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“That could’ve gone much better,” Benn sighed, snatching the bottle of rum from Shanks who grumbled but didn’t otherwise protest. “No drinking, we’re already in a catastrophe, I don’t need you being wasted on top of it,” he snapped.
“It’s not that bad,” Shanks protested weakly, flinching when Benn glared at him.
“Not that bad? Shanks, we were in parlay! And one of ours attacked the Kid Pirates! Granted it was an accident but that is a direct violation of the Code and since they knew enough about the Code to come in under a white flag they probably know they’re in the right to attack us and we’re not supposed to retaliate! Captain Kid is injured and they’ve refused all our medical treatment-“
“I know,” Shanks groaned. “But I can’t force them to accept Hongo’s help.”
“Which is why I’ve given them permission to call their own doctor, apparently he’s on a different vessel,” Benn explained. “He should be here shortly. We haven’t seen any sign of another vessel though, which is odd but they assured me he was on the way-“
Benn was interrupted by panicked screaming and cries alerting him another vessel had arrived. He groaned and rushed out of Shanks’s cabin, the man in question right behind him. There, in the middle of the bay, in all her yellow glory, was The Polar Tang. Fuck. Out of everyone did it have to be them?!
Shanks brightened and instantly tried to straighten his hair. Benn swatted his hand away.
“Don’t even think about it,” he hissed. “They already dislike you and this situation isn’t helping. Don’t make things worse by hitting on Cora-San again.”
Shanks pouted but nodded. Benn caught Yassop’s eye who nodded. Good. The rest of their Nakama were on damage control. Their last meeting with the Hearts may have been over a decade ago, in the North Blue but it had ended on tense terms. Cora-San was upset about Shanks accidentally knocking one of his children out with Haki and his children unhappy about Shanks’s disastrous attempts at flirting. Suffice to say, this wasn’t how Benn had wanted to meet them again. If they were here then that meant Cora-San considered the Kid Pirates his and he certainly knew the damn Code, courtesy of Buggy. Fan-fucking-tastic. The only thing that could make this worse was-
“It’s Sengoku!” Someone shouted.
Fuck.
Kid didn’t look good. Killer grimaced as he carefully mopped the younger man’s brow again, trying to avoid the angry, bleeding gashes on his face. He was resolutely not looking at the mangled mess that was Kid’s left arm. Thankfully he was unconscious, Killer having been forced to knock him out because he couldn’t bear to see him in such pain.
There was a knock and Heat poked his head in. “The Hearts are here. Law wants to know if he and Shachi can take Kid back to their vessel and operate on him there.”
Killer opened his mouth but couldn’t say anything, the words not coming.
“I’ll tell them yes,” Heat decided then disappeared.
Not even a minute later Law came in, looking as unflappable as ever, Shachi and Penguin behind him. Law took one look at Killer and grimaced. “Peng?”
“I’ll handle him,” Penguin slipped closer to Killer, gently pulling him away from Kid so Law, Shachi and Bepo could get ready to move him. “Killer, anything either of you will need for a day or two?”
“I- I don’t-“
“Okay,” Penguin patted him on the shoulder. “Let’s get some clothes together first.”
Killed nodded and did as instructed. He was aware that he was in shock, remembered it from the first time, when his eye was taken. Thank Davy Jones for his Nakama and the Hearts. Kid would have a conniption upon waking up- “Kid, his- his Fruit-“
“We’ve got kairoseki on board,” Penguin promised. “Come on, Law’s already taken Kid back to the Tang. Let’s join them so you can calm him down if he wakes up unexpectedly.”
Killer nodded. He was starting to calm down which relieved him. He didn’t like feeling like this, helpless and useless-
“Breathe,” Penguin reminded him, Heat and Wire rounding up some of their Nakama to make sure he was hidden from the Red Hair Pirates as he crossed the gangplank to the Polar Tang. He gave them a nod as the Hearts took their spot. Cora-San stood on deck, scowling in Shanks’s direction. Killer recognized the look of someone about to go on a killing spree and wisely decided to keep following Penguin into the bowels of the submarine. They’d never been officially invited onboard but he knew that if they ever asked they’d have been welcomed with open arms.
Penguin led him to a hallway, shoving him in a hastily appropriated chair and passing their belongings to Bepo who tried offering a reassuring smile. He then sat next to Killer. “He’ll be okay. I know it may not seem like it right now but Law’s the best doctor around. And I’m not just saying that because he’s my little brother.”
