Archive of Our Own ^beta

When pressed Rosi, or rather Cora now, couldn’t exactly explain how he’d survived and made it off Minion Island with Law. It was rather blurry, the light catching on the bullets that Doffy shot at him. Law’s face, red and puffy with tears as he wailed inside the bubble of silence that Cora had trapped in. Law, beating tiny fists against a bloodstained shirt as Cora carried him away, whispering unheard apologies as he tried to find their boat.

He remembered falling from the boat, watching as Law screamed for him even as he sank below the surface of the water. It was cold, he definitely remembered that much. I’m sorry, Law. I wanted to see you grow up, see those white splotches go away. I’m sorry- Something pulled him upwards and everything went black just as his head broke the surface.

When Cora woke up again he was lying on a rocky stretch of land, his feet mere inches from the water. He pushed himself up on his elbows, taking notice of his surroundings. There was a forest, past the rocky portion he was currently occupying the majority of. It wasn’t even a mile long and with his height Cora was lucky he even had any extra space.

Miraculously, he hadn’t lost his coat and hat, gifts from Doffy that, even now, he couldn’t bring himself to throw away. However, when he went to move his coat, he found something entirely unexpected: Law. The boy was curled under his coat, wrapped in a thin tarp Cora did not recognize as having been on their ship, soundly sleeping. Cora looked around but didn’t see any sign of their ship or belongings. How had Law made it to shore? No matter, he was just happy that they were both alive, albeit wet.

The fact that everything around them was covered in snow wasn’t a good thing either. If they didn’t find shelter soon they would freeze to death. Cora had no intentions of letting either of them die after surviving Doffy.

He picked Law up and looked around, wondering where to go from here. His eyes fell on the snow and he saw a set of footprints leading away. “Hold on, Law,” he murmured, clutching the boy tighter to his chest. “Hopefully this will lead us to a town or somewhere with a fireplace.”

To Cora’s surprise, the footprints didn’t disappear, nor did the faint signatures he could pick up with his weak Observation Haki. He couldn’t sense emotions, not the way his adopted father had been able to, but somehow, he didn’t think they meant any harm. He was pretty sure they were responsible for the trail he was following after all. So, he continued following it. 

Finally, the trail came to a stop, in front of a dilapidated shack. The windows in front were broken and there was clearly a hole in the roof but it was still warmer than the snow gently falling around them. Cora didn’t hesitate and pushed the door open, revealing a small, single room that was empty. 

“Hello?” Cora called cautiously, even though he could tell there was no one there. It didn’t appear as though anyone had been there for quite some time, judging from the layers of dust and piles of snow that dotted every surface. “Well, Law, it’s not much but it’ll have to do.”

There was no furniture so Cora found the driest looking spot which, thankfully, happened to be near the drafty looking fireplace, and placed Law on the floor. He was still wrapped in the tarp which looked like it had seen better days. Where had it even come from? Perhaps…whoever had dragged them ashore and left the trail to the shack had wrapped Law as well? He appreciated the sentiment, if nothing else. 

He set about starting a fire in the old fireplace, grateful he still had his lighter on him, although his cigarettes were completely ruined. He glanced at them mournfully before tossing them to the side. Law would be delighted that they were gone. Maybe he would finally stop fussing about how it was going to kill him! But…knowing Law, he’d just find something else to lecture Cora about. And that was okay! Cora hadn’t expected to make it off Minion Island once he realized Doffy was there and found himself staring down the barrel of a gun. But, here he was, alive somehow and so was Law. 

Speaking of which…the boy’s fever had gone down a smidgen. Deciding that now was as good a time as any, Cora pulled open his shirt and raised an eyebrow when he saw the fish skin covering his bullet wounds. Huh. Okay so someone had definitely pulled them out and then bandaged his wounds. He could still feel the bullets inside of him though and they definitely needed to come out.

“Cora-San?” A quiet, shaky voice murmured.

Cora looked down, a wide grin spreading across his face when he saw Law blinking up at him bleary-eyed. “Law! You’re awake!” Thankfully he was already kneeling or he might have tripped and set himself on fire. As it was, he hit his head on the half-gone mantel as he bent closer to the boy. 

“Where…are we?” Law blinked as he tried to sit up and look around.

“Careful,” Cora rushed to steady him. “Don’t hurt yourself. We’re on an island, I guess. I followed some footprints in the snow and we’re in a little shack now.”

Law stared at him. “I…forgot I couldn’t swim,” his cheeks turned red and he looked away. “I tried to save you but I almost drowned.” His brows furrowed and he continued, “There were…two kids? I remember them pulling me out. They didn’t want to leave me with you but I didn’t trust them so I stayed with you.”

“Two kids?” Cora repeated, frowning. How the hell had two kids pulled him out? He could understand them pulling Law out, the kid weighed absolutely nothing but he didn’t. Oh well. At least someone had helped them. “Did they leave the tarp too?”

Law looked down, as if just now realizing he was wrapped in it. “Huh. Yeah, I think so.” He reached down and pulled out a rusty knife. “Oh yeah and they gave me this too. Which is good, I think I can use it to cut the amber lead out.”

“Cut it out?” Cora repeated, sweating a little nervously. “Um, Law-“

“Trust me,” Law interrupted, eyes wide and pleading.

Cora couldn’t argue against those wide, golden eyes and had to look away. “Just…let me know if you need me to do anything.”

Law relaxed. “I don’t think so. Just let me concentrate.”

So Cora kept quiet and watched. A blue light enveloped Law and Cora’s eyes widened as white something began flowing out of his body, forming into the shape of a heart int he boy's hands.

“Get…it…away,” Law wheezed, turning paler as he slumped over.

“Oh, uh, right,” Cora sprang to his feet, looking around wildly for something to wrap it in. His eyes fell on a discarded, suspiciously crusty looking cloth and he grabbed it, yelping as he tripped over nothing. He ignored Law’s weak voice and managed to wrap the white heart in the cloth.

“Throw it outside,” Law instructed.

Cora picked it up carefully and tossed it out the cracked window, tripping and hitting his chin on the windowsill.

“Cora-San,” Law gasped.

“I’m okay!” Cora turned and gave Law the peace sign, grinning even though his chin was throbbing. He was pretty sure he could feel blood dripping off it as well.

Law sighed and laid back down.

It was the next morning when Cora opened the front door. Law was still sleeping but this time with no fever even if the white splotches had remained. Cora himself had passed out shortly afterwards, once he’d managed to pull out the bullets before rewrapping the wounds. He didn’t want to leave Law alone but his grumbling stomach had made itself known and he knew the boy would be hungry as well. So, it was time to go and see what he could figure out for food. Hopefully, he wouldn’t have to actually go hunting. He’d tried that once. He’d shot himself in the foot and set an entire forest on fire. All within five minutes. Garp had actually declared him a menace to nature and never tried to "toughen him up" again.

How Cora managed to avoid the rock thrown at his head the minute he opened the door he wasn’t entirely sure. He hit the ground, grunting as his injured chest protested the weight. Another rock hit the ground next to him, drawing his gaze. Something, wrapped in an old cloth, lay next to him. Curious, but still keeping an eye on the surrounding forest, Cora carefully opened it. “Oh,” he grinned. “Food!” Inside were three fish. They appeared to have been freshly caught. He scrambled to his feet, still clutching the fish. “Thank you,” he waved in the general area around him. “Oh, if you see something out back that’s in a cloth, you should stay away from it.”

There was no response but Cora swore he saw a flash of green and red amidst the trees before they disappeared. He smiled and went back inside. He’d cook the fish then wake Law.

Law felt well enough to move the next day, so they did. Cora held his hand as they headed into the woods to do a bit of exploring. There had been another offering of fish that morning, something that Cora was immensely grateful for. However, he didn’t want to count on their mysterious benefactors forever especially if, as he suspected, it was the two kids Law had mentioned. 

The woods were quiet, almost peaceful. Cora knew the direction of the rocky shore he’d woken up on so they headed in a different way. If there were people then that meant there was a settlement of some sort as well. Cora didn’t have much money to speak of but it might be enough to figure something out food wise. 

“This place isn’t so bad,” Law finally spoke up. “It’s pretty but it seems awfully close to Minion Island.”

Cora couldn’t help but agree. “Well, from what I heard, Doffy thinks the Marines have you and Tsuru was chasing him so he’s long gone by now. So it should be safe for us to stay here for a bit, at least until we’re fully healed.”

Law grunted but didn’t answer.

Cora was about to ask him a question when a scream filled the air. Young and full of pain, it didn’t seem far off. Cora didn’t hesitate, scooping Law under one arm and heading in that direction. He could never leave a child in danger after all!

