Chapter 4: Sins of the Past, Part 4

I do not own One Piece! That will always belong to Eiichiro Oda! I only own my OCs. Sorry for the late update. Life has been crazy between the graduation I'm taking, work, and a recent move back at the end of June.

It was nature's call that woke Itachi up from his slumber; with a slight groan, he carefully got up so as not to wake Leilani. Itachi could not help but smile down at his sweet mate as she slept, leaning down and kiss her cheek lovingly, then placing a kiss on her stomach for their child.

With that done, Itachi limped outside to relieve himself. Once he finished and started down the tunnel, he caught the strange scent. Stopping, he sniffed the air, and his eyes widened as he recognized the smell. Nàlani! How did that traitorous human find them?! Itachi's thoughts were on his mate and their unborn child; they were no longer safe here!

"Leilani!" Itachi shouted as he hurriedly limped back into their sleeping chamber. "Leilani, you must wake up!"

Leilani woke up a start sitting up. "Mo'o..." She asked sleepily. "What is wrong...?"

"Nàlani!" Itachi said, panicked. "He was here!"

"Nàlani?!" Leilani said, clearly afraid. "Mo'o, how? How did he find our home?!"

The Kuda shook his head. "I do not know," he said. "Right now, we don't have the time to discuss it. So gather up only what you need. Who knows how much time we have before he decides to return?"

With Itachi helping her, Leilani gathered what she could, ignoring her pleas; he shouldered her pack. They had no sooner emerged from the waterfall when they were faced not only by Nàlani but eight of Itachi's hunters. Seeing Leilani's condition, the hunters snarled and hissed angrily at Itachi.

"Itachi! You traitor!" The most prominent hunter in the group snarled.

"Traitor?!" Itachi snarled back as his eyes narrowed. "How am I the traitor, Lash?!"

"You broke out matriarch's rule!" Lash said. "You were forbidden to ever taking a mate, and knowing this, and you dared to take a mate!"

"We're no longer under her rule! I am free to do as I wish!" Itachi snapped back.

"Something even the master knew, and he is furious that you betrayed him." Lash went on.

"Betrayed?! How did I betray the master?!" Itachi said.

Nàlani pointed at Leilani. "You dare to hide a sacrifice that belongs to the great one," he said coldly. "Doing this has angered him, and he demands that I bring him this stolen sacrifice to him."

Despite the fact he was still recovering, Itachi let out a roar, dropping the pack and charged. Lash met him halfway, and though the other Kuda was slightly bigger and faster, Itachi ducked under his slashing claws. Lash turned his head as Itachi brought his talons into play, tearing the other Kuda's throat out.

"What are you stupid fools waiting for?!" Nàlani yelled. "You all outnumber him! Take him down!"

Leilani moved back towards the waterfall when Itachi attacked, and he now crouched protectively in front of her, growling dangerously at the threat toward his mate and child. He took a deep breath and unleashed his high pitch screech of challenge. Hearing it, his former brethren responded. They all came to Itachi at once.

Leilani screamed in terror. "MO'O!"

~~on Wavecutter~~

Riptide rubbed his temples, trying to find the words to explain how he was spiritually bound to the ancient shark clan chieftain Arlong the Black.

'Riptide, I did not mean-,' Arlong the Black started to say.

'Just shut up!' Riptide snapped angrily. 'I'm in this mess because of you, damn it!'

He could feel the old chieftain's remorse and knew he never meant to upset him, but now they were in an emotional mess. Riptide could feel everyone's eyes on him, and it made him highly uncomfortable. How could he explain this? Hell, he did not even know where to start! It was Grinder who finally broke the ice.

"Forgive me for saying this, but I truly believe your bond with the chief is a blessing," the spiral saw shark said.

Riptide looked at Grinder. "How?" he asked. "How exactly is my bond with him a blessing?"

"You have the knowledge and the history that has always been pass down to every chief before him," Grinder said.

"How is this a blessing?" Destiny questioned.

Grinder looked at her with sadness on his face. "After the death of Arlong the Black," he said. "Our clan had no leader, and the chief's wife died of a broken heart."

'Lysa…oh my beloved sweet mate….' Arlong the Black sobbed sorrowfully.

