Author's Note: Hello wonderful readers and welcome to my newest story :) Since I finished one, I wanted to post something new! This one is set in the One Piece universe (for once, lol) and takes place immediately after Punk Hazard when they encounter 'Breed'. A few things to note: I have extended the time-line so it takes a lot longer to reach Dressrosa than in canon and Kaido's little drop-in on Kidd doesn't happen for a while either. Anyway, I hope ya'll enjoy it~

GENERAL WARNINGS:

- Rated 'T' for torture/violence/blood

- Animal abuse (AKA Breed is a creep)

- Drugs/forced exposure to drugs

- People get turned into animals (I think you know who)

- It's dark but like...not that dark. Lots of shenanigans ensue.

- NO romance (just our favorite three captains being themselves)

"I can't believe this…" Law grumbled under his breath as he and 'Straw Hat' Luffy, his new ally, walked into the massive ship that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. They'd only just formed their alliance, and they'd already lost Caesar, the only thing they had on Doflamingo.

Naturally, he was concerned. Luffy, on the other hand, hummed a song as he skipped around on the metal of the ship, as carefree as ever.

Law didn't understand his optimism.

He didn't understand a lot about the hyperactive, rubber pirate.

"Ne, ne, why didn't you want Chopper to come?" The boy asked, turning over his shoulder as they continued forward through the unfamiliar ship, "He's strong, you know."

"I'm aware," Law answered softly, flinching at Luffy's loud question. He didn't seem to know the meaning of stealth. "but this will go a lot faster if we don't have anyone to hold us back." The other pirate didn't seem pleased with his answer but didn't ask the question again.

In Law's opinion, it was a perfectly valid battle tactic. Luffy was certainly the strongest in his crew and Law was a captain as well. No matter who they faced, they could handle them and get back to the mission: taking Caesar to Green Bit. The Straw Hat's didn't seem to understand just how dangerous of a situation they were in.

If Doflamingo found them and they didn't have Caesar as a hostage…

Well, people would probably die.

"Wow, look at this place!" Luffy exclaimed, dark eyes wide as he took in the rounded aquarium-like ceiling. Law, for his part, scanned the large, open space for enemies. He'd only gotten a glimpse of whoever this ship belonged to, but it seemed like he had some odd subordinates. "Torao, Torao, look! It's a giant shrimp!"

"Shut up, Straw hat-ya." He hissed, pulling the boy back by the collar of his shirt, "We're in enemy territory, we need to be quiet." Luffy just giggled, further fraying Law's temper.

"Shishishi, sorry, sorry. It's just so cool!"

'Why did I decide allying with him was a good idea?' Law mused with a huff. Oh right, because he's strong, a 'D', and seemed…trustworthy. He certainly wasn't one to make alliances easily, but when Luffy had practically fallen into his lap, he would've been stupid not to make the offer. He would always remember how hard the boy fought during the War of the Best, pushing himself to his limits for a family member (not to mention that epic punch at the slave auction). Of all the Worst Generation, Law held Luffy in the highest respect.

Not that he would ever tell him that.

Suddenly, Luffy went stock still.

"Torao." He said seriously, alerting Law to the enemies that were approaching. Not that he needed the warning, he felt them too. They both watched as creatures he believed were Sea-Lapahn leapt out of the shadows. Why the animals were on a ship in the New World, he had no idea.

"Ah, there you are! Just the pirates I was looking for…"

Law glared at the bizarre man as he walked in between the lined up Sea-Lapahn, cackling and caressing a whip in his hands. He was rather heavyset and wore what looked a ring master's costume, which would explain all the animals. Was this some kind of circus?

…it would certainly fit Doflamingo's aesthetic.

"Who're you?" Luffy asked with a tilt of his head, making the strange man bristle.

"You will not speak unless spoken to, stupid human."

The amount of hostility in the man's voice didn't make sense to Law. All Luffy had asked was for him to identify himself. Most pirates worth their salt would jump at the opportunity to have their opponents know their name. The man, who Law assumed was the captain of the vessel, turned his attention to the sea creatures lined up on either side of him.