It only took a few minutes for Cora to locate the source of the sound. It was a polar bear cub, sitting on the ground, wailing loudly. Oddly enough, it was wearing clothes- patched and faded shorts and a too small orange shirt with flowers. Oh. Cora immediately reevaluated his opinion of the cub. Could it be…a Mink? All the way here in the North Blue?

“Hello,” Cora called, slowing down a bit. “Are you hurt?”

“It’s a polar bear,” Law scoffed. “It’s not going to-“

“Uh-huh,” the cub, the Mink nodded, as he turned to face them, black eyes filled with tears.

“What?!” Law shrieked, swaying a little as Cora carefully sat him down.

“I’m Cora, and this is Law. May I come closer and see what’s going on?”

The Mink considered them for a moment then burst into tears even louder this time. Cora took that for an affirmative and moved closer, crouching in front of the Mink. One of his paws appeared to be caught in a bear trap and was stained red with blood.

“That doesn’t look too bad,” Cora lied through his teeth. “We’ll have you free in no time! Can you tell me your name? I’m Cora and this is Law.”

Law hesitantly, wide-eyed waved from where he was hiding behind Cora’s legs.

“B- Bepo,” the cub whimpered, wiping at his eyes. “I’m not supposed to be out on my own, my brothers said it’s too dangerous but I just wanted to get some fresh air,” his tears came back with a vengeance.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Cora patted him on the head, making sure to keep his smile big and friendly. “I didn’t know there were Minks in the North Blue,” he commented. “I thought you guys usually stayed in the New World or on Zou.”

“I got lost,” Bepo’s shoulders slumped, jumping a little as Law edged closer to peer at the trapped paw. “I was trying to find my big brother, Zepo, but I got stuck in a current and then I hitched a ride with some smelly humans and I’m still not sure how I got so far away but I washed up here a few months ago and my older brothers found me and decided to take care of me until I’m big enough to travel on my own.”

He certainly talked a lot, Cora thought wryly. At least, compared to Law, Mr. Grump himself. But, most of the other children in Doffy’s little “Family” had been talkative and friendly. Cora certainly didn’t remember being that much of a chatterbox as a child, heaven knew Sengoku had spent an inordinate amount of time trying to convince him that it was safe to make any kind of sound, that the villagers weren’t going to try and hunt him again for what he used to be.

“But they said if I wanted to stick around then, one day, they’re going to set sail and I can come with them to find Zou,” Bepo continued. “Oh wait,” he leaned forward a bit, peering up at Cora then at Law. “You’re the giant and weird kid they fished out of the sea!”

“I’m not weird!” Law glared at Bepo who shrank back, flinching.

“I’m sorry,” the Mink whispered.

“Yes he is,” Cora interjected with a wink. “But that’s okay. I still love him.”

“I hate you,” Law punctuated his words with a kick to Cora’s leg then that odd blue light shone in his hands again. “I think I can get the trap off,” he informed Bepo. “Just hold still and this shouldn’t hurt a bit.”

Bepo looked nervous but held still even if he was trembling. Cora took pity on him and grasped the two paws resting in his lap.

“I appreciate your brothers saving us. That was awfully nice of them.”

Bepo grinned, trying valiantly not to look at the trap separating from his paw. “They’re awesome! They tried to eat me at first but when they realized I could talk they said sorry and let me stay with them.”

“And done,” Law triumphantly held up the bear trap which was now in two pieces and only breathing slightly harder than before. "I think it may just be a scratch, I doubt it'll need stitches."

“Thank you,” Bepo bowed, then leapt forward, wrapping his arms around Law’s neck and nuzzling him. “Garchu!”

“Augh!” Law yelped and tried to get away but was too exhausted to really struggle.

“It’s how Minks greet each other,” Cora smiled in amusement. “All the Minks I’ve met are pirates but they seemed friendly enough. Since Zou is a moving island, it’s impossible for a non-Mink to find,” he explained.

“Moving island?” Law stared up at Cora, still trapped in Bepo’s embrace.

“Mm-hmm,” Bepo beamed as he pulled back, much to Law’s relief. “Zou is on the back of Zunesha, a giant, ancient elephant.”

Law’s jaw dropped open, yet again.

“Bepo, do you want us to walk you home?” Cora offered. “Or you can come to our place until your brothers can come fetch you.” Minks aged differently than humans so it was hard to tell just how old Bepo was but he was obviously too young to be wandering around on his own. Cora wanted to meet his brothers and find out just why they’d left such a young child alone, even if it was in the safety of their own home.

“Sorry,” Bepo’s ears flickered back. “It’s not safe for humans to know where we live.”

“Then you can come with us,” Cora decided, standing up. “Do you want me to carry you?” He held his arms out invitingly.

Bepo lit up. “Please,” he thrust his arms forward as well. “Sorry,” he added belatedly, as Cora scooped him up, resting him on one hip and a weary Law on the other.

“There’s nothing to apologize for,” Cora smiled down at him. “Let’s go and see if we can patch up your paw before your brothers find you. I assume they’re the ones leaving the fish?”

Bepo nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah, they said they didn’t want the weird kid to starve to death, even if he is human.”

“I’m not weird,” Law hissed.

Cora frowned as he began heading back towards their shack. Human. That was the second time Bepo had referred to them as such which wasn’t exactly odd seeing as how he was a Mink, but now Cora was wondering if his brothers had been the ones calling them that and Bepo was just repeating what he’d heard. Were they not human? Although, now that Cora was thinking about it, normal humans probably wouldn’t have been able to brave the cold water and rescue both him and Law...

“Bepo!” The angry, worried cry rang out through the trees and two figures came running into view. They were kids, close to Law’s age, if not younger judging by how small they were. They both wore hats, one said “Penguin” and had ear flaps with a red pompom and the other was green with a red bill. Their clothes were old, patched and a tad too small, little icicles forming on the edges.

“Let our brother go!” They yelled in unison, the one with the green and red hat carrying an old baseball bat, wrapped in barbed wire while his friend took up a fighting stance.

“Penguin, Shachi!” Bepo waved enthusiastically and Cora had to tighten his grip so the cub wouldn’t fall.

“I told you we shouldn’t have saved the adult,” the one that must be Shachi snarled, revealing too sharp teeth under taped together sunglasses.

“Shut up,” Penguin retorted, moving to stomp on Shachi’s foot but the other boy moved without even looking. “Besides, I thought he was a half-giant at first but he looks like a stupid human to me.”

Bepo had definitely gotten the habit of referring to others as humans from them, Cora thought wryly. He could see why though, judging by Shachi’s teeth and the subtle way Penguin made sure his ear flaps were still down. Most people wouldn’t think anything of the shark like teeth Shachi was baring at him but Cora was a former Marine. He’d fought the Sun Pirates before, had stared at Jinbei and Arlong’s teeth on full display. So, yeah, he knew that he was staring at someone with Fishman blood in them. Strange though, he hadn’t thought Human/Fishman relations had improved that much but, looking at them and their clothes and skinny frames, he got the sinking feeling that maybe they hadn’t.

“Hey, only I get to call Cora-San stupid!” Law shouted, falling into a coughing fit afterwards.

“Bepo, I’m going to set you down,” Cora warned, keeping a sharp eye on the boys in front of him.

“Okay,” Bepo didn’t seem to mind, even as his bare paws touched the snowy ground.

The moment he was free Penguin stepped forward and grabbed Bepo’s paw, pulling him behind them. It was a practiced move, one that made Cora’s heart ache to watch. It was hard not to miss how Penguin had angled himself so that he was in between Cora and the other two. His eyes alternated between Law and Cora, as though debating if he should grab Law and bolt. Which, looking at Bepo and Shachi, he probably was. He appeared to be the oldest of the trio and, as a younger brother, Cora was well aware of how the older brother’s minds worked. There was a reason Doffy had collected kids, people younger than him that he could protect, people that he cared for in his own twisted way. 

“Law,” Cora said as a warning, also placing the boy down, making sure he was stable before letting go. “I think maybe we should all have a talk.” 

“What for?” Suspicion filled Penguin’s already raspy voice as he pushed Shachi back a little. 

“Well,” Cora bent down so he was more on eye level, “for starters I’d like to thank you for saving us and bringing us the fish. And maybe get some information out of you about where we are and what kind of people live here?”

“And what do we get out of this?” Shachi demanded.

“We’ll help,” Penguin elbowed the other boy. “But we get to talk to him,” he jabbed a finger at Law, “privately, to make sure you’re not just some creep that kidnapped him.”

Cora felt sweat run down his face as Law choked on laughter, causing another coughing fit. “Ah, well, funny story about that-“

“So you are just some pervert!” Shachi pointed the bat at him triumphantly.

Before Cora could figure out a good answer, or demand why they even knew what a pervert was, Law, blessed Law, intervened. “Cora-San may be an idiot, and a klutz, but he doesn’t mean any harm. He was trying to save my life when he kidnapped me.”