"It was after her mother's death that Shella, with a few elders and some of the young ones, left the island," Grinder said. "Her departure upset the clan greatly."

"Why?" Riptide asked.

"Taran the blue shark wanted his son to marry Shella," Grinder said. "If they married…."

"Taran's son would have been chief," Riptide said.

Grinder nodded. "Shella leaving, though, made sure that did not happen," he said sadly.

"If this is true…." Marcus said. "Why did this Taran not assume the mantle of the chief?"

"Sadly, the reasons for Taran not doing so has never known," the spiral saw shark said. "Much of the clan's history has been lost, including where Arlong the Black is buried."

Riptide sighed, closing his eyes. "Then you should know that Shella is dead."

Grinder looked at Riptide in shock. "The daughter of Arlong the Black is dead?! How do you know this?!"

"Because we came from the island where she and few others lived in the East Blue," Thor said. "Kaiuleale, Skie, and I were born on Unity Island, and we were there when Lady Sheila was slew."

Grinder was looking at them. "Murdered? By whom? Who would murder her?!"

Ryder sighed heavily, still feeling the guilt caused by his brother. "My brother was the one who took her life, but our captain saw that her murderer brought to justice."

"With Chief's aid," Riptide admitted. "He wanted to avenge his daughter more than anything. If it weren't for him, I would have died that day…."

Riptide would have continued if Gaff had not suddenly collapsed, causing the entire crew to get to their feet.

"Gaff!" Destiny said as she was at the Kuda hybrid's side.

"I'm…okay," Gaff said.

"Gaff, why didn't you see Skie?" Riptide said before he turned to his wife. "Skie, Gaff was injured."

"What?" Skie knelt, examining Gaff's bloody shoulder. "What were you planning to do? Let it heal on its own?"

"Uhm…" Gaff said nervously.

"Let's go," Destiny said as she and Skie got Gaff to his feet.

Slashback, seeing how Destiny seemed more concerned over Gaff, frowned as he decided to follow them to the infirmary.

~~in the infirmary~~

"I can't believe you didn't come and see me the moment you returned!" Skie scolded as she cleaned Gaff's wound with disinfectant.

Gaff hissed at the feeling. "Damn! That shit burns!"

"Would you rather have it become badly infected?" Skie asked as she got the suture kit. "Now stay still while I stitch the wound closed."

The very sight of the surgical needle made Gaff stand up, almost running away if it were not for Destiny going to his side, taking his hand into hers. "Are you afraid of needles?" Destiny asked him gently, to which Gaff turned a little red with embarrassment. "Yes…."

Destiny gave him a gentle smile. "It's okay to be scared; growing up, Long hated needles. But, if you want, I'll help you keep calm."

Gaff nodded slowly at this, relieved that she didn't think any different of him for being afraid. "I would like that."

So, the two sat down once more; Gaff turned and pressed his head against her chest, his eyes closed. Destiny spoke softly all the time Skie worked stitching his wound. Unknown to the three, Slashback had entered the infirmary, and seeing Destiny comforting Gaff well; it did not sit well with him at all.

"I don't believe this!" Slashback shouted, startling Skie and nearly making her stick Gaff with the needle.

"Slashback!" she retorted. "Why did you do that?! I could've stuck Gaff!"

Slashback ignored her as he glared intensely at Destiny and Gaff. "Betrayed by my best friend and girlfriend," he said bitterly.

"What?" Gaff looked at him. "Did you get hit in the head, and none of us knew?"

"Betrayed?" Destiny said. "Slash, you're not making sense."

"How about this? You're a cheating two-faced bitch!" Slashback said.

"What?!" Destiny said, blue eyes ablaze with rage.

Angrily, Destiny crossed the room to slap Slashback across the face with a resounding smack. Gaff winced and heard a dripping sound. Skie stopped stitching Gaff's wound as she grabbed a towel and hurried to Destiny. Then, finally, Gaff saw why; Destiny's palm had struck the edge of Slashback's sharp nose and was now bleeding.

"How dare you…." Destiny said as Skie wrapped the towel around her hand. "How dare you accuse me of being unfaithful!"

