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Chapter Text

The first thing he saw was the sky. The deep clear soothing blue of the sky and its few white-grey fluffy looking clouds that were moving at the mercy of the wind. The sun was warmly licking him, slowly heating his wet lying body.

He felt the gentle sensation of the sand naturally cracking against his figure and the breeze that softly caressed his face while the sound of the waves that calmly ran aground on the bench rocked his ears like a lullaby his mother used to sing when he was a baby. 

It reminded him of his native country, days the sun was beautifully shining like more southern lands but with a ground covered of snow as pure as the heart of a newborn, fallen a night ago in -sometimes- the worst storm possibly imaginable. It reminded him of the days when he and Shachi were innocent children making angels in the fresh powder snow while laughing at terrible jokes they made. 

But he was neither in his village nor in North Blue. Shachi wasn't next to him, neither of his crew. He was terribly -almost horribly- alone, setting pathetically on the sand of an unknown beach. 

The next thing he noticed was the pain. The cold stabbing pain that murdered every part of his poor barely living corpse. His head was incredibly hurting, as if someone heartlessly hammered it while his whole body seemed covered by terrible sweet aches. Breathing was difficult, each inspiration stretches his painful members and getting sit was more complicated than he expected.

He moaned exasperated as he took his head in his hands grabbing his short hair under his so recognizable hat while his shoulders rested on his folded legs. His memories came back so painfully in his mind like the virulent waves that crashed mightfully on dikes. He couldn't stop the tears that escaped from his hidden eyes.

He lost his crew. His captain. His friends. His family.

That day, Blackbeard defeated them like they were nothing more than insects which flew around him. He squashed them without more effort that it was necessary to step. Penguin never felt more useless than that day for his captain. That fight was obviously lost in advance, none of them denied it, however, he never thought that the power gap between the two crew was this deep and wide, he never thought that they will be massacred. 

That day, on the Winner Island in the New World, the Heart Pirates were soundly defeated. At the point that they will never raise again. Blackbeard had personally taken care of it. 

He lost everything and he couldn't do anything to stop it, to protect his family.

His tears were blended with rage, sadness and desperation. His entire mind screamed for revenge. 

Problem: he had no idea of the place he was at. 

Beaches, there were thousands and thousands of them around the world, so did islands. 

He looked up at the sky that taunted him, his weeping oscillated between dry and came incessantly back without being able to control it. He took a febrile and trembling breath thinking of his family. 

The last thing he managed to remember was Shachi swimming next to him trying so hard to escape from two of Blackbeard's crewmates who were purchasing them, after they saw Bepo take Law, barely breathing, away. Penguin recalled the feeling of reliving as he saw his friends leaving alive after seeing his entire family being annihilated frightfully easily. He also thought back of the hard fight they had to escape in one piece from the Blackbeard's guys a bit too enjoyed by the pursuit. Finally, the young man succeeded to recollect the explosion that badly wounded them, separated them on the same occasion in the most giant wave he ever saw -even in the New World-.

Looking around him, Penguin only saw wood wastes, broken wood planks, half barrels, nothing useful at first sight. Behind him, a forest. All the island seemed to be forestry.

After long sitting minutes passing at spiraling, Penguin worked out to stand up -not without pain-, and next, took a step, then an other and an other until slowly move forward through the beach, looking for anything useful in the wood wastes. 

The sun was already coming down in the sky, giving beautiful tones of pink, orange and yellow with the ocean reflecting it that Penguin would really have appreciated it if his crew were actually with him, laughing and dancing as they always do at a graceful twilight in a calm island. Other tears threatened dangerously to fall, wetting his eyes, he miraculously succeeded in keeping them while he violently turned himself towards the forest to enter in it.

If the light grown down, the night will arrive quickly. He had to find a place to sleep before the dark does finish settling in. Walking in the direction of the forest was not because looking at the sun reminded him his lost family, it was because he had to search for a shelter.

The more he walked through the island, the more the forest densified and the more the light -already low- lowered. The place seemed forsaken. It was just an intuition at the beginning but it couldn't stop growing. The forest was too silent. The only noise present was the murmur of the wind making his way between the trees. Penguin didn't stop extending his Haki throughout the island, passing from two to two hundred meter in diameter observation area but he didn't see anything. No humans. 

The vegetation was terribly dense and oppressive, scarce if he could take a breath correctly. Penguin advanced hardly step by step, paying attention to natural traps, poison plants, thorny branches or venomous beings. 

Progress in that wild place wasn't so difficult after all, beware prevented Penguin from spiraling too much and kept his mind occupied. He moved up pretty deeply in the forest, at the point he didn't see a lit part around him anymore. His Haki still didn't perceive any traces of human lives and even at his position, he could see the light dangerously grown down.

He had to find a haven, and swiftly. The man was injured and tired, he was like a wounded puppy in a sea full of crocodiles. No shelter for the night meant death and he has not crossed a fight against the Blackbeard pirates to die eaten by some random animal from some random island.

During his complaining phase he didn't pay attention to his environment. Throughout two little moments. A mistake that he knew would be fatal in any situation. Penguin still heard his captain yelling at him for being distracted. 