Penguin and Shachi snorted in unison. “Yeah, right,” Shachi scoffed.

“Adults never do anything without an ulterior motive,” Penguin’s voice was full of bitterness, tugging at his hat again.

Oh. Well. That didn’t bode well for Cora’s chances of earning their trust. Nor did it do anything to quell the growing rage in his belly when he looked at them and took in their words. Someone, a human adult most likely, had hurt them badly to the point where they lived, based off Bepo’s words, alone in the woods with no one to protect them or care for them. It was enough to make him cry-

“Why is he crying?” Shachi demanded.

“I’m sorry,” Bepo said sadly.

“Why’re you apologizing?!” Penguin and Shachi turned on him. 

“Stop being so apologetic! You didn’t do anything wrong!” Penguin scolded him, jabbing a finger at the Mink cub. 

“And don’t you dare apologize for that either,” Shachi added, making sure to keep the club pointed in Cora’s direction.

“Stop crying, Cora-San! You’re embarrassing us!” Law tried to kick him but overbalanced and fell, only Cora’s quick hands preventing him from face planting in the snow.

“How about we go inside? It’s really cold out here,” Cora shivered for effect, wiping at his eyes with one hand. He was glad he’d splurged for the waterproof makeup, despite Law arguing that it was too expensive. Hah! It was nothing compared to the cigarettes he’d been forced to buy in secret. More than one well meaning shopkeeper had charged him extra to hide them out of Law’s sight. The little brat had taken to dumping the cartons overboard whenever he found them.

Penguin and Shachi exchanged looks, a silent conversation going on between them, then Penguin nodded. “Our previous terms still stand,” he announced.

“Of course,” Cora smiled gently. “Is our place okay-“

“Like hell we’re letting you find out where we live,” Shachi snorted, crossing his arms. Or at least, he attempted to, then remembered he was carrying the club.

“Don’t swear,” Penguin said automatically, looking meaningfully at Bepo while elbowing Shachi.

Yes he was definitely an older brother.

It was a silent procession that headed back to the little shack Law and Cora had been staying in. Cora led the way, carrying Law again who kept trying to stifle his coughs, while Penguin, Shachi and Bepo brought up the rear. Bepo had tried to apologize once more before getting scolded.

“Is he sick or something?” Shachi suddenly asked, cringing as Law coughed yet again.

“Does he need medicine?” Penguin wanted to know. “We don’t have any but we could steal some.”

“They’re great at stealing,” Bepo piped up. “Sorry.”

Cora tried to ignore the fact that they were good at stealing and instead focused on the fact that they seemed genuinely concerned about Law’s health. “He’s just recently recovered from a serious illness,” he hedged, “so his body is still weak and recovering. Plus getting wet and almost drowning didn’t help.”

“Oh yeah,” Shachi scratched his head with his free hand. “I forgot drowning’s a thing.” He then yelped when Penguin elbowed him again, shooting a sharp look in Cora’s direction.

Definitely part Fishman.

“Sorry but we don’t have any extra clothes,” Penguin contributed his own hoarse cough. “And the ones we did have went to Bepo after we decided to let him stay with us.”

“We had more on our ship,” Cora sighed in resignation. “Any idea what happened to it?”

Shachi shrugged. “Not a clue,” he admitted. “We were too busy trying to rescue you schmucks. Probably floated to the other side of the island or Minion or Rubeck. Either way, you’ll never see that stuff again.”

Cora groaned. He couldn’t replace the den den he’d used to contact Sengoku without going to a military base. And…he couldn’t do that, he realized, his footsteps slowing. Not with Vergo in the Marines, he’d just relay the information to Doffy and he and Law would be hunted down like rabid dogs. He…couldn’t contact his Dad again. Sengoku would think he was dead, would mourn him-

“Hey,” Penguin sounded concerned as he tugged at Cora’s coat. “You okay?  You’re crying and that’s weird.”

“He does that a lot,” Law confided, shivering a little as a gust of wind whipped through the trees. He glanced up at Cora and frowned. “But you do seem pretty sad, Cora-San.”

“It just occurred to me that my Dad thinks I’m dead,” Cora tried to laugh but it was wet and full of misery to his own ears.

“Why is that a bad thing?” Shachi sounded genuinely curious as the shack came into view. “Our dads told us all the time how much happier they’d be if we were dead. Hell, they tried to kill us more than once.”

Cora burst into tears.

It took Cora a solid thirty minutes of sobbing into his hands in front of the cold fireplace but he was finally able to calm down. The children were sitting several feet away, awkwardly looking at everything but him, huddled together for warmth, Penguin and Shachi firmly holding Law from running to him. He very nearly started sobbing again at the realization but managed to stop himself. 

“Sorry about that,” he mustered a watery smile that didn’t seem to fool them. “How about I start a fire?” He suggested, reaching into his coat for his lighter. 

“No fire!” Shachi’s voice was high, shrill and filled with terror, causing Cora to freeze mid-motion. “Fire’s bad.” His voice shook and he clung to Penguin with a desperation that was unsettling. Penguin wasn’t much better though, his small frame shaking as he returned the ginger’s embrace. Bepo simply wrapped himself around the three of them, as they were still holding Law, trying to provide comfort.

“Fire isn’t bad,” Law protested, trying to squirm free. “It’s how we didn’t freeze to death the last two nights.”

Shachi opened his mouth but before he could say anything Penguin had his own coughing fit, gasping and wheezing for breath. “Shit,” Shachi let go and ran across the room to the bucket of water Cora had found sitting outside the night before. He grabbed it and ran back to Penguin, shoving the other boy’s head inside, water splashing out to form a large puddle on the floor. “Just breathe, Peng,” he ordered, his voice a little shaky.

“What’re you doing?” Law demanded, his struggle against Bepo renewed with vigor. “He'll drown!”

“I think he’ll be fine,” Cora was concerned as well but forced himself to stay still. It would do no good if he tripped over himself and made a commotion. 

The coughing abruptly died and Penguin pulled his head out of the bucket, his breathing a bit easier even if his hat was wet, causing water to drip onto the collar of his threadbare coat. “Thanks, Shach,” he said gratefully.

Now that Cora was paying attention, he realized that Penguin’s voice sounded just like a long-time smoker’s, down to the raspiness and coughing. A child that young shouldn’t have a smoker’s cough already, not without some kind of trauma and lung damage. He really hoped it had nothing to do with their profound hatred of fire and the way Penguin was clutching to his wet hat. Sadly, though, he suspected he would be disappointed.

“That shouldn’t have helped,” Law hissed, gesticulating wildly. “The human body isn’t made to work like that!”

Figures the up and coming doctor would have an issue with that, Cora thought wryly. “Law,” he said drily, “these boys are about as human as Bepo, in case you haven’t noticed.”

“Huh?” Law stared at him in confusion, while Penguin and Shachi turned several shades paler.

“They’re not Minks though?” Bepo definitely sounded confused. “I thought you guys said you were part Fish-“

“Shut it!” Shachi hissed, eyeing where he’d left his club next to the door, not within easy grabbing distance.

“They’re half- Fishmen if I’m not mistaken,” Cora explained. “Shachi’s teeth were my biggest clue plus they keep referring to us as “humans”. No clue what subspecies of Fishman they are though.”

“Subspecies?” Shachi tilted his head to one side, still shaking a little in fear.

“There’s more than one kind of Fishman?” Penguin asked.

Oh. Oh boy. This…this was worse than Cora had thought. He cleared his throat and said, “I’m not an expert but I know there’s more than one species including Mermaids and Mermen.”

Shachi gasped and Cora was certain his eyes were wide beneath the sunglasses, the same as his mouth as he leaned forward. “Is that why Penguin's got scales and not me?” He asked eagerly, “And why he’s got-“

“Finish that question and I’ll hit you,” Penguin threatened. His hand twitched then he shakily lifted one of the flaps of his hat, revealing gills in his neck. Shachi followed suit, pushing aside red, greasy locks to reveal the same.

“Cool,” Law breathed, looking closely at the gills. “Can you breathe underwater indefinitely?” He demanded, excitement written on his face.

Penguin shrugged, letting the flap fall back down. “As far as we know. The humans in town tried to drown us once. We lasted six hours before they finally gave up.”

Shachi nodded in agreement, laughing a little. “Yeah. The looks on their faces when they finally pulled us up was hilarious!”

Cora suddenly had the urge to set the still unknown town on fire. Law took one look at his face and scooted further away. He knew that particular expression and that it always preceded a hospital or doctor getting set on fire. “And your non-human parents?” He asked gently. “Where are they?”

“Not a clue,” the two answered in unison, shrugging.

“My dad said my mom tried to kill me when I was born,” Penguin added. 