"I have every right to!" Slashback said. "Are you sleeping with Gaff as well?!"

"Slash, get your head out of your ass!" Gaff said. "Destiny is not cheating on you, you idiot!"

"So, you say!" he said. "I've seen the way you've been looking at her!"

Gaff managed to keep his thoughts and feelings in check at Slashback's words. So how did his friend even know?

"You have lost your mind!" Destiny said. "Gaff is a friend, that's all."

"I saw you were holding his hand just now, and you let him lay his head against you!" Slashback said, pointing at Gaff.

"She was just comforting him," Skie said. "Gaff was nervous over me stitching that wound, and she was keeping him calm. If you do not mind, I need to finish stitching Gaff up."

Slashback was either too proud to admit he was wrong or too blind with anger actually to believe the truth. The five-gill sawtooth glared at Destiny before he turned and stormed out of the infirmary. Destiny would have followed if Skie had not told her to remain so she could treat her hand.

"I can't believe he accused me of cheating…!" Destiny said, close to sobbing.

"He's the jealous type," Skie said with a shake of the head. "You can always be faithful, but they'll refuse to see the truth. They always see what they want."

"Sounds like you're talking from experience," Gaff said before he winced as Skie finished sewing his wound up.

"I did…a long time ago…" Skie admits as she treated Destiny's hand next.

Neither Gaff nor Destiny pushed the issue.

~~.~~.~~

Nàlani watched in disbelief as the last hunter fell. "Impossible…" he said, staring at the carnage before him.

Lying dead on the ground were all eight hunters, and Itachi was still fucking standing! Wheezing and huffing with each painful breath Itachi took as blood dripped from the numerous wounds he received onto the ground. Then, finally, the Kuda shifted his attention to the human he despised with a passion.

"Is that…all…you got…?" Itachi questioned him. "You…thought…a few measly…hunters…would take…take me down?"

Nàlani shook his head and glared. "Why the fuck won't you just damn die?!" he shouted.

Although he was injured, Itachi snarled at him. "I refuse…to do so," he said. "There is…no way…I will let you hurt my mate and unborn child!"

"Mo'o…" Leilani said, tears streaming down her face.

Itachi turned his head slightly to look at his love, his heart's desire. "I won't let any harm…befall you…."

"Moana was supposed to take care of you, you fucking bastard!" Nàlani growled.

"You!" Leilani said, looking at him, glaring through her tears. "You're the one who wanted my Mo'o dead! Why?!"

Nàlani looked at her. "You were supposed to be mine! But, instead, you chose that monster!"

"I was never yours!" Leilani shouted at him. "I never loved you! Never will! Mo'o isn't a monster you are!"

Nàlani was not happy about that, and Itachi knew he would attack soon. Snarling, he took steps towards Nàlani before he collapsed. He was too weak now, and this he knew. "Leilani, run!" he said, looking at her.

"I won't leave you!" she shouted.

"You must!" Itachi begged. "Please, for the sake of our baby, getaway!"

"The fuck you are!" Nàlani said as he started towards her. "You rejected me and called me a monster! I'll make you pay!"

Summoning every ounce of strength he had left, Itachi got to his feet and tackled Nàlani. They both fell into the pool at the waterfall's base, and though she wanted to stay, Leilani knew that her beloved was buying her time. With tears flowing, Leilani grabbed her pack and hurried as best as she could away from the safety of their home, the only home she had known for two years. Moments later, Itachi burst to the surface and weakly dragged himself onto the rocks by the pool. He looked at the water waiting, and soon Nàlani's lifeless body floated to the surface, having drowned under the water.

"That will…teach you…to threaten…my family…." Itachi said before he passed out.

He was still unconscious when the next group of hunters arrived and found him.

~~.~~.~~

With her hand cleaned and bandaged, Destiny stepped out onto the deck to some well-needed air. She was still upset that Slashback accused her of being unfaithful, and she started to wonder if she had made a mistake with him.

"Are you okay?"

She turned to see grandfather standing not far, and just seeing the old longfin mako made Destiny tear up some. She ran over and threw herself at him, clinging as she broke down crying.

"What is with the waterfall of tears?" Marcus asked in concern as he held his granddaughter. "You can tell me what's wrong."