He took a step in an illuminated clearing full of houses. Abandoned houses. Habitations were in ruins for most of them. The village was grey, dirty, phantomatic. It seemed that nobody lived there for an eternity. 

Penguin took a step toward the group of edifice still standing up. 

The sky was clearly visible, with its tone of dark blue and violet, but not the sun. The moon had revealed itself in the end-twilight colour. 

The pirate stumbled awkwardly and limped a few steps before arriving in front of the house he decided to borrow for the next nights.

He barely pushed the wooden door that it creaked to send shivers down his spine. Penguin difficulty swallowed before definitely opening the entrance. 

The young man just had to blink his eyes that a knife abruptly flew toward him. He slightly moved his head to avoid the weapon to tear out his right eye but the pirate couldn't evade the fist right after. Penguin took the hit fully in his chest, cutting straight away his breath. The punch was so strong, he flew through the clearing, stopped harshly by a tree, ten meters further.

He barely removed the dancing star fairy cluttering his view that another punch flew rapidly toward him. Penguin only just reached to dodge it with a short scared scream.

His assailant was powerful, muscular too. He had long blond disheveled hair and a cracked blue with white stripes helmet hiding his face.

The pirate could recognise him among a thousand of them.

Killer, the second mate of Kid Pirates.

The man seemed weakened since the last time he saw him, he had few injuries on his body already healed and his moves were clearly slower than at Wano. 

«-Slow down man ! I'm not here to fight !!» Penguin yelled as he avoided another powerful -but worryingly slow for him- punch from the other pirate

The blond seemed to hear him, it was, however, too late to stop his fist. The Heart pirate barely evaded the hit, Killer's hand stuck in a trunk just behind him, trapping Penguin between the tree and the blond.

«-What do you want ? »asked the taller man in his deep voice 

The eldest's cheeks blushed wildly as he felt the harm breath through the helmet of his rival, caress his face -he thanked so much his hat for hiding his visage at this moment-. 

«-Nothing !! I just want a place to sleep ! »The Heart pirate shouted panicked 

Killer didn't retort -Penguin could swear he heard a laugh through his breath-, the blond took back his fist from the trunk in a brutal cracking and returned calmly in the house like nothing ever happened, leaving Penguin under the night sky lightened by the moonlight.

Yes, maybe the Heart pirate has a big crush on Kid's second mate since Sabaody and the Pacifista fight but we will come back later on that point. One problem at once.

The eldest didn't think of it more than necessary and took it like an invitation. The Kid pirate didn't threaten him at death -good point- but didn't say anything at all. However, if the blond had to remark something about it : one, he didn't share anything, and two, he clearly had the power to kick his assailant out of the found house. 

Two steps after Killer by safety measure, Penguin sat a foot in the abandoned residence for the second time. Unlike his thought, the indoor was quite clean and pretty -as much as an old abandoned house could possibly be-. The wall had, of course, always traces of humidity, molds and a lack of light -though that is normal, it's the night- but spider webs and dust were gone. The home seemed just uninhabited and no longer abandoned, it was even quite comfortable. 

The Heart pirate threw himself in the big sofa in the middle of the unoccupied living room in a long and loud sigh. Face on the tissue, he turned his head to breath and allowed himself to observe the environment. 

Calm. Too calm. Rather silent.

Killer had disappeared. Penguin didn't even feel him. He got up quicker than his body could approve, all his senses were open, turned toward the worrying abnormal still that put up in the place. The young man pricked up particularly his ears trying to catch any song from his roommate.

He advanced slowly in the room, cautious. Ears and eyes agape.

A muffled moan rose up. He froze in an instant, his senses turned in the direction of the noise like a cat on a mouse. The eldest waited a second before to head toward the sound. He arrived in front of a closed door. It was made of dark brown wood, particularly stout and strong for the house. He, however, captured groans from behind and his Haki suggested the presence of two persons, one he recognised as Killer.

Penguin didn't think twice before unlocking the door. His eyes opened wide with horror. The room looked like a battlefield, it was full of care materials scattered on the land. Bloodstained bandages littered the ground so did broken scissors, finished sticking plaster and used compresses, blood badly attacked the nose as disinfectant smelling.  

Kid was lying on a bed, barely breathing, deadly wounded and groaning in pain. Blood stained his bandages and flowed through it. 

«-What the-»

The terror was present in the Heart pirate expression. One of the most powerful pirates of all seas, equal to his captain, was in agony, bleeding to death on an abandoned bed from a random island. 

He had just the time to blink his eyes that Killer was threatening in front of him, a knife under his throat.

«-Wow ! I can help ! »he shout panicked before thinking, scared of whatever the blond can do with him

Killer seemed to think. Kid moaned in pain, louder than before. Penguin could see a little shake from the blond, sign of his worry.

«-Your captain needs care. I can help, I'm a Heart pirate»

The second mate of Kid didn't answer, keeping the weapon dangerously under Penguin's throat. The silence between them stayed one more long moment before the captain let go an involuntary scream of pain. Killer was incredibly worried, no need for a Killer-translator to say so. The blond finally let him go. The Heart pirate didn't wait more. He immediately went toward the redhead.