Cora…wasn’t as shocked by that as he wanted to be. He highly doubted that the two boys had been conceived willingly, not if they were all alone now. It was sad though, that they’d known nothing but pain and hardship since before they were even born! Don’t cry, Cora, he scolded himself. You’ll just scare them again.

“Whenever we asked, our dads would always hurt us,” Shachi continued, “so we just stopped asking.”

“And they died about four years ago during a tsunami,” Penguin finished. “Stupid ex-Marines, they couldn’t even swim properly.”

Guilt crossed Shachi’s face and even Penguin looked down briefly as he finished speaking. Cora wouldn’t be surprised if they had let their fathers drown. Was that cruel? Yes it was but so was tormenting your own children that you forced into being. It had probably been Penguin’s idea, in all honesty, in an attempt to protect Shachi and himself from further abuse. Ex-Marines definitely explained how they’d met merfolk.

The look on Law’s face said he’d reached some of the same conclusions as Cora but kept his mouth shut. 

“Did you start living in the forest after that?” Cora asked cautiously.

“I wish,” Shachi muttered darkly. “My aunt and uncle took us in after that. We stayed with them for two years before we ran away.”

“Bad humans,” Bepo said morosely as Shachi rejoined the cuddle pile. “I’ve never met them but they don’t sound nice.”

“They weren’t,” Penguin patted him with one hand. “Living on our own is way better.”

Shachi nodded in agreement. “And we can eat whenever we want!”

Yeah that was concerning, especially since Cora was pretty sure they weren’t eating enough as it was. Although, he supposed, there was only so much two children could do to fend for themselves, a Mink and now two additional people.

“So what’s this island called?” Cora decided a change of topic was in order before he started sobbing again.

“Swallow,” Penguin offered. “There’s only three in this area: Minion, Swallow and Rubeck.”

Cora was ashamed to admit but he hadn’t paid a whole lot of attention to the surroundings islands when he was pouring over maps of Minion Island. “You mentioned villagers. Are they still around?” It was a legitimate question, they’d mentioned a tsunami after all. But…they’d also mentioned having to steal medical supplies so the answer was probably-

“Yep,” Shachi popped the p, dragging the word out a bit. “They’re assholes though, they don’t like us “creatures” as they call us,” he rolled his eyes, trying to act unaffected.

“Which is why Bepo,” Penguin glared up at the cub who cringed, “isn’t allowed outside of our place unless one of us is with him.”

“Sorry,” Bepo mumbled. “I just wanted some fresh air.”

“I know,” Penguin reached up, scratching Bepo behind the ear. “But we had to go fishing so we could eat later since we gave half of our catch earlier to them,” he jabbed his other thumb in Cora’s direction.

“Which I’m extremely grateful for!” Cora tried to bow, only to topple over and land on his face in front of the boys, all of whom but Bepo, gave him judgmental looks.

“I can’t even be scared of you,” Shachi informed him. “You’re too clumsy.”

Law nodded in agreement, sighing as Cora sat up, flashing a peace symbol as he grinned at them. “He’s a moron but he’s surprisingly nice.”

Cora wound up getting kicked out of his own shack a few minutes later so the four boys could talk. Well, to be more precise, so Shachi and Penguin could interrogate Law and make sure he wasn’t in any danger. It was sad, Cora decided, wishing for a cigarette, that these two boys cared more about Law’s safety than most adults did. Almost as sad as them being on their own and raising a Mink cub. Well, they weren’t alone now! Cora didn’t care how long it took for them to trust him, he was bound and determined to take care of them! 

The door opened and Cora somehow managed not to hit his head on the porch roof. It was a close call but still! Penguin stood there, his eyes hidden under the brim of his hat but Cora got the feeling they were full of suspicion even as he said, “The weird kid vouches for you. So, we won’t be killing you and taking him. Yet.”

Sweat ran down Cora’s neck as he envisioned them bashing his head in or simply shoving him off a cliff into the frigid waters below. “That’s great news! Thank you!”

“We were wondering,” Shachi had to stand on his tiptoes to peer over Penguin’s shoulder, “if we bring you guys fish can you watch Bepo while we go fishing and get supplies tomorrow? And whenever we need to go?”

“Of course,” Cora beamed at them. “Anything to ensure Bepo doesn’t get hurt again!”

They winced and Penguin sighed. “We don’t like leaving him alone but it’s too dangerous for him to come to our fishing spot, in case the humans find it. They don’t like us and we at least look somewhat human but Bepo…doesn’t.”

Cora nodded. “I get it. The three of you are always welcome here.” Originally, he had planned on reading them the riot act for leaving Bepo alone but, seeing as how they couldn’t be that much older, he couldn’t bear to do so. They hadn’t had a choice after all. “Can I ask, how old are you guys?”

“I’m twelve,” Penguin answered after a brief pause. “Shachi’s eleven and Bepo’s six.”

Cora nodded, his heart sinking even more. They’d been ten and nine when they decided that living in the woods was a better option than living with adults. “The town, does it use a money system or trading?” Some places, as Cora had discovered, only traded goods for services while others took nothing but beri.

Penguin shrugged. “Dunno. We’ve tried both but they don’t want anything to do with us so we just steal what we need.” His cheeks were pink but he didn’t look away, as if daring Cora to lecture them.

“Thank you,” Cora smiled, aware that it was tinged with sadness. “If you have anything that needs patched I can help with that,” he offered. “I may not look it but I’m decent with a needle and thread!”

“We’ll see,” Penguin allowed. “Come on, we need to get going. Sorry, there won’t be any fish tonight.”

“No worries,” Cora lied, ignoring his protesting stomach. He was suddenly glad he’d saved one of the fish from earlier. At least Law would have something to eat tonight.

“Bye,” Bepo waved as he and his brothers disappeared into the woods.

It was early the next morning when there was a sharp knock on the door. Law grumbled and rolled over, pulling Cora’s coat back over his head, forcing Cora to abandon it as he headed to the door. He shivered in the cold air, glaring at the dying fire. He’d have to stoke a bit, after he figured out why someone was knocking at his door!

The sun was barely up, pink and golds shining through the trees, Cora noticed grumpily. The next thing he noticed was the three children on his doorstep. Penguin seemed the most awake, Shachi and Bepo leaning on him, yawning widely, hair and fur standing askew as if they’d just got out of bed.

“Sorry, it’s so early,” Penguin said apologetically, “but fishing’s better early on.”

“It’s fine,” Cora yawned, trying to give them a friendly smile. The only thing he accomplished was Shachi pushing himself further away. Note to self: don’t smile before fixing smeared makeup!

“Hi, Cora-San!” Bepo chirped, waving a little as Penguin gave him a gentle push forward. “I already ate!” He said proudly, clutching a faded, blue backpack in his hands. It was too small for him and had probably belonged to one of the others years ago.

“Hey, Bepo,” Cora extended a hand, holding Bepo’s paw. “Have fun, boys. Stay safe.”

“Thanks!” Penguin waved, poking Shachi until he followed suit, then they took off, easily traipsing through the snow.

“Do you care if I go back to sleep?” Cora asked hopefully.

“Not at all,” Bepo yawned. “I’m still sleepy.”

Law didn’t protest when Cora shepherded Bepo under the coat, saving only a little bit of the black, feathery material for himself. He could check the fire later…

It was a few hours before Cora finally woke up, this time to the sound of Law and Bepo whispering excitedly as they stayed curled up by his side. Evidently, Law had taken his stern warning of not touching the fire seriously and they’d elected to stay nearby instead. He wasn’t at all surprised that Bepo didn’t touch the fire, not with how his brothers had reacted the night before.

“Cora-San, Cora-San!” Law didn’t even wait for him to sit up before he started talking, waving a book in the air. “Bepo’s got some issues of Sora, Warrior of the Sea!”

Huh? Cora forced himself to think as he slowly sat up, blinking down at the wide-eyed, happy faced children. Oh wait. “Isn’t that the comic you like?” His voice was rough from sleep and he cringed at how unpeppy it was.

“Uh-huh,” Law nodded eagerly. “I lost all my copies with our boat so I was happy when Bepo pulled his out!”

“Please be careful,” Bepo blurted out, cringing. “Sorry, it’s just that it was hard to get those. Penguin got shot at the last time he stole one of those.”

And…Cora was now wide awake. “Shot at?” He winced at how shrill his voice was. 

“Oops,” Bepo looked chagrined as even Law looked at him in horror. “Yeah, the humans don’t like them so they shoot at them sometimes when they have to go to town,” he explained. “Thankfully he only got grazed. Some of the other humans I’ve met shot me and that hurt. Penguin said it didn’t hurt as much as what Shachi’s uncle used to do but that just made Shachi cry.”

Cora was now in danger of crying so he struggled to push past it. “Well, the three of you are always welcome here,” he told Bepo. “Once I figure out something about a ship we’ll be leaving here and you guys can come with us.”