Killer snorted. “He’s probably the only doctor I’ve ever met that Kid would let anywhere near him.”
Penguin glanced at him sideways. His eyes might have been hidden but Killer could still feel them on him. He didn’t ask though. “Any medical conditions or allergies Law should be aware of?”
Killer shrugged. “Dunno,” he admitted. “Neither of us have seen a doctor in over a decade now. Kid’s decision, not mine.”
“Fair,” Penguin shrugged. “We were nervous of Law at first, especially with his powers because he was human and that never ended well for us. But mostly Mom, ironically.” His lips twitched up in a smile.
Killer nodded. It hadn’t taken long for them for them figure out Penguin and Shachi were half-breeds.
“And then Uncle Jinbei introduced us to his doctor friend and that was definitely nerve-racking. Especially after…” Penguin hesitated, rubbing his right arm.
Kilmer remembered that. It was their first official alliance with the Hearts. Penguin had been captured by some whacked out scientist who wanted to experiment on a half-breed, Shachi left for dead with a massive hole in his stomach. Law had begged for their help. Kid hadn’t lorded it over him though, even he wasn’t that much of a dick. Besides, he’d have done the same for Killer and their Nakama. Penguin had been missing an arm when they found him but Law had been able to reattach it.
“I’m from a rare tribe,” Killer told him. “Human but we have three eyes. Not sure how we ended up in the South Blue and I killed my parents before I thought to ask.” He hadn’t cared, not really. He’d been ten and with Kid to raise, he had more important things to worry about. “I got hurt protecting Kid once, he took me to a doctor. I woke up missing an uninjured eye.” Kid had been devastated and it was that devastation that had kept Killer going, instead of wallowing in grief and anger. That and the satisfaction/unease of seeing the doctor’s mutilated corpse after Kid was through practicing his Devil Fruit on him.
“Rumor has it Big Mom has a daughter from the Three Eye Tribe,” was all Penguin would say. “Some humans will always fear what they don’t understand,” he placed a hand over his forehead. “And some take great delight in tormenting those temporarily weaker than them. At least, until you get forcefully adopted and they’re set on fire,” he grinned, all teeth.
Killer chuckled weakly. He could definitely see Cora-San doing that, he’d set the lab they’d helped rescue Penguin from on fire after all. “Maybe he’ll set Shanks on fire,” he grumbled.
“If you ask he will-” Penguin informed him.
The door opened and Law came out, clothes covered in blood. “He’ll live but you’ve got a tough choice to make, Killer.”
Killer sprang to his feet. “What is it?” He asked.
Law made a face. “His arm is badly damaged. I can technically save it, however, he’ll never be able to use it like he used to, it’ll hold him back.” Not for the first time, Killer appreciated Law’s bluntness. “Or, I can remove the arm and let him put together a prosthetic. Knowing him, it would be big and bulky but he would be at full strength. He’s too out of it for me to ask so-“
“Remove it,” Killer didn’t even hesitate. “Nothing that would make him weaker.”
Killer would never think of Kid as weak but Kid would think of himself as such and he couldn’t have that.
Law nodded, not looking surprised. “Give me an hour or so and then you can see him. He’s wearing a kairoseki bracelet right now so he can’t destroy the Tang when he wakes up.”
Killer wasn’t offended when Law didn’t wait for an answer and instead went back into the infirmary.
“Tell me about Kid when he was little,” Penguin wanted to know.
Killer smiled. “He was a little shit.”
The familiar feeling of kairoseki and bright white walls greeted Kid when he woke up. He didn’t have time to panic before he caught sight of a familiar orca hat atop fiery red hair.
“Hey, you’re awake!” Shachi grinned, setting down the clipboard he’d been filling out. “Killer’s outside with Penguin, he’s trying to get your partner to eat something since Law declared your surgery a success.”
Surgery? Kid looked at his left arm, grimacing when he realized it was gone, a bandaged stump remaining. “Killer make the call?”
“Yep,” Shachi popped the p. “He and your Nakama are okay.”
“What happened?” Kid wanted to sit up but he just didn’t have the strength.
“From what we’ve been told, one of Shanks’s new recruits got panicked when you used your powers and attacked you with a strange weapon that wasn’t metal,” Shachi informed him. “Shanks has tried to issue a formal apology but your Nakama won’t accept it unless you or Killer can hear it out.”