It was worse than he could even imagine.

Kid was so pale, almost cadaveric. He had a bandage around his chest, full of blood, clearly inefficient. On the left of his face, he had collected a third scar, this one piercing his ocular globe. The compress on his eye was bloody, however, better than his chest’s, he didn’t think it was hemorrhagic -good point- on the other hand he didn't think that the organ survived -less good point-.

«-Okay…I need compresses, the most and the biggest you can find, and bandages, and saline solution, water if you don't find it», Penguin shouted at Killer at the same time he took gloves out of his pocket and started to take Kid's pulse.

He still heard his captain yelling at him because he had forgotten his protection gloves while they had to take care of an injured civilian they found. 

«-And masks !» He added while the blond was already out, running toward others abandoned houses.

Law obliged him and his crew to specialize in medicine. Behind his cold-hearted look, his captain kept being a doctor, it meant that he would help anyone who needed it whoever they were and so did his crewmates.

Penguin took a compress in the last little package, he removed the used gauze from Kid's lost eye. The wound was red, coagulated, non hemorrhagic but not clean. The young man gritted his teeth, mentally enumerated in his mind the risks, the worst endings and the ways to treat it.

He saw himself again with his captain and a few of his crewmates, trying so hard to take care of Mugiwara after the Marineford battle. This day, after succeeded to stabilize him, he could swear it was the worst injured he had to treat. Today, he was no longer sure of it. At the time, he had his family, now he was completely alone, not knowing if they were alive and without any decent material.

«-Where is Trafalgar ?» Kid groaned difficulty in his pain

The Heart pirate pursed his lips while threw the former eye-compress

«-I don't know. We've been separated»

Kid didn't retort with another question, in case he had been pretty silent until Killer came back, arms full of what he asked. The blond put it down on the bedside table. 

«-Thanks, now sit there and rest. You seem exhausted», the Heart pirate said at the same time he delicately cleaned Kid's eye wound before protect it with a new compress previously moistened by saline solution while the redhead stifles a laugh.

If he had looked at him, he had seen the toc of hesitation in Killer's position, however, the blond didn't retort, he simply obeyed, sitting in the armchair in the corner of the room, well placed to watch the eldest man cured his best friend.

Penguin covered Kid's second eye without forgetting to prevent him, explaining the process he followed. He next turned his attention toward the captain's chest whose bandage was completely useless. Still talking with the redhead, he took gently off the dressing, noting then the extent of the damage. The injury was deep, and bleeding starting from Kid's left clavicle and ending at his right side crossing his whole thorax.

It reminded him Mugiwara and his cross wound. His hand began to work instinctively, picking American compress, pressing strongly on his chest trying to stop the blood to going out. The captain needed suture and the problem was here. 

He swore in a murmur

«-You didn't ask how it happened ? »Kid questioned

«-Not my business. I'm a doctor not a marine

-What can I do ? »Killer asked suddenly from behind

Penguin was so concentrated in his gestures that he didn't hear him approach, he almost jumped in surprise. The Heart pirate looked at him then at his hands. They were veiny and big, seemed strong he thought

Law would have kill him for what he was going to do. 

«-Take American compresses and switch with mine»

The blond easily cooperated. Without protection gloves, he took the dressing and exchanged with the Heart pirate. 

«-Blood must stop flowing, continue even if Eustass scream to death

-Nice», the redhead grunted 

Killer noded in a movement. Penguin threw his used gloves to replace them rapidly before taking bandage to fix the compresses the blond was holding. Kid tried to contain shrieking without much success -good news-, the redhead cares were punctuate by his scream of pain. At a moment, the captain blood started to slow down his flow -finally-, Penguin switched compresses before maintained them with bandages. He checked the eye patch -still clean, good- while talking to Kid, examined his consciousness state -good too- 

Penguin allowed himself a sigh of relief. He threw out his bloody gloves and went to wash his hands, Killer next to him. The silence between them could be heavy and awkward but it wasn't, it was rather calm and relaxing.

« -Eustass lost his eye but I think he should get over it », the Heart pirate confided under the flow of the water streaming from faucet

The blond noded

« -I saw you were injured too…Can I see it ? » asked Penguin while drying his hand with a tissue 

Killer, who, at his turn, cleaned his hand, froze imperceptibly for a second. If Penguin wasn't him, he wouldn't have noticed it, but he did, yet he didn't pick it up.

« -Okay, he accepted »

Penguin rose his head so quickly that his neck hurted. He didn't thought Kid's second mate will ever agree to his offer. Anyhow he wouldn't complain.

They returned at the bedroom Kid were at. Penguin checked his pulse and breath -still alive- before turned toward Killer. The blond just took off his cracking helmet, the eldest weren't prepared. Did I specify that the Heart pirate had a crush on the Kid pirate ? Did I mention how huge it was ?

Penguin heart missed beat and his stomach looped so hard while butterflies explode in it -so fucking cliché, he swore to himself-.