"He…he accused me…of cheating!" Destiny sobbed.

"Who did?"

"Slashback!" Destiny wailed loudly.

Marcus was bewildered. "Cheating with who?"

Destiny hiccupped and sniffed some before she told her grandfather what happened in the infirmary. "I was comforting Gaff…" she said. "He was scared, and that stupid Slashback said we betrayed him."

"Where is that boy now?" Marcus said in a tone that indicated that Slashback was in deep shit.

"I don't know…." Destiny said, looking up at her grandfather. "Please just hold me, Sofu…Please…."

Marcus held her a little tighter. "Of course, my sweet little girl."

~~Meanwhile in the hold of Wavecutter~~

Slashback was busy complaining about the betrayal to Poseidon. "I can't believe she would do this me!" he ranted angrily.

"Slashback, what you did was truly uncalled for," Poseidon said as he looked down at the younger one sitting on his knee with a look of disappointment.

"Uncalled?! They both betrayed me! Gaff thinks I'm some stupid fool!" Slashback said. "He should talk the spineless coward!"

Poseidon sighed heavily, shaking his head. "You assumed Destiny cheated on you, but you have no proof," he said. "And to call Gaff, a coward is shameful of you. Gaff is correct, though. You do, as the old human saying goes, jump the gun. This little accusation of yours could come back and hurt us."

"Us? What do you mean us?" Slashback looked at the old megalodon.

Poseidon frowned as he stared hard at the young sawtooth. "Surely you realize your reckless actions will have consciousness?" he asked. "You may endure the captain's wrath or worse Marcus' and far worse than that their mother's."

Slashback's eyes widened; he had not thought of that at all! He had seen Nami's wrath back on Unity Island. The woman was not the one to anger under any circumstances!

"And how could you accuse your 'brother' of betraying you?" Poseidon asked, shaking his head.

"Brother?" Slashback said.

"Slashback, surely you haven't forgotten you found Gaff? You told us both that he was your brother from that day forward."

Slashback lowered his head as he slowly remembered when he and Poseidon found Gaff.

~~Seven years ago, some year in the West Blue~~

Poseidon and Slashback found a tiny little island where they could rest for a while. The old megalodon had come across the young five-gill sawtooth and, seeing that he was on his own, naturally decided to look after him. Slashback quickly looked at Poseidon as a father, and the two easily formed a father-son bond.

"Slash, see if you can gather wood for a fire," Poseidon told him.

"Okay, pop!" Slashback said. "What will you be doing?"

"Catching dinner," the megalodon said.

"More fish?" Slashback said, making a face.

"Just get the wood for the fire and not worry what dinner will be," Poseidon said.

Slashback sighed and went off to do as asked. He hoped that Poseidon did not bring back any fish. He couldn't stand the sight, smell, or, let alone the taste of fish. Just the mere thought wanted to make him vomit. Finally, after an hour of fruitless searching, Slashback found some deadwood that looked like it somehow fell in such a way that it piled upon itself.

'How easy is this?' Slashback thought as he started to move the top branch.

What he was not expecting was a snarl and a flash of sharp teeth. The saw shark let out a yelp and jumped back as the snapping teeth missed him by an inch. He blinked at the other Fishboy who emerged from underneath the woodpile. Slashback had never seen anyone like him before.

The other stood 5' 5" tall with grey skin. What made the boy incredibly unique was that he had silvery stripes running along his sides and a white underbelly. Slashback, having come from a fishing island of Fishmen, knew he was looking at a hybrid throwback. The Fishboy had a large, pointed head with an underbite with the teeth of a shark, and like him, he had a dorsal fin on his neck and fins on his lower arms. His long filthy, tangled mess of hair was white with greenish-blue highlights. He wore only tattered sand-colored pants, and as he moved some, Slashback could see his ribs, for he was that skinny.

"Woah! When did he last eat?" Slashback thought.

"Who the fuck are you? Did that bastard Slatafang send you to kill me?" the hybrid snarled.

Slashback tilted his head. "I don't have a clue who that guy is," he said, wiggling a finger in his ear. "I'm called Slashback."