Law, surprisingly, didn’t protest, just nodded. One hand was still clutching the precious comic while the other was firmly attached to Bepo’s fur. Ah. Cora had noticed that his young charge liked fluffy things so it wasn’t surprising that he’d attached himself to the young Mink.

“I’ll ask,” Bepo promised.

“Let me start the fire back and then we’ll see what to do today.”

It was late afternoon when Shachi and Penguin returned, looking far more awake than they had earlier. They were suspiciously dry and Penguin was carrying a faded knapsack that he hadn’t had that morning. They were grinning triumphantly and Shachi had a new bruise on his cheek while Penguin was limping.

“We got stuff!” Shachi announced proudly.

“Did you go to town again?” Bepo asked, twisting his paws worriedly.

“Yes,” Penguin sat down the knapsack, wincing as it hit his shin. “After we went fishing. So we’ve got plenty of stuff.”

“Why are you both injured?” Cora asked worriedly.

The two exchanged glances, obviously debating whether or not to answer. Shachi was the one who broke first.

“One of the vendors threw some bricks at us. No biggie. We’re a lot faster than they expected.”

Penguin elbowed the younger boy. “We’re fine. I just got hit in the shin but it’ll stop hurting soon.”

Cora sighed. “Will you at least let Law take a look at it? He’s studying to become a doctor, you know!”

“And your face,” Law looked pointedly at Shachi.

“No,” Penguin’s face closed off. “Not happening. We’re fine.”

Shachi rolled his eyes and tapped Penguin’s shin with his foot, eliciting a pained hiss. “Peng’s got scales on his arms and legs,” he explained. “People don’t always react well to them. You can look at my cheek first,” he offered. 

“Shachi,” Penguin hissed, cheeks turning pink.

“I think scales look cool,” Cora offered. “I’ve fought Mermen before that had scales and they all looked cool.”

“These don’t,” Penguin muttered darkly. “But fine. I guess.”

Penguin plopped himself down on the ground, Shachi following suit. Penguin hesitated a moment then rolled up his left pant leg. He had blue scales covering most of his leg but there were spots, covered in angry scars, that were bare. The boy looked away, his shoulders tense. It was clear what had happened here, someone had descaled him at some point. Cora’s hands tightened into fists and Law pressed closer to him, his focus on the ugly bruise forming on a bare section of leg.

“I don’t think anything’s broken,” Law said dubiously as he poked the leg. “It doesn’t feel like it at any rate.”

“I could’ve told you that,” Penguin grumbled, happily rolling his pants back down while Law poked at Shachi’s cheek.

“I should be able to use my abilities to do a comprehensive scan of your bodies but I don’t think I have the stamina for that yet,” Law explained. “But when I do, you guys’ll be my first test subjects,” he promised with a grin.

Cora knew it was supposed to be friendly and could only hope that Penguin and Shachi took it that way. Thankfully, the two only grinned back. “So what did you boys get that was worth having things thrown at you?” He asked.

“Medical supplies,” Shachi said cheerfully, pulling out some wadded bandages and some ointment. 

“Clothes for you idiots,” Penguin added as a small pile of clothing appeared. “Well, for Law and Bepo at least. None of the adults are big enough for you, Cora-San.”

“I appreciate the thought,” Cora smiled at them. 

“The newest edition of Sora,” Shachi reverently held the comic. “Well, I think it’s the newest one. It’s one we haven’t seen before at least.”

“Food for the two of you,” Penguin glowered at the meat, carefully wrapped in plastic. “I think it’s deer.”

“You guys don’t want any?” Law looked up in surprise from where he was staring at the food.

“Bepo doesn’t eat things with fur,” Shachi’s voice was even.

“Sorry,” Bepo apologized.

“And you two?” Cora raised an eyebrow.

“We’re…allergic to coriander,” Penguin’s voice was clipped.

“Clogs up the gills,” Shachi explained.

“Everyone in the village knows it so they put coriander in everything so we can’t steal it,” Penguin finished, his voice and shoulders tight. “We don’t usually bother but you guys didn’t mention being allergic to it so…” he shrugged.

Cora was definitely going to set this town on fire before he left. This was deliberate cruelty and to children no less. “Well, thank you. I appreciate it.”

“Not a word,” Shachi hissed to Bepo who pouted and crossed his arms, looking away.

“Maybe you could wait until later to eat it?” Penguin whispered hopefully. “Bepo gets weird about anyone eating stuff with fur.”

Honestly, Cora didn’t want the food now but he nodded regardless. “Of course.”

“I’m assuming these are for Bepo?” Law asked drily, holding up a flannel shirt and cargo shorts twice his size.

“Yep,” Shachi snatched them, stuffing them back in the knapsack. “He’s only got one pair of clothes right now.”

“So does Penguin,” Bepo pointed out.

“That’s cuz I outgrew my last set,” Penguin sniffed, looking pointedly at Shachi.

“Yeah but I’m outgrowing them now too,” Shachi argued.

“Well, we’re stuck with these for now,” Penguin sighed, looking forlornly at the too short pants he was wearing. “We’ll figure something out later. Hopefully, before I get too much taller.”

Shachi nodded in agreement.

Cora cleared his throat, drawing their attention. “Law and I aren’t staying here forever, when we make arrangements to get a ship the three of you are welcome to join us.” Not that Cora planned on taking “no” for an answer, if push came to shove he'd simply…take them. Much like he had Law.

Bepo’s eyes were wide with hope and wonder as he gazed at Cora, only for his expression to fall when he glanced at his older brothers. Shachi’s mouth was wide as he stared at Cora while Penguin’s mouth was set in a thin line.

“And what do you get out of this?” The eldest asked, tugging on his hat again, making sure the gills on his neck were covered by the flaps. Which was kind of pointless considering Law and Cora had already seen them, but if it made Penguin feel better then more power to him.

Cora knelt closer to his level, trying to make eye contact without forcing Penguin to remove his hat. “I get to know that you’re safe and eating enough food and receiving medical treatment whenever you need it.”

“That’s just weird,” Shachi wrinkled his nose. “No one’s ever worried about that kind of stuff with us before. Except Peng. He’s the only one that’s ever been concerned about that. It’s why he decided we’d run away from my aunt and uncle after all.”

“Why did you run away from them?” Cora asked.

Shachi looked at Penguin nervously then shook his head. “That’s…not my story to tell,” he mumbled.

Cora sighed. “Regardless, I mean no ill will. Law can tell you.”

“He’s weird,” Law said bluntly. “But he also cares and he really doesn’t have any bad intentions.”

“We’ll think about it,” Penguin allowed. “Oh! And here’s some fish we caught. You can have some to go with the meat we brought. It should last you guys tonight and tomorrow morning. We’ll feed Bepo before we drop him off. If that’s still okay.”

“It is,” Cora assured him. 

“Law likes Sora too,” Bepo said excitedly, holding out the comic he’d brought with him. “He can even read it.”

“Oh wow,” Shachi and Penguin said in unison, looking at Law with excited expressions. 

Cora hadn’t been surprised that Bepo couldn’t read, he was awfully young after all and didn’t have the best grasp of the Common tongue, although it had apparently improved after meeting Penguin and Shachi. But now, looking at the two wide-eyed half-Fishmen, it suddenly made sense that they didn’t know how to read either. If no one cared enough to make sure they were safe, why would anyone care if they could read? 

“You don’t know how to read?” Law blurted out, sounding scandalized. Which he probably was, Flevance had been a very literate city, not to the likes of Ohara, but still they’d had a lot of schools and hospitals, Law himself studying medical books from a young age hoping to follow in his parents footsteps. Doffy, much as Cora was loath to admit it, hadn’t tolerated ignorance in his crew and personally tutored Baby 5 until she knew how to read and write fluently in both Common and the Northern tongue.

Penguin and Shachi both flushed, cheeks turning an angry red. “What’s it to you?” They demanded.

“No one had time to waste on teaching us that kind of shit,” Shachi grumbled. “Not when they could teach us how to build weapons and steal stuff for them instead.”

“We can build rocket launchers,” Penguin said proudly. “Out of scrap metal.” He peered at Cora. “What’s that face for?”

Cora had no doubt that horror was written all over his face as he stared at the two. “You just seem a little young to be handling weapons,” he said weakly.

Penguin shrugged. “It was that or get the crap beaten out of us again,” he said matter of factly. “We don’t really do that too much anymore.” He hesitated then added, “Sometimes we used to make extra beri or get supplies by trading weapons to some of the pirates that came through on Minion.”

Shachi nodded. “That last one was creepy though. The Barrels just kept staring at us and making weird jokes,” the look on Penguin’s face indicated just what kind of jokes had been made, “but that last crew was just…odd. So we wound up not meeting up with them. We were supposed to that night we met you two actually but we chickened out when we saw that weird cage thing appear and hightailed it back here.”