Kid sighed. “He’s freaking out, isn’t he?”
Shachi nodded. “Just a little. Peng’s the same way though. You just gotta roll with it. The perks of being a little brother.”
Kid made a face but didn’t comment. He was well aware Killer was his brother, but he’d never called the older man that, preferring “partner” so everyone would know they were equals, despite Killer’s lack of a third eye and Haki. “Might as well send him in so he can calm down.”
“Sure thing! Oh and I think Mom’s fixing to go off on Shanks so I hope you don’t mind him knowing.”
Kid groaned. “I don’t even care at this point,” he admitted. “I just want to see Killer and then get some food. I’m starving.”
Yeah Cora-San was definitely pissed, Benn decided as the man in question stalked towards them. He’d waited until they received word that Kid would be alright before making his way to them. “No flirting!” Benn hissed in Shanks’s ear.
“Shanks!” Cora-San bellowed, catching the attention of everyone within earshot. The Kid and Heart Pirates drew closer, the Hearts offering popcorn. Clearly, this was a sight they were used to. It would, Benn had to admit, be far more entertaining if he wasn’t on the receiving end. “What the fuck?!”
“It was an accident,” Shanks said hastily, sobering up pretty quickly when he realized just how angry Cora-San was. “Kid got aggravated and one of my guys panicked.”
“Parlay, Shanks! They were under a white flag! You broke the Code! Be grateful the Kid Pirates haven’t attacked you already! I made sure they knew the Code when I decided that they were mine.”
“I-“ Shanks tried to speak but Cora-San wouldn’t let him.
“He lost an arm! Your own son lost his fucking arm because of you!”
Benn choked and Shanks turned white. “I’m sorry, son?” Benn had to interject.
Cora-San sighed heavily. “A few months after Roger’s execution Shanks here,” his glare intensified, “went to the South Blue. While there he seduced a young woman into letting him into her father’s treasure room. He left with a lot of treasure and she got pregnant. The Eustass family?”
Shanks made an odd sound. Shit. So it was true then. Benn sighed and rubbed his face. This really was a shit show.
“Kid originally wanted to challenge you and take over your position but I convinced him not to. So, we’re both equally at fault here.”
“No we’re not,” Shanks disagreed. “I- can I-“
“You’re not welcome aboard the Tang,” Cora-San interrupted. “I’ll let Kid and Killer know you want to see him.” He turned and stalked away, both crews clapping.
“I’ll get the rum,” Benn sighed.
Both crews left the next morning. Kid pointedly ignored Shanks as he staggered back to his own ship, Killer hovering behind him. They were closely followed by the Hearts, both ships heading in the same direction.
“I screwed up,” Shanks groaned.
In more ways than one, Benn thought but didn’t say. “You were what, fifteen? Sixteen? Probably soused out of your mind. No one can blame you for that. And this was an accident, an unfortunate one but an accident nonetheless. Just be grateful Cora-San didn’t set you on fire. He is the Arsonist of the North Blue for a reason,” Benn reminded his captain.
“True.” Shanks fell silent for a moment, watching the ships disappear into the distance. “Buggy can never know of this,” he said seriously.
“Oh absolutely not,” Benn agreed.
“You sure you’ll be okay?” Cora-San was fretting.
“We’ll be fine,” Kid said gruffly, flexing the fingers of his temporary metal arm.
“We’re good,” Killer assured the older man.
“Your arm looks cool,” Bepo blurted out. “Sorry.”
“Badass,” Penguin and Shachi echoed.
“I said it would be bulky,” Law huffed.
”Suits him though,” Sengoku shrugged.
“You may want to lay low for a bit,” Cora-San advised. “We’ll be dealing with Kaido in the future and he knows we’re allies.”
Kid made a face. “We don’t hide but I’ll need some time to get used to this new arm so we’ll go to our hideout for a bit.”
Killer took the initiative to offer two small white pieces of paper to Cora-San. “Our vivre cards,” he explained, pointing to where their names were written.
“Killer,” Kid hissed but didn’t argue. He did grimace though, when Cora-San burst into tears and pulled them into a hug. He didn’t fight it though, not with Killer sending him an unseen glare. “Look, if we’re not busy, we’ll help with Kaido when the time comes.”
Killer had to stifle a laugh as Cora-San finally let go of them and started the process of hugging their Nakama. “Softie,” he whispered.
“Die,” Kid whispered back.