Chapter 4:

I do not own One Piece! That will always belong to Eiichiro Oda! I only own my OCs

With the celebration ruined thanks to Skarn, everyone retired to their homes, still shaken but grateful for Riptide for protecting them. It took longer to calm the children, for they were still crying, seeking comfort from the white hybrid, who spent time with them before their parents could take them home.

Now Riptide, Destiny, Long with Slashback, and Gaff had gathered in Nojiko's home with their uncles and aunt, and it was a little crowded, with Nojiko and Genzo joining them. Long had made coffee, remembering what Robin loved, and the historian smiled as the copper hybrid placed the cup on the table. Long giggled as Robin used her devil fruit abilities, sprouting hands on his sides and tickling him.

"Auntie, no," Long struggled not to laugh, but it was hard not to do since Robin recalled how ticklish he was.

Riptide, on the other hand, was upset and was pacing like a caged animal. "Missing?! How is this possible?"

"Rip, stop pacing before you wear the floorboards out," Destiny said.

Her brother paused, his expression troubled. "Are you saying I have no right to be upset?"

"No," Destiny said. "But what you're doing isn't helping."

"I'm curious how your mother can be missing," Gaff said. "I've heard stories about the Straw hats and how their captain went from one of the Emperors of the Sea to the Pirate King."

The silence that followed was broken by Nojiko, who dropped a plate she had been washing. Riptide was staring at Gaff before he turned to face Genzo.

"Did you know of this?" he asked, knowing fully that the man did.

"I might have heard something," Genzo muttered, earning a slap from Nojiko.

"Genzo, how could you keep this not only from them but from me as well?!" she said, arms folded. "Actually, how doesn't the whole island know?"

"They do, but everyone agreed to keep it secret," Genzo said.

"Is there a chance that your mother's missing could be a plot against the Pirate King?" Slashback asked.

"Is that possible?" Destiny said, looking at Jimbei.

Jimbei gave a stiff nod. "It is possible," he said. "We've made enemies over the years, and it is known that Luffy cares for his friends."

Long looked at Robin, "Bad people take mother?"

Robin stared at her folded hands, unable to look at the children she had loved since their birth. "We had stopped at a town for supplies, and she insisted on staying behind to finish the map she was working on. When we returned, we found her missing when we returned to the ship. Our room was a mess, so it appears she must have put up a struggle before she was taken."

This news bothered the triplets greatly. Who would take their mother and why? Was there a chance their father had come back for their mother? No, he would have waited for their uncle Luffy to return so he could kill him and everyone else before taking their mother. Nojiko glanced at Riptide. He looked like someone had slapped him in the face.

The white saw tooth started shaking as he struggled to hold back his tears, his mind a swirl of confusion and questions. He looked at Chopper, wanting to know one answer. "Uncle Chopper, were there any strange scents in that room?"

The reindeer knew what he was being asked for and shook his head. "I didn't smell anything that would indicate it was him."

"Pirates?" Long asked.

"Perhaps, but we can't say," Jimbei said.

Riptide lost it as he turned and ran. He just ran until he collapsed onto the ground; there, he broke down and cried his heart out. She's gone! Somebody took their mother, and it wasn't their father! Who took her? WHO?!

He nearly jumped as a hand rested upon his back, and he looked up to see Jimbei kneeling by him. "Lad, we will find her," he said gently.

"How?" Riptide asked. "How in hell will we find her? No one knows who took her or why. The one person who would-"

"Arlong is still in prison as far as I know, but it doesn't mean it wasn't someone else," Jimbei said. "Right now, you need to calm and clear your head, or you will not be able to focus."

Jimbei was right; he needed to calm down. Riptide tried, but he suddenly found it hard even to calm down. His mother had been his anchor when he became too upset, and knowing she was in danger was making it more challenging.

"The last time I saw so much grief and pain was when we lost brother Tiger," Jimbei said. "Arlong took it so hard."

Tiger? Riptide swallowed, staring at Jimbei. The older Fishman's face was suddenly filled with pain, as if merely remembering was hurting him. "This Tiger was important to my...father?"

Jimbei nodded, "Arlong looked up to him as his big brother. Tiger wanted us not to become murders, but Arlong-"

"-didn't take Tiger's words to heart," Riptide said. "Uncle, can you promise me something?"

"Of course. What is it?"

"When we find and get Mother back," Riptide said. "I want to hear all about Tiger."

Jimbei looked at the young hybrid, surprised. The boy, the son of Arlong, wanted to learn about his brother, Tiger. Such a request moved Jimbei, and tears welled up. He nodded and pulled Riptide into an embrace. The whale shark man couldn't help it. Nami spoke true when it came to Riptide. He may look like Arlong, but his heart was pure. Deep down, Jimbei couldn't help but wonder what Tiger would have thought of this boy. Would he have accepted him as an equal, knowing that a human was his mother? But what would Tiger have done with Arlong? Arlong-could never accept this boy, his siblings, and this Jimbei knew. 'Arlong may try to kill them, not even caring that they are his blood.'