Davy Jones help me. Shachi and Penguin had been planning to trade with Doffy and his crew and, much like Cora, his brother wouldn’t have left the two by themselves either. The main difference was that Doffy would’ve raised them to be weapons themselves, tools to better serve his purpose. Cora, however, was planning on making sure they had the chance to grow up, after thoroughly enjoying their childhood. (He refused to acknowledge just how similar they were.)

“That’s where we were actually,” Cora winced. “That, ah, was my brother’s devil fruit.”

“Called it!” Shachi said triumphantly, holding out a hand.

Penguin batted it away. “And I didn’t argue with you.”

Bepo, who must’ve seen the confused looks on Law and Cora’s faces, took pity on them and elaborated. “They thought you guys were involved in the big fight over there,” he explained. “Plus they have a wanted poster of the pink feathered human and said you looked similar. Sorry.”

“Yet another reason why we didn’t take you somewhere for the humans to find,” Penguin nodded. “They’d probably sell you out to the Marines or your brother.”

“We at least wanted to see if you were like the other humans,” Shachi agreed. “We’re still not sure yet,” he added for Cora’s benefit.

“Cora’s too tall to be like other humans,” Law muttered. “And clumsy,” he added as Cora’s sleeve caught on fire.

“Bepo, ready to go?” Shachi asked, rocking on his heels as he and Penguin, still dripping wet from fishing, stood in the doorway.

“Cora-san’s reading Sora to me. Can I wait til he finishes?” Bepo asked timidly. He was curled against Cora, Law next to him.

“If it’s okay with Cora-San,” Penguin shrugged, hesitantly stepping inside.

“Of course. Come closer and dry off a bit,” Cora suggested. He wasn’t the sneakiest person in the world, but he had tried to time it so the boys would have to stay for a bit. He didn’t feel comfortable, knowing they were off somewhere, just the three of them, trying to survive.

Penguin was the first to move, sitting as far away from the fire as he could manage while still feeling the warmth. Shachi sat a bit closer but still a respectable distance away.

Cora watched them out of the corner of one eye as he continued reading the comic to Bepo and Law. While Law had already read this particular comic, he claimed that Cora’s voice wasn’t as grating as it usually was when he was doing the different voices. Law-speak for: he liked cuddling with Cora and Bepo. 

It didn’t take long for both Penguin and Shachi to creep a bit closer, trying to peer around Cora’s arms without dripping on anyone, so they could see the comic. Cora was prepared though and simply pushed the tarp they’d wrapped Law in closer to them, hoping they’d take the hint. They did. After a few more moments they wrapped themselves in it and scooted under his arm that he held open in invite.

“Why do you wear those sunglasses?” Law asked a few days later. He was getting stronger but his stamina still flagged after a few hours of practicing with his fruit or physical activity. Hence why he was curled into Cora’s side while the older two lounged against the wall.

“Hmm?” Shachi looked at him curiously then laughed. “I totally forgot! My bad. I always wear them when we’re around others,” he only hesitated a brief moment before whipping them off, carefully setting the broken shades to the side. His eyes were solid black with a tiny, barely visible ring of white around the edges. “They usually freak people out,” he explained.

“Any light sensitivity?” Law asked, his golden eyes practically shining with excitement.

“Nah,” Shachi shook his head. “They just look weird, oh but I do have great night vision!”

“And yet you still trip over Bepo when you go out to piss,” Penguin said drily. “When he’s solid white.”

“Shut up,” Shachi tried to hit him but Penguin easily dodged it. “Like you’re any better.”

“That’s not my fault,” Penguin hissed, venom clear in his voice.

Shachi’s face fell and he looked away, guilt written all over him. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled.

Penguin sighed. “It’s not your fault either.” He tugged on his hat and, suddenly, Cora wondered if he was hiding more than just gills under it.

“Is something wrong with your vision?” Law turned his attention to Penguin who flinched away.

“It’s…a little sucky,” he allowed.

“He’s half blind,” Bepo blurted out from where he was leaning against Cora’s legs. “Sorry.”

“Stop apologizing for everything,” Penguin glowered at him. “But yeah I have trouble seeing stuff, especially with my left eye. I can get around just fine though.”

“Was it a birth defect?” Law was in research mode now, crawling closer to the older two. “Because you’re part-Fishman?”

They were silent for a minute, too long really. Then Penguin finally spoke. “Well, it is because I’m a half-breed but it’s not something I was born with. It’s…an injury I sustained about two years ago.”

Two years. Around the time they’d run away from Shachi’s aunt and uncle. Cora really hoped the two weren’t connected but, they probably were, he realized with a sinking feeling. “Is that why you don’t take your hat off?” He asked gently.

“It’s not as bad as he thinks,” Shachi protested weakly, clearly not believing his own words.

“Yeah,” Bepo nodded. “It’s not ugly at all!”

Penguin flinched and curled in on himself more.

“Sorry,” Bepo apologized.

“It’s fine,” Penguin said shortly. “And it is ugly, Bepo. You don’t have to lie.”

“It can’t be that bad,” Cora argued, Law shrugging in half agreement.

“Wanna bet?” Penguin snorted then rapidly yanked off his hat, hands shaking as he clutched it to his chest.

Cora…couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so angry. The upper half of Penguin’s face was basically one giant burn scar, covering all the way around his eyes and reaching further back. He had no eyebrows or hair on the top half of his head and, if Cora looked closer, he could see the outline of a hand in the middle of the scar. Someone had held him down in a fire, until it got so bad that he couldn’t grow hair anymore. What little Cora could see looked to be blue before turning to black at the nape of his neck, and one eye was an odd shade of green while the other was purple of all things and almost completely clouded over. His forehead looked especially bad, weird outlines in the middle of it.

“He used to have forehead scales,” Shachi mumbled, looking at his worn boots. “They were pretty.” He took a deep breath as though bracing himself before continuing. “But my uncle got real mad one night and pulled them out then held him down in the fireplace.”

Yeah no. Nothing had ever made Cora this angry before. Doffy had moved down on his list of enemies as had Vergo to be replaced by a man he’d never even met before. Bepo was crying and Law looked a mixture of horrified and angry, no doubt similar to how Cora himself looked.

Cora stood, ignoring how Penguin and Shachi flinched away as he stalked towards them, then knelt down, pulling them into his arms. They made startled noises and tried to wriggle away, but Cora simply tightened his hold, ignoring the tears streaming down his face. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “You’re safe here, I promise.”

For a moment the two boys were stiff then they both started shaking and Cora felt dampness begin to spread on his shirt where they were burying their faces. He caught Bepo’s gaze and nodded, the little Mink needing no encouragement to come join them, even being bold enough to drag an unprotesting Law with him.

“Are there any boats on the island big enough to hold the five of us? And seaworthy for a decent voyage until we can find something better?” Cora asked in the morning. Penguin and Shachi had cried themselves to sleep in his arms the night before, thankfully allowing him the opportunity to seek a more comfortable position, and stayed that way until morning.

“Huh?” A bleary-eyed Penguin blinked up at him, seemingly having not noticed that he was still hatless. 

“You- you still want to take us with you?” Shachi seemed to catch on quicker to what Cora was saying, yet was content to stay trapped within the man’s embrace. Much like the still sleeping Law and Bepo who had worked their way under his arms as well.

He had to wonder if anyone had ever held them like this then promptly banished the thought before he started crying again. “Of course! I wasn’t planning on leaving you behind anyways, and certainly not after last night.”

At the mention of last night Penguin suddenly became more aware of his surroundings and looked more than a little panicked when he spotted his hat lying on the floor. He started wiggling and Cora reluctantly let him go, though he kept his arm open in case the boy wanted to return after putting his hat back on. Penguin looked embarrassed but did return, taking care not to jostle anyone.

“Yeah,” he mumbled. “There’s a few boats that could hold all of us. It’d be easier to steal one at night though.”

“Good. That’ll give you three plenty of time to get your things together,” Cora nodded in satisfaction.

“We’re leaving tonight?” Shachi tilted his head so he didn’t have to actually get up in order to look at Cora. 

“Mm-hmm,” Cora smiled at him. “We only stuck around this long to try and get you guys to come with us. My wounds are almost completely healed now and Law’s getting stronger by the day.”

True, he didn’t think his first child would be running a marathon anytime soon, but he was definitely getting his stamina up, even if the white spots had yet to fade. Cora suspected he just needed some sun. 

“Why do you want us anyway?” Penguin demanded, turning red almost immediately.

“I don’t need a reason,” Cora said gently. “I just saw you and knew you were mine. That’s all.”

“He’s weird,” Shachi confided in a pseudo whisper.

Penguin nodded but Cora saw a smile cross his face.