"You were late, pets. I expect you to be faster next time. You will come when I call you to prove your loyalty, or suffer the consequences…understand?"

Luffy tensed next to him when the weird bastard cracked his whip across the feet of some of the smaller creatures. Law could tell that the man's treatment of his 'pets' bothered the boy…more of that unwavering kindness on display. He was more interested in the odd green collars around all of the animals' necks. What were they…

"Now, sit!" Law's eyes widened when all the animals' eyes glowed red for a moment and they sat in unison, as if compelled. That definitely wasn't normal.

"Hey, stop it!" Luffy growled when the man roughly grabbed one of the creatures by the face, clearly hurting it. The ring master released the animal and turned his smirking face back to them.

"No, I don't think I will. You see, they are my pets and need to follow my every command, meet my every need. If they don't, well…then they are worthless to me." Before Luffy could chew the man out (and become even more angry than he was), Law stepped forward.

"Return Caesar, now." They needed to get back on track.

"So demanding, Trafalgar. Joker said you were difficult."

Law tensed at that. His worst fear was true…this freak did work for Doflamingo and rescued Caesar on his orders. He took a deep breath to calm his heart and sent his Haki out, searching for the Warlord (or anyone else dangerous), but came up empty. So long as he wasn't around, they still had a chance.

"Give up, you're outmatched."

Next to him, Luffy put up his fists, getting into a fighting position. Their opponent didn't seem concerned, which worried him. He didn't seem particularly strong, but he supposed Doflamingo wouldn't have sent him if he doubted his abilities.

"Poor stupid humans…you still think you're going to walk out of here." The man sneered at them and tugged a handkerchief out of his pocket, "You two will never escape."

"You're not good enough to beat us." Law shot back, knowing Luffy's strength well. This only made the man laugh.

"Perhaps so, but I don't need strength to bring you two to your knees…for I am Breed!" Law glanced at Luffy who simply shrugged. Neither of them had heard of him. Their confusion at his name only seemed to piss him off. "Stupid, annoying, humans! Soon, you'll kneel before me like proper pets, and Joker will pay me handsomely for breaking you."

Before Luffy could rush the man (like he obviously desired), the floor beneath them trembled. Law's eyes moved to the metal below them, narrowing at the sight of tiny, almost imperceptible holes. When Breed placed the handkerchief over his nose and mouth, Law's stomach dropped.

"Straw Hat-ya, we need to-"

Before he could finish his statement, gas shot up out of the grate and directly into their faces. It was a quick blast, but enough to disorient them. Law stumbled and saw through cloudy vision that Luffy was having difficulty as well, coughing up a storm. All too soon, his legs buckled and he collapsed onto his hands and knees, struggling to stay awake.

Before he passed out, Law caught a glimpse of two Sea-Lapahn holding a weakly struggling Luffy by his arms and a menacing green hand coming towards his face.

Then he knew nothing.

When Law woke, it was to his cheek plastered on something cold, most likely metal. He groaned, head pounding, as he sat up, mentally cataloging any injuries he might have. Nothing felt broken or even bruised…it was mostly his head that hurt. When he brought a hand to his head, chains rattled.

'Damn it.' Law cursed, noting the sea-stone shackles. They'd been caught. He scanned his surroundings and quickly located Luffy on the other side of the cage they'd been thrown in. The rubber boy appeared to still be unconscious and also had sea-stone around his skinny wrists.

But what really caught his eye was the green collar decorating the small boy's neck. Law instinctively reached up to his own throat and his breath hitched. He had one too. In an attempt to calm his racing heart, Law palpated the strange thing carefully, trying to determine what it was made of. Could it be a devil fruit ability?

"Mn…" Luffy moaned as his eyes blinked open. Law sent him a look as he sat up, arms slightly shaky. "What happened…? Why are we in a cage?"

"We let our guard down." Law muttered, gritting his teeth. Doflamingo always seemed to be one step ahead of them. Luffy growled when he finally managed to sit up and immediately rushed the cage bars like a feral beast.