Elsewhere-

"Riptide, where are you?" Destiny called as she searched for her older brother. She feared for him, and she decided to go looking for him. "You rotten Chum Chucker, answer me!"

"You've yet to find him?"

She jumped as Slashback suddenly appeared next to her. "You damn ass!" she snarled, punching him.

The lovesick saw tooth winced and backed up a step or two. He didn't mean to scare her, but he heard her voice's distress as she searched for Riptide.

"Riptide didn't take it well. Slashback, I'm afraid for him right now," she said; her voice was nothing more than a whisper. "I've seen Riptide when he loses it, and-I need to find him!"

Slashback, not knowing what she meant, did the only thing he knew he could do. "Let's look for him together. I'll also get Gaff and Poseidon to help us if need be. Don't worry, we'll find him."

~~.~~.~~

Skarn was still pissed from his brief encounter with Riptide, and Gaff then added in the interference of the other Fishman along with the woman and reindeer—it made his blood boil as he rowed out the anchored ship. He had encountered such a fighter; the sawtooth hybrid was a strong, well-trained fighter and a worthy opponent. Skarn longed for a rematch against the hybrid.

Skarn glanced over his shoulder as a rope ladder was dropped over the side of the vessel, which was, in truth, a ship that belonged to the Marines. He climbed up the ladder and came upon a nightmare as he climbed aboard. Blood was everywhere, as were body parts, and no matter where he looked, there was a body of a marine somewhere.

'Well, Slatafang must have been extremely pissed, or these fools were stupid enough actually to challenge them,' Skarn thought, stepping over a body that lay before the entrance door to the captain's quarters.

Inside were two bloodied survivors surrounded by the throwback Fishman race who called themselves Kudas. They were like Gaff, but each was from a different barracuda species. Unlike the robust build of some of the males of Fish-man Island, the Kudas had a thin, muscular build and a spiky frill that ran from the top of their heads down their scaly backs. Their webbed hands and feet were tipped with sharp claws, and their eyes were large and black. They might have been barracudas, but they resembled more of a reptile with fearsome needle-like teeth. Their clothing was even primitive, mainly kilts, and the group's females dressed mostly like humans who inhabited the world's tropical regions.

"Slatafang, what's is this?" Skarn asked from where he stood.

The leader, Slatafang, was a brute of a Kuda from the great barracuda species. He wore a red and black kilt and a shark tooth necklace. Though the average height of a Kuda is about six feet, Slatafang was a great barracuda, standing 9" in height. At the moment, he was sitting on a small pile of dead bodies, savoring the fear he could see in the female marine, though her captain remained stone-faced.

Standing on either side of him were two Kudas of the sawtooth barracuda species. The female stood at 5'7" with blue-green skin, and her large eyes were silver, not black. Unlike the other females in the hunting party, she wore dark blue knee-length pants and a single left-strap halter top of the same color. What made her stand apart from the rest of her kin was that she had no spiky frill, and she had hair that was shoulder length and a lighter silver color than her eyes. On her right arm was a tattoo of a barracuda with the nose of a sawtooth shark.

The male, her brother, was bluish-white and was a foot taller. He wore a purple and white kilt, but a jeweled handle dagger hung from his waist.

"Skarn," Slatafang said in his raspy voice. "I'm hoping you can persuade these two foolish soft skins into giving me the information I seek."

Skarn glared at him. "Did I not tell you not to attack any marines in this area?"

Slatafang gave the human hybrid what one would consider an amused look. "Did you know? Why should I do that?"

With the sword against his shoulder, Skarn's look darkened. "You aren't very clever, are you?"

The male saw Tooth Kuda snarled, drawing his dagger, but the motion of Slatafang's hand stopped him. Slatafang quietly rose and walked up to Skarn. With a slight smirk, he turned, seizing the woman marine by the throat.

"I'm not very clever, am I?" he said, bringing a claw to the woman's cheek before he licked her face, causing her to shudder, making Slatafang grin. "They thought the same thing and looked at what happened. All dead save these two." He looked at Skarn. "They have the information I seek. So perhaps-"

Skarn fell silent before speaking, "What do you want to know?"

Slatafang smiled. "Are any strong marine bases or pirates in this East Blue?"

Skarn knew that answer, but the captain replied, "There are none, you filthy fish! If there were, you would be hunted and slaughtered! Every one of your despicable race!"