Penguin and Shachi eventually left, to “get their shit” as Shachi had so eloquently put it. They hadn’t wanted to disturb the still sleeping Bepo and had asked Cora if he would mind watching him, even without fish. Cora, of course, had said yes. He had offered to go with them but they’d declined, saying it wasn’t big enough for a half-giant. Truth be told, Cora had suspected that they were simply embarrassed by their living conditions. 

Regardless, they left, and Cora stayed on the floor, holding Law and Bepo until they woke up and began demanding food. At least, Law demanded food. Bepo kept apologizing and asking if his brothers would be coming back soon.

Truth be told, the more the day wore on, the more worried Cora became. From what Bepo had told him, they didn’t have much and it really shouldn’t have taken so long. But…maybe…maybe they’d just wanted to say goodbye? They’d lived their whole lives on this island after all, even if it was one filled with pain and heartache. 

Still, Cora couldn’t help but worry, although he tried to keep up a brave face for the two he had with him. The shack only had one window that faced outside and he found himself peeking out of it more than once as the sun got higher in the sky, then, gradually, started going down. 

Eventually, Cora was forced to concede defeat, and stood up. “Alright, I’m going out. Bepo, what direction is your place in?”

“Oh,” Bepo jumped to his feet. “Um-“

There was a knock at the door. Cora practically tripped over himself, head butting the door in his efforts to get it open. He held his throbbing head as he finally got it open and looked down. Shachi stood there, swaying on his feet, carrying a battered red bag. Blood dripped down the side of his face and his glasses were completely shattered on one side, rendering them useless as one black eye peered up at him. His hat was also gone.

“Shachi!” Cora cried in alarm, bending down to steady the boy. “Are you okay? Where’s Penguin?”

Shachi blinked at him, looking a bit confused. “Dunno,” he finally mumbled, barely reacting as Cora pulled him inside. “Found a ship,” a tired pride filled his voice. “We were on our way back when my uncle saw us. He wasn’t too happy about that.”

“Shachi,” Cora said urgently, helping the boy lay down as Law raced over, golden eyes wide with alarm, while Bepo hovered in the background, sniffling. “Where’s your brother?”

“Uh,” Shachi didn’t even react when Law’s blue dome covered him. “My uncle was real mad when he saw us,” his voice began to slur a bit. “Peng said he’d distract him while I ran. I think- I think someone hit me in the head? It’s kind of fuzzy. I’m sorry,” his eyes were watery as his gaze met Cora’s. “But the ship’s good to go! It’ll be unguarded tonight since there’s a festival.”

Tears filled Cora’s eyes and he pressed a hand to Shachi’s forehead. “Thank you,” he said quietly. “But next time, I’d rather you stay safe. Law, once he’s safe to move, head to the ship he was talking about. I’ll go find Penguin and meet you boys there.”

Law didn’t verbally acknowledge him but merely nodded as he practiced his devil fruit on Shachi. Bepo was still sniffling but took possession of Shachi’s bag, clutching it to his chest while he watched Law work.

Cora took one last glance at the boys then left the shack, taking care to close the door behind him. For the first time since he’d woken up on Swallow Island, he wished he had his pistol. It had been left behind in all the chaos of escaping Minion and getting Law to safety. He hadn’t needed it since then, mostly because Shachi and Penguin had found them a deserted shack, safe from the eyes of everyone and then supplied them food, but now Cora desperately wanted his pistol. He had the distinct impression he’d be trying to kill someone before the night was over with but- but at least he still had his lighter! He was definitely going to burn this town to the ground. Preferably starting with Shachi’s uncle. Possibly his aunt too. They hadn’t really mentioned her but anyone who stood by and watched a child get set on fire was not a good person by any means.

It was easy, to follow Shachi’s trail to town. Distantly, Cora could hear the sounds of the festival as the sky continued to darken. He could just see the town ahead when he caught sight of something lying on the path ahead, illuminated by the dying embers of sunlight. Curious, Cora got closer then his heart dropped as he recognized the object as Shachi’s missing hat. Shaking fingers easily picked up the hat, dried blood staining the bill. Cora looked at it for a long moment then tucked the hat inside his coat and began running. If nothing else, he knew he was going in the right direction now.

All too soon and yet, not soon enough, he found himself actually in town. The whole place was abuzz with excitement, people milling about as they bought and sold wares. Torches flickered, lighting the air.

“Excuse me,” Cora snagged the sleeve of the first person he saw. A woman, middle aged and plump, cheeks rosy as she beamed at him from behind her stall of cakes. “I’m looking for someone. A young boy. Wears a hat that says, “Penguin”?”

The smile dropped off the woman’s face and she spat to the side. “Penguin, eh? The little creature,” her face twisted with hatred and disgust, “steal from you too?”

It took every ounce of Cora’s self-control to not snap and break her nose. “Something like that,” he said through gritted teeth. No wonder the boys never came to town, if this was the reception they got.

She laughed, it was an ugly, bitter sound. “No worries. Came through town earlier, trying to stir up trouble. His uncle, bless his soul, caught him. Gave him what for.”

“Did he now?” Cora wondered if his smile looked as brittle and angry as he felt.

“Yep,” she smiled broadly. “That poor man. He’s the closest thing to a saint we have, he and his wife, taking in both of those creatures after their fathers drowned.”

Cora could think of many words he’d use to describe the couple but saint was not one of them.

“But the little vagabonds were very ungrateful, you know,” she continued. “Started stealing food and whatnot from everyone. Honestly, they were lucky that we didn’t kill them then and there! Probably would’ve been a mercy though,” she said thoughtfully. “Instead of letting them live as half-breeds.”

“Any idea where he is now?” Cora asked, wondering if he should set fire to her stall now or later.

A shrug. “Nope. His uncle’s around the corner though. Sells grilled fish.”

“Thank you,” Cora fled in the direction she had indicated. There were quite a few stalls that sold grilled fish but only one had the same red hair as Shachi. It was him that Cora zeroed in on, him and the unpleasant, skinny blonde with a sour expression on her pinched features. So far no one had seemed suspicious of him, except for his unusual height, so he assumed that the island had visitors for their little festival. “Hi,” he slammed his hands on the counter of their little stall, barely avoiding knocking over the skewers of fish, and startling them. “I’m looking for a boy. Wears a “Penguin” hat? I was told you might know where he is?”

Once again, two more people spat to the side, expressions darkening. “Whatever he took from you, I’m not replacing,” the uncle said frankly. “I’m not even sure he’s related to me. I may have claimed responsibility for him for a short time but he’s cost me a lot of money myself.”

“Always stealing,” the aunt said darkly. “Always complaining about helping out.”

“Ungrateful little brat,” the uncle suddenly smiled, dark and twisted yet gleeful. “Don’t worry though, pal. I taught the little shit a lesson he won’t be forgetting anytime soon.”

The couple laughed, exchanging knowing, sadistic grins.

“Do you know where he is?” Cora spat out, feeling the right side of his face twitch. “I- it’s very important that I find him.”

Yet another shrug, accompanied by a laugh. “You want a piece of him too, huh? Go right ahead, I left the little shit down an alleyway. Don’t remember which one though.”

“Thanks,” Cora tore off once again. He was definitely going to burn this place down, once he was sure the boys were safely aboard the stolen ship Penguin and Shachi had scouted for them.

The further he ventured into the less wealthy part of the island, the fewer people he found. Evidently, the festival had drawn everyone out. That wasn’t a bad thing though, it meant that it was quieter. “Penguin?” He called, softly at first, then louder in desperation. “Penguin?” He ignored the funny looks he got from the few drunks he passed.

He was on the verge of breaking down in tears of frustration when he heard it: a strange clicking noise that didn’t sound even remotely human.

“Penguin?” He called again and was rewarded with another clicking sound. “Just keep making that sound, I’m coming!” Cora put on a burst of speed, using every ounce of his observation haki to not break his neck as he dashed further down the alleyway he was currently in. 

Finally, at the end of the alley, on top of a pile of garbage, he found Penguin. His left arm and leg were bent at awkward angles, clearly broken, and his hat lay discarded beside him. Blood trickled from a nasty wound on his forehead, dripping into his purple eye and his jaw was bruised and swollen. His clothes were torn and bloody, a clear indicator of a vicious fight.

“Oh,” Cora let out a soft sound of distress as he knelt beside the boy, ignoring the way he flinched as Cora’s hands hovered uncertainly in the air. “This might hurt but I’m going to pick you up now,” Cora warned. He carefully picked Penguin up, wincing as he let out a cry of pain before going back to making the clicking noise. Cora wanted to carry Penguin bridal style, it would no doubt be easier on his bruised body, but he also didn’t want the villagers to see Penguin so he tucked him under his coat, next to Shachi’s hat, then grabbed Penguin’s own. “Now, let’s go find your brothers.”