Killer was wounded in the head. The bleeding was stopped -which was a good news- but it could have neurological after-effects. Penguin removed the dressing from his forehead to appreciate the progress of healing. 

Nothing to declare. The injury was clean, almost close and shallow. By messure of safety he conscientiously swabbed it before redoing the bandage. 

During the healing, Killer hadn't taken his eyes off Penguin. He followed every movement of the eldest, remarking small details on his face like the cute little mole right under his right eye or the two-tone of his eyelashes. Yet, the Heart pirate didn't notice it, too concentrated to take care of the blond and controlled his facial expressions.

« -Can you puff out your cheeks please ? » asked Penguin in a breath, way too near of Killer's face -he didn't remark have gotten so close-.

The blond raised his eyebrows under the surprised, an incredible questioning look in his ocean blue eyes while pull discretely back his head.

« -Or smile, you know, for appreciate your neurological after-effect », Penguin awkwardly stammered

Killer made no remarks and puff out his cheeks -so cute, Penguin shakes violently his head- Nothing to declare -good-

« -Do you feel your members ? Nothing hurts ? Can you move them ? »

The blond executes before answering.

« -Good, that's good », the Heart pirate muttered prior asking,« Is the light working here ? »

If Killer had been distributed, he didn't show it. Yet, he nod.

« -Perfect. Can you follow me ? » he questioned as he stood up and walked toward the switch.

The Heart pirate tested it -it worked- then his faced Killer. The blond had two more than him, he clearly overlooked him, it was quite intimidating. He hardly swallowed before tested Kid's second mate pupils after explained him the process.

He hid one eye, opened the light, looked, then turned off the light, hid the other eyes and restarted the operation.

Killer's eyes was so blue, it reminded him of the sky he observed with his family in the snow, the ocean they were travelling together and the feeling of freedom they had inspired in him every time he looked at them. Beautiful. 

A tractor rolled in the room. Penguin's heart jumped so hard it almost escaped from his thorax -no the awkward little scream of surprise that rose wasn't from him, it was collective hallucination-. They both moved precipitating away from each other in a step and looked for the origin of the sound.

Kid

It was Kid who actually slept while snoring like the loudest erupting volcano.

His heartbeats were so high, his heart could stoped at any moment. His cheeks were completely red -he never thanked his hat that much-.

He and Killer were now at two step away from each other in the silence of the room lulled by Kid loud snore -at least he is alive-

« -I’m going to sleep in the couch », the Heart pirate warned, « Call me if there is any problem »

Then he leave the room and the blond behind him. 

Once in the living room, he jumped happily on the sofa with an exhausted sigh. It wasn't very comfortable but who was he to complain ? Anyway, he fell asleep very rapidly.

Days after that passed pretty quickly. Killer was totally healed and Kid recovered step by step. His eye was cicatrized and no longer needed bandages, yet, his torso was another story. He relapsed twice but since few days it started to improve slowly.

Being the one that healed them seemed to allow him a good treatment from two of the most powerful pirates of the seas. They weren't friends but at least ally-with-whom-they-had-a-good-relation which was not bad for a relation with Kid Pirates’ guys

They started to talk about leaving from the moment Kid was able to see. 

The island was isolated in the middle of nowhere. No land was observable from any position on the beach. They rummaged all the abandoned houses to find a plan, anything that could help to place them on a map.

It's been two weeks since the day he woke up on the beach and took care of the two Kid Pirates. Tonight, the moon will be full. Killer had found a map of an archipel in the last house he searched in. The archipel they were at.

The nearer island were 200 kilometres in the west from their position.

«-Is this a fucking joke !! »Kid shouted at the same time he hit the table the map was on. 

The full moon rose up in the night sky, lightening the clearing where the village had taken place. The fog snaked through the forest until the houses

«-Calm down Kid, it has to be a way to join it», Killer say

«-Hey guys, don't you think it smell like dead fish ?» asked Penguin while cleaning the last dishes they used slightly before.

Kid and Killer rose up their heads from the map. 

«-You're right…what's the hell is that smoke !!!»

They hadn't the time to do anything else that mist surrounded them, engulfing them in the middle of the night.

The plate Penguin carried, felt in piece on the ground. The trio had vanished. The haze dissipated mystically right after.

Chapter Text

Penguin blinked once, twice, thrice, then a bubble burst.

He was at Sabaody, under its wonderful weather and floating bubbles created by trees serving of islands, formed from a massive flourishing mangrove forest growing out in the middle of the ocean near the New World. 

The sunlight was diffuse and soothing, it lit up the face warmly while the breeze that travelled the green foliage refreshed the body. The perfect blend to live there. The first time he came here, Penguin thought the inhabitants were lucky.

Next to him, his captain was sitting quietly on a wooden box observing patiently their rivals, analysing the others Supernovas that were virulently talking with each other a few meters further from them. He seemed younger than the last time he saw him, at Winner Island in the New World. Around him, his crewmates too appear to be younger, exactly like when they were at Sabaody, the day they fought a Pacifista with the Kid Pirates, two years ago. Like this day, Shachi was childishly teasing Ikkaku who was close to punch him in the face, Hakugan was laughing and giving his bet to Clione that was collecting those of their entire crew at the same time Bepo tried to calm them.