The hybrid snarled, baring his teeth aggressively. He had trust issues." I don't give a fuck who you are," he said. "You aren't gonna hurt me!"

Before Slashback could say anything, the hybrid lunged at him. The young saw shark went to his right and managing to trip himself in the process. Then, as he fell backward, his foot came up, striking the hybrid squarely under his jaw. It wasn't a brutal strike, but the hybrid being in poor condition dropped.

"Shit! I'm sorry," Slashback said, scrambling to his feet.

The hybrid didn't move and, to Slashback's shock, was unconscious. First, Slashback took notice of the numerous wounds the hybrid had. Then, feeling guilty for what had happened and knowing the boy required care, he decided to bring him back with him.

"Slashback, who is this you bring?" Poseidon asked the moment Slashback returned, carrying the hybrid across his shoulders.

"I couldn't leave," Slashback said, tears spilling some. "I just couldn't not after what I did."

"Did?" Poseidon looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "What did you exactly do?" he asked as he took the hybrid from Slashback.

The old megalodon cradled the hybrid carefully in his arms as if he was no more than a babe studying him carefully as Slashback told what had happened. The young saw shark was crying at the end.

"Pop, I couldn't leave him," Slashback said. "I couldn't."

"Hush, young one," Poseidon said. "You did the right thing for our young friend wouldn't have lasted another week or two."

"He's that bad?" Slashback said.

"He is especially with injures like this," Poseidon said.

"He's a hybrid, right?"

"He is, part mako shark and part barracuda," Poseidon said, studying the hybrid more. "A sawtooth barracuda."

"A what?" Slashback asked.

"A sawtooth Barracuda," Poseidon said, frowning a little. "I wonder if he is from the Kuda clan."

"Kuda Clan?" Slashback asked. "What is that?"

"Not a what but who," Poseidon explained. "From what I have heard through stories, they a clan made up from different species of barracuda, and thus they call themselves the Kuda."

"If he is from this clan," Slashback said. "Why is he by himself?"

"That I do not know," Poseidon said. "Perhaps our young can friend can tell once he regains consciences." He rose carefully, carrying the hybrid to the lean-to that he had built. "For now, we let him rest."

~~.~~.~~

It was the end of the second day that the hybrid Kuda regained consciousness. He had sat up when Slashback came with another bowl of broth. "You're awake," Slashback said happily, placing the bowl close to the other Fishboy. "Poseidon will be glad to hear."

The hybrid said nothing as he stared at his bandage body. "You cleaned my wounds," he muttered.

"Poseidon did that," Slashback said. "What happened to you? You were so badly hurt."

The Kuda narrowed his eyes. "Why should I tell you? You could be trying to trick me so that I will lower my guard."

"We treated your wounds, gave you a safer place to rest, and gave you food," Slashback said. "Why would we do that if we were trying to trick you?"

"Is it because you are a hybrid and the clan you're from drove you out?"

The hybrid looked up as Poseidon's shadow fell over Slashback and him. Seeing the giant megalodon caused him to scramble to the farthest corner, his eyes wide. He was scared. Very scared.

"You have no reason to be afraid," Poseidon said as he took a seat behind Slashback. "We only wish that you are well again. Let's start with a more proper introduction. I am called Poseidon, and the young sawtooth there is called Slashback. What are you called?"

"Gaff. I am called Gaff," the hybrid said.

Poseidon nodded. It was a good start.

"Gaff," Slashback said. "My brother."

Gaff and Poseidon looked at him, surprised.

"Brother?" Gaff said, looking at Slashback. "Why did you call me that?"

"Because from this day on, we are brothers," Slashback said, grinning.

~~End of Flashback~~

"Do you see now? Gaff has no reason to betray you," Poseidon said. "You two are close as brothers, and never once has he done anything to hurt you."

Slashback hung his head in shame. Poseidon spoke true. Gaff had never once betrayed him, and here he was, shamelessly accusing him of doing so. Not only that, but he accused Destiny of the same betrayal. "I fucked up, didn't I?" he said, looking up at the old megalodon who nodded. "Shit. What should I do?"

Poseidon looked at him with an eyebrow raised. "I think even you already know that answer."

