The 7:15 AM bus ride to East Blue Daycare Center was always relatively peaceful, and it was enjoyed by the Don family because of early morning playtime and TV. Krieg had to make sure his little brothers, Gin and Pearl, had everything ready and were up early enough to get ready for the bus. Having their personal duffle bags ready was essential to a smooth start of the day. That way, once the bus came, the boys could simply enjoy the ride and have breakfast with the nanny and her German Shepherd pups. Today was their last day of staying at their abusive home, and it was the first day of school for Krieg. Well, it was more like the first day to an unusual school year, but the teen would just leave it at that. They were going to be living in a small apartment that the nanny owned as part of a complex from now on, so the U-Haul and police were picking up the last of the Don family's belongings. Again, Krieg would rather leave it at that.

Playing with his kid brothers, the eldest let Gin play on his cell phone while Pearl fiddled with a puzzle. Eventually, Pearl would solve the puzzle and listen to music with Gin until the ride was over. Krieg would say his hello to choice people he was familiar with on the bus, but that would be the extent of his politeness. He was only comfortable around certain folks like the bus driver, the old man who played dominoes by the local barbershop and usually read the paper during the bus ride, the two fashionista girls who never wore a proper shirt to cover their cleavage, and the lazy cop who'd rather be doing anything else but ride the 7:15. Once the middle-aged lady who made lunch for Krieg from time to time boarded, that was Krieg's cue to signal for the bus to stop. Of course, he took the lunch without protest and usually received a pinch on the cheek fondly. Once he left with his kiddos, he got them situated in the joint bedrooms and pretty much started their new lives by doing small things like measuring their weights, heights, counting the number of loose teeth they had, making lists of furniture they'd want or decorations they'd like. Whatever they wanted, Krieg gave them... and he was happy to do it.

"Me next! Me next!" little Gin cheered, waving his hand and running up to the measuring chart.

"Komm, kleiner kumpel. Up, up, up!" Krieg sang, clapping with each "up". When Gin took a deep breath and stood still, Krieg measured him and said, "Uwoah! You grew a whole inch, Gin-Gin! Look!"

Gin gasped excitedly and pointed at the line Krieg drew while saying, "That's me! I'm gonna be as tall as you one day, big brother?"

"Maybe taller. Hmm..." Krieg hummed, encouraging Gin further.

"Big brother, you forgot our feet, too," Pearl reminded, holding up his foot.

"Oh, you're right, but we have to get paint and more canvas. What colors would you like this time?" Krieg asked.

"Blue and green!" Gin replied, putting his small hands on his cheeks.

"Red and yellow!" Pearl replied with a hop.

"Aren't those Twister colors?" Krieg asked, putting his hands on his hips with an accusing grin.

"Unh-huh!" Gin and Pearl answered, copying Krieg's move.

"Fine, we'll make a Twister floor in the playroom. Now, let's eat! I'm going to be late."

"But I don't want you to go, big brother," Pearl said lowly with a pout.

"I'll be back, little oyster. I don't start work 'til next week. We have to make sure our new home is just right, remember? And we still have to buy you new clothes. You're getting bigger," Krieg complimented, kissing both kids' heads and leading them to the nanny's main kitchen.

"Oh, my Donnie and his babys," the nanny greeted, letting the puppies bark and lick Gin and Pearl. "Good morning! Are you ready for school, Krieg?"

"It's the first day... and I'm already over it," Krieg replied, making the older woman laugh.

"Well, I won't bring up any bad memories, but I'm excited that you got a full scholarship to such a prestigious school on such short notice! We should clean you up for a fresh start."

"Are you just saying that because my hair got longer?" Krieg asked in that same playful, accusing tone as before.

"Oh, you!" the nanny said, waving her hand and feeding the puppies.

From there, the day seemed to get a bit brighter. All that was left to do before Krieg started his part-time job was to empty out the childhood hideout and move everything into the apartment. Luckily, and out of the goodness of her heart, the nanny allowed Krieg to renovate the old treehouse in the backyard. So, his mission for this year was to work on it every month until the day he could move out on his own with his kids. After breakfast, Krieg took a deep breath and got on his blue, black and gold Trek bike for the ride to Sambas Regional. Boy, did he hate the idea of going to this school! Not only was the school expensive as all hell, but the students - at least, you know, like 79% of the population - were just pretentious a-holes. Sure, he took a short tour of the school, and everything looked grand, but Krieg just didn't fit in with any of it. How he got in on a technicality was the wild part. He just so happened to excel in STEM subjects and got the scholarship for STEM studies. So, his tour largely consisted of visiting the science building, math building, computer science building, and engineering building. Some architecture, art, and design were thrown in there, too, but that was to expand his options. While he looked forward to seeing how the classes would be, he also looked forward to ending his day a little bit faster. He had a lot to do to settle down in the Sambas region properly. Main thing was making sure he knew where to get groceries. His kids were picky eaters! Feed those ingrates chicken tenders instead of nuggets with the wrong sauce and see what happens!