Penguin felt his pompom awkwardly. It wasn't the penguin's shape one, it was the red one, the one he lost after he had the great idea to come out during a storm. The one he wore at Sabaody.

« -Peng you're okay ? » Law asked, his voice seeming worry

He felt a wet marble rolled on his cheeks, humidifying his face, a tear. The Heart pirate wiped it with the back of his hand. He hadn't realized that his emotion had overflowed. He couldn't explain, it was like his heart was about to cry. His breath was trembling and his throat was

tight, almost crushed, if he talked his voice would have cracked. He was so blissful to see his family again that no word could express his joy. It was a strange blend between immense joy and a tone of sadness.

« -Don't worry Cap, just a dust in my eye », he succeeded to say without shatter

It was short, one more word and it would be over. Penguin tried to hide his face with the visor of his hat. Law clearly didn't look convinced, yet, he didn't add anything, just return to his observation while Clione redistributed the bets to everyone, Shachi got out of it with a hand trace on the cheeks. 

From the corner of his eyes, he could see the virulent though violent altercation Killer had with Urouge. Exactly like two years ago. He reminded observing them, curious clearly attracted by the blond, for at least three minutes -not- straight -he will always remember this day, the day he fell- before Shachi, his bestest friend in the world gave him an elbow nudge, his teasing expression annoyingly on his face, while saying :

« -Someone got interested in someone, huh ? Which one cou’d it be ? »

Penguin literally jumped from his place as high as an afraid cat. Shachi said exactly what he said two years ago at the same moment. Law did exactly the same things as two years ago. His family did exactly the same thing as two years ago with the bets. It seemed the world did exactly the same thing as two years ago. As if he returned to the past. Oh my god ! He returned to the past !

Let's stay calm. Let's stay focused. Let's admit one second he did. How did he do it ? Because of the incredibly disgusting smelling haze ? Let's imagine it was it. What about Kid and Killer ? Did they return to the past too, in the same place, at the same moment ? 

Penguin had so countless questions in his head and not many answers. 

Killer did the exact same thing he did two years ago and he didn't see Kid. Maybe he was alone and the duo were somewhere else in the time. 

« -Peng we move ! » Ikkaku called 

The Heart pirate came out of his thoughts, his family was leaving their place for the first area where a sale was going to take place in the Human Auctioning House. He trotted to catch up his crew, swallowing hard at the idea of what happened next. Through it, he couldn't retain a smile to blossom on his face while looking at his friends. He never thought of being this happy to see them again.

« -Why are ya smilin’ like that ? »

Shachi had slowed his walk to arrive at his high

« -Nothing, I just missed you all

-Yer weird, we've literally been stuck together in the Polar for three entire days. »

Penguin just shrugged and Shachi frowned, not convinced but he didn't add anything, they just walked, the redhead whistling, behind their crew until the House.

Law sat at the exact same spot than the last time, while the rest of their crew waited outside. At their right, the Kid Pirates were here, like two years ago. 

Penguin couldn't take his eyes off Killer. The blond was more thin, less muscular, -he remembered the effect his muscles had on him when they met at Wano- yet, he appeared healthier than on that random island of the New World. He raised his gaze to the blond face to realize that his head was turned toward him. A shiver ran up his spine, he took off his stare so quickly his neck had hurted him for a moment. 

Killer never looked at him at the Auctioning House two years before. Blushes rose involuntarily to his cheeks. Shachi seemed to have noticed it, he leaned toward him, jokey 

« -So the blond huh ? He's not really yar style…Yer sheepish he caught ya ?

-Shut up », Penguin bitten

« -Just kiddin’ man~ »

He nudged him with his elbow, balancing and sneering. 

«-Penguin ! Shachi ! A little bit of restraint !» Bepo warned in a murmur hitting them in the head

They emitted a little complaining high-pitched cry, grumbling their crewmate name and massaging their painful head before uncontrollably bursting out laughing after their eyes accomplically met.

In the corner of his eyes, he saw Killer approached and Kid observed. Shachi, who saw it before him, shook his right arm violently, too excited for his own good.

« -Peng !!! Look who's comin’ ! »

Kid second mate was just in front of him. That did not happen in the past. The Heart pirate was panicking in his mind, his face reflecting it by being frozen and blushing hardly.

« -Have you ever been to Wano ? » the blond asked 

If Penguin was someone else, he would probably take Killer for a crazy man and surely have the same reaction as his bestest friend

« -What the heck !? »

However, Penguin wasn't someone else. He was him, with his whole past and experiences.

« -Killer ! » he exclaimed happily 

Shachi looked at him with his eyes wide open like he just saw an unbelievable thing while swearing another time, stunned.

« -What's going on ? Where are we ? Where is Kid ? »

Bepo and Law were now looking at him, impossible. His captain even left his usual neutral face for an astonishing expression.

« -I don't know. We don't know, Kid's with me », he explained pointing his captain behind him

« -Penguin what- »

Shachi was stopped by Mugiwara's arrival. Very loud, very spectacular, very stupid, very Mugiwara -from the corner of his eyes, he remarked the soft look the redhead threw to the new arrival guy-.