"Oi, let us out you bastard!"

Law huffed when the rubber boy deflated like a balloon and fell down onto the metal floor of the cage. It would seem that the bars were sea-stone as well…that complicated things. First, they needed to figure out how long they'd been unconscious. Hopefully Luffy's crew was still nearby so they had an escape route.

"Straw Hat-ya, stop that." Law said incredulously when Luffy threw himself at the bars again, "We need to sit down and think-"

"LET US OUT, STUPID-HEAD!"

Law pinched the bridge of his nose. Luffy's screams were making his headache worse. How could he be so active after just being drugged? Thankfully, the younger man did finally calm down once his adrenaline wore off. He sighed in disbelief when the boy rubbed a hand over his hair, grimacing. What a ridiculous delayed reaction…

"Ah…I don't feel so good, Torao…"

"Well, considering we were both forcefully drugged, it's a natural response." Law answered, motioning for the boy to scoot closer, "Here, let me check your pupils."

Luffy nodded and whined softly as he did what he was told. When he was close enough to touch, Law gently cupped his chin and tilted his head back. Thankfully, the younger captain's pupils looked okay but when he placed his other hand at the back of Luffy's head, it came back red.

"Am I bleeding?" Luffy asked quietly while Law swiftly adjusted himself to take a look at the injury.

"It would appear so…" He muttered, taking stock of what looked like a blow to the head. Why had they bothered to hit Luffy when the drug clearly affected him? Maybe he didn't pass out right away and they felt the need to knock him unconscious once the sea-stone rendered his rubber ability useless. Still, it seemed unnecessarily cruel. "Are you dizzy at all, Straw Hat-ya?"

Luffy nodded and squirmed a bit.

"Yeah, a little."

"Shirororo…look at you two, so pathetic." Law's head shot up at the sound of that annoying laugh. Caesar stood at the edge of their cage, smirking down at them. This, of course, made Luffy try to stand, but Law quickly tugged him back down. He didn't need to be moving just yet.

"What do you want, Caesar? Here to gloat?"

"Oh, definitely." The clown replied, smirk widening, "After the pain you two put me through, it is very satisfying to see you caged and collared, ready for Joker. Breed does good work."

"Don't get used to it."

"Yeah, I'll kick your ass as many times as it takes." Luffy growled out, making Caesar flinch. Law had to crack a smirk. The man held a healthy bit of fear for Straw Hat after the ass-kicking he received on Punk Hazard. "Now let us out!"

"Straw Hat, Trafalgar…SIT!" Suddenly, a voice echoed through the small room where their cage was located and made his stomach drop. He winced in pain when his body moved against his will, forcing him into a very degrading sitting position, almost like a dog. Luffy had also been affected by the command and looked just as shocked as he was that he'd done what their captor demanded.

Caesar just chuckled at their reaction while the room's barred door opened, revealing the pirate who called himself 'Breed'. Law seriously doubted that was his real name…probably an epithet.

"Very good, you human scum." Breed praised in a mocking tone, sneering down at them, "See, isn't this better? Pets should always do as they're told." The man's statement drew a low growl out of Luffy.

"We're no one's pets."

Law tensed when Breed whipped Luffy across the face, leaving a bloody welt on his cheek.

"You are whatever I say you are." The hit didn't make the fire leave the other captain's eyes despite the embarrassing position he remained in. "I suggest you two behave, otherwise I might break you into pieces before Joker can ever get his claws into you."

"My crew will come for us." Luffy added through gritted teeth but Breed just laughed.

"Oh will they? Well, I suppose they would if they could…but seeing how it's been three days with no sign of them, I'd say we're in the clear."

Law's heart sank at that information. They'd been unconscious for longer than he thought and with the uncertainty of the weather in the New World, the chances of the Straw Hats being able to effectively track them was slim to none. More than likely, they were on their own. This didn't seem to discourage Luffy, however, given his bright smile.

"They'll come, I know it."

Breed rolled his eyes at the rubber boy's certainty.