For the time being, though, Krieg enjoyed his quiet ride through town and took note of landmarks, nature parks, and other interesting hot spots he'd like to visit. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw someone from his new school watching him. It spooked him at first, but whoever it was turned away quickly. Weirdo...

"Ah, Mr. Don," the advisor greeted, rising from his seat in the front desk lounge area.

It was a glorified shopping mall entrance to Krieg, but the teen was professional about it and kept a calm composure. Krieg didn't care who the guy was, honestly, but he followed him to the student uniform shop right next to the bookstore and allowed the man to properly fit him for clothing. This was a private school, after all. Had to look the part. Too bad it cost $1000.

"Excuse me. How much?" Krieg questioned in disbelief. He didn't hear anything else but that last part.

"It's a $1000 for school uniforms. That includes the PE uniform, one formal tuxedo for dances, and two business-style outfits for interviews and the like."

"What's the basic package?"

"I'm sorry," the advisor questioned more than apologized.

"You are describing a set of perks and deals for a subscription I didn't sign up for, man. I don't think this deluxe edition of gaming skins is included in my scholarship package. I just saw the meal plan, textbook fees and rentals, lab and tech fees, and other minor crap. What is this?" Krieg questioned.

"Oh, you are allowed to wear a basic uniform. That's a traditional button-up, slacks, appropriate school shoes, ties, and your choice of sweater. You also - "

"That's more like it. Takin' the basic bitch package. How much for the basic PE uniform skin?" Krieg asked, adjusting his glasses.

"You seem to be an avid gamer. Such fun references!" the advisor said with a light laugh. "The PE uniform is just $50. Comes with a personal carrying bag and - "

"Yeah, I get it. What's all that stuff in the bookstore that's connected to this place?" Krieg asked.

"Ah, you'd rather represent your school like a true pirate," the advisor tried to encourage.

"I'd rather represent me and be comfortable. Where are the sweatpants?" Krieg demanded, allowing the advisor to lead the way. At least the merch in there was nicer than - "Bro, it's like triple the price! Where are the basics?"

"Oh, school colors are to your left. Neutrals to the right," the advisor responded, pointing to different spots.

"Dawg!" Krieg barked in disbelief at the price. "Never mind. Just give me the stress-relief cannonball and a chewable pen. Sweet Jesus!"

"Oh, are you religious?" the advisor questioned, pointing to more expensive items in the bookstore.

F* $ this guy! Krieg thought.

But, he bought his basics and dressed accordingly. His clothes would be in the mail by the end of the week. There were parents out there who had to go through this every year. Poor souls. Those poor wallets! Once Krieg got his schedule, he was given a full tour of the school. That feeling of being watched came up again, but he didn't see the person. The advisor spotted a student of interest, however, and walked over to him. He introduced Krieg to him... and Krieg forgot the guy's name already. He was maulding over the idea of having to do English III AP first thing in the morning, and, since the school year had already started, he had to play catch up for the next two weeks! He did meet his teacher, however, and was given a syllabus to help him. Maybe one day he'd figure out that he needed to remember people's names because he surely forgot about it. Frame one. However, the feeling of being watched had gotten WAY stronger than before. It felt like more than one person was watching him, and Krieg couldn't honestly detect who because it's a classroom full of students. It could be friggin anyone! Either way, his advisor waved goodbye politely and walked Krieg to the bookstore to apply for the textbook rental program. Krieg said "hell no" to buying the book since it cost an astounding $249.99 off rip, so he rented it instead for a measly $62.50 with the threat of having to pay full price if the book was returned in less than "practically brand new, mint" condition.

"... Dracule, what the hell are we doing?" a student asked.

Dracule Mihawk was supposed to be going to class, but he spotted something of interest from the walkway of the second floor. He was with his friend, Zeff.

"We have a new student," Mihawk said simply. "Saw him in town."

"And you care?" the student questioned.

"He's unusual," Mihawk answered. "He doesn't have a new student badge or ID, and he's not being escorted by a student guide. Advisors only escort people of elite status. He doesn't have a pin or cufflinks yet."

"Think he's Student Council material?" Zeff asked.

"... We'll see by end-day," Mihawk purred, folding his arms and leaving his spot from above with Zeff.