Now, Kid's and his crew were in front of a Pacifista of Bartholomew Kuma, the Shichibukai. He remembered pretty well their fight. Memorable. Electrifying. He never had felt that way before. The robot was well thought, modern, powerful, almost invincible. Even with two of the best pirate crew of the world, they had trouble, a lot of trouble -and fun too-, until they found its weakness. Under its skin painted with marine stone, Kuma was made in metal, once the shell pierced -easier said than done-, Kid did the rest. 

That is the process they followed. The robot was done quite quickly this time. It was easier when the knowledge attended. 

« -Wow Peng ! » Shachi hit his back kindly. « It was quite awesome, like ya already did this ! »

The Heart pirate laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head under his hat.

« -Pen’ ! We gotta go ! » Kid yelled, interrupting them abruptly.

The Heart pirate was about to follow them, it was logical after all, it wasn't really his world nor his reality. However, he felt the strong hand of his best friend grabbing his arm.

« -Peng !? What the heck are ya doin’ !??

-I…eh.. » he stuttered turning himself alternatively toward Kid and toward his crew

« -Peng ! An admiral is arrived, we have to go », his captain called 

The young man was stuck. He opened his mouth, trying to create words and sentences but his voice wouldn't cooperate. 

« -Pen’ you know it's not real, this is not our reality. We have to find a way to come back home ». Killer said very well

Penguin knew, he knew it wasn't his world and wasn't his crew. His family had been separated, destroyed by Blackbeard Pirates -he was there-. He knew Killer was right. He knew it very well. But they were just here, right in front of him. Shachi, Bepo, Law, Hakugan and the others. He missed them so much he didn’t have the word to describe the joy he felt when he saw them earlier. He bit his own lower lip until feel the taste of his blood. The man turned away, his head low in shame to join Kid and Killer further away. 

He surely saw the look his family gave him -because he will always see them no matter what- when he was moving away. Tainted with shame, discomfiture, reproach, contempt, treason. 

« -You could never come back if it's the path you choose Penguin

-I know…I'm sorry Cap »

He saw Law sigh but apparently understand. Yet, he also saw his best friend, his look, the look his entire family gave him : betrayment

Penguin would disappear, he turned definitely towards the two Kid Pirate who waited for him, cutting with his crew. 

While running away, he heard Shachi screaming his name hurtfully, hoping he would change his mind and come back to them. He bit his tongue to hold back his tears. 

Kid and Killer didn't say a word, instead, once they stopped, arrived a bit above the port, on a hillock, while Penguin looked emptily at the horizon, Kid approached at his left and gave him a tap, comprehensive, -because, contrary to what we could think, the redhead really cared about his crew and Killer saw his eyes the moment they had to leave their friends-.

None of them talked, they didn't need it, words, they just knew.

They had to leave, -of course not in the Victoria Punk nor in the Polar Tang- they fell back on a random little boat for three persons. From their position, the trio had a perfect view on all the vessels of the harbour. When they finally found one through dozens and dozens of them -literally-, they felt more than heard the danger. 

Immediately they turned around, hairs stand on end, on their guard, hands firmly hung on their weapons -Killer and Penguin- or ready to use his power -Kid-, attentives, all senses turned to a possible fight. 

Another Pacifista was standing right in front of them, a little raised by mossy rock, Killer just had the time to protect his face thanks to his arms before a ray of light -etrangely similar to this of the user of Light's Fruit- hit him so powerfully he was violently pushed back toward the ocean. 

The blond badly struck the water with his back, hardly. 

Even from up there, Penguin and Kid heard the strong slap noise when Killer touched the ocean, hurtful. They couldn't stop from clenching their teeth. These two seconds of pure horror seemed to last an eternity. They saw Kid Pirate's second mate fall slowly, too slowly, as in a movie with the slow effect. Their body couldn't move while he was still in the air, it was ironically only when he entered in the water that the duo could move. 

Kid didn't wait any longer, he instantly jumped. A laugh -more nervous than something else- almost went out of Penguin's mouth when he saw the redhead leaped. He knew the captain cared more than he would ever say or show for his men, however he couldn't stop thinking -dumbass-, yet, he followed him -he cared for them more than he would ever say too-. 

When he touched the ocean, he knew something was deeply wrong, he felt it, the water grabbed him and wouldn't let him go. His body froze, taken by his trips. 

He saw Kid and Killer sinking like two anchors. Like Demon's Fruits eater -he knew, he saw his captain sink-. He saw their breath run out through a stream of bubbles rising to the surface just in front of his eyes. He saw them trying to take some air, inspire. He saw them struggle to catch something, anything, to rise to the surface to breathe. He saw them stop, sink, drown. 

And he couldn't do anything because he was alike. Sinking like an anchor. 

The water didn't let him swim, just sink more and more. The light was moving away, appearing further and further away, until being blurred points in the sky. 

