Thatch broke out into a cheerful grin.

"Anytime, buddy!"


As soon as Marco and Thatch were alone in their car, the brunette lycan all but melted against the seat.

"Well, that was stressful, but I think we managed to not get fired as Ace's friends."

"Bold of you to assume he sees us as friends, yoi." Marco answered in a teasing tone before his smile fell, "Luffy's situation is certainly troubling."

"Yeah…I wish Ace would let us help more." Thatch muttered with a short sigh, "I guess all we can do is be available and try to keep him hidden. There are definitely packs out there that would see him as a threat."

Just as Marco was about to respond, his phone rang. He blinked in surprise before fishing it out of his pocket to glance at the caller ID. It was Izo. Since he was driving, Marco quickly answered the call and put in on speaker.

"Where are you two right now?" Izo said in a serious voice, "You'd better not be drunk."

"We're heading back now, had to do a favor for a friend." Thatch answered, obviously keeping what they'd been up to vague. "What's up?"

"Shanks just arrived. Pops wants you two back as soon as you can."


On the other side of town, Kidd watched with a smirk as his men drug the two Shikari they'd caught before him. They looked terrible, all bloody and bruised. It had been a bit more challenging than he originally thought to locate the bastards who tried to take Luffy, but now there was no escape for them. His smirk widened as the two men cursed him and tried to break free of the ropes that bound them.

"Shut up!" Heat growled before striking one of them on his head, hard, "There will be no escape for you two after what you tried."

"S-Stupid dogs…" The one he hit snapped, stuttering voice giving away his fear, "Akainu will have your heads for this!" The corners of Kidd's mouth fell slightly at that name.

Everyone knew who Akainu was…the local leader of the Shikari. He seemed to have a vendetta against all monsters and even some humans. The man was known for his cruelty and unwavering resolve to accomplish his goals. Still, Kidd wasn't all that worried. For all the fear he'd accrued over the years, Akainu had yet to make so much as a dent against the stronger beings who safe guarded San Faldo.

Whitebeard's pack.

The Donquixote Coven.

Even the smaller groups of ghosts, ghouls, demons…hell, even the fairies were protective of the city they called home. They certainly wouldn't make it easy for the Shikari.

"I ain't scared of him." Kid answered in a strong voice as he approached his captives, licking over his sharp teeth, "None of us are."

"W-Well you should be! He's going to cleanse San Faldo of all you parasites!"

"How rude." Wire muttered under his breath while Kidd grabbed the Shikari by his collar and pulled him up off the ground.

"Let him try. He'll be in for a nasty surprise." The man whimpered when Kidd threw him back on the ground and motioned for his pack to take them away, "Make them regret messing with a pup in my territory."

His pack mates chuckled darkly as they took the two men away, kicking and screaming. Normally Kidd would join his men in ridding San Faldo of two more Shikari, but for some reason he just didn't feel like it. Instead, he walked over to the window of his pack house and let his eyes scan the street below.

"Worried about the pup?" Killer asked as he came up behind him. He just shrugged and watched a young human couple walk by their building, unaware that two monsters were observing them.

"I'm sure he's fine…just have a bad feeling about something."

Killer tilted his head at the statement.

"Oh? Anything in particular have you on edge?"

"Don't know. Just make sure everyone stays on their toes." Kidd answered, ears picking up the slightly muffled screams of the two humans from the other room, "I don't want anyone else to get hurt."