He did. "I best find Destiny," Slashback said, getting up to go.

"What of Gaff? Are you not apologize to your brother as well?"

"Later after I have spoken with Destiny."

~~.~~.~~

Unknown to Poseidon and Slashback, Gaff had overheard them talking. The Kuda hybrid had stayed out of sight listening, and he swallowed some at Slashback's cold words of being a spineless coward. Hearing those words hurt, but sadly they were true, and Gaff quietly returned to his cabin where he laid on his bed.

'Slashback is right,' he thought as he stared at the ceiling. 'I am a coward. I loved Neeta, and before I could tell her what I felt, that bastard Slatafang challenged me for Neeta just before that fucking bitch of a matriarch named me among those she deemed unworthy ever of having mates and children.'

Gaff sat up as his thoughts drifted to Itachi and his hunters. "That bastard Itachi was supposed to be serving the queen's fifth son, Grau, and yet he is here. Has something happened to Grau and Itachi, and his filthy lot fled?"

The only one who would know that answer was Neeta. He decided to go and speak with the female Kuda. Neeta was helping Long with the preparation of the evening meal when Gaff entered the dining room.

"Not ready," Long said the moment he saw Gaff. "Just started."

"I came to speak with Neeta," Gaff said.

"Gaff, can it not wait?" Neeta asked. "I am helping my husband with the meal."

"Itachi is here," Gaff said. "With his hunters."

Neeta looked at him in shock and surprise. "Are you sure you saw Itachi?" she asked.

Gaff nodded. "I would know that ugly dragon-looking Kuda anywhere."

Neeta looked at Gaff before she looked at her husband. "Long forgive me, but I must- "

"Understand," Long said. "Sit, and I bring drinks."

Neeta and Gaff sat at the custom-built table as Long brought two tea glasses, placing them on the table before them. Neeta smiled as she kissed her sweet mate on the cheek. "Thank you, my love," she said.

Long blushed as he gave the nod returning to his preparation for that night's dinner. Gaff took a small sip of his tea, curious to what Neeta had to tell him about Itachi. Neeta stared at the glass. She had her hands wrapped around it.

"Gaff, are you positive you saw Itachi?" she asked.

"Of course, I am!" Gaff said with a small snort. "I attacked that bastard and nearly killed him if that fucking Chew hadn't come to his aid."

"Chew?!" Long said, joining them for a brief moment. "He part of father's crew. He here?"

"He's here," Gaff said gingerly, touching his tended wound. "Fucker attacked me probably would've killed me if Rip hadn't stopped his attack."

"Gaff, what exactly happened?" Neeta said. "Hardly anyone is speaking suddenly."

The kuda hybrid sighed, retelling what had happened when he and the others went with Riptide. "Itachi didn't look so good when he retreated," he said. "Maybe that bastard will die from those injures."

"Not likely," Neeta said, slowly shaking her head. "He's a tough dragon."

Gaff looked at her eyes wide. "Dragon?! What the fuck are you saying? Itachi is a Kuda. We all know this."

"He's not. Itachi is what I said he is."

Gaff was stunned and confused at the same time. "Then why is he referred to as part of the Kuda clan?"

Neeta closed her eyes. "What I'm about to tell you is something that only Slatafang and his siblings knew," she said. "Slatafang told me that our matriarch led a raid a very long time ago on a chain of islands. The islands were home to Itachi's race and protected by three giant dragon brothers. Unfortunately, on the day of the raid, two of the brothers were not there, and our matriarch tricked the third."

Gaff felt sick. "Itachi's clan…. They were killed or made slaves?"

"That I do not know," Neeta said. "Slatafang didn't seem interested in telling me just the raid on the nests."

"Nests?' Long said, looking uneasy. "They attacked babies?"

Neeta shut her eyes, fighting back the tears that still managed to fall. "She did," she said, her voice breaking. "The matriarch had her hunters raiding the nests. Not all the babies had hatched and those that did…."

"Evil," Long said. "sick and evil."

"How did Itachi manage to survive?" Gaff asked.

"Itachi only survived because even as a hatchling, he managed to injure the matriarch's greatest hunter severely," Neeta said.

"Injured?" Gaff said.