He ran out of breath, he didn't know if it was because of tears or because of the ocean's water but he no longer saw anything. His world became indistinct. His reflex made him take a breath but only water came in his lungs. His body started to panic, he no longer could command it, reflexes took control and he agitated himself, couched, breathed, trying uselessly to go back to the surface because he wanted to live. Survive. Instinct was powerful. 

However, he continued to go down and inspired water. 

His lungs were burning. Too real. It was deeply horrible. Terrifying. It hurted. He needed air. 

Please just some air.

His world darkened. Finally. He felt his conscience losing his body. Finally. 

*

He opened his eyes, taking a breath full of air. 

Penguin looked around him, breathing erratically, panicked. His ears buzzed, and his vision was blurred. He didn't understand what was going on, he didn't know where he was. His crew. Kid. Killer. His breathing became more and more uncontrollable. He felt his trachea tighten up, restricting air, his eyes moisten. 

He believed heard a voice. It was far. 

Breathing. It said. I'm here. Concentrate you in my voice, in my eyes. 

He thought he could do that. He raised his eyes, blurred, weepy, meeting the ocean. 

Good, good, can you take a long breath for me ? 

He tried, he really tried but his breath wouldn't listen to him. He lowered his eyes, losing contact. Restarting to panic.

No, no, don't worry. Let's start again. Look me in the eyes. Listen to my voice.

Penguin did well. He started over and made good. 

Perfect. Concentrate you in your world. Spot things you could see. Five. Things you could touch. Four. Things you could hear. Three. Things you can smell. Two. And a thing you could taste. One.

The voice was calm, slow, understandable and soothing 

He felt his breath calming a bit. 

He could see Killer, blue, violet, blond and white.

He could touch Killer, his t-shirt, his hair, and his skin.

He could hear Killer, his voice and his breath.

He could smell Killer and his perfume.

And he could taste his cooking.

The Heart pirate felt his trachea dilate and his eyes dry. Breath and vision came over.

Killer was just in front of him, looking at him. Alive. He stretched out his hand toward his face, he touched his cheek, his hair, unconscious of his gestures and what they provoked in the blond. Warm. Real. Alive.

He removed his hand, looking for someone else. 

Kid.

The redhead was in the kitchen, preparing the dinner helped by his power. Alive

He took a breath, not realizing he was holding it.

The captain turned his head to him and his characteristic carnivore smile rose on his face.

« -Finally back huh ? 

-How ? What's happened ? 

-It seems we were hurled to the past and drowning sent us back », Killer explained as he appeared behind him -Penguin almost jumped-.

The past.

Penguin saw him again leaving his family behind without looking back, deserting his crew. He resaw the look of betrayal from his bestest friend and the look stunned of his friends. The picture of the Kid Pirates losing their air, stopping all struggle, dying, wouldn't leave his mind, turning indefinitely in his brain. 

The Heart pirate pursed his lips, guiltily. Killer immediately spotted it.

« -You didn't betray them. You know that. Don't you ?

-I know, but… »

He didn't finish his sentence but the Kid Pirates knew what he would say and Kid expressed it

« -You can't help it »

Penguin didn't need to answer. He didn't even have to answer, it was obvious for everyone. Kid was right. Because they felt the same, the Heart pirate just showed it.

« -We need to leave this island », Kid said firmly.

This wasn't a proposition, it was an affirmation .

They weren't sheltered that the experience restarted. Effectively, if they stayed a bit longer, they will return to another world.

So they set to work. They had already advanced before the sending, but now, they had to finish imperatively. They accelerated.

They had to browse two hundred kilometres in the best case, their craft had to be resistant to hold the distance. It was a crucial element. This is why Kid was occupied with the body of their vessel. Thanks to his power, he could build a strong metal hull that would handle their travel.

Before their send, the trio literally spent three entire days thinking about it before the redhead dropped it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. As if they hadn't dug their head in for three days. 

The captain passed the next of their stay, searching even the most tiny piece of metal. Now, he got to work, assemble and braze their way to go.

During this time, Penguin checked regularly his injuries and calculated all the informations they could need, however thin it may be, such as the time they passed in the other world compared with their reality, the weather for the next few days or their itinerary for example, while Killer prepared the veil with all the usable tissue he could find in the abandoned village.

The blond silently approached the Heart pirate, the amount of tissue in his hand. He sat calmly before him, their knees were slightly touching under the table where the eldest was working and Penguin felt red slowly grow on his neck.

« -Hey, what's up ? » mumbled awkwardly the Heart pirate, his voice way too high to be natural, after pinched his lips panicking gayly for one second -not- straight 

The blond didn't answer right after. Penguin's eyes couldn't help but look at his hands. His fingers were long, powerful and wounded, they wore the scars of his journey, probably of his childhood too. His palms seemed stable, reflecting Killer, unshakeable. 

« -I just wanted to sit here », the Kid pirate finally said.

Penguin didn't retort. He felt red on his neck intensifying while it finally started to grow down. His thoughts travelled rapidly in his mind. Killer would sit here. Because he was there ? No. The Heart pirate recovered, slapping mentally his two cheeks. The next full moon approached rapidly, the trio absolutely should leave. 