Cora was on edge as they headed back into the more populated part of town. He tightened his arms around Penguin, feeling the boy tense as the voices of the villagers and sounds of the festival began growing louder. The dock wasn’t too far ahead, Cora could see the outline of ships. Hopefully the others were already there, waiting for him.

“Any luck?” 

Great. It was the uncle again, carrying a couple of skewers of grilled fish. Under his coat, Penguin began to shake. 

“None,” Cora lied through his teeth. “I’m getting ready to leave now. Thanks for your help.”

He tried to leave but the uncle seemed intent on running his mouth. “It’s a shame though, that little pest could’ve used another beating. They both need to learn their place, ya know?” He sighed theatrically, somehow unaware of the sheer hatred rolling off of Cora in waves, “I did my best when they still lived with me but I guess creatures like them just don’t learn-“

The ugly words were caught off with a sharp cry of pain as Cora’s heeled shoe met with first his groin and then his crooked nose. He fell to the ground in a crumpled heap, much like Penguin had been in that garbage heap.

“The only ones who need to learn their place are the lot of you,” Cora spat, digging out his lighter with one hand while supporting Penguin with the other. He ignored the crowd of onlookers they were starting to attract, focusing everything on the piece of scum on the ground beneath him. “They are children, it doesn’t matter what species they are. As the adults it’s your job to protect them, not beat the shit of them for just existing.”

No one answered, some looking a little shamefaced while others snickered at the man’s plight. No one moved to help him though and Cora sneered in disgust at them. There were strips of cloth in his pocket and he was able to extricate them with one hand and light them up. As a serial arsonist (much to Sengoku’s dismay who’d spent hours pleading forgiveness from the fire brigade on Marineford) it was a simple matter to toss the flaming strips onto the most flammable surfaces nearby. That grabbed everyone’s attention and they flocked to try and put out the flames. Hah! Good luck with that! Cora was nowhere near done. He kicked the man in the ribs one more time for good measure, grinning when he heard something crack then resumed his course for the docks. He managed to grab a bottle of cheap whiskey (it would burn faster) and used it to help spread flames and chaos. He made sure to get the cake woman’s stall, as well as the aunt and uncle’s, even if they’d been abandoned as screams of terror began to fill the air. 

“Penguin,” Cora spoke into his jacket, rushing toward the dock. “What’s the ship look like? Can you tell me that?”

Deep, rattling breaths and a raspy cough before Penguin finally croaked out, “Merchant’s ship. Purple flag.”

“Got it. Thanks,” Cora pressed a quick hand to the boy’s head, ignoring the weird texture of burnt skin, belatedly realizing he hadn’t put Penguin’s hat back on. “We should be there soon. We’ll have to hurry though, I may have destroyed our welcome here.”

Penguin laughed, sharp and brittle, mildly hysterical. “We’ve never had one,” he admitted. “Thank you though.”

“You shouldn’t have to thank me for that,” Cora growled. “But you’re welcome.”

There! Cora could see the ship ahead, an unconscious guard slumped on deck, Law behind him. Cora couldn’t help but relax a little at the knowledge that his other boys were safe. He waved enthusiastically at Law, somehow managing not to trip. He was grateful for that, as he didn’t want to hurt Penguin even worse than he already was.

Thankfully the gangplank was already extended and Cora wasted no time in running across it, Bepo appearing out of thin air to help pull it in while Law kicked the guard overboard.

“Shachi’s stable,” Law reported. “He’s got a mild concussion but he’ll be fine.”

“Good,” Cora pulled open his coat, triumphantly revealing the battered Penguin. “Help him and I’ll see if I can get this ship sailing.”

“Sure,” Law shrugged, wincing as he caught sight of the flames behind them. “Of course you set the town on fire,” he sighed, staggering as he took Penguin’s full weight.

Cora didn’t say anything, merely grinned and flashed a peace sign before dashing to find the anchor and pull it up so they could get going.

Sengoku was a wreck when Tsuru pushed open the door. He’d left Marineford for once, was sitting morosely in the cabin of a Navy vessel, headed for an important meeting. His presence wasn’t really required but everyone had…politely suggested that he get some fresh air and leave the base. His denial at grieving was annoying everyone, even Garp, the usually insensitive moron, had already been threatened with being thrown overboard. 

Someone, most likely Garp, had given Sengoku some whiskey. Which, wouldn’t normally be a problem but, Sengoku was a sad drunk and, given he was grieving, just meant he was already in tears by the time Tsuru found him. She shot Garp, wrist deep in a bag of crackers, an annoyed look. He shrugged, unapologetic as ever. “Out,” she told him. “I need to give this report in private.”

“Hey,” Garp protested, crumbs spewing from the corners of his mouth. “I’m a vice-admiral, I have plenty of clearance.”

“If you don’t leave, I’ll launch an official investigation into the origins of your oldest grandchild,” Tsuru warned.

“I’m out,” Garp wasted no time in leaving, sensing it must be important if she was willing to use that threat. He took the crackers with him but left the whiskey.

Tsuru snagged the bottle from Sengoku, scowling at the realization that it was almost empty. “I have a report for you,” she told him, switching the empty glass in front of him with a bottle of water she’d brought in.

Sengoku hiccuped and downed the water, scowling and coughing upon the discovery it wasn’t his whiskey. “Unless it's to tell me you found Rosi’s body, I’m not interested,” he wiped at the tears on his face, smearing ink instead.

She ignored him and began. “As you know, I just got back from doing another sweep of Minion Island. While I was there a fire broke out on Swallow, one of three islands in the vicinity. According to the surviving townspeople it was set by-“

“Tsuru,” Sengoku warned, trying to stand but forced to admit defeat, his legs not supporting him.

“It was set by a very tall man, over nine feet tall, covered in black feathers,” she finished. “A merchant ship was stolen from the port, taken by the man and several children, including one covered in white spots.”

Sengoku looked up at her, fresh tears filling his eyes. “A nine foot tall man?” He asked, voice unsteady yet full of hope.

She nodded and sat across from him. Garp’s seat would’ve been more comfortable but was covered in crumbs. “The townspeople were very insistent that they’d done nothing to earn his ire but, after I asked them very politely, they broke down. Apparently, they’d been tormenting two half-Fishman children for years and, since the man had been asking after their whereabouts right before he set the fire and they’ve since vanished, they decided to blame them for their misfortune.”

Sengoku chuckled, sad and fond at the same time. “He never could stand people being ostracized. I guess Doflamingo lied about throwing his body into the sea.”

“He was probably just being cruel,” Tsuru offered. “Regardless, I thought you’d like to know. The guard was very drunk though, he swore up and down that one of the children had white spotted skin and another was a talking polar bear.”

Sengoku sighed and closed his eyes. “So the boy ate the fruit, I’m not surprised.”

They sat in silence for a long moment, Tsuru allowing Sengoku to gather his thoughts.

“So, my son is dead. I’ll push the paperwork through, have the burial and get that over with. I’ll need to see what I can do about his death benefits though, with four children he’ll need money. I’ll have to keep everything on the down low, I don’t want to risk Doflamingo or any of his spies finding out about this.”

Tsuru nodded, not surprised. “I can go back to the North Blue shortly, after you’ve made the arrangements.”

Another hiccup then Sengoku finished the water she’d provided. “Half-Fishman children,” he mused. “I’ve never heard of such a thing before. Of course, I’ll need to see what I can do to help with that as well. We need a new Warlord, I think I’ll recommend Jinbei for the position.”

Tsuru smirked. “There’s no paperwork anywhere and I can lose this report if you want.”

“That would be greatly appreciated.”

“I see land ahead,” Shachi called, sitting in the crow’s nest, and peering out of binoculars. 

“Told you!” Bepo called out triumphantly, only to shrink back when everyone turned to stare at him. “Sorry.”

Penguin patted him on the back, wincing as he adjusted his weight on the crutches Law had insisted he use. Sure, Law had been able to fix his leg but the broken bone still had to heal, the same with his arm and broken ribs Law had discovered. “You did great, Bepo.”

They’d kept the merchant’s vessel, seeing as how it was big enough for the five of them and merely changing out the merchant’s flag with one Penguin had managed to whip up seemingly overnight, one-handed. It wasn’t a Jolly Roger, they weren’t ready for that yet, but a generic flag with the medical symbol on it.

“We need more medical supplies,” Law pushed his hat up as he peered up at Cora who was manning the helm.

“Aye-aye, Captain,” Cora grinned down at the boy. A few weeks in the sun had gone a long way in helping to hide the white patches of skin. While not fully gone, they were almost unrecognizable now.

Law groaned and turned away, cheeks red. “It’s weird having you call me Captain,” he mumbled but didn’t argue otherwise.

Cora merely laughed and adjusted their heading so they were now on a straight shot for the island ahead. He wasn’t sure life could get much better than this.