Neeta nodded. "Slatafang said his mother saw a runt of a hatchling claw the eyes out of that Kuda hunter. So to see that hatchling do that, she found him worthy of being her newest hunter."

"Matriarch take Itachi in?" Long asked, looking at his wife.

"Yes," Neeta said. "Itachi doesn't even know the truth of who he is."

"Doesn't matter who or what he is," Gaff said bitterly. "He made my life a living hell, and he deserved what I did to him."

"Gaff, that is a horrible thing to say," Neeta said.

Gaff snorted. "Well, if you suffered as I did maybe at that bastard's hands, you would feel differently."

"What he do?" Long said.

Gaff growled in anger as bitter, painful memories came to him. "That scaly bastard used me as prey for his hunters' practice hunts," he said.

"Prey?" Long looked at Gaff in confusion.

'Gaff was, in other words, bullied because he was different," Neeta said. "As was any Kuda who was born different."

Long understood that other children in Cocoyashi Village bullied him because he was different. "I understand being different," he said, looking away some.

Neeta reached out, taking Long's hand into hers. "Being different makes you both special," she said.

Long smiled, leaning down to plant a kiss on his wife's cheek. The interaction made Gaff uncomfortable, making his heartache for the one he knew he couldn't have. "I need to go," Gaff said, getting up from his seat.

"Gaff," Neeta said.

Gaff hurried onto the deck, where he saw Marcus comforting Destiny, who was crying. He wanted to go to her, to comfort her, but Gaff knew he couldn't. Destiny was Slashback's, not his. He decided to take a walk to think. Leaving Wavecutter, the Kuda hybrid walked off into the woods.

~~.~~.~~

"Feeling better?" Marcus asked. Destiny sniffed, looking up at her Sofu, who wiped the remaining tears away. The longfin mako smiled as he planted a kiss on her forehead.

"Help! Help me! Someone Help me!"

Hearing the cry for help, Marcus and Destiny rushed to the side where they saw two Fishmen was chasing a human. Destiny recognized the smelt whiting, recalling his name as well.

"That's Chew!" she said. "He was one of the officers in Father's crew."

"I don't care who he is," Marcus said, putting a foot on the ship's rail. "Alert your brother and the others."

Destiny looked at her grandfather. "Sofu, what are you going to do?"

Marcus said nothing as he jumped from the ship to the ground below. Destiny was big-eyed as she watched her grandfather unsnap the whip from his belt, rushing to meet the man's pursuers. Then, snapping out of her daze, Destiny turned and rushed below to her brother's room.

"Rip!" Destiny shouted, banging on her brother's door. "Rip, hurry! Sofu needs help!"

Riptide opened the door. He was wearing on his pants which he was holding up with his right hand. "Des, what's going on?"

"Sofu," Destiny said, grabbing her brother's arm. "Chew returned, but he wasn't alone! There's a ray Fishman with him, and they were after an islander. Sofu rushed out to stop them!"

"Shit," Riptide said. "Get mother, Uncles Tarl, Garth, and Jimbie. Tell them to meet me on deck."

Destiny nodded as she ran off to do as asked. Riptide closed the door and grabbed his vest, putting it on. "Skie, forgive me, but I need to prepare the infirmary in case of any injuries."

His wife was finishing redressing herself. "I guess our little private time must wait," Skie said with a small sigh.

Riptide felt guilty that their time was interrupted, and after everything that had just happened earlier, he wanted some alone time with Skie. He cupped her face stroking her cheek with a thumb. "I swear I will make this all up to you," he said.

"I will hold you to that, cap'n," Skie said.

Riptide gave a smile before kissing her. "We best go," he said.

Up on deck, his mother and uncles were waiting with Destiny. "We must hurry before Sofu gets hurt," Riptide said.

~~.~~.~~

Marcus cursed as he dodged another ray's karate moves only to have Chew attack him next.

"Mizudeppo!"

Marcus managed to avoid the shot of water and, with more curses, ducked behind a big old oak. "You boys don't like fighting fair, do you?" the old longfin mako shouted.

"What fool uses a whip to fight with?" the ray Fishman replied.

"Kuroobi, that human escaped," Chew said.