The picture of his crewmates at Sabaody flashed in his mind. Their gaze spiraled in front of his eyes. His throat immediately tightened, if he spoke, his voice would inevitably crack. Penguin scratched nervously his neck, more and more virulent, until his skin turns red, until his skin peels. Shame and disgust snaked perfidiously under his skin like crawling insects. He just wanted it to go away . 

Peng

His breath speeded as his trachea shrank, only letting a trickle of air pass through to his lungs . He let go his pen and brought his hand to his hair, pulling it while the hand at his neck returned to his throat in the vain hope of resuming normal breathing. 

Penguin

He heard his pronounced name. Less far than the last time. It was a calming voice, the one that saved him. He felt his trachea loosen up , his eyes to defog and the might of his hands more and more weakened on his organs.

In front of him, he saw Killer's face -or rather his cracking helmet-. His position betrayed his worry, he was too forward and too tense to be normal . The Heart pirate lowered his eyes, lost and incongruous, on his abandoned sheets . They were now scattered, some of them crumpled , on the table like on the ground, and his pen, broken.

Killer had his hand on the table, palm to the sky, like an invitation to take it. Penguin allowed himself. As soon as he touched it, the blond hand instantly closed. It didn't look like a trap, the Heart pirate felt anchored and more stable in his reality.

« -It is not your fault », Killer blew while his tears threatened awkwardly to fall. 

« -I know… », Penguin answered in the same tone.

He felt that if he did more, he would default .

The blond seemed to think to add something, Penguin really waited for him to do it, however, he did not do so. He stayed silent, stable and calming. Penguin found himself to appreciate it.

A loud crash was heard, perturbing their relaxed calm, almost making them jump. They turned their gaze to see Kid in the middle of what seemed to be a mountain of metal cutlery. The redhead started to assemble them in a sort of metal sheet the size of a bed. 

Next to him, Penguin heard a muffled laugh coming from Killer, he turned himself toward him, his face surely reflecting his confusion. 

« -Kid had always loved mechanics », he taught him, as it explained everything, his eyes still fixed on his childhood friend .

« -He has well found his fruit then », Penguin said as his gaze left the blond to return to his third companion. 

Killer didn't have to answer. The redhead had finished the assemblage of the plate, the Heart pirate suspected that it was easier to transport than a hundred of individual cutlery. Kid disappeared in the forest.

« -I know Kid since I'm little. At first, we weren't friends but we were in love with the same girl. It's quite a fun story… »

Penguin listened attentively to the story. It wasn't common for the blond to engage a discussion and even less to engage this kind of discussion. The Heart pirate didn't complain. He even surprised himself when relaxing, his shoulders lowered while they were tense since his crisis. 

« -Shachi and I were best friends since childhood too. Essentially because our parents were. When they died, we only had each other. His uncle and his aunt had taken us in but they weren't the best if you know what I mean… »

Their hands were still hung together, Killer was calmly rubbing small circles on the back of his hand while watching him. Behind his helmet, his eyes shone, as if the Heart pirate right in front of him was the most precious thing in the world. Penguin didn't notice it when he looked up. However, he saw their hands and their general proximity. His face blushed almost instantly and he began to stutter and stumble in his words. Yet, he managed to say something like he had to check on Kid and look if he didn't need help, which helped him to escape worthily leave. 

« -Peng ! » Killer called, « you're going the wrong way ! »

The Heart pirate turned around without giving a glance to the blond, muttering that of course he knew it. Killer gave a little laugh while resting his cheek on his hand, a soft smile on his face while looking at the eldest moving away. When he was finally out of sight, the blond let out a desperate sigh, his hand sliding down his forehead. 

I'm so messed up…

*

In his calculations, Penguin found out that one hour passed in the past -or parallel reality- was equal to two days. They filled six hours in the other side, which meant that almost two weeks had elapsed when they came back.

After almost two other weeks of hard work, they were prepared to leave.

Kid had done a really good job on the vessel -better than most of the best boat builders-. It seemed strong enough for their travel and big enough for three pirates. The hull was thick and solid, exactly what he expected. The ship was rudimentary but perfect, it had a cellar large enough that partitions were put in place for a bedroom, infirmary and food reserve, it also had spar for the sail Killer flawlessly sewn and even a cabin in addition to the deck. 

The sun calmly began to go down in the horizon, meaning the moon will come soon enough in the night sky.

In the day, the group had collected all the objects that could be useful at the same time they collected the food -principally vegetables which is better preserved but a bit of meat for the first days-.

When the three of them were on the vessel, Kid activated his power to lead the boat out to sea. On the stern, Penguin looked at the beach becoming smaller and smaller. 

The night arrived with its beautiful tones and stars. Penguin will have adored observing them if he wasn't this occupied to get out quickest as possible from this island -perhaps he would appreciate it better when they will be a bit further-. 

On their ship, he saw the clouds moving slightly with the wind to discover the enchantress full moon on the other side of the island. In the distance, he could observe the fog calmly begin to rise, snaking slyly between the trees until going out of the forest and crawling on the sand of the beach.

They weren't there

They were finally gone