"Think whatever you wish but you three are mine now and I intend to make good use of you before getting my reward from Joker." Law frowned at the mention of 'three' while he tried to move from the demeaning position he was trapped him. This was clearly a devil fruit which meant it had a weakness…they just had to find it.

"Wait, three?" Caesar questioned, looking confused, "I don't-" The scientist yelped in surprise when Breed's hand turned into green goop and reached for him. He was still cuffed with sea-stone, just like them, so he couldn't fight back as it was formed into a collar around his neck.

"Yes, three. I'm sure Joker won't mind if I make use of his pet scientist for a while."

Law frowned at the insinuation. Doflamingo wasn't the type to take lightly to the mistreatment of those he valued, even Caesar. Clearly Breed didn't fear Joker as much as he should.

"You can't be serious! Get this off me this instant!" When Caesar attacked Breed, he simply raised a hand.

"Stop!" As expected, the clown stopped dead in his tracks. Their captor's devil fruit was certainly annoying. "You will come with me, Caesar, and help me with something…you two will stay here until I have need of you. Be good…or you'll regret it."

Luffy collapsed next to him the second Breed muttered that they could relax, practically steaming at the ears. Law felt similarly angry and humiliated but his mind raced, trying to come up with some sort of an escape plan. It would be difficult given the strange collars and sea-stone, but they had to try.

"We've got to get out of here!" Luffy said in a low voice as he threw himself at the bars again. Law sighed when the boy lost all his strength yet again.

"I know, I'm working on it, but in the meantime you need to lay down. You're not rubber right now, Straw Hat-ya…that head injury needs time to heal." The boy actually had the gall to pout at him but did eventually return to his side and take a seat. It was clear that sitting still was killing him but not letting the wound heal actually might. "Just…give me some time. I'll think of a plan to get us back on track."

Luffy blinked up at him before grinning like the bright sunshine boy he was.

"Okay, but if you take too long, I'm gonna just bust out."

Law snorted at his answer and turned his attention to his hands while Luffy laid down, moving his precious straw hat over his eyes. It was strange to have someone put so much trust in him after they'd only just allied but he supposed that was just the kind of person 'Straw Hat' Luffy was. So, naturally, he needed to live up to the boy's expectations or he'd probably resort to throwing himself against the bars again (like an idiot).

'I've been in worse situations,' He mused, glaring down at the sea-stone cuffs, 'but these are a pain.' Not only that, but the strange, green collar seemed to compel them to do whatever Breed ordered. Still, there had to be a way to counter his ability.

As Law settled down to think, noises began to filter down through the nearby hallways that made him uneasy. What did Breed have Caesar working on?

A few hours later, their captor returned with an unnerving smirk on his face. Law swiftly nudged Luffy, waking the slumbering boy up. It amazed him that anyone could sleep at a time like this, but he didn't blame him given his head injury. The rubber pirate leapt to his feet the second he saw Breed, not flinching in the slightest.

Law stood up as well, taking a moment to eye the nasty welt on Luffy's cheek. It had already started to bruise.

"Trafalgar, Straw Hat, come." Both of them physically jolted as their bodies followed the man's orders and exited the cage when Breed unlocked it. Luffy tried to latch onto the pirate with his teeth when he got close enough but received a knock to the gut for his effort.

As they unwilling followed Breed down the metal hallway, chains rattling between their cuffed hands, Law tried to get a feel for where they were in the massive ship. Unfortunately, everything looked approximately the same and there was no sign of that massive, aquarium-like room they'd been in before.

Law couldn't help but wonder if Breed intended to torture them. It was an unpleasant thought, but knowing the man worked for Doflamingo meant it was likely. He knew the Warlord was pissed off after everything that happened on Punk Hazard, and now that they had been captured-

"Would you shut up!"

"No! I don't like you!" Luffy growled, fighting his body as much as possible. Law sighed. The younger captain was anything but a docile prisoner. All he'd done since being forced out of the cell was yell at Breed, no doubt annoying him.