Kuroobi could have cared less that the human did escape. But, instead, he was right now annoyed with the other Fishman who dared to challenge them. Crazy old fool, Kuroobi thought. How dare he attack us and with a stupid old whip too!

Marcus glanced off to his left and spied the islander hiding in the bushes. Shit! Is he still here? Why the fuck didn't he run towards the ship? Marcus thought angrily. Not only do I have to deal with those two pain in the asses, but I have to make sure that this guy doesn't get hurt as well.

"Why don't you surrender, and we promise not to hurt you," Kuroobi said as he motioned Chew to circle their opponent.

"Surrender?" Marcus laughed. "That is one thing I won't be doing. Now, if you boys do that, that would make things a whole lot easier."

Chew lined himself with the tree that Marcus was hiding behind and, finding a decent-sized water puddle, sucked it all up that his body expanded like a balloon. Marcus looked just as Chew unleashed his attack. "Mizu Taiho!"

"Holy Shit!" Marcus rolled away as the water shot hit the tree with the force of a cannonball spitting the whole tree in a million splitters. Poor Marcus curled into a bowl pulling his tattered old brown mantle over his head as tree spitters rained down. Marcus winced as he felt some parts of the tree hit him.

Kuroobi laughed at the sight of the old mako trying to protect himself. "That's what happens when you take on two former officers of the Arlong pirates!"

"Arlong?" Marcus looked up some. "You know my son?"

"Your son!" Kuroobi and Chew were unprepared for that. "You're Arlong's old man?"

"Sofu!"

Kuroobi and Chew looked to see Riptide coming right at them, and the look reflected on his was clear to say, he was more than ready for a severe throwdown. Seeing his grandfather down, Riptide went right into an attack.

"Itazura Shot!"

Using his Hidden Fury's strength, Riptide jumped high into the air and landed a powerful kick right to Kuroobi's neck, which sent the ray Fishman flying. Kuroobi slammed into an old elm tree with enough force to break the tree and topple it. Kuroobi got to his feet, looking far from pleased. He was furious!

"That attack you did," Kuroobi said. "It reminds me of that cook I fought back in Arlong Park."

Riptide smirked. "My Uncle Sanji told all about the Battle of Arlong Park. So you were bragging that you were a level 40 black belt. I owe you some serious hurt for what you did, and the rest of your friends did to my mother!"

"Your Mother?" Kuroobi questioned just as Nami arrived Tarlong, Garth, and Jimbie. "Nami! I should have known that it was you that tricked Arlong into something like this!"

"Tricked?!" Nami was glaring at Kuroobi. "I did nothing to trick that bastard! He raped me and got me pregnant!"

That news shook both Chew and Kuroobi. Not that they cared that Arlong had done what he did, but that he had fathered a son. "It doesn't matter," Kuroobi said. "You robbed Arlong of his son. A son that he has a right to have."

"Right?" Arlong has no right to any of my children," Nami snapped.

"Children? Chu," Chew said. "Arlong has more than him?" Chew pointed to Riptide.

"That's right, you fucking shithead," Tarlong said. "If you think of hurting Destiny and Long, Garth and I will kick your fucking asses."

Garth nodded as he signed angrily. We're a lot tougher than we appear!

Tarlong chuckled. "That's telling them, baby brother."

Jimbei had helped Marcus to his feet. "Are you hurt?"

"Just my damn pride," Marcus said, brushing splinters off. "Now, as I said earlier, it would be easier if you two just surrendered. But, unfortunately, you both are outnumbered."

"I say you're still in trouble," Kuroobi said. "Chew, take care of them."

Tarlong raised the shotgun he had with him as Garth raised his repeater crossbow. "Try, and you'll both be dead where you stand. No one threatens our family."

"Besides," Riptide said, cracking his neck. "I'm not done with Mr. High and Mighty here."

"Kuhahahahaha! You think you can beat me?" Kuroobi said in amusement.

"Beat you?" Riptide said. "I'm gonna own you."

Riptide has challenged Kuroobi! Can the son of Arlong takedown a former officer of the Arlong Pirates. What of Itachi? What horrible fate awaits him? Remember to Read and Review.