"You dare threaten me!" Slatafang tossed the woman aside, seizing the captain by the throat and lifting him off the floor. A blood lust reflected in his dark eyes as he gave his helpless victim a sick, twisted grin. "You've worn out your usefulness to me." And with that, he thrust his other hand into the man's stomach, tearing free the man's insides. The captain's screams were drowned out by the eager cries of the Slatafang's Kudas as they watched with great pleasure.

Skarn noted that the silver-eyed female Kuda looked away with disgust and shuddered at the sight. Even he found it sickening.

"How about you, my dear?" Slatafang said, turning to the female marine. "Will you tell me what I want? If you don't, I can have some fun with you until you do."

"Enough," Skarn snapped.

Slatafang whirled around. "What was that?"

"He spoke the truth," Skarn nodded to the dead marine. "The strongest ones are on the Grand Line. Besides, I have more interesting information for you, the information you asked me to get, or have you forgotten?"

His words angered Slatafang, for he did not care for his ally, but Skarn had proved himself valuable countless times.

"Speak then."

"The one you call Gaff has taken refuge on a small island not far from here, but he is under the protection of someone far stronger than you."

Slatafang snarled. "Stronger? There's no one stronger than me!"

"Ah, but there is, Slatafang," Skarn said. "I have seen him, and this albino saw tooth is stronger than you."

Slatafang went berserk. "A white sawtooth?! One of those from that cursed shark clan?!"

"Could this be him, Slatafang?" The female Kuda said. "The Ghost of the Sea?"

"I did not give you permission to speak, Neeta!" Slatafang snarled, turning to the female Kuda, who stood at his side. "Remember your place as my future mate!"

Neeta, the silver-eyed female Kuda, snarled fiercely at Slatafang. "If I didn't know better, I would say the mighty Slatafang is afraid."

Slatafang growled with rage. "You dare challenge me, Neeta?! You dare challenge the future king of the Kuda Empire?!"

"King?" Neeta laughed. "You forget that your brothers and sister are still at your mother's side and that any of them could have her killed."

Slatafang snapped, lunging for Neeta, who skillfully avoided his charge. The female Kuda turned, her razor-sharp claws slashing Slatafang across the face. The Great Barracuda roared with rage and pain as blood spilled as he stumbled some. Neeta took the opening she saw, turned, raced past Skarn, and escaped.

"AFTER THAT TRAITOROUS BITCH!" Slatafang roared at the Kudas under his command. "I WANT HER DEAD!"

His Kudas rushed out, shoving and pushing each other, fearing the wrath Slatafang was known to unleash; only Neeta's brother, Skarn, and the lone surviving marine remained.

"Ripclaw, fetch a towel and wet it," Slatafang snapped.

"As you command," Ripclaw said, heading off to find the medical supplies.

Slatafang turned to Skarn, "You allowed her to escape!"

"Oh? Was I supposed to stop her?" Skarn said.

The Kuda was in a murderous mood, and with a roar, he lunged at Skarn only to be stopped by the tip of the sword. Snarling, the Kuda backed off. "You dare—?"

"I dare what?" Skarn said with amusement as Ripclaw returned with towels and medical supplies. "If you're saying that I allowed your bitch to escape? Perhaps I did, but for a reason."

Slatafang's eyes narrowed. "Cease your riddles, Skarn. Explain what you mean!"

"Temper, temper," Skarn wagged a finger at the Kuda as Ripclaw handled the soaked towel to his leader. "Ask nicely, and I will explain."

"The mighty Slatafang will never stoop so low to the very likes of you!" Ripclaw growled.

"Please."

Ripclaw looked at Slatafang, shocked. "My leader! How could you—"

"Silence, you fool," Slatafang said in annoyance. "Explain why you allowed Neeta to escape?"

A devilish smile was on Skarn's face. "Where would she go? I'll tell you. She will go to the island I mentioned."

"She will seek out Gaff!" Slatafang said. "I should have killed that freak when I had the chance!"

Ripclaw nodded, "My sister still cares for him despite the fact she is to be your mate."

"Mate?! I no longer want that wretched female," Slatafang said. "She proved that she is treacherous."

"What shall you do then, O' Mighty Slatafang?" Skarn said.

Slatafang glared at Skarn before he focused on Ripclaw. "We will follow Neeta to this island, and there I will kill her and Gaff and anyone else who dares get in my way."

"Including the one I spoke of?" Skarn asked.

Slatafang narrowed his eyes. "I will find this so-called sawtooth, and I will kill him." The Kuda gestured to the marine woman. "You may have this as your reward, Skarn. I'm sure you find some use for her. Ripclaw, come."

Skarn watched the two Kudas leave before he knelt before the woman. "Now, my dear, what is your name?"

Well, it appears that Skarn has some allies. What is Gaff's connection to this Slatafang that seems to involve Neeta? Also, what did happen to Nami? Remember to Read and Review.