"Tch, this is why I don't like humans…but you won't be able to speak for much longer."

Law didn't like the sound of that and instinctively pulled back against the power of the collar, to no avail.

After turning a few corners, they emerged in what looked like a lab. Law immediately noticed Caesar on the other side of the room messing with some beakers. His eyes narrowed, however, when he noticed what the scientist was making.

'Why would Breed have Caesar make SAD…'

"Come right over here, my pets." Breed sneered, motioning with his whip towards two iron rings attached to the wall. Luffy cursed under his breath at the command but moved towards the wall just like Law. They both raised their arms up and allowed Breed to cuff them to the rings, much to their chagrin.

Neither of them liked to be ordered around.

Now trapped against the wall with his arms over his head, Law surveyed the laboratory. It wasn't quite as extensive as the one on Punk Hazard, but it was nice enough. His eyes were drawn to a shelf near Caesar where a bunch of vials were stored. Each of them had a label of a different animal, which was odd…perhaps extractions of DNA?

"Is it done yet?"

"Almost, don't rush me!" Caesar shot back, clearly upset with Breed, "Just wait, when Joker hears about this-"

"He'll thank me!" Breed interrupted, gaze sliding over to Law and Luffy, "I will deliver his prizes to him, after all."

"Caesar's right." Law put in calmly, "Doflamingo won't like this. He's very possessive over things he believes are his…including SAD." Something told him that Breed hadn't asked for permission before forcing Caesar to make the substance that was the main ingredient in SMILE, Doflamingo's most important export.

"Shut up!" Breed ordered, causing Law to involuntarily clamp his jaw shut, "While I respect Joker, he is still a stinking human, a means to an end. I intend to use this opportunity to get one step closer to my dream."

The disgusting man then stepped forward and lifted Law's chin with his whip.

"The money I'll get for you two will make all this worth it."

"Oi, leave him alone." Luffy said, voice low and dangerous. Breed's expression turned to one of annoyance and he quickly turned his attention to the younger man cuffed next to Law.

"You are a glutton for punishment, aren't you Straw Hat?" Luffy didn't even flinch when Breed wrenched his head back, gloved fingers in the boy's raven hair. "Yes, I think you'll be first. We have to test my new concoction, after all."

With that, Breed released Luffy and stalked over to Caesar, grabbing the beaker of green goop out of his hands.

"Hey!"

"It's done, yes?" Breed snarled, making the scientist balk in fear.

"I-I suppose…? But SAD on its own won't do much when it hasn't been properly synthesized." That was true. The strange substance was only one ingredient of SMILE, all but useless without the other ingredients and proper cultivating facility.

"Which is precisely what I want." Breed answered while smirking at the bubbling slime, "You see, my original plan was to use SMILE to achieve my goal, but then I thought, why pay money for something I can make myself?"

Law's stomach fell when Breed walked over to the shelf and began to run his fingers over the glass bottles. Their captor certainly didn't look like a scientist so what weird crap had he come up with?

"All I have to do is mix these with SAD, and I will have a formula that can forcefully turn people into animals!"

"Are you crazy!? This is doomed to fail!" Caesar exclaimed loudly, "It took years of study and research to create SMIILE…there's no way mixing SAD with animal DNA will work! Besides, SAD already has the lineage of beasts inside it, it's redundant!"

"Are you calling me stupid?" Breed growled, drawing a squeak of fear out of Caesar. For Law's part, he was concerned. More than likely, Doflamingo had offered to let Breed in on his SMILE operation if he and Luffy were delivered to him, but their captor apparently didn't want to pay. He'd no doubt discovered that he couldn't make SMILE on his own, even with Caesar, so he'd slapped some chemicals together and called it something new.

There was no telling what would happen if someone was exposed to it.

"Now, let's see here…what would best suit you…"

Beside him, Luffy struggled against his chains, having caught on to what the mad man intended to do. Law also tugged at the iron ring tethering them to the wall, not wanting any part of what was about to happen. Unfortunately, sea-stone was strong and they weren't getting anywhere. All they managed to do was tire themselves out.

Eventually, Breed settled on a bottle and plucked it off the shelf, hiding its label from his prisoners. To his credit, Caesar tried to stop him but was quickly put in his place with a hissed command. Law tensed when their captor approached them with a disturbed look on his face, holding SAD in one hand and the mystery vial in the other.

"Let's see how this goes, hmmm?"

Law grit his teeth when the man poured the animal DNA into the beaker that held the rushed SAD. The substance immediately bubbled and changed to sickly brown color within seconds. Caesar cowered in the corner, covering his head like it would explode, so that didn't bode well for him and Luffy who were trapped.

Breed frowned and appeared startled when the beaker started to shake uncontrollably, the glass cracking. As expected of a coward, he immediately abandoned ship and ran, dropping the beaker as he rushed for the door. Law watched it fall in slow motion. Beside him, Luffy's eyes widened in shock and they both braced themselves just as it hit the floor and exploded in a rush of brown mist.

Law blacked out almost instantly.

When he next woke up, something…wasn't right. Everything seemed bigger and his senses were heightened to the point that even the slightest sound was painful. Law pushed himself off the floor and tried to get his bearings. Though his body felt weird, he didn't seem to be injured, which was good. His connection to his devil fruit was still severed but it didn't feel like it did before.

Confused, Law blinked the fog from his eyes and looked around. The lab was a complete mess and there was no sign of Caesar or Breed. Had the man escaped the explosion?

"Mn…Torao?" Luffy's voice came to him from his right, and he sounded…strange. "Are we dead?"

"I don't think so." Law answered, shaking his head as he worked to catch his breath, "But something's-"

It was then that he finally looked down at his hands…and they weren't hands anymore. Shocked, Law picked up one silver paw and then the other. Terrified of what he might find, he turned and looked at Luffy.

Or at least, what had been Luffy.

In his place was a small, curly-haired black kitten. He sat in a pile of his clothes and sniffed the air curiously, tail brushing the floor behind him. Somehow, the pirate still looked like the Luffy he knew, scars and all, though they were a bit more visible given his dark fur. Law blinked in surprise as how many there were. Clearly, Luffy had been in a great many battles and his skin was the proof of his survival.

"What're you…oh." Luffy squeaked, finally noticing his new body and picking up one of his front paws. Law rolled his eyes when the first thing he did was lick it. "Ne, Torao, are we-"

The little kitten stopped and his ears perked up when some rubble across from them began to move. Law felt his own ears go back when a strange, hairless creature emerged.

"Ow, ow, ow…I'm gonna kill that bastard…"

Law blinked before it hit him.

"C-Caesar?" He managed, barely holding in a laugh. The scientist was a completely hairless cat and looked very uncomfortable in his own skin. "You look ridiculous."

"You're one to talk, s-spotty!" Caesar shot back, clearly fumbling for a comeback while Luffy chuffed in amusement next to him. "I can't believe this…me, the greatest scientist in the world, reduced to this. I'll kill him."

When Law finally calmed down he settled on his haunches to think. Despite the hilarity of seeing Caesar turned into a cat, if he and Luffy were delivered to Doflamingo in their current state, it would be bad. His eyes scanned the pile of clothes and the sea-stone cuffs that were still cuffed to the wall. When they shrunk, they'd simply slipped right through them, and yet he still couldn't feel his devil fruit.

Stupid cat body.

"Ah, it worked~" Law tensed and instinctively hissed at Breed when he re-entered the room, unscathed and still human. It was then that another fact occurred to him: the green collars remained around their necks.

Crap.

Luffy hissed and spit at Breed when the freaky ringmaster picked him up and attempted to rub his cheek against the black kitten's tiny body. Unfortunately, he was forced to go still when the man commanded him to.

"So cute. Even you, Trafalgar…a Bengal suits you." Frankly, Law didn't care what breed he was currently, he just wanted to claw the man's throat out. "I can't wait to dress you up and make you all pretty for Joker."

Oh yes, this was